Sunday Morning Book Thread 02-07-2016: Gone But Not Forgotten [OregonMuse]

Remember The Days When We Had A REAL President?

(Reagan pic stolen from here:
http://sharpwriter.deviantart.com/art/Ronald-Reagan-The-Liberator-459588484)

Open Question: OK, as you can see in the picture, Mr. Reagan has one arm thrust through the windshield, shooting commies and hippies, and his other arm is resting on the driver's side door, the window having been previously kicked out. So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?

“If you have read 6,000 books in your lifetime, or even 600, it's probably because at some level you find 'reality' a bit of a disappointment.”
― Joe Queenan

Ronaldus Magnus

Yesterday (Saturday) would have been the 105th birthday of The Great One. There have been a number of biographies written about him, but I don't know which one of them is best. I don't know if any of them are any good (maybe is worth a look). But I do remember Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan came out, and everybody was all, like, WTF? Now let me set the stage: This is a biography authorized by RR, and the author, Edmund Morris, had won a Pulitzer back in 1980 for The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, the first of his three-volume biography of Theodore Roosevelt. So everybody thought that he'd do a good job with it, particularly since he was granted unprecedented access to both Reagan and behind-the-scenes at the White House during his term in office. But despite all of this, and despite 13 years(!) of archival research, he published a steaming turd that the most charitable reviews referred to as "controversial."

Morris eventually decided to scrap writing a straight biography and turn his piece into a faux historical memoir about the President told from the viewpoint of a semi-fictional peer from the same town as Ronald Reagan: Edmund Morris himself. The person comes from the same town as, continually encounters, and later keeps track of Reagan...

The biography has caused confusion in that it contains a few characters who never existed and scenes in which they interact with real people. Morris goes so far as to include misleading endnotes about such imaginary characters to thoroughly confuse his reading audience. Elsewhere, scenes are dramatized or completely made up.

This is not serious scholarship. It's performance art offered in lieu of serious scholarship. And pretty much everybody hated it. They hated it when it was first published, and they hate it now: 52% of the Amazon reviews are either 2-star or 1-star.

On the other hand, I'd guess that conservative author Peter Schweizer's book on Reagan, Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty-Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism, perhaps contains more clarity and certainty of purpose:

Challenging popular misconceptions of Reagan as an empty suit who played only a passive role in the demise of the Soviet Union, Peter Schweizer details Reagan’s decades-long battle against communism.

Bringing to light previously secret information obtained from archives in the United States, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Russia -- including Reagan’s KGB file -- Schweizer offers a compelling case that Reagan personally mapped out and directed his war against communism, often disagreeing with experts and advisers. An essential book for understanding the Cold War, Reagan’s War should be read by open-minded readers across the political spectrum.

Schweizer is also the author of a number of other books, such as Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich and Architects of Ruin: How Big Government Liberals Wrecked the Global Economy -- and How They Will Do It Again If No One Stops Them.

And I'll mention this one just because I like the title: Makers and Takers: How Conservatives Do All the Work While Liberals Whine and Complain. Obviously a dispassionate analysis.

But back to Reagan. I think the best writings about Reagan are his own. Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America. He actually wrote a ton of material over the years:

Most of Reagan's original writings are pre-presidential. From 1975 to 1979 he gave more than 1,000 daily radio broadcasts, two-thirds of which he wrote himself. They cover every topic imaginable: from labor policy to the nature of communism, from World War II to the second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, from the future of Africa and East Asia to that of the United States and the world. They range from highly specific arguments to grand philosophy to personal stories.

And remember this is the man that liberals want you believe was an airhead.

There's also an audio CD Reagan In His Own Voice which is a collection of recordings of his original radio broadcasts.

Of course, Reagan was known to tell a joke or two, many of them at the expense of liberals. So with that mind, I give you The Humor of Ronald Reagan: Quips, Jokes and Anecdotes From the Great Communicator, which is available on Kindle for 99 cents. Also on the cheap is 50 of President Ronald Reagan's Most Important Speeches from 1957 to 1994: Formatted for the Kindle for $1.99. I notice that the download-for-free sample for this last book contains Reagan's entire "A Time For Choosing" speech from 1964 and also a pretty good sized chunk of his debate with Robert Kennedy in 1967. For free. I'm just saying.

I'd Be In Favor of This

Super Bowl Books

This being Super Bowl Sunday, what better time to discuss 3 Super Bowl books to celebrate the 50th anniversary?

Actually, I'm only going to mention one of them, the coffee-table book Sports Illustrated Super Bowl Gold: 50 Years of the Big Game by the editors of, get this, Sports Illustrated.

What makes this book interesting? In addition to the usual Super Bowl stats you might find in a book like this, and

While the game-by-game replays form the guts of the book, two highlights come at the edges: 1) the impressionistic memories Peter King, SI’s leading pro football expert, shares from the 31 Super Bowl’s he’s witnessed; and 2) a formulated ranking of the first 49 Super Bowls from best to worst based on how thrilling they were. Topping the list is Super Bowl XLII played in 2008 when the New York Giants ruined New England’s bid for a perfect season. At the bottom of the ratings is Super Bowl XXXV, in 2001, when the Giants dominated the Baltimore Ravens, 34-7.

I can't find a damn in my damn pantry to give about item 1, but item 2 might be interesting. With almost 50 Super Bowls to work with, there's probably enough material to start more than a few bar fights.

And the hype and pageantry:

“The salute to patriotism and the military blends seamlessly with the homage paid to capitalism, embodied by the compound of corporate tents that spring up around every Super Bowl. The parties therein are sprinkled with celebrities, many delivered by private jet, in the days before the game. To behold the halftime show, and the keenly anticipated, in-game TV commercials – a de factor film festival unto itself – is to understand how fully this hypertrophied unofficial holiday has pulled the planets of the media and entertainment into its gravitational field.”

King calls the Super Bowl an "hypertrophied unofficial holiday". I call it an "hypertrophied unofficial religion", and in fact, I think the Super Bowl is basically a national, public religious ceremony. In fact, I'd say it's the only national, public religious ceremony we're allowed to have without incontinent ACLU types squealing and peeing their pants. We already have the adoring crowds, esoteric ceremonies (the half-time show), acolytes (players) and high priests (booth announcers). We even have scantily clad sacrificial virgins (cheerleaders). All that's missing is incense and burnt offerings. Although I suppose a couple of cheap cigars and some good BBQ might be sufficient.

Americans are very religious. One way or another.

Lastly, I thought this Canadian guy was pretty funny: A non-fan's guide to Super Bowl 50:

I’m not saying a roll of Mentos could provide better analysis than Phil Simms of CBS. I’m not saying it—however, I am typing it in a magazine and placing it on a long banner pulled by a biplane. Listen for yourself: When someone makes a great play, Simms will say: “Whoa, that’s a great play!” He is the perfect analyst for football viewers who can’t figure out how to face their television screen. (To be fair, that does account for roughly 40 per cent of Cleveland Browns fans.)

Heh. Cleveland fans can't catch a break.

Sexbots: 2016

This should surprise precisely no one:

The manufacturers of a pioneering video game controller that doubles as a virtual reality male sex toy have pulled it off the market after being swamped by demand.

Pris Stratton just e-mailed and said "This is just messed up."

Every time I see one of these news stories about the further perfecting of sexbot technology, I'm reminded of this bit from That Hideous Strength:

The Stranger mused for a few seconds; then, speaking in a slightly sing-song voice, he asked the following question:

"Who is called Sulva? What road does she walk ? Why is the womb barren on one side? Where are the cold marriages?"

Ransom replied,"Sulva is she whom mortals call the Moon. She walks in the lowest sphere. Half of her orb is turned towards us and shares our curse. On this side the womb is barren and the marriages cold. There dwell an accursed people, full of pride and lust. There when a man takes a maiden in marriage they do not lie together, but each lies with a cunningly fashioned image of the other, made to move and to be warm by devilish arts, for real flesh will not please them, they are so dainty (delicati) in their dreams of lust. Their real children they fabricate by vile arts in a secret place."

C.S Lewis was quite a prophet.

I would NOT WANT to take tech support calls for the company that makes these things.

Which reminds me of a short story by, I think, Harlan Ellison, where this loser goes to a brothel to try out one of their new sexbots. Only they'll all currently occupied or down for maintenance, or something, so they try to slip him a real woman, hoping he won't notice. Of course he does, so the climax of the story is him bitterly complaining to the management about having to have sex with an actual woman.

Things I Learn From The Book Thread

In last week's book thread, I opined that writers have to "run the gauntlet" of female editors in order to get published. Which elicited this response:

422 You run a gantlet and you throw down a gauntlet. Just sayin....

Posted by: Fluor at February 01, 2016 09:18 AM (98vXF)

Pedant. I thought, oh no, have I really been using a malaproprism for all these years? Was there a whole different word 'gantlet' that I had never seen before? Also, I have to admit that even though I have been using the expression for years, it never occurred to me to ask the obvious question how an armored glove worn by medieval knights could be some sort of obstacle you had to overcome to get to where you wanted to go.

So I consulted my trusty man-servant, Mr. Google. And here is what I found:

Gantlet was the original spelling of the word referring to a form of punishment in which people armed with sticks or other weapons arrange themselves in two lines and beat a person forced to run between them. It came from the earlier English word gantlope, which in turn comes from the Swedish gatlopp. Gauntlet is an alternative spelling of gantlet, but it also has several definitions of its own, mostly related to gloves.

Gantlet was the preferred spelling in early use of the phrase run the gauntlet -- meaning to suffer punishment by gantlet or to endure an onslaught or ordeal -- but gauntlet prevailed by the 18th century. Today, most writers use gauntlet, though gantlet, which is especially common in American English, is not incorrect.

So, it looks like both usages are permissible. This makes me happy, as now I don't have to feel like a complete dope.

Books By Morons

A little less than a year ago, I mentioned that longtime moron commenter AllenG was writing a fantasy novel, which he titled Fire and Frost

As I mentioned previously, he created a fantasy world that I think is fairly unique:

Fire & Frost is set in a fantasy world of my own invention. You will find nary an elf, dwarf, orc, or ogre in it. Instead, you will find a world quite unlike our real one. Mediatus is a planar world with definite edges- not a globe like our own. Those edges each lead to lands called Borders, and beyond the Borders to one of four elemental realms. Within those realms live creatures each attuned to their element.

So that is what the world looks like. With that in mind, here is the plot:

Alaric Dell never expected to set aside generations of enmity for the war-like Igni, least of all while investigating a series of raids on his father's lands. An ambush by an unknown enemy on the border of the Middle Realm and Infierno, however, did just that. Now Alaric must deal with an ancient enemy without and intrigue within as he attempts to save the barony, and perhaps the world.

The Kindle edition of Fire and Frost (Seven Realms Book 1) will be released on Feb. 11th.

The paperback edition is available now from Createspace. Also now on Amazon.

What I'm Reading

I'm a little over 100 pages into Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak, and I wish I hadn't seen the movie. I can't read without the images of Omar Sharif and Julie Christie crowding in and of course I can't help but hear that classic soundtrack. It's just starting to pick up a bit with Lara just having moved with her new husband Pasha to Yuriatin, a remote rural community, while Yurii is toiling away in a hospital in Moscow. I keep having to refer back to the characters page at the beginning of the book because like most Russian novels, everybody has 3 or 4 names, and some of them don't at all resemble the actual name of the character. The Revolution hasn't happened yet, although some commie protestors did get chopped up pretty good by a cavalry charge. I find myself rooting for the Czar.

Of course, the Soviet government hated this book, and in fact it had to be smuggled out of the country to Italy, where it was first published. But according to author Peter Finn:

The CIA, which recognized that the Cold War was above all an ideological battle, published a Russian-language edition of Doctor Zhivago and smuggled it into the Soviet Union. Copies were devoured in Moscow and Leningrad, sold on the black market, and passed surreptitiously from friend to friend. Pasternak’s funeral in 1960 was attended by thousands of admirers who defied their government to bid him farewell. The example he set launched the great tradition of the writer-dissident in the Soviet Union.

This is all detailed in Finn's book, The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book.

Forbidden fruit can be mighty tasty.

___________

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

___________

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

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

Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:11 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Book thread!
Woot!

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:13 AM (cbfNE)

2 "So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?"

With. His. Mind.

;-)

Posted by: Y-not (@moxiemom) at February 07, 2016 09:14 AM (t5zYU)

3 Currently reading Wolves of the Northern Rift. It is totally not what I expected but it only cost me around $2.00 on one of those Amazon one-day sales. I thought it was SF but its not. It is about werewolves and boogers. I'll struggle through it but I would not recommend it to anyone.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 09:16 AM (t2KH5)

4 Beat me to it, Y-Not!

Posted by: rickl at February 07, 2016 09:17 AM (sdi6R)

5 If you have read 6,000 books in your lifetime, or even 600, it's
probably because at some level you find reality a bit of a
disappointment. Joe Queenan

No, its because I find reading more entertaining than TV or movies.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 09:18 AM (t2KH5)

6 It is about werewolves and boogers.

wut

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 09:18 AM (YSg0m)

7 Steve Hayward has what I think is the best Reagan biography in two volumes.
The Age of Reagan vol 1 and volume 2.

Another excellent biography is "Riding with Reagan" by his secret service agent.

Posted by: Michael Km at February 07, 2016 09:18 AM (5namt)

8 And first!

I have a post about J'Accuse...! ,Zola, and the Dreyfus Affair on my blog today.
The pivotal scandal of turn of the century France, back when the pen could defeat a conspiracy of swords.

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:19 AM (cbfNE)

9 Tell I took Annas advise and read the Aleutian Island Campaign by Charles Rivers Editors. I highly recommend this series if you want a fairly short but informative narrative on a subject they cover. They do remind my of the History of the Second World War series of magazines from the early 70's which I have around 2/3rd St of

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 09:20 AM (HWcaz)

10 He's steering with one knee like any decent G-dfearing American would !

Posted by: sock_rat_eez identifies as a wackobird hobbit at February 07, 2016 09:20 AM (Z8DIA)

11 Heh, one of the fictional characters in "Dutch" was Morris' own son, who was so annoying that when he finally disappeared due to a presumed drug overdose I stood up and cheered.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 09:20 AM (1xUj/)

12 To find out what's between the covers,
one cannot leave the volume closed.
-Cornfuscia

Posted by: mindful webworker - book marked at February 07, 2016 09:21 AM (H/5vA)

13 RR was undoubtedly the best President we have had in the modern age. Obama is undoubtedly the worst. He is giving FDR a run for his money on bad.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 09:21 AM (t2KH5)

14 Vic, you're lucky your cutting and pasting didn't land you in the Barrel.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 09:22 AM (YSg0m)

15 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. I'm starting with a non-book entry. Super Bowl Sunday is one of my favorite days for TV viewing. At noon eastern Hallmark Channel is showing The Kitten Bowl. At 3PM eastern, Animal Planet is showing the 12th Puppy Bowl. These constitute 6 hours of ultimate cuteness. Given my ongoing rage and disgust at the news and other matters, cute-osity ranks high with me.

I understand there's some football game tonight which I'm watching for two reasons. First, There is always the hope, not expectation, of a good game. Second, I've watched every Super Bowl so far and don't want to break a 50 year streak. Actually, there's a third reason: it reminds me that spring training starts soon.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 09:22 AM (FvdPb)

16 I have a post about J'Accuse...! ,Zola, and the Dreyfus Affair on my blog today.
The pivotal scandal of turn of the century France, back when the pen could defeat a conspiracy of swords.

--

Link in nic

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:22 AM (cbfNE)

17 That is SO wrong.

Reagan would drive a Camaro.

Posted by: franksalterego at February 07, 2016 09:22 AM (Fh+WR)

18 But back to Reagan. I think the best writings about Reagan are his own.�Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America.�

Read it. Worthwhile. Not sure it's worth buying, but taking out of the library makes sense as it would only take a couple hours to read. Like Chinese food an hour later you're hungry for more.

Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 09:23 AM (fbovC)

19 He's steering the car with his vestigial johnson.

Posted by: Corona at February 07, 2016 09:23 AM (ragzU)

20 Reagan steers with his dick.

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at February 07, 2016 09:23 AM (oVJmc)

21 14
Vic, you're lucky your cutting and pasting didn't land you in the Barrel.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 09:22 AM (YSg0m)

I actually copied that from notepad. It should not have had that "normal" at the top.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 09:24 AM (t2KH5)

22 Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.

Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

- Groucho Marx

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at February 07, 2016 09:24 AM (LUgeY)

23 Word of the day: Gantlope.

Give me a home
Where the buffalo roam
And the deer and the antelope play.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 09:26 AM (Nwg0u)

24 How is he steering the car?

*****

Judging by the way he crashed through that fence into the meadow I would say he is NOT steering the car.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at February 07, 2016 09:26 AM (NeFrd)

25 I have a post about J'Accuse...! ,Zola, and the Dreyfus Affair on my blog today.
The pivotal scandal of turn of the century France, back when the pen could defeat a conspiracy of swords.
Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:19 AM (cbfNE)

Very nice, VM.

See, this is the sort of classy, high-brow stuff I should be doing for the book thread. Instead, it's football, pics of muscle cars, and snickering about sexbots.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 09:26 AM (YSg0m)

26 So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?

Warcock.

Posted by: chemjeff at February 07, 2016 09:28 AM (uZNvH)

27 I actually copied that from notepad. It should not have had that "normal" at the top.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 09:24 AM (t2KH5)

Notepad? Wow. There was a bunch of html formatting junk in your comment that I cleaned out. I didn't think Notepad could produce that.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 09:28 AM (YSg0m)

28 And since I misse'd the Morning Thread I'm going to just leave this here. For those who have expressed an interest:

Good morning all.

From this date in 1944, Anzio/Nettuno

Feb 7, 1944 - The EZ Dog Journal
General decided to set up HQ in Nettuno so we started cleaning a house for it. Bombing raid across port and VI Corps HQ blew in our house. Luckily only one of the Sgts was there and he was only scratched. Shelling continued during morning so we moved to area about a mile out of town. Feels safer. Sunny weather so far.

I guess choosing the pink house was not such a great idea. Who knew German artillery observers liked pink?

VI Corps HQ at Nettuno became an elaborate series of underground tunnels

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at February 07, 2016 09:29 AM (NeFrd)

29 Thanks to all from last week who suggested books that will help me understand the Gospels. My copy of "Jesus On Trial" by David Limbaugh arrived yesterday. So far, it parallels my own situation and is VERY well written. I think this will be a great starting point.

BTW, I ordered the book from B and N. It took almost a week to arrive from New Jersey, less than 200 miles away. If the company doesn't improve delivery, it will be another nail in their corporate coffin.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 09:29 AM (FvdPb)

30 See, this is the sort of classy, high-brow stuff I should be doing for the book thread. Instead, it's football, pics of muscle cars, and snickering about sexbots.
Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 09:26 AM (YSg0m)

LOL

If I ever manage to get my zazzle thing going, I'm gonna do a shirt that says :
The best things in life are B
With drawing of books bacon booze boobs

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:29 AM (cbfNE)

31 President Reagan has a suicide steering wheel knob and he is using his huge brass balls to steer with....

He was a man of many talents.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 07, 2016 09:29 AM (ej1L0)

32 Yeah, two big fans of Puppy Bowl here at Chateau D'Eez.

And who says we don't have " incontinent ACLU types squealing and peeing their pants" trying to destroy football-as-we-know-it ? What other than that is all this concussion stuff about ?

Posted by: sock_rat_eez identifies as a wackobird hobbit at February 07, 2016 09:30 AM (Z8DIA)

33 The Edmund Morris thing is the greatest example of liberal brainwashing in American history. Here's Morris, a respected historian, given access to all of Reagan's papers, with one simple (though laborious) job: to tell how Reagan went from being a small-town boy to a movie star to Governor and then one of the century's five greatest Presidents.

And he could not do it. Because he had probably spent most of his adult career in the company of people who sneered at Reagan, mocked Reagan, hated Reagan and the country he loved.

Morris looked at the documents and how they told the story of a good-hearted man, very strong-willed, self-educated and much smarter than his public persona. And Morris simply could not make himself tell that story. It would be social death for him. Career suicide. He'd never sell another book, never get invited to another cocktail party, never write another essay.

So he cleverly devised a way to fail upward. He wrote an awful biography, but couched it as a daring literary experiment.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 09:31 AM (E0naa)

34 >>>>2 "So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?"

With. His. Mind.

;-)
Posted by: Y-not (@moxiemom) at February 07, 2016 09:14 AM (t5zYU)

-----
That is not the answer I expected to hear from the Horde.

Posted by: Emmie at February 07, 2016 09:31 AM (ezXrF)

35 Notepad? Wow. There was a bunch of html formatting
junk in your comment that I cleaned out. I didn't think Notepad could
produce that.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 09:28 AM (YSg0m)

I have been having some strange stuff going on with my computer the last couple of days.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 09:31 AM (t2KH5)

36 Steven Hayward's two books "The Age of Reagan" are really good, the first volume especially.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at February 07, 2016 09:32 AM (B8JRQ)

37 But then I went back to my old ways. I saw Innocence Lost by Else Elfriede Hopper a true story from a diary on refugees of the second world War. I read ghetto sample and it fascinated me reminding me of the girl in The Book Thief movie. So I got it knowing it wasn't going to end well. The first half is her family consisting of mother and siblings from Duesseldorf who get sent to the estate of Baron Putkamer and his family. There is a happy existence there until the end of the war comes crashing in. Yes there is tragedy but also many acts of kindness from strangers during their escape from Pomerania back to Duesseldorf. Sadly we don't know what happens to many people we meet in her story but I and many reviewers highly recommend it.

I did pick up the 2nd book of the Mastroianni and Commander series but didn't start it yet.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 09:32 AM (HWcaz)

38 Amazon.com and Ronald Reagan.

The way the internet operates, I'm surprised a flame war on Amazon hasn't broken out.

I don't see any way we ever get back to the way things were in the eighties when half the country wants to bury Reagan, conservatives, and a pro American ideology.

It's generational, and the hippies are winning.

Posted by: Willis Castlightly at February 07, 2016 09:32 AM (+XvV5)

39 So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?

Why steer? There's targets everywhere!

Posted by: t-bird at February 07, 2016 09:33 AM (RrDm2)

40 RAY GANN has more sophisticated algorithm. Must acquire RAY GANN algorithm. Need to download RAY GANN speech modules into memory banks.

Posted by: Marco Rubio at February 07, 2016 09:34 AM (ML24Y)

41 Muldoon, did you have access to your Dad's diary while he was alive and were you able to ask him about details and context?

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 09:34 AM (1xUj/)

42 Peter Schweizer also wrote Throw Them All Out.
Good book exposing corruption by design in DC.

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:34 AM (cbfNE)

43 So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?

Always keep both hands on the handlebars!

Posted by: Bobblehead Obama on his Momsbike at February 07, 2016 09:34 AM (RrDm2)

44 I need to proof read what me and this tablet write down before I hit post

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 09:34 AM (HWcaz)

45 I am reading Cedar Sanderson's Vulcan's Kittens - it's more of a YA fantasy adventure and I have always thought that it looked interesting - as we hang out in the same on-line circles. I fully intend to post a review as soon as I finish it, in keeping with my resolution to review other indy authors.

I got some lovely reviews and a lotta reads for The Chronicles of Luna City after Book Thread links in previous weeks, so thank you all. (And for those who really liked Luna City, there is a website up for it - lunacitytexas.com - where I have posted an original short story and a Luna City Chamber of Commerce community newsletter listing important spring-time events.

Posted by: CeliaHayes at February 07, 2016 09:35 AM (95iDF)

46 Maybe we could use some black market conservativism smuggled into the U.S.

Posted by: Emmie at February 07, 2016 09:35 AM (ezXrF)

47 J'Accuse

-
The thing about the Dreyfus is that everybody thought they were doing the right thing. True, the military fabricated evidence against Dreyfus but they didn't think they were framing an innocent man. They thought they were helping to unify the country by eliminating doubt as to his innocence so they could put this behind them and, so to speak, Move On.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 09:35 AM (Nwg0u)

48 this bit reminds me of practically everything posted at AOSHQ that isn't politics

"Topics Suitable for Composition" proposed by Thomas E. Hill, Hill's Manual of Social and Business Forms, 1886:

The Bachelor's Home.
Discoveries of Galileo.
People whom we Meet.
Pleasures of Suburban Life.
Love Conquers Selfishness.
Things in a Country Store.
The Books we Ought to Read.
A Bar-Tender's Fearful Dream.
Home Amusements Considered.
My Garden, and What was In It.
Going to Visit Mother Next Week.
A Drunkard's Fate.
Beauty at Seventy-Five.
Adventures in a Snow-storm.
Description of a Spelling-Bee.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at February 07, 2016 09:36 AM (Cq0oW)

49 Ten and two, Ron. Ten and two.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 09:37 AM (Nwg0u)

50 Here's Morris, a respected historian, given access to all of Reagan's papers,

Worse than that. He had access to Reagan. He was a fly on the wall in meetings. Reagan had (justifiably) loved the TR books and granted Morris unprecedented access.

Morris squandered a gargantuan opportunity. Maybe he was like Merriwether Lewis, overwhelmed by the scope of his task and unable to complete it.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 09:37 AM (1xUj/)

51 so the climax of the story is him bitterly complaining to the management about having to have sex with an actual woman.
--------------

ISWYDT

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 07, 2016 09:37 AM (oFSUK)

52 More importantly, is he wielding a S&W Model 10 or Colt Police Positive?

Posted by: Weasel at February 07, 2016 09:37 AM (e3bId)

53 Like God in heaven Reagan would drive a silver Thunderbird

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 09:38 AM (HWcaz)

54 A few weeks ago I mentioned "A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, And A Great War" by Joseph Loconte. It gave an excellent explanation of the history and culture JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, and others, faced as they were growing up and writing. Quite eye opening. The ebook version was selling for 10 dollars, kinda high. Now it is going for 4 bucks on both Kindle and Nook. Definitely worth it.

I may get a hard copy edition eventually, it was that good.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 09:38 AM (FvdPb)

55 Muldoon, did you have access to your Dad's diary while he was alive and were you able to ask him about details and context?

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 09:34 AM (1xUj/)

****

No. I didn't know of the diary's existence until after he died in 2003. My brother did a line-by-line transcription and put out copies for the family side-by-side with photocopied pages from the handwritten diary. I didn't get into reading it in depth until a couple years ago. I've done some outside reading of Anzio and the Italian campaign for context. I do see definite recognizable snippets of him (as I knew him) that come shining through in the diary.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at February 07, 2016 09:39 AM (NeFrd)

56 It's worth pointing out that 'Dr. Zhivago' is the only novel that Boris Pasternak wrote.

His story is fascinating. If you are not familiar with it, it is worth the read:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Pasternak

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 07, 2016 09:39 AM (oFSUK)

57 He is steering with his knee of course.
I am Reading "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara Tuchman, "The Last Kingdom" By Bernard Cornwell and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress".
Just finished the 1st 3 books of Paksenarion by Elizabeth Moon.
Gotta go and won't be back til the thread is dead.

Posted by: Alo89 at February 07, 2016 09:39 AM (xLrSa)

58 Nearly wrapped up with Tales of the Primal Land by Brian Lumley, the long, bizarre tale of Tarra Khash: Hrossak in a blasted, Cthulhu-y world of sorcery and betrayal.

I needed an escape from the real world, and this certainly fit the bill. Good stuff.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 07, 2016 09:39 AM (bS6uW)

59 Kittens and puppies are teh cute

But when is the lingerie bowl?

Posted by: Fox2! at February 07, 2016 09:40 AM (brIR5)

60 I'm reading Tina Fey's book Bossypants and stealing the funny.

Posted by: Amy Schumer at February 07, 2016 09:40 AM (UBS9M)

61 The car goes where Reagan tells it to go.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 07, 2016 09:40 AM (oFSUK)

62 The thing about the Dreyfus is that everybody thought they were doing the right thing. True, the military fabricated evidence against Dreyfus but they didn't think they were framing an innocent man. They thought they were helping to unify the country by eliminating doubt as to his innocence so they could put this behind them and, so to speak, Move On.
Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 09:35 AM (Nwg0u)

It was a complex scandal. A large part of the motivation seemed to be that the military should not get egg on their faces. Nonetheless they not only jailed an innocent, they let a guilty man go free.
The Catholic Church does not behave well here either, sadly.

Anyway, writing up the post made me want to check out the thriller An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris.

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:40 AM (cbfNE)

63 Reagan on Mt Rushmore? Certainly. He began a period of prosperity that lasted until the year 2000. Job creation that often equalled one million new jobs per month. Almost every baby boomer in this country should thank their lucky stars that he came along when he did and stimulated the economy, or else they might never have found jobs in the quantities required.

It makes me ill to see how shortchanged our youth are under Obama; where only foreigners are filling the positions. Where one statistic says 150, 000 new jobs, another statistic says 500, 000 fewer Americans employed. In the same month, for crying out loud.

Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 09:41 AM (fbovC)

64 Oh and don't forget about the kitteh bowl

http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/kitten-bowl

Posted by: chemjeff at February 07, 2016 09:42 AM (uZNvH)

65 "For to make a water that will take out incontinent letters from the Paper. Ye shall take a pound of blewe vitrioll, three pound of salt peter, and four unces of Vermillion and fyve pounde of Alome, and stampe them all together, and make thereof a pouder, & stille it in some vessell of glasse with a small fire, & there will come out two manner of waters the first white, & the second greene. If you take a little of the first & laie it upon the lefe of Paper written, rubbing it with a greene clothe somewhat course or roughe, it will take away the letters from the Paper, & leave it as white as yf there had never bene incke upon it."

The Second Part of the Secretes of Maister Alexis of Piemont (1563)

That's right. White-out. Mediaeval style.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at February 07, 2016 09:42 AM (Cq0oW)

66
�So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?

Talk about first world problems.

Posted by: Vishnu at February 07, 2016 09:42 AM (ML24Y)

67 Look, ma! No hands!

- Ronald Reagan

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 09:43 AM (Nwg0u)

68 " is he wielding a S&W Model 10 or Colt Police Positive?"
This ability to cut straight to the heart of the matter is why the Moron Horde is so special.

Based on the shape of the front sight I've got to say probably the Colt. Can't see the cylinder latch.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 07, 2016 09:44 AM (Z8DIA)

69 Just finished the mystery "In The Bleak Midwinter" by Julia Spencer-Fleming, based on a book thread recommendation. Very good! I'm going to check out the next in the series.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 07, 2016 09:45 AM (jR7Wy)

70 He's shooting at Carter in a broken-down Vega getting raped by a rabbit.

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at February 07, 2016 09:46 AM (oVJmc)

71 Ronaldus Magnus: East Victor

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 07, 2016 09:47 AM (rwI+c)

72 The Great One.

Oh, please. Did he ever look Vladimir Putin in the eye of his trouser snake and bathe in his steaming piss? That's how you get results.

Posted by: Barack Hussein Obama at February 07, 2016 09:47 AM (RrDm2)

73 trying to destroy football-as-we-know-it ?

-
If Bouncy does "sing" her tribute to #BLM at the halftime show, that will be about the final straw for me with the NFL.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 09:48 AM (Nwg0u)

74 I like the Sigma Force series of action and suspense books by James Rollins. He has co-written a trilogy with Rebecca Cantrell, the Order of the Sanguines series. The first book is "Blood Gospel". I don't know where the plot is going to end up but the action never stops. I'm at page 100 so far and at this point the next apocalypse would count as comic relief. As always, Rollins keeps the story moving. Mrs. JTB really enjoyed the book, so chances are it will worth the read.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 09:48 AM (FvdPb)

75 "Which reminds me of a short story by, I think, Harlan Ellison, where this loser goes to a brothel to try out one of their new sexbots. Only they'll all currently occupied or down for maintenance, or something, so they try to slip him a real woman, hoping he won't notice. Of course he does, so the climax of the story is him bitterly complaining to the management about having to have sex with an actual woman."

Ahh, yes, Harlan's original draft for "City on the Edge of Forever". No wonder they changed it....

Posted by: Baron Bon Mot's In-Joke of the Day at February 07, 2016 09:50 AM (J3UIw)

76 Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 09:28 AM (YSg0m)

You do know that Rube Goldberg was a freelance programmer and wrote this software...

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at February 07, 2016 09:51 AM (Zu3d9)

77 @74 -

I like those too. Perfect travel fare IMO.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 07, 2016 09:51 AM (bS6uW)

78 Challenging popular misconceptions of Reagan as an empty suit who played only a passive role in the demise of the Soviet Union

WTF? This is what you get when the histories and the popular culture are written by the communist backers of the USSR.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 07, 2016 09:51 AM (rwI+c)

79 Edmund Morris is no James Boswell, but wait till you get a load of my biography of Barry. I guide the reader in through the Whitehouse's back door, where my penetrating insights into the depths of the Obama Presidency deliver the inside scoop.

Posted by: Reggie Love at February 07, 2016 09:52 AM (ML24Y)

80 Reading Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" and the Scott Adams book "How to fail at almost everything and still win big". As I expected, the Adams book is funny, quirky, but unexpectedly thought-provoking.

Posted by: Hrothgar at February 07, 2016 09:52 AM (wYnyS)

81 OT anyone make those crochet stuff toys (amigurumi)?
Am I supposed to slip stitch rounds before going to next round or do they go in a spiral?

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:53 AM (cbfNE)

82
"Waiting for Daylight" by Henry Major Tomlinson is a free book on Amazon (and other places) Someone digitized the thing and put it on Amazon for the Kindle. There are paperback editions available used, written in 1922

Tomlinson is a noted (accorded to Wiki) anti war writer, and this is a collection of columns he wrote on a variety of subjects, from the viewpoint of a proper English cynic. His short opinion on magazines available for sale at the train station is a delight. I can only guess at his opinion of internet blogs. His thoughts on 'the nobodies' (the unnamed serfs) who carry the burden of labor is quite good. Also, he doesn't like Kipling (vulgar and facile he said).

It's something you might want to take in small doses with tea and a biscuit. (I haven't finished it yet.)

I just love the title.

There are three other works, also free, that I've not yet looked at. Free is within my price range.

Posted by: Willis Castlightly at February 07, 2016 09:53 AM (+XvV5)

83 It makes me ill to see how shortchanged our youth are under Obama;

-
Uhhh.

http://tinyurl.com/gq6ye3j

Meanwhile, we're Talibanning our heritage because the Confederacy offends them.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 09:53 AM (Nwg0u)

84 Books I find are much more informative than movies and that's not when the movie butchers the book like the later Rings trilogy movies. I'm accuracy watching the Russian version of War and Peace just to see the spectacle of it. Thought of reading Dr Zhivago someday.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 09:54 AM (HWcaz)

85 If Bouncy does "sing" her tribute to #BLM at the halftime show, that will be about the final straw for me with the NFL.Posted by: The Great White Snark

Remember the major league baseball players strike? That was the defining moment for me. Totally lost interest in the game after that. Millions of others lost Interest too, as baseball stadiums shrunk in later years.

The NFL is flirting with disaster.

Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 09:55 AM (fbovC)

86 Same as last week: Tom Wolfe's "Back To Blood" and still waiting on a plot.

"Jesus: a biography by a believer" continues to be excellent.

My second Kindle died, greatly slowing my reading. Cause of death was the battery again being unable to hold a charge. Apparently the batteries in these things last about two years and that's it. I got another paperwhite because I'm cheap (also got the one with the special offers because they don't show when I'm reading, as I'm sure we all know, so why not?). But it severely irked me that the thing automatically took me through the educational process which, it's my 3rd Kindle so I do not need it. If there was a way to skip it, or a way to stop it in media res, I didn't see it, so there was a wee bit of frothing at the mouth. I HATE helpful software that won't let you out of the "help."

Anyway, the brand-spankin'-new Kindle is defective - the letters break up when I turn the page and then reassemble on the next page - so a replacement arrives tomorrow. In the meantime, my reading is slow and annoying.

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 09:55 AM (RtCTo)

87 I happen to own "Dutch." I made it through maybe 1/3 before I had to put it down, never to pick it up again. That was probably 10 years ago, maybe longer.
Wasn't there a book out a while back consisting of letters he wrote to Nancy? Or is my memory making that up?

And I love the pic. I just saved it to use as my new wallpaper.

Posted by: Chi at February 07, 2016 09:56 AM (OUpHg)

88 "Reagan in His Own Words" is excellent and probably best reveals his thoughts and outstanding ability to express them. I put him in the same category as Churchill.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 09:56 AM (FvdPb)

89 "WTF? This is what you get when the histories and the popular culture are written by the communist backers of the USSR."

This can fairly be said about almost anything these days.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 07, 2016 09:56 AM (Z8DIA)

90 Votermom - I've never made any amigurumi, so can't help out - try finding a youtube video. That's where I go when I have knitting questions.

Posted by: biancaneve at February 07, 2016 09:57 AM (e98eb)

91 "Reagan in His Own Words" is excellent

Ditto. He had an amazing talent with getting words down on paper. The thoughts he expressed were clear, consistent, and powerful and he'd been doing it for decades.

Posted by: t-bird at February 07, 2016 09:59 AM (RrDm2)

92

This can fairly be said about almost anything these days.

====

I'd love to think one could preserve a small library of truthful histories in a Dark Age monastic fashion and have that be instrumental in some way towards a far off future restoration, but nobody would read them.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at February 07, 2016 10:00 AM (Cq0oW)

93 I'll take Clint Eastwood's word on the correct usage of The Gauntlet, even though he definitely blew chunks in his opinion of no ketchup allowed on hotdogs.

I'm reading John D. MacDonald's stuff these last few weeks. I started with Cape Fear (formerly titled The Executioners), the book upon which both movies are based around. Then I've read a few titles in the Travis McGee series.

There have been two attempts to movieize Travis. One, Darker Than Amber, is available for free on youtube (though it pretty much sucked imho). The other one has bad reviews on IMDB. Oh, for a good remake or ten.

John D. writes as a liberal mugged by reality. Evidence of his liberal leanings can be seen in McGee's friend Meyer having a boat named the John Maynard Keynes. There are a few rants about humans wrecking the environment and even one against handguns. But it doesn't prevent his characters from owning many gas using toys or owning guns.

What is more striking to me is how I'm now evaluating writers for progressive biases. TFG and his media allies has so disgusted me that I can't help but watch for it in everything I read.

Posted by: GnuBreed at February 07, 2016 10:01 AM (gyKtp)

94 I am Reading "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara Tuchman,

-
Tuchman covered Dreyfus in her book The Proud Tower.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 10:01 AM (Nwg0u)

95 I think the "Harlan Ellison" story is actually "It's Very Clean" by Gene Wolfe.

Posted by: Don at February 07, 2016 10:01 AM (IJe0X)

96 Yeah, I'm hoping exactly the same, Bigby.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 07, 2016 10:01 AM (Z8DIA)

97 The one thing I did learn after the war was over German nationals were forced out of areas they lived in for centuries in Pomerania and East Prussia which were taken over by Poland.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:01 AM (HWcaz)

98 It's a great picture of our past. Now we have Obama driving the Golf Cart of State across the fairway.

Posted by: t-bird at February 07, 2016 10:02 AM (mxCgt)

99 @87 - Yes, Nancy compiled some of Ronnie's letters to her and added context. I read the book a few years a go. I think it's called "Love, Ronnie". It's a quick read, and charming. Made me appreciate Reagan even more. And his intelligence, humor and basic decency shine through his letters.

One of the things Nancy wrote was that in their second term they did little international travel because they were concerned about the expense for all the security, etc, and they knew they would be able to travel again when Ronnie was out of office. Too bad the current White House occupants never think this way.

Posted by: biancaneve at February 07, 2016 10:03 AM (e98eb)

100 The sexbot thing doesn't worry me. We'll just pass laws requiring men to get positive consent from sexbots, and a random number generator causing the sexbot to electronically file a rape complaint a certain percentage of the time.

There is no fun that government regulation can't ruin. The rationale can come later.

Posted by: Emma Sulkowicz at February 07, 2016 10:03 AM (ML24Y)

101 -
Reagan would drive a Camaro.

Posted by: franksalterego at February 07, 2016 09:22 AM
----------------

Nah. Hemi Cuda.

Posted by: irright at February 07, 2016 10:03 AM (DtNNC)

102 It's a little shocking how Orwellian America has become. I do a lot of my work at a local coffeeshop, and the (twenty-something) baristas there were recently talking about Reagan and how awful he was. Bear in mind that both of them were almost certainly born after he left office, but they _know_ with the same ironclad certainty that they know their own names, that Reagan was a terrible President, did terrible things to poor people, started wars, etc.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 10:05 AM (E0naa)

103 *runs in to Book Thread, slams door behind her* Phew! Thought I wasn't going to make it for a while there. But now I'm safe!

My first ever voting experience I got to vote for Ronaldus Magnus. Now I have standards and nowhere to use them.

Been reading a bunch of Writer Advice books. Very interesting how much the industry has changed in just the last few years. So much guidance is dated or just plain wrong. Also trying to read "Castaway Planet" which can be considered guidance for writers on how not to infodump. Plus dialogue that has all the grace of someone trying to walk in a suit of armor they put on backwards. It's like a bad accident--I can't look away, mostly because I'm wondering how the VW bug landed on top of the semi upside-down and facing the wrong way.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at February 07, 2016 10:05 AM (GG9V6)

104 A Hemi Cuda happens in my pants when teh Palin is on teevee.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 10:06 AM (1xUj/)

105 '66 Buick Riviera GS.
That was my only complaint about the pic - a Mustang?
Almost as overrated as The Beatles...

Posted by: Chi at February 07, 2016 10:06 AM (OUpHg)

106 And again I want to add I'm disappointed in the Kindle app on my Samsung Galexy. The Kindle I had was much better to navigate around the library so to speak.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:06 AM (HWcaz)

107 Too bad the current White House occupants never think this way.

The nice thing about all their travel is that it gives us hope. "Maybe they'll stay!"

Posted by: t-bird at February 07, 2016 10:06 AM (mxCgt)

108 Reading is fundamental: fun and mental!

Posted by: Joe Biden at February 07, 2016 10:07 AM (UBS9M)

109 read some of Moldbugs lengthy posts about what you can find in old books, things from vanished kingdoms and polities. You instantly know that anything you might wish to preserve will amount to nothing, largely because no one will be have the mental gestalt to understand.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at February 07, 2016 10:08 AM (Cq0oW)

110 I've seen women driving put make up on while texting their friends while eating an egg McMuffin.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:09 AM (MNgU2)

111 It's a little shocking how Orwellian America has become. I do a lot of my work at a local coffeeshop, and the (twenty-something) baristas there were recently talking about Reagan and how awful he was. Bear in mind that both of them were almost certainly born after he left office, but they _know_ with the same ironclad certainty that they know their own names, that Reagan was a terrible President, did terrible things to poor people, started wars, etc.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 10:05 AM (E0naa)

I'm sure I can guess, but I'm just curious. Any specifics?

Posted by: AD at February 07, 2016 10:09 AM (QWY55)

112 Posted by: biancaneve at February 07, 2016 09:57 AM (e98eb)

Thanks bianca. I will try continuing to do slip stitch to end each round, which is what I'm used to.

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 10:09 AM (cbfNE)

113 A commenter at the source site mentioned that Ronnie's gun looks like a Russian Nagant and thought he should be shooting something more American.

I helpfully explained that he took the Nagant off of a dead Commie he shot with the last bullet from his .44 Magnum.

Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at February 07, 2016 10:11 AM (/pB9Z)

114 24 How is he steering the car?

*****

Judging by the way he crashed through that fence into the meadow I would say he is NOT steering the car.
Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at February 07, 2016 09:26 AM (NeFrd)

Threadwinner!

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

115 Saw a woman driving and knitting at the same time during a slow roll traffic jamb long ago.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:12 AM (HWcaz)

116 86 Anyway, the brand-spankin'-new Kindle is defective -
the letters break up when I turn the page and then reassemble on the
next page - so a replacement arrives tomorrow. In the meantime, my
reading is slow and annoying.

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 09:55 AM (RtCTo)

My original Kindle still works fine (when I charge it). But I gave it up after a year and started using the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. It has been going strong now for I think two years. And you would have thought they would make those batteries where they were changeable.
I did see a video once on how to change it and it is definitely not user friendly.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 10:12 AM (t2KH5)

117 Reagan in His Own Hand, the book linked above, is really good. It shows how thoughtful Reagan really was.

Posted by: Global Warming made Hillary cheat at February 07, 2016 10:12 AM (ZufZo)

118 This week I've been reading "How Green Was My Valley", by Richard Llewellyn. I'm loving it. I try to make the voice in my head read it with a Welsh accent. I'm only halfway through, but so far it's just a great story about a boy growing up in a mining town in Wales. I'm not sure of the time - Victoria is still queen, but it most be near the end of her reign - so probably 1890's. The unions are just forming. In one chapter there is some great insight into why a boy must fight back when he's bullied. It just clearly makes the case that weakness just invites more aggression, something Obama needs to learn. I highly recommend this book, and who couldn't love a book with a town where the men sing coming home from work and the whole valley sings together on Sundays and other special occassions?

Posted by: biancaneve at February 07, 2016 10:12 AM (e98eb)

119 I'd love to think one could preserve a small library of truthful histories in a Dark Age monastic fashion and have that be instrumental in some way towards a far off future restoration, but nobody would read them.
Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at February 07, 2016 10:00 AM (Cq0oW)
----
Do it anyway. You have no idea who will be influenced by one of your forbidden tomes, or when.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 07, 2016 10:12 AM (jR7Wy)

120 Ditto. He had an amazing talent with getting words down on paper. The thoughts he expressed were clear, consistent, and powerful and he'd been doing it for decades.

Posted by: t-bird at February 07, 2016 09:59 AM (RrDm2)

And that debate he had with RFK I mentioned? Bobby got his head handed to him. Audio recordings of this epic beatdown exist somewhere on teh internetz, but I was too lazy to search for them.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 10:13 AM (YSg0m)

121 they _know_ with the same ironclad certainty that they know their own
names, that Reagan was a terrible President, did terrible things to
poor people, started wars, etc.

Kollidj and MSM. The only thing in their bubble.

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at February 07, 2016 10:14 AM (oVJmc)

122 Saw a woman driving and knitting at the same time during a slow roll traffic jamb long ago.

Were you around Minneapolis? Because that woman is actually an ER doctor.

Posted by: t-bird at February 07, 2016 10:14 AM (mxCgt)

123 I do a lot of my work at a local coffeeshop, and the (twenty-something) baristas there were recently talking about Reagan and how awful he was.

There is hope. No. 2 Son (now 19) made an offhand comment about Thatcher being evil. He is a student of the punk, new wave, and goth scenes and is quite the Britophile, so it turned out that all he knew about the Baroness is from what punk rockers said in the early 80s.

I put him some knowledge and sent him some video clips. He is now open-minded.

All young people are idiots. The challenge is whether they can smarten up as they grow out of it.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 10:14 AM (1xUj/)

124 My flag football team in college was sponsored by the Reagan-Bush campaign (1984 campaign). I still have my Reagan-Bush jersey.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:14 AM (MNgU2)

125 Re: preserving certain books- IIRC, books from Everyman's Library are printed on acid-free paper and are sturdier than most tomes. Perfect for placing in a plastic bag with some desiccant and burying in the backyard. Imagine being the archeologist who digs that up 500 years from now.
*holds up a recently unearthed copy of The Bible*
"Look at this amazing evidence of ancient American book storage methods!"

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at February 07, 2016 10:14 AM (26lkV)

126 52 ... I think he's using a Colt. It isn't the model 10 pencil barrel or 4" bull barrel so it's probably the Colt which would go with the Mustang theme. The picture doesn't show the cylinder latch, dammit.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 10:15 AM (FvdPb)

127 106
And again I want to add I'm disappointed in the Kindle app on my Samsung
Galexy. The Kindle I had was much better to navigate around the library
so to speak.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:06 AM (HWcaz)

I found the learning curve was pretty steep but once I got used to it I have no problems.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 10:16 AM (t2KH5)

128
King calls the Super Bowl an "hypertrophied unofficial holiday". I call it an "hypertrophied unofficial religion", and in fact, I think the Super Bowl is basically a national, public religious ceremony.

Enjoy your bread and circuses, my pretties! This may be the last NFL game ever played. *cackle*!

Posted by: Hillary Clinton at February 07, 2016 10:16 AM (ML24Y)

129 Vic - do you use the Kindle app on the Galaxy?

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:16 AM (HWcaz)

130 I've just finished Saul David's "Operation Thunderbolt," the latest retelling of the 1976 Entebbe raid. Recommended. It's salutary to read about a decisively-won battle in the war on terror. That was back in the days when Americans all agreed on who the bad guys were, and what should be done to them.

Posted by: gp at February 07, 2016 10:17 AM (+Jpqc)

131 129
Vic - do you use the Kindle app on the Galaxy?

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:16 AM (HWcaz)

Yes

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 10:19 AM (t2KH5)

132 Been reading a bunch of Writer Advice books. Very interesting how much the industry has changed in just the last few years.

Sabrina Chase at February 07, 2016 10:05 AM

I would be curious to look at those Writer Advice books.

And (2) I noticed the changes in Science Fiction and stopped reading because of it. So as a writer, does one write to be popular and sell a lot of books?

The political left infiltrated the genre by writing from their point of view. How do conservatives get back in the game? Certainly not by writing more of what is already being written only doing it better.

And writing anything from a conservative's point of view instantly brings out the holy warriors who are determined to stamp out conservatism wherever they find it.

I find it very depressing.

Posted by: Willis Castlightly at February 07, 2016 10:20 AM (+XvV5)

133 Just finished 'The Eustace Diamonds' by Anthony Trollope. It's good, but there's nothing socially redeeming about it. Perfect for a little light reading. The main plot concerns Lizzie Eustace and her attempts to steal a diamond necklace from her late husband's family. One of those good old Victorian novels where nobody is good and gossip is the major pastime for most of the characters.

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at February 07, 2016 10:20 AM (26lkV)

134 #118 I've always wanted to read 'How Green Was My Valley' but have never gotten around to it. Your recommendation makes me want to read it even more.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 10:21 AM (YSg0m)

135 First time I heard that "gantlet" thing was when I used to listen to My Word on NPR back before I stopped tuning in out of disgust (~2003). Even then they mentioned that "gauntlet" is acceptable.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 10:21 AM (Wckf4)

136 If Bouncy does "sing" her tribute to #BLM at the halftime show, that will be about the final straw for me with the NFL.Posted by: The Great White Snark

Remember the major league baseball players strike? That was the defining moment for me. Totally lost interest in the game after that. Millions of others lost Interest too, as baseball stadiums shrunk in later years.

The NFL is flirting with disaster.
Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 09:55 AM (fbovC)

Yes, because that's what people want when they watch football.

A big old political turd squeezed out at half-time.

Of course, it's not as bad as it could be.

After the Depression-fest that is Coldplay,

half the audience will have committed suicide

by the time Beyonce flounces out to lay some political fuckwittery on us all.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 07, 2016 10:22 AM (KUa85)

137 Okay, finished scanning the EMT, had some breakfast, read the Book post, and now ready to plunge into comments. But before I refill my coffee cup for that...

• Reagan: Somewhere here I have a small paperback collection of Reagan political cartoons. Published while he was still in office, I think. Some very funny ones, but not funny as intended. Laughing at the idea that he thought he could bring down the USSR, for example.

• Vocabulary: gantlet / gauntlet - Hey! I l'arned sumpin'.

• Langwich: "he created a fantasy world that I think is fairly unique"

Something is unique or it is not. There are no shades of uniqueness. Whattaya think? (I believe this may be in Elements of Style.)

Posted by: mindful webworker - the peddling pedant at February 07, 2016 10:22 AM (H/5vA)

138 Speaking of old books, among the books I found when cleaning out my grandparents house is a large tome called "The Universal Educator". As I recall, it was published in 1899 and I imagine it was written for the middle classes who were striving to improve themselves. There are chapters on math, grammar, geography, etc, but also chapters on business etiquette, business writing, manners, etc. It speaks to a time when people wanted to better themselves and fill in the gaps of their education. When I look through the book I'm just amazed at how much knowledge is crammed into it.

Posted by: biancaneve at February 07, 2016 10:23 AM (e98eb)

139 The Mustang as an American symbol reminded me of a book I read a long time ago called The Charm School by N. DeMille. About a Russian spy school where they brought up the spys in an American setting and the protagonist drove a muscle car that I recall being a Mustang. Pretty good book if I remember correctly.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:23 AM (MNgU2)

140 There are still a lot of conservative authors out there in the SF genre. I like David Weber and John Ringo.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 10:23 AM (t2KH5)

141 On RR, this tweet made me smile
https://twitter.com/realmyiq2xu/status/696351847947177984

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 10:25 AM (cbfNE)

142
�I've seen women driving put make up on while texting their friends while eating an egg McMuffin.
Posted by: Max Rockatansky

Once you add in the egg mcmuffin it becomes dangerous. And fattening. I hope they hit the gym afterwards.

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at February 07, 2016 10:25 AM (ML24Y)

143 Another book about Ronald Reagan that you might find interesting was

"Early Reagan: The Rise to Power" by Anne Edwards

This is biographical, and tells his story from childhood up to his election as President. And it stops there. A lot of his movie career was actually pretty funny stuff.

He had an interesting life, and did interesting things. He was not some two-dimensional character drawn out on cardboard cut-out.

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...now older and senile at February 07, 2016 10:25 AM (+1T7c)

144 Vic- On my app it's hard to get it to go where you can see the chapters and contents of the book.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:27 AM (HWcaz)

145 Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 09:53 AM (cbfNE)

Either way usually works. Are you on the 'Ettes of the Moron Horde group on Ravelry? Can give you more in depth help if you ask there.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 10:28 AM (GDulk)

146 Indy / self-pub is the future of right wing SF/F.

*insert plug for my blog here, link in nic*

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 10:28 AM (cbfNE)

147 Listened to Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell, the Battle of Three Armies. Napoleon was exiled to some island, escapes and the English and Prussian armies come at him and his French army. Enjoyed it but not as much as his Agincourt book.

Listened to Lines of Departure (Frontlines #2) by Marko Kloos, very good though grim military sci-fi. Humans battle each other while at the same time aliens threaten the survival of the species. Big cliffhanger at the end, so on to book three.

Read Henry VI Part I by Shakespeare, first of four historical plays that starts near the end of the Hundred Years War between England and France and moves on to the War of the Roses between two royal factions. Henry V had died young and Henry VI as a child had taken the crown. He's amiable but not strong enough to do anything about the intrigue and warfare about to break out in his kingdom. Pretty good stuff.

Posted by: waelse1 at February 07, 2016 10:28 AM (oAK6v)

148 Something is unique or it is not. There are no shades of uniqueness. Whattaya think? (I believe this may be in Elements of Style.)
Posted by: mindful webworker - the peddling pedant at February 07, 2016 10:22 AM (H/5vA)

I'm leaving it up there, because I'm too lazy to change it.

But you're right. There are no 50 shades of 'unique'. Something either is or isn't.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 10:29 AM (YSg0m)

149 52 ... I think he's using a Colt. It isn't the model 10 pencil barrel or 4" bull barrel so it's probably the Colt which would go with the Mustang theme. The picture doesn't show the cylinder latch, dammit.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 10:15 AM (FvdPb)

I am thinking more like a Webley Mk VI converted to .45 acp in keeping with the picture's theme. Ronnie wants to see if he can blow up that old Brit handgun while shooting the dirty hippies.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 07, 2016 10:29 AM (ej1L0)

150 AD: that's what's so terrible -- those ARE the specifics. They don't actually know any facts about Reagan's term of office, just that he was "terrible" and "hated poor people."

No data, no evidence, no facts. Just sloganeering and feelz.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 10:29 AM (E0naa)

151 I recall reading a review for a book containing the speeches Ronald Reagan gave for GE -- are any of these in the books you've mentioned?

Posted by: Lizzy at February 07, 2016 10:30 AM (NOIQH)

152 Either way usually works. Are you on the 'Ettes of the Moron Horde group on Ravelry? Can give you more in depth help if you ask there.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 10:28 AM (GDulk)

I have a ravelry account, not there often.
What's the group name?

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 10:31 AM (cbfNE)

153 144
Vic- On my app it's hard to get it to go where you can see the chapters and contents of the book.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:27 AM (HWcaz)

The chapter list always shows up at the beginning of the book on mine, but I don't use it. I just page through to the first chapter. Also you can put in bookmarks so you can go straight to a chapter or page.

My app is the standard app from Amazon.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 10:31 AM (t2KH5)

154 68 & 126 I agree - think it's the Colt. I have a nice example engraved BS Co on the side plate. I had it lettered by Colt and 'BS Co' is Bethlehem Steel Company - this particular gun shipped with about two dozen others on December 15, 1941 - can you imagine was going on at the Bethlehem, PA steel plant a week after Pearl Harbor?

It's a great shooter, too. Smoothest trigger I've ever felt.

Posted by: Weasel at February 07, 2016 10:31 AM (e3bId)

155 I ask this question every so often on the book thread. I'm not a reader of sci-fi but I was given the book Armor to read a while back and it's one of the most enjoyable books I've read.

How does it rank for fans of Sci-Fi?

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:32 AM (MNgU2)

156 Posted by: biancaneve at February 07, 2016 10:23 AM (e98eb)

That sounds like a pretty cool find. I can think of a few modern people who need a book like that.

It stinks that self-education seems to be going out of fashion. I was chatting with some friends recently and was told in no uncertain terms that, if I wanted to write books, I needed a degree in English. They couldn't understand why I laughed and said, "Why should I pay someone to teach me something I can learn on my own?"

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at February 07, 2016 10:32 AM (26lkV)

157 No data, no evidence, no facts. Just sloganeering and feelz.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 10:29 AM (E0naa)

And your point is...?

Posted by: NY Times at February 07, 2016 10:32 AM (YSg0m)

158 Running the gauntlet is a old form of punishment in military history. The most recent time I've read a account was only a month ago at Andersonville when the Raiders were finally put down. Around 6 were hung but many had to run the gauntlet. One died after he broke out of the chain of men and was hunted down and savagely beaten.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 10:32 AM (HWcaz)

159 Hey, where was the ban on tutu's normally found at the beginning of the book thread? I bet a good number of you broke em out and wore them today.

I am currently reading the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series. At book #4 "Desolation Island". I am finding myself caught up in this series, immediatly downloading the next book to see how the characters are progressing. I also find that with these books I am constantly looking up the meanings of words I am unfamiliar with. All in all an excellent series of books.

Posted by: Book Dancer at February 07, 2016 10:34 AM (YLciO)

160 Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:23 AM (MNgU2)

Good book!

DeMille has written some good stuff, although he recent books are not up to his previous standards.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at February 07, 2016 10:34 AM (Zu3d9)

161 Morris looked at the documents and how they told the
story of a good-hearted man, very strong-willed, self-educated and much
smarter than his public persona. And Morris simply could not make
himself tell that story. It would be social death for him. Career
suicide. He'd never sell another book, never get invited to another
cocktail party, never write another essay.

So he cleverly devised a way to fail upward. He wrote an awful biography, but couched it as a daring literary experiment.

Posted by: Trimegistus

I read Morris' "Theodore Rex" some years ago, and at the same time (about) read a book of TR's letters ,etc by H.W. Brands. The Brands book was really big, and kind of boring (a book of letters, correspondence,etc) but was filled with a lot of great information and insights. Brands once spoke on CSPAN about writing history, and talked about trying to write in such a way that what was said and done was not written about in a teleological way, that is, the biographer doesn't write in such a way that he knows how it is all going to work out, and leaves out what appears to be unimportant to telling the story.
"Theodore Rex" was then, a definite story. Frankly, I really didn't like it that much, and wondered why people thought Edmund Morris was such a great writer. I actually don't remember if I even finished it.

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...now older and senile at February 07, 2016 10:35 AM (+1T7c)

162 I suspect none of those young baristas are planning to buy a home anytime soon but I like to asked the clueless if they know what the mortgage rate was back in the late seventies early eighties.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:36 AM (MNgU2)

163 151 I recall reading a review for a book containing the speeches Ronald Reagan gave for GE -- are any of these in the books you've mentioned?

Posted by: Lizzy at February 07, 2016 10:30 AM (NOIQH)

Dang. Not that I know of. And if there's a book specifically dealing with Reagan's speeches for GE, I did not encounter it when I was doing book thread prep yesterday.

Posted by: NY Times at February 07, 2016 10:37 AM (YSg0m)

164 160 Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:23 AM (MNgU2)

Good book!

DeMille has written some good stuff, although he recent books are not up to his previous standards.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at February 07, 2016 10:34 AM (Zu3d9)

Was it a Mustang?

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:38 AM (MNgU2)

165 I remember the Reagan hate from the 80s, the political cartoons, SNL, living in a liberal household. Thank goodness I've been corrected/cured. Still, the flamage was pretty civil compared to Stewart/Colbert/Bashir/Morgan/Matthews/Olbermann.

Posted by: angela urkel at February 07, 2016 10:38 AM (ML24Y)

166 Like Tuco, Reagan assembled his revolver from the best pieces parts available--hence the Colt/Smith/Remington '75 hybrid he is using to clear the OWS crowd and their auto defiling turds from his path.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living... at February 07, 2016 10:39 AM (tEDMc)

167 Oh, man! Went looking for aforementioned Reagan political cartoon book. Didn't find it, but realized...

Some of our shelves have books stacked two deep. Really hard to search when they're like that.

The dust on some shelves is really thick. *SNEEZE*

Only a small portion of our library is even shelved here at home, some is stacked around on other surfaces, and a lot is still in boxes from our move twenty years ago. *sigh*

Sure wish we had room for ten times as many bookshelves, and time to organize everything. Books as clutter is not a good thing. Book hoarding.

Okay, now to plunge into the comments...

Posted by: mindful webworker - the peddling pedant at February 07, 2016 10:39 AM (H/5vA)

168 Reagan knew the front wheels were off the ground. You can't steer with the front wheels off the ground. It was the perfect time to shoot.

Posted by: Carol Shelby at February 07, 2016 10:40 AM (rXEY4)

169 I also find that with these books I am constantly looking up the meanings of words I am unfamiliar with. All in all an excellent series of books.

Posted by: Book Dancer at February 07, 2016 10:34 AM (YLciO)

Yeah, I whined about this very thing in last week's thread. All those strange words in the Aubrey/Maturin series are teh hard!

But stop by the book thread next week. I'll be including some resources I was made aware of that will help out, specifically with this series.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 10:41 AM (YSg0m)

170 Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 10:31 AM (cbfNE)

The group is called 'Ettes of the Moron Horde. We have threads for specific forms of needlework as well as general interest.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 10:41 AM (GDulk)

171 Peter Schweitzer is a neighbor and friend. He is a great guy. I keep extra copies of Architects of Ruin for my liberal friends who need an alternate view of the banking crisis.

Posted by: knaws at February 07, 2016 10:41 AM (LeJtv)

172 166 Like Tuco, Reagan assembled his revolver from the best pieces parts available--hence the Colt/Smith/Remington '75 hybrid he is using to clear the OWS crowd and their auto defiling turds from his path.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living... at February 07, 2016 10:39 AM (tEDMc)

Yes, and like Tuco, Reagan knew that when you have to shoot, you shoot, and don't talk.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 10:43 AM (YSg0m)

173 >>trying to destroy football-as-we-know-it ?

>>If Bouncy does "sing" her tribute to #BLM at the halftime show, that will be about the final straw for me with the NFL.

Yeah, the SJW PSAs last year were awful. They just can't resist the opportunity to lecture when such a captive audience is assembled -- no, we have to be told not to beat our wives, not to mock the way girls run, etc.
STFU, it's a football game.

Posted by: Lizzy at February 07, 2016 10:43 AM (NOIQH)

174 Drudge not kind to the MarcoBot5000 this AM, in a rare weekend update.

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at February 07, 2016 10:43 AM (oVJmc)

175
"When he f**k me good I take his ass to Red Lobster."

Lyric snip from Beyonce new song she may premier tonight. Her new video seems to be an homage to BLM, full of untruth.

Don't think I'm gonna bother watching propaganda.

Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 10:45 AM (fbovC)

176 175 charming. That's real talent.

Posted by: Weasel at February 07, 2016 10:47 AM (e3bId)

177
I suspect none of those young baristas are planning to buy a home anytime soon but I like to asked the clueless if they know what the mortgage rate was back in the late seventies early eighties.
Posted by: Max Rockatansky

You should go to Starbucks instead. Then when the baristas say stupid crap, you have the perfect in. "Your CEO wants you to have 'conversations', right? Well I'd like to start a conversation right now..."

Posted by: angela urkel at February 07, 2016 10:48 AM (ML24Y)

178 Does she really want to associate sex with her with seafood?

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at February 07, 2016 10:48 AM (oVJmc)

179 Man, all this Reagan nostalgia is making me jealous (I'm one of those irritating millennials y'all keep talking about). I wish I could have voted for a president I could be proud of. Instead I was stuck voting against Teh Won for the past two election cycles, without even good memories of the Eighties to carry me through.

*pouts*
*kicks rocks*

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at February 07, 2016 10:48 AM (26lkV)

180 The car is obviously being steered by the Swedish Bikini Team/SAS stewardess ducked down under the dashboard.

And reality is an asshole and drinks.

Posted by: Richard McEnroe at February 07, 2016 10:48 AM (Kucy5)

181 >>And if there's a book specifically dealing with Reagan's speeches for
GE, I did not encounter it when I was doing book thread prep yesterday.

Thanks, OM. It was one of those things I read in passing and now wish I had written it down. I recall that it provided some insight into how Reagan developed his political philosophies (looks like the GE show he hosted was in the mid-50's and he visited 135+ GE plants where he gave speeches and chatted with workers).

Posted by: Lizzy at February 07, 2016 10:50 AM (NOIQH)

182 Reading Philip K. Dick's "The Man In The High Castle." Excellent.

I gave up on Science Fiction as a genre because I read so much formulaic, badly-written trash. I'm going to have re-think that and look at some of the classics from people like Dick and Harlan Ellison.

Posted by: doug at February 07, 2016 10:50 AM (Q2S8k)

183 Votermom, with crochet in 3 dimensions, you would generally slipstitch a row together and then chain enough - two for a single crochet, etc. - to start a new row. Otherwise your little guy will end up as a spiral and will be "off-grain" to the extent there is grain in crochet.

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 10:51 AM (RtCTo)

184 ***"Running the gauntlet is a old form of punishment in military history.
The most recent time I've read a account was only a month ago at
Andersonville when the Raiders were finally put down. Around 6 were hung
but many had to run the gauntlet. One died after he broke out of the
chain of men and was hunted down and savagely beaten."***

In the Marines up until about 15 years ago, you could still get your ass (arms and legs specifically) beat pretty good when you got promoted. You'd have to run the gauntlet of your new peers and seniors while they "pinned your chevrons on" by punching the shit out of your arms (and legs when you made corporal).

Leave it to the Marines to turn a punishment into a rite of passage.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 10:53 AM (Wckf4)

185 Whippersnapper:

You've got us, and that makes a big difference.

When I was a lad in the Eighties, the only respite from the anti-Reagan drumbeat was National Review, and who the hell read that, even when Buckley was alive? The media were just as liberal, just as uniformly brainwashed, and just as nastily partisan.

If you were a conservative, surrounded by wanna-be cool kids who all parroted the anti-Reagan jokes from SNL, well . . . it got pretty fucking lonesome. There were no online communities like this one.

So, the Internet has given us the Moron Horde, and the spectacle of SJW Twitter mobs.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 10:53 AM (E0naa)

186
Yes, and like Tuco, Reagan knew that when you have to shoot, you shoot, and don't talk.
Posted by:�OregonMuse

If the 2016 election were a Sergio Leone movie, it woul be called the Bad, the Worse and the Hillary, regardless of who the nominees are.

Posted by: angela urkel at February 07, 2016 10:54 AM (ML24Y)

187 There is no way that Reagan's revolver in that pic is a S&W Model 10. The Model 10 is a "K" frame, which is but a medium sized gun.

No, the one in the pic is clearly a Model 1917, in God's Own Caliber, i.e; .45 ACP. In this example, using half-moon clips to keep the rimless rounds properly indexed in the chambers.

Now, given that both Colt and Smith & Wesson produced their own versions of like-named 1917 revolvers, the exact identity of the specific gun in the picture is indeed, in question. The S&W M-1917 is the same frame size as today's "N" frame, or the Colt New Service frame.

But have no doubt. It is a 1917. And it is firing the vaunted .45 ACP, a round designed by none other than John Moses Browning (PBUH), himself.

Reagan and Browning.

They deserve a Rushmore of their very own.

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Posted by: Jim at February 07, 2016 10:55 AM (McRlu)

188 Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 10:51 AM (RtCTo)

I asked Eldest Kidlet and she says every amerigumi pattern she's used simply does the spiral. I use a spiral for my "Heffalumps" as well, but since I didn't start with a pattern I wanted to check with someone who has used several.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 10:56 AM (GDulk)

189 I'm not sure the "sexbot" controller guy was all that serious if he thought he was going to design, develop and manufacture the controller for $20,000.

Posted by: unrealistic at February 07, 2016 10:56 AM (JieFv)

190 Reading two books: The Emmaus Code by David Limbaugh, dead-tree version from the LAPL; and Darkship Thieves by Sarah Hoyt, Kindle version, a gift from a friend.

And getting ready for my trip to Kenya!

Posted by: baldilocks at February 07, 2016 10:57 AM (ys2UW)

191 I read Bernard Cornwell's latest entry into the Uhtred saga, "Warriors of the Storm" last week. Another excellent story with Uhtred and his men kicking Danish ass out of England once again. Much description of war and battle and killing always written well and with humor and heart, and advancing the story of Uhtred's quest to reclaim his ancestral home at the impregnable Bebbanberg. Maybe in the next book.

I loved "Dr. Zhivago" when I read it in high school forty plus years ago and I have not read it since. I think I'll pick it up at the library and read it again. Thanks for the idea, OM.

Posted by: huerfano at February 07, 2016 10:58 AM (NSb9d)

192 179
Man, all this Reagan nostalgia is making me jealous (I'm one of those
irritating millennials y'all keep talking about). I wish I could have
voted for a president I could be proud of. Instead I was stuck voting
against Teh Won for the past two election cycles, without even good
memories of the Eighties to carry me through.

*pouts*
*kicks rocks*

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper

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

Hey, kid...

[takes off jersey, throws it to whippersnapper]

Posted by: Ted Cruz at February 07, 2016 11:00 AM (/pB9Z)

193 "Obama Pal and Donor Gayle King to Interview President for Super Bowl" -- Newbusters. I see your "Bouncy" post and raised you 10.

I never watch any Super Bowl pre-game or halftime. Life is much better that way.

(I gotta give Beyonce kudos for her portrayal of Etta James in the film "Cadillac Records." Almost makes me want to forgive some of her antics. Almost.)

Posted by: doug at February 07, 2016 11:01 AM (Q2S8k)

194 I loved "The Reagan Diaries". The man's decency and common sense come through. His love of Nancy is also very apparent. He refers to her as "Mommy" in the diaries which is probably just old fashioned but came across as a little creepy after a while. Still, anyone who claims that he was clueless is clearly speaking out of ignorance and malice.

Posted by: sherlockzz at February 07, 2016 11:01 AM (uBsvC)

195 >>If Bouncy does "sing" her tribute to #BLM at the halftime show, that will be about the final straw for me with the NFL.Yeah, the SJW PSAs last year were awful. They just can't resist the opportunity to lecture when such a captive audience is assembled -- no, we have to be told not to beat our wives, not to mock the way girls run, etc.STFU, it's a football game.
Posted by: Lizzy

If you take advantage of a "captive audience", you are basically behaving like a smelly, obnoxious subway bum. And if you need to do that to communicate your message, your message is probably bs and no one will buy into it anyway.

Posted by: angela urkel at February 07, 2016 11:02 AM (ML24Y)

196 Those edges each lead to lands called Borders, and beyond the Borders to one of four elemental realms.

Over in my realm beyond Borders is a Starbucks, a Quiznos, a cinema and a Red Robin.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at February 07, 2016 11:02 AM (ODxAs)

197 So, the Internet has given us the Moron Horde, and the spectacle of SJW Twitter mobs.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 10:53 AM (E0naa)

I'd prefer it without the twitter mobs, but I guess I have to get my entertainment somewhere. And it's cheaper than going to the movies. Popcorn, anyone?

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at February 07, 2016 11:03 AM (26lkV)

198 #181, Lizzy, could the book you're thinking of perhaps be this one:

The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of His Conversion to Conservatism

Pixy hates it when I try to link stuff, so I'm not going try, but you can find it easily enough on Amazon.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 11:03 AM (YSg0m)

199 Beyonce also says in the lyric she 'might be a black Bill Gates in the making'.

Considering Bill Gates has given about half a billion dollars to fight issues in Africa, that's quite a goal. Maybe she could release details of her charitable contributions at halftime?

Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 11:04 AM (fbovC)

200 If you sell your sexbot, does it take half your stuff?

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at February 07, 2016 11:04 AM (oVJmc)

201 If you're in the mood for fishing, especially fly fishing, writing, look for a copy of "Full Creel". It's a compendium of works by Nick Lyons' articles over 30 years. Wonderful stories and excellent writing. Unlike many outdoor writers, Lyons grew up and lived in NYC. His work shows all the enthusiasm of a fishing fanatic but includes a literary aspect. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The book is out of print but used copies are easily found.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 11:04 AM (FvdPb)

202 Doug: If you're looking for some science fiction recommendations, I'm your huckleberry. (I'm going to focus on relatively recent stuff rather than classics.)

First off, try Weir's The Martian. If that's your hard-SF cup of tea, you will probably like stuff by Geoffrey Landis, Gregory Benford, Allen Steele, Vernor Vinge, James Cambias, and Neal Stephenson.

If you think you'd rather something with more of a Space Opera tone, try Iain Banks, Alistair Reynolds, Lois McMaster Bujold, James S.A. Corey, or Karl Schroeder.

I am not as big a fan of military SF as some others here, so I leave recommendations about that subgenre to the experts.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 11:05 AM (E0naa)

203 Started Bernard Cornwell's latest Saxon Tales installment, "Warriors of the Storm". Does anyone write fights and battle scenes like Cornwell? You can almost smell the blood and sweat and hear the battle cries. He does a wonderful job of bringing a period of history that is so sketchily documented to life. His characters are so well fleshed out that they feel like old friends. I'll miss Lord Uhtred's world when this series finally ends.

Posted by: Tuna at February 07, 2016 11:05 AM (JSovD)

204 179 Man, all this Reagan nostalgia is making me jealous (I'm one of those irritating millennials y'all keep talking about). I wish I could have voted for a president I could be proud of. Instead I was stuck voting against Teh Won for the past two election cycles, without even good memories of the Eighties to carry me through.

*pouts*
*kicks rocks*
Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at February 07, 2016 10:48 AM (26lkV)

Eh, count your blessings. I was an adult in the 80s and despised Reagan at the time. I never voted for him and believed all the left-wing crap about him. It was many years later before I came to realize he was the greatest president in my lifetime. I hate to admit that I was too young and stupid to appreciate him, but it is what it is.

I remember when he died, watching his funeral procession on TV, and seeing the throngs of people gathered on highway overpasses to pay their respects. That was very moving. If I hadn't already changed my mind about him, that would have done the trick.

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

205 Oh, holy cow, one of my absolute favorite movies ever to show on the Wonderful World of Disney was "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh." It was the beginning of my love affair with Patrick McGoohan and, possibly, my dislike for tax collectors. The movie only seems to be available in what I suspect is bootleg, but there were books, and they're on amazon for Kindle and I may have just died and gone to heaven. http://tinyurl.com/h24ty3t

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 11:09 AM (RtCTo)

206 The problem with the M1917 theory is that if you go to the site and embiggen the picture you can see the under barrel release lever for swapping out the cylinder, like a Remington.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living... at February 07, 2016 11:09 AM (tEDMc)

207 >>"Obama Pal and Donor Gayle King to Interview President for Super Bowl"

Obama does this every Super Bowl, right? He gives an interview on the same night to make it also about him.

Posted by: Lizzy at February 07, 2016 11:10 AM (NOIQH)

208 Got Butcher's new book The Aeronaut's Windlass from the library for Middlest Kidlet. I'd listened to the audiobook through OverDrive and hadn't realized how big it was. MK chewed through it in two days while laughing her head off about every fifteen minutes. Now Littlest Kidlet is thinking of reading it, but I think she's daunted by the size.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 11:10 AM (GDulk)

209 Does she really want to associate sex with her with seafood?

Raw oysters can be used in interesting ways.

Just saying.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 11:10 AM (1xUj/)

210 Wish me luck.

Posted by: Katy Perry's left shark at February 07, 2016 11:11 AM (ML24Y)

211 Great to find books on this thread that need to be read. I often buy one or two used for a penny, plus $3.99 for shipping. It builds my library of stuff that should be read, though most I never get all the way through. Try to find at least one chapter and finish it.

But I do pursue the Amazon comments, and reading a few of those often gives a pretty good Cliff Note version of the contents, plus some alternate argument to help settle the context in time and place. With so many inputs flooding us now, I found that is a good approach for catching up on many things lacking from my misspent youth, and misspent middle, lol.

Of course being trained from youth in real American/Western History, and the other vital subjects, would be the way to go. But kids now seem consumed with everything else. They have to be reached through video games and aps.

Posted by: Illiniwek at February 07, 2016 11:11 AM (5Gpe2)

212 The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh DVD Ltd. Ed.

AMAZON: $394

http://preview.tinyurl.com/z8yvy5l

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at February 07, 2016 11:12 AM (oVJmc)

213 An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris is a very good treatment of the Dreyfus affair.

Red Lobster commercial during the Super Bowl should be a real eye popper

Posted by: cool breeze at February 07, 2016 11:12 AM (ckvus)

214 >>The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of His Conversion to Conservatism

Ooh, thanks!!

Posted by: Lizzy at February 07, 2016 11:13 AM (NOIQH)

215
The NFL did one socially responsible thing (accidently) in giving the Walter Payton Man of the Year award to Anquan Boldin last night. He gave a great acceptance speech.

"When I first got into the NFL nobody could tell me anything. I was living life," Boldin said. "I had achieved my dream of one day making it into the NFL, but I soon realized that's not what life is all about. I realized my purpose in life was not to make it to the NFL and score touchdowns. God put me on this earth for something much bigger than that and I realized and understand what my purpose is now. ... It's my prayer and my hope that I can live out the rest of my life honoring God and help as many people as possible."

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at February 07, 2016 11:13 AM (ODxAs)

216 204
My son was a baby the first time I was privileged to vote for Mr.Reagan. I made sure I took him into the voting booth with me just so I could tell him he was there on that historic day. I had an inkling of a feeling that election was going to be something special.

Posted by: Tuna at February 07, 2016 11:14 AM (JSovD)

217 "When he f**k me good I take his ass to Red Lobster."

Lyric snip from Beyonce new song she may premier tonight. Her new video seems to be an homage to BLM, full of untruth.

Don't think I'm gonna bother watching propaganda.

Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 10:45 AM (fbovC)

Her boyfriend must be a seafood lover. Red lobster and tiny crabs.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at February 07, 2016 11:14 AM (Z8fuk)

218 The thing about Reagan was he was born in 1911 in small town America. Lived through the depression, the second world war, and saw how union organizing was done. And watched the USSR and communism spread.

Contrast that with current generation; born in or shortly after the sixties, in a large city, where drugs and sex were easy to get. Where who you know is more important than what you know, or what you can do, unless it's athletic ability, and someone with wealth and influence knows about you. Where academics are dependent on government grants and those grants are awarded based on political ideology. Where citizenship is meaningless.

We won't be getting another Ronald Reagan anytime soon.

Posted by: Willis Castlightly at February 07, 2016 11:14 AM (+XvV5)

219 The invisible hand of the market is steering the car.

Posted by: Original Roy at February 07, 2016 11:16 AM (fASYn)

220 Tonestaple,

Hammer made a Dr. Syn movie a few years before Disney called Night Creatures with Peter Cushing as Dr.Syn/Rev. Blyss that is pretty good.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living... at February 07, 2016 11:16 AM (tEDMc)

221
Raw oysters can be used in interesting ways.�Just saying.
Posted by: Bandersnatch

I don't want to eat no honky-disiac!

Posted by: George Jefferson at February 07, 2016 11:17 AM (ML24Y)

222 @202 - Trimegistus

Thank you. Saved the recommendations for future use.

I gave "The Martian" 4/5 and have read (and liked) almost all of Stephenson. I've not read any of the space opera authors.

I love alternate histories, but Turtledove turned me off because he writes to formula. If you've read one series... (I did like "The Race" series -- alien "Lizards" who couldn't handle their ginger.)

Not SF, but I still read the WEB Griffin books despite being somewhat formulaic. YMMV.

Posted by: doug at February 07, 2016 11:18 AM (Q2S8k)

223 Any of these arrogant punks badmouthing Reagan never tried to get an affordable car load or mortgage in the late 70s or early 80s. Keep any corrective and educational measures to a 2x4 or smaller.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 11:19 AM (FvdPb)

224 OregonMuse: I'm leaving it up there, because I'm too lazy to change it.
But you're right. There are no 50 shades of 'unique'. Something either is or isn't.

Heh. Don't care if you change it as long as I get affirmation.

* brief "I was right - for a change" Dogbert dance *

Posted by: mindful webworker - the peddling pedant at February 07, 2016 11:19 AM (H/5vA)

225 Polliwog, I forgot all about Ettes of the Moron Horde at Ravelry. Thanks so much for the reminder!

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 11:19 AM (RtCTo)

226 The movie only seems to be available in what I
suspect is bootleg, but there were books, and they're on amazon for
Kindle and I may have just died and gone to heaven.
http://tinyurl.com/h24ty3t

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 11:09 AM (RtCTo)

Disney and ABC had a huge falling out about that time frame. They had major legal battles over who owned the rights to those TV shows. So a lot of that stuff was kept off the market. The old Zorro series has just made it to video now, unfortunately there is only about 1.5 years of the series because that is when they had the falling out and production was halted. Disney now owns ABC so some that stuff should eventually come back.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 11:20 AM (t2KH5)

227
The group is called 'Ettes of the Moron Horde. We have threads for specific forms of needlework as well as general interest.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 10:41 AM (GDulk)

I joined.
My username is alas

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 11:20 AM (cbfNE)

228 1937 Dr. Syn movie on DVD:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/gt68hoh

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at February 07, 2016 11:20 AM (oVJmc)

229 I read a lot in several different genres, but, the best book I've read recently is Greg Hurwitz's Orphan X. If you like thrillers with twists, turns, and treachery, then this is the book for you.

One of the worst books I've read recently is Lois McMaster Bujold's "Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen". Yes, it's a Vorkosigan book--just barely. I can say without hesitation, do not spend your money on it--get it from the library like I did if you can't bear to miss a Vorkosigan Universe book. It's an excruciatingly boring book dealing with imagined social sexual mores and uterine replicators. If you don't believe me, read the 1 star reviews on Amazon.

I read both those books in the same week and found myself shaking my head over the difference.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:20 AM (kXoT0)

230 Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 11:09 AM (RtCTo)

Wow, I remember watching 'Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow' when renting videos was a new thing after reading it (on my own) at school. I'd pretty much forgotten about them (other than that is where I leaened about the British navy's press gangs) and hadn't realized it was a series. Do you think there might be a series about "The Swamp Fox" then too?

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 11:22 AM (GDulk)

231 Phil Hartman's portrayal of Reagan as a mastermind was probably the best thing on SNL. Well, that and the childhood actor gang.

bah bah bah bah
bah bah bah bah

Posted by: ChocoCheese at February 07, 2016 11:22 AM (OvUux)

232 132 Willis Castlightly
I would be curious to look at those Writer Advice books.
I got a bunch of the books as part of the [NaNoWriMo Bundle for 2015 (no longer available, but the list of books is here https://storybundle.com/archives/the-2015-nanowrimo-writing-tools-bundle ). The book bundles are good value--I recommend signing up for the reminder email for 2016, if writing interests you. Some are good, some so-so. The "Brewing Fine Fiction" has a lot of the out of date advice, mostly concerning finding agents and placating publishers. As with all advice, read a lot and find what fits your situation.

And (2) I noticed the changes in Science Fiction and stopped reading because of it. So as a writer, does one write to be popular and sell a lot of books?

The good news is the out-of-dateness mentioned in 1) is the source of a lot of the issues in 2) :-D I have found if I write the kind of book I like to read--one with adventures, with characters that are fun, with a satisfying conclusion, the popularity and the book sales happen on their own. In the bad old days, a tiny handful of editors controlled what got published regardless of what was written, and the Era of Grey Goo you noticed was the result. Now that indie writers are digging under and around and over the old gatekeepers in the publishing industry, the good stories are getting out again.

Look at the list of Moron authors (including me!). I write old-school SF and Fantasy (click my name below to go to my website). Look for the tag Human Wave. We're trying to bring back the good, fun stories. Lots of indie writers doing ebooks on Amazon and other places. We're fighting back--for you, our readers.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at February 07, 2016 11:22 AM (GG9V6)

233 I had pretty much stopped reading science fiction years ago, content with re-reading some Heinlein and the Lensman and Skylark series. One of the great things about the Book Thread was to introduce me to wonderful sci-fi writers like Sabrina Chase and Sarah Hoyt. They renewed my interest in the genre.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 11:24 AM (FvdPb)

234 Don't think I'm gonna bother watching propaganda.
Posted by: ugg boots

Eventually, one has an epiphany. "This is supposed to be entertainment, but all it's doing is making me angry. Why am I forcing myself to watch this crap?"

And that's how you kick the habit.

Posted by: angela urkel at February 07, 2016 11:25 AM (ML24Y)

235 If'n you really enjoyed Gibson's Sprawl trilogy(Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive) what else might'n you like?
I'm kinda burned out on Russian lit.

Posted by: ChocoCheese at February 07, 2016 11:25 AM (OvUux)

236 If you're in the mood for fishing, especially fly fishing, writing, look for a copy of "Full Creel". It's a compendium of works by Nick Lyons' articles over 30 years.

Is that recent? I have his "A Fishing Life", which while quite good isn't in the top tier of fly fishing writing. When fly fishing writing came up here a couple of weeks ago there was talk of John Gierach and Robert Traver, who are indisputably unique voices and excellent fishing writers.

For this week, I shall recommend an overlooked (I think) writer, Russell Chatham. He's better known as a painter, but he's written some excellent outdoors stuff and once held the fly rod record for striped bass (even though he caught it near San Francisco where God's best fish was transplanted in the 19th century).

"Dark Waters" is the book I'm thinking of, I think. Most of my library is in my ex-wife's basement. There's a fantastic story called "The Great Duck Misunderstanding" which involves planning for a date, trading ducks for striped bass, large amounts of wine, and breasts.

Chatham gets the full Bohemian melange of art and fishing and hunting and drugs and women and wine. He writes of his friendship with the doomed Richard Brautigan.

He was also friends with my friend, the late great Tony Stetzko, who was the purest fisherman who ever lived.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 11:25 AM (1xUj/)

237 Sherry McEvil -- Oh good, I wasn't the only one very disappointed in Gentleman Jole! And she *can* write. Captain Vorpatil's Alliance was hilarious. But Jole had no tension or peril at all. Flat as a pancake.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at February 07, 2016 11:26 AM (GG9V6)

238 #202 for Space Opera try Michael Flynn's series starting with The January Dancer. And Leigh Brackett's stuff is available on Kindle.

Posted by: Richard McEnroe at February 07, 2016 11:26 AM (Kucy5)

239 "When I first got into the NFL nobody could tell me anything. I was living life," Boldin said. "I had achieved my dream of one day making it into the NFL, but I soon realized that's not what life is all about. I realized my purpose in life was not to make it to the NFL and score touchdowns. God put me on this earth for something much bigger than that and I realized and understand what my purpose is now. ... It's my prayer and my hope that I can live out the rest of my life honoring God and help as many people as possible."
Posted by: Guy Mohawk at February 07, 2016 11:13 AM (ODxAs)

Bravissimo.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 11:26 AM (YSg0m)

240 219 The invisible hand of the market is steering the car.

Posted by: Original Roy at February 07, 2016 11:16 AM (fASYn)

Best answer yet.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 11:29 AM (YSg0m)

241 185 Trimestigus, I started reading NR in 7th grade which would have been in about 1968 or so, and I never completely stopped, although I did flirt with "Reason" for a while until they went crazy and started trying to appeal to lefties. I suspect Daddy may have been a charter NR subscriber.

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 11:29 AM (RtCTo)

242 Mustang Sally

Posted by: ThunderB at February 07, 2016 11:30 AM (5+siD)

243 To other history fans
When I was a kid my dad (who is still around ) had two scrap books of newspaper clippings, one is only on the Graf Spree being chased and bottled up in Uruguay. The other as I remember is clippings on start of war in Poland. I guess I should find out where they are.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 11:32 AM (HWcaz)

244 Oh crap, I didn't know Cornwell had picked up the Uhtred saga again.

I've read a couple of his other books as well and can't say there was anything I didn't like.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 11:33 AM (Wckf4)

245 There's a more fundamental problem with the picture:
Reagan was ambidextrous and shot with his left hand, negating the need to smash the windshield on the car and allowing him to drive with his left.

Typical revisionist history. At least it got the rest of the details right.

Posted by: .87c at February 07, 2016 11:34 AM (z76x2)

246 205 Oh, holy cow, one of my absolute favorite movies ever to show on the Wonderful World of Disney was "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh." It was the beginning of my love affair with Patrick McGoohan and, possibly, my dislike for tax collectors.

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 11:09 AM (RtCTo)

McGoohan was an old-school Irish Catholic. My favorite story about him was when they hired him to do the 'Secret Agent' TV series, back when the 007 movies were all the rage. So McGoohan stipulated that he would do the show provided that he wouldn't be kissing a different girl every week, in fact, he wouldn't be kissing any girls AT ALL and also, the only time he would have a gun was when he would take it from a bad guy. It was either that, or no deal.

And so it was.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 11:34 AM (YSg0m)

247 I think it's a quote from Tuchman's book _The Proud Tower_, in her description of Dreyfus and L'affaire, that if Dreyfus hadn't been the man unjustly accused, he would have been one of the most strident accusers. He _loved_ the French Army.

Fun fact: he commanded an artillery battery during World War I.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 11:35 AM (E0naa)

248 "The invisible hand of the market is steering the car."

The invisible commie infiltrator has been steering policy for decades. "Free markets" is Orwellian for a globalist end of borders and Americanism. A country and a market need borders.

Reagan battled for America first and was not afraid of tariffs and restrictions. He saved Harley-Davidson. We need global trade used strategically, strengthening US first and then our allies. We can use this to bend allies toward more democratic status.
an old article on Reagan the "free trader"
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa107.html

TPP allegedly attempts to contain the China commie gorilla, but we can't give up sovereignty in the process. The globalists don't care about freedom and must be stopped. The Reagan to GE book looks interesting on that.

Posted by: Illiniwek at February 07, 2016 11:35 AM (5Gpe2)

249 The invisible hand of the market is steering the car.

Beats "prehensile wang."

The thing is, he's crashing through a no tresspassing sign, which in one sense I get: he's not held back by the rules of the left etc. But in another sense property rights are held very sacred by conservative and President Reagan himself.

And its for that reason I think you could just chisel off Teddy Roosevelt's face and replace it with Ronald Reagan. Because its teddy who signed the Antiquities Act into law which has been used to simply seize half of the lands west of the Rockies and every Democrat president uses to grab more and more land.

Those of you back east do not even begin to comprehend the seething undercurrent of rage about this out west. You see people who explode into anger and call them names like "Y'all Quaeda."

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 11:36 AM (39g3+)

250 Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:20 AM (kXoT0)

I compared her writing style in "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance" to that of Georgette Heyer in its humor and quick pacing. I wonder what went wrong, that Bujold would write so poorly now.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 11:36 AM (GDulk)

251 Wow am I behind on the Saxon chronicles. I thought it was a freakin' trilogy.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 11:36 AM (Wckf4)

252 When I was a kid my dad (who is still around ) had two scrap books of newspaper clippings, one is only on the Graf Spree being chased and bottled up in Uruguay. The other as I remember is clippings on start of war in Poland. I guess I should find out where they are.

Posted by: Skip at February 07, 2016 11:32 AM (HWcaz)

I have, or had, not sure if I still have it, a 16 mm silent film showing the scuttling of the Graf Spee, some of it shot from aircraft. Runs about ten minutes, IIRC. Old newsreel footage.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at February 07, 2016 11:37 AM (Z8fuk)

253 Saw a woman driving and knitting at the same time during a slow roll traffic jamb long ago.

Things I have seen while driving:

At about 3 AM, a man driving an old station wagon down the Dan Ryan Expressway doing 80 while playing at violin. I remember being struck by the fact that I noticed he was left handed because he was bowing with his right hand.

For awhile, I drove back and forth from Tulsa to Bartlesville. It's a drive with long vistas ahead of one. There was a guy I used to see who drove north while reading a newspaper.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:37 AM (kXoT0)

254 #253 Sorry, bowing with his left hand.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:38 AM (kXoT0)

255 Not much of a reader, but I'm slowly making my way through the works of Elmore Leonard. What a genius. His famous rules for writing suit his subject matter well and do not apply to everyone. What a storyteller and I love his sense of humor.

Posted by: Mega at February 07, 2016 11:38 AM (JwLCI)

256 230, Polliwog, I don't know, but there should be - another historical figure I fell in love with. All the men I love are dead or fictional. Sigh.

Gotta go get ready for church. Later, gators.

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 11:38 AM (RtCTo)

257 "negating the need to smash the windshield on the car and allowing him to drive with his left"
I guess they needed to get his face out of the car, but I like the casualness of the one arm out, while driving through a fence and killing commies. He's probably firing through the hole from a shotgun blast aimed at him, but of course the slug bounced off him.

Posted by: Illiniwek at February 07, 2016 11:39 AM (5Gpe2)

258 206
The problem with the M1917 theory is that if you go to the site and
embiggen the picture you can see the under barrel release lever for
swapping out the cylinder, like a Remington.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living

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

It's most definitely a Nagant. Look at the oval cylinder cuts.

Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at February 07, 2016 11:39 AM (/pB9Z)

259 He steered the car with his thighs.

Posted by: Mario V Albano at February 07, 2016 11:40 AM (cQXuf)

260 ...and the shape of the grip.

Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at February 07, 2016 11:40 AM (/pB9Z)

261 ChocoCheese: Phil Hartman's portrayal of Reagan as a mastermind was probably the best thing on SNL....

I thought of that immediately when someone mentioned SNL put-downs of Reagan.

The "Reagan Mastermind" sketch is on HULU and elsewhere, but they all appear to require Flash, which I don't do. *sadz*

IIRC, the Reagan sketch rates up there with the recent Trump sketch set a few years into his presidency for unintentional praise.

Posted by: mindful webworker - sunday morning live at February 07, 2016 11:40 AM (H/5vA)

262 Wow am I behind on the Saxon chronicles. I thought it was a freakin' trilogy.

I'm reading book 7 right now. Great series, the TV show falls short. Very short. I think its my favorite Cornwell series after Sharpe. I tried his Civil War books but they and the Revolutionary War books didn't work for me.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 11:41 AM (39g3+)

263 So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?

He's not. It's the British version and Maggie's driving. ;^)

Posted by: PersonFromPorlock at February 07, 2016 11:41 AM (U4QC6)

264 ***"And its for that reason I think you could just chisel off Teddy
Roosevelt's face and replace it with Ronald Reagan. Because its teddy
who signed the Antiquities Act into law which has been used to simply
seize half of the lands west of the Rockies and every Democrat president
uses to grab more and more land."***

It's so convoluted now as to be incomprehensible.

The largest Marine base in the world (geographically), at Twentynine Palms, CA, is 45% unusable for training (last I knew, could be more now) due to petroglyphs and protected habitats.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 11:42 AM (Wckf4)

265 (I gotta give Beyonce kudos for her portrayal of Etta James in the film "Cadillac Records." Almost makes me want to forgive some of her antics. Almost.)
Posted by: doug at February 07, 2016 11:01 AM (Q2S8k)

Love me some Etta James. My dog is named Etta in honor of her. Did you know that Etta was not pleased when Beyonce covered At Last. She was reported to have asked, "Who told that little girl she could sing My Song?" I probably won't watch Beyatche's portrayal of Etta.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:42 AM (kXoT0)

266 Was writing a bit in my time-travel novel where a lib asks the time-traveler why he didn't stop Reagan from becoming president. The time-traveler basically says every president after Reagan was worse than the preceding one.

I am trying not to Mary Sue my time-traveler, but that happened.

Posted by: V the K at February 07, 2016 11:43 AM (G/+Ma)

267 Amazon changed their seller accounts from free to $35 a month.
Can anyone recommend another site for selling books, or even donating books?

Posted by: navybrat at February 07, 2016 11:43 AM (8QGte)

268 Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:37 AM (kXoT0)

I remember seeing a guy driving down Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley drinking some brown liquor from a lowball glass.

I was really impressed. Hell, if you are going to drink and drive, do it in style!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at February 07, 2016 11:44 AM (Zu3d9)

269 255 Not much of a reader, but I'm slowly making my way through the works of Elmore Leonard. What a genius. His famous rules for writing suit his subject matter well and do not apply to everyone. What a storyteller and I love his sense of humor.
Posted by: Mega
-------------
If you're enjoying Leonard, for just simple fun reads I'd suggest Carl Hiassen. Similar, but funnier IMO.
And check out Harlan Coben. His "Myron Bolitar" books are non-stop fun. My favorite fiction author of late.
And I have half a dozen Patterson novels waiting around to be read...

Posted by: Chi at February 07, 2016 11:45 AM (OUpHg)

270 I compared her writing style in "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance" to that of Georgette Heyer in its humor and quick pacing. I wonder what went wrong, that Bujold would write so poorly now.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 11:36 AM (GDulk)

There's speculation that she is Done with the Vorkosigan series, but, that she is contractually obligated to produce them at certain intervals. There is no humor in this book and the pacing is glacial.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:46 AM (kXoT0)

271 ***"I tried his Civil War books but they and the Revolutionary War books didn't work for me."***

I'll trust your judgment on that. To me, he seems to have the feel of ancient/medieval combat down perfectly.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 11:49 AM (Wckf4)

272 #237, Yes, she can absolutely write, but, that book was just spew. About halfway through, I went to Amazon to read reviews to see if it was just me. In this book, she even manages to make Miles and Ekaterin boring.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:49 AM (kXoT0)

273 "prehensile wang"

Just out of curiosity, it must be five decades ago I heard the joke in an Italian (Rome) men driving context. One hand on the wine bottle, one out the window giving the finger. Yeah, steering with...

I'm not the only one familiar with that (or similar) background on this, right?

Posted by: mindful webworker - both hands on the wheel and on the first date... at February 07, 2016 11:49 AM (H/5vA)

274
The Mustang as an American symbol reminded me of a book I read a long time ago called The Charm School by N. DeMille. About a Russian spy school where they brought up the spys in an American setting and the protagonist drove a muscle car that I recall being a Mustang. Pretty good book if I remember correctly.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 07, 2016 10:23 AM (MNgU2)

Pretty sure it's a Trans Am. And it was driven by an American kid who was doing a kind of driving tour of Europe, and got permission to bring the car into the USSR. Took a wrong turn and saw something he shouldn't have. Made his way to Moscow and the KGB killed him, to keep him silent. The protagonist is a US military attache who investigates the death.

The car makes it's next appearance in a particularly evil little scene being driven by the main KGB villain, and he peels out while DeMille mentions the "POW/MIA" bumper sticker on the back of the car.

One of DeMille's best books, well worth the read.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at February 07, 2016 11:51 AM (o98Jz)

275 Speaking of Mt Rushmore... just one errant blast, and somebody's nose could've ended up at the bottom of the mountain. That alone is an impressive thing.

Posted by: mindful webworker - never really been so I don't really know at February 07, 2016 11:53 AM (H/5vA)

276 Has anyone seen bridge of spies about Francis gary powers?

Posted by: CaliGirl at February 07, 2016 11:53 AM (egOGm)

277 I gave up on Science Fiction as a genre because I
read so much formulaic, badly-written trash. I'm going to have re-think
that and look at some of the classics from people like Dick and Harlan
Ellison.

Posted by: doug at February 07, 2016 10:50 AM (Q2S8k)

There is a lot of science fiction short stories on Gutenberg.org. Most of them are from Astounding, If, and such magazines.
If you are not sure about what author to read more of, you can use it as a sampler. A lot of writers seemed to start out writing short pieces until they got up steam to do a full novel

If you like alternate worlds, you might look into H. Beam Piper, though I find his Terro-Humano future more compelling.

A direct link to the bookshelf:

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Science_Fiction_%28Bookshelf%29

Posted by: Kindltot at February 07, 2016 11:53 AM (q2o38)

278 267 Amazon changed their seller accounts from free to $35 a month.
Can anyone recommend another site for selling books, or even donating books?
Posted by: navybrat at February 07, 2016 11:43 AM (8QGte)

They used to have either free or pay.
They no longer have the free option? That sucks.
EBay?

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 11:54 AM (cbfNE)

279
I am watching this 'before they were pros' thing on cbs and it is kind of amazing how many of these anecdotal stories of these players went to Catholic High Schools.

Then again, discipline and excellence aren't generally taught in a Detroit public school.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at February 07, 2016 11:55 AM (ODxAs)

280 Posted by: Chi at February 07, 2016 11:45 AM (OUpHg)

I agree about Coban's Myron Bolitar books.

And the author lives right around the corner from me....

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at February 07, 2016 11:56 AM (Zu3d9)

281
Bill DeBlasio is to groundhogs as
Quentin Tarantino is to vintage Martin guitars

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at February 07, 2016 11:56 AM (BK3ZS)

282 In this book, she even manages to make Miles and Ekaterin boring.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 07, 2016 11:49 AM (kXoT0)

Sounds like evidence to support her being burned out (or just out of story). Hope she doesn't foolishly nuke her universe by putting out dreck continuously.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 11:57 AM (GDulk)

283 If you're enjoying Leonard, for just simple fun reads I'd suggest Carl Hiassen. Similar, but funnier IMO.

And check out Harlan Coben. His "Myron Bolitar" books are non-stop fun. My favorite fiction author of late.

And I have half a dozen Patterson novels waiting around to be read...

Posted by: Chi at February 07, 2016 11:45 AM (OUpHg)

Has now been put on the list. Will be checking it out this week. Thank you!

Posted by: Mega at February 07, 2016 11:57 AM (JwLCI)

284 Look at the list of Moron authors (including me!). I write old-school SF and Fantasy (click my name below to go to my website). Look for the tag Human Wave. We're trying to bring back the good, fun stories. Lots of indie writers doing ebooks on Amazon and other places. We're fighting back--for you, our readers.

Sci Fi in particular really hit a nasty place and got awful. It was like once the masters like Clarke, Bradbury, Verne, et al died nobody knew how to write it any more.

And fantasy got into a 15-book doorstop epic rut that was grinding all the wonder and joy out of the genre.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 11:57 AM (39g3+)

285 Posted by: IllTemperedCur at February 07, 2016 11:51 AM (o98Jz)
I'm going to get that book at the library, thanks.

Posted by: CaliGirl at February 07, 2016 11:58 AM (egOGm)

286 Amazon website still has their individual selling account up? (Free to join but 99 cents per listing)

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 11:59 AM (cbfNE)

287 Has anyone seen bridge of spies about Francis gary powers?

From what I understand the story takes so many liberties with the actual events and characters it may as well be a fairy tale.

I recommend the writing of Loren Estleman to anyone who likes Elmore Leonard.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:00 PM (39g3+)

288 For those of you who have been reading Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles, you might like his Warlord Chronicles. It's Cornwell's retelling of the King Arthur stories. With Arthur as a chief of Britannic (i.e., WelshCornish) tribes fighting against invading Saxons.

Posted by: nc at February 07, 2016 12:02 PM (iopMS)

289 I'm not the only one familiar with that (or similar) background on this, right?
Posted by: mindful webworker - both hands on the wheel and on the first date... at February 07, 2016 11:49 AM (H/5vA)

Yeah, I've heard this joke, it's an Italian guy bragging to his British friend about how it's only "real men" who drive cars in Italy, and today's book thread pic brought it back to mind when I first saw it.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 12:03 PM (YSg0m)

290 In my opinion, fantasy has two dangers. Either it starts to take its self too seriously (Tolkien) or it becomes too self-mocking (Pratchett). Either way, it takes away that feeling of wonder and that something magical really is out there we can almost reach. Good fantasy, to me, has a familiarity about it, that comfortable sense of "I know its like this somewhere" you get when you walk through a quiet, almost mystical forest and sense something special is out there, hiding away.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:04 PM (39g3+)

291 It's most definitely a Nagant. Look at the oval cylinder cuts.
Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at February 07, 2016 11:39 AM (/pB9Z)

No. could be a Pieper. Why Reagan would be shooting an 8mm is beyond me.

It is definitely shaped wrong to be a Merwin and Hulbert, though.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 07, 2016 12:05 PM (q2o38)

292 Bob Dole and I went to see Prehensile Wang open for Willie and the One-Eyed Wonder Worms back in 1998.

Posted by: OregonMuse at February 07, 2016 12:05 PM (YSg0m)

293 I didn't realize that you were up there, CBD...
So, you, NGU and The Murdering Pastor are all neighbors? Go know.

Hey, is the SuperBoringBowl going to mess up my favorite thread of the week @ 4 pm?

I don't understand why Coben's Bolitar series hasn't been turned into movies/TV series yet...

Posted by: Chi at February 07, 2016 12:06 PM (OUpHg)

294 Mornin' everyone. Better late than never. Two weeks ago Cdr. Salamander had a friday roundup post that featured the Flower Class WWII British Corvette as a war-rushed convoy escort and was halfway joking at the USN and the current expensive and short-sighted LCS program ships, et al.

The post mentioned the 1951 book by Nicholas Monsarrat, The Cruel Sea, which I bought ( and Three Corvettes ) about 8 years ago but never have got around to. I really enjoy Naval books, but have been in the Pacific theater for the last several years... heh. I went out of town last week for a week.. took The Cruel Sea with me, and am about half way through it now.

I had no idea what a wit Monsarrat had and turn of phrase that immediately sucked me into the book. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It's kinda dated I guess, but I like the old British war movies and this is written kinda like them... but more in depth. The Cruel Sea and his short story the Ship that died of Shame were both made into movies.

I spoke so highly about it to my Mother and Sister, they both were interested, so I bought them both a copy. Heh.

Posted by: Yip at February 07, 2016 12:06 PM (e7T6D)

295 I wasn't as fond of the Warlord Chronicles but his archer books are great, great stories about the 100 years war (starts with Archer's Tale).

From another, more romantic perspective, check out The White Company and Sir Nigel from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:06 PM (39g3+)

296 219
The invisible hand of the market is steering the car.

Thing?

Posted by: Anachronda at February 07, 2016 12:11 PM (o78gS)

297 We need a female Mount Rushmore.

My mom can be the first face on it. She loves to give face, trust me.

But we can't do this without your support.

Posted by: Chelsea Clinton at February 07, 2016 12:12 PM (ML24Y)

298 I hated that the Lord of the Rings was being made into a movie.

I knew eventually I would see the movies no matter how hard I resisted and that they would ruin the books for me and they did.

The Middle Earth in my head was 100 times better than the movies.

Now I can't go back.

Posted by: eleven at February 07, 2016 12:15 PM (qUNWi)

299 Freidrik Pohl is worth a tumble(SF). The HeeChee series, The Space Merchants, and Man Plus. I really liked Starburst.

Posted by: ChocoCheese at February 07, 2016 12:16 PM (OvUux)

300 President Reagan womped Walter Mondale in 1984.

It was the Hulk vs. a fat kid in a Spiderman costume.

The victory over The Carter Thing was tastier, but the Mondale stomping was so magnificent that the Left had to briefly retreat to the shadows.

Sadly, they emerged later and here we are, thanks to the gope.

Reagan was a giant among men and a giant among Presidents. We need someone like him in Office again.
Someone intelligent, dedicated to Freedom, proudly patriotic, and suffering no shortage of courage.

Posted by: eman at February 07, 2016 12:16 PM (MQEz6)

301 Pratchett did something with the Discworld that I had never heard of before.
He got the first 4 or so book out, that were pretty much the same idea, characters and variations on a plot.
He started getting fame and pulling decent money.
He could have kept bailing away at that, but what he did was pretty much re-invent the whole thing, got new characters and changed the tone.

His prose and vocabulary and timing stayed the same, pretty much up to the point that his brain issue appeared, but plot-wise The Color of Magic and Small Gods, or Mort and Feet of Clay or Night Watch could have been written by different people.

I have the optimistic dream that Pratchett did that because he both wanted to make his living as a writer, and he didn't want to be bored stupid by doing the same thing over and over.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 07, 2016 12:17 PM (q2o38)

302 I've had nightmares about being strangled to death by prehensile wang monsters.

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at February 07, 2016 12:18 PM (ML24Y)

303 What is Reagan steering with?
Freedom.

Posted by: Matt_SE at February 07, 2016 12:18 PM (9Fcph)

304 Thanks for the Gutenberg suggestion, Kindltot.

***

Reading about the Marcobot going off-program last night reminds me of seeing Charlie Rose interview William F. Buckley. Rose asked Buckley if he agreed with Medicare and Buckley said that he did not. Charlie Rose was rendered speechless. He could not understand how anyone could think that way.

Posted by: doug at February 07, 2016 12:18 PM (Q2S8k)

305 Look at the list of Moron authors (including me!).

And me.

http://worldsapartbooks.com

Posted by: V the K at February 07, 2016 12:19 PM (G/+Ma)

306 Good fantasy, to me, has a familiarity about it, that comfortable sense of "I know its like this somewhere" you get when you walk through a quiet, almost mystical forest and sense something special is out there, hiding away.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:04 PM (39g3+)

Yes, that describes it perfectly.

Posted by: @votermom at February 07, 2016 12:21 PM (cbfNE)

307 The Middle Earth in my head was 100 times better than the movies.
Posted by: eleven

*sniff*

Posted by: Peter Jackson at February 07, 2016 12:22 PM (ML24Y)

308 Meet the Feebles was a hundred times better than Lord of the Rings anyway.

Posted by: Peter Jackson at February 07, 2016 12:23 PM (ML24Y)

309 "Open Question: OK, as you can see in the picture, Mr. Reagan has one arm
thrust through the windshield, shooting commies and hippies, and his
other arm is resting on the driver's side door, the window having been
previously kicked out. So with both arms accounted for, how is he
steering the car?"

With his knee obviously... didn't you ever watch Dukes of Hazzard?

Posted by: redbanzai at February 07, 2016 12:23 PM (NPofj)

310 "Has anyone seen bridge of spies about Francis gary powers?"

We just watched it last night.
I enjoyed it very much.

Posted by: navybrat at February 07, 2016 12:24 PM (8QGte)

311 Reagan couldn't get elected dog catcher in C today, thanks in considerable part to the '86 amnesty to which he said "okey-dokey!"

Been reading a book about "Caesar's Soldiers," although it could just as easily have been called, " A Short History Of Rome."

Posted by: mnw (rare and flounced) at February 07, 2016 12:24 PM (GZ+At)

312 I love Carl Hiiasen's "mysteries" as they aren't very mysterious - more crime stories - they are hilarious often, but his later stuff, especially the stuff for YA, brings out his idiotic politics, exactly what you would expect from a newspaper man. But "Strip Tease", "Stormy Weather", and "Tourist Season" (if that's the one involving blue-tongued mango voles and a DisneyWorld clone) are so amazingly funny. And all of the background is true-life Miami weirdness, which adds to the fun.

Posted by: Tonestaple at February 07, 2016 12:25 PM (RtCTo)

313 Peter Jackson's magnum opus was Dead Alive.
The ending in the foyer with the lawn mower was...epic.

Posted by: ChocoCheese at February 07, 2016 12:25 PM (OvUux)

314 298
I hated that the Lord of the Rings was being made into a movie.

I knew eventually I would see the movies no matter how hard I resisted and that they would ruin the books for me and they did.

The Middle Earth in my head was 100 times better than the movies.

Now I can't go back.

Posted by: eleven at February 07, 2016 12:15 PM (qUNWi)

I thought the movies stayed pretty true to the books for what they covered. They left out Bomberdill or whatever his name was but they had to cut something. Even with the book being split into three 2 hour movies they could not get it all there.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 12:26 PM (t2KH5)

315 CBD - if you're still around - you have mail.

Posted by: speedster1 at February 07, 2016 12:26 PM (vUcdz)

316 I enjoyed The Frighteners, too. And he did a good job with Heavenly Creatures, even if it is a really weird, disturbing story.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:27 PM (39g3+)

317 Meh, I can still go back to the Middle Earth in my head, but - even being the Tolkien fanboy I am - I can still enjoy the movies. Jackson at least gave a shit about the source material.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 12:28 PM (Wckf4)

318 Posted by:�V the K�at February 07, 2016 12:19 PM (G/+Ma)

I figured you'd be using the Hillary picture in your 'caption this' blog. One of your peeps with sharp eyes caught the little girl behind Hillary holding her nose. Priceless.

Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 12:28 PM (fbovC)

319 Rubio's glitch is back

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at February 07, 2016 12:28 PM (t2KH5)

320 OregonMuse: ...today's book thread pic brought it back to mind when I first saw it.

Okay then. I wondered.

Posted by: mindful webworker - ludicrously at February 07, 2016 12:29 PM (H/5vA)

321 Yip: Snorkers! Good Oh!!!

I like that line so much, i taught it to my kids.

Posted by: goatexchange at February 07, 2016 12:30 PM (Nd4YY)

322 I finished The Swiss Family Robinson. I have read snippets of it in comic book form, but I found the book at a sale.

It is the epitome of the "turn the wasteland into a garden" books, right up there with Robinson Crusoe. It is however incredible jumbled as to its geography and animals. There are kangaroos, ostriches, tapirs, lions and horses; as well as wild potatoes, manioc, sugar cane and rubber vines in this new land of New Switzerland. It bothered me until I did some research, and found it was written about 1812, and was using the best information available, since it mentions "the recent expedition across North America by Captain Clark"

The other thing is that the Father spends the entire time teaching out of his knowledge. This is all well and good, but after 300 pages it got old, and I was wondering how his wife failed to stab him out of frustration.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 07, 2016 12:31 PM (q2o38)

323 How is he steering the car?

Effective leadership.The car is chosen for its competence and know its job.

Posted by: Epobirs at February 07, 2016 12:33 PM (IdCqF)

324 I recommend the writing of Loren Estleman to anyone who likes Elmore Leonard.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:00 PM (39g3+)
Yes, read my first Estleman based on a recommendation here and it has a lot of dialog similar to Leonard. Very enjoyable read.
Not SF, but I still read the WEB Griffin books despite being somewhat formulaic. YMMV.

Posted by: doug at February 07, 2016 11:18 AM (Q2S8k)
I am a sucker for WEB Griffin books as well, even though I know the secret formula!

Posted by: Hrothgar at February 07, 2016 12:34 PM (wYnyS)

325 Rubio's Glitch is a good name for a band.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:36 PM (39g3+)

326 Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:36 PM (39g3+)

I saw Rubio's Glitch open for Schumer's Surprise at a "free" concert in Central Park in 2011!

Posted by: Hrothgar at February 07, 2016 12:39 PM (wYnyS)

327 Schumer's Surprise wasn't that good, they were just a cover band for stuff I'd heard before.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:41 PM (39g3+)

328 Well, since there's a new thread up, and over 300 comments on this one, here's my semi-off-topic treatise of the week.

"Comic books ain't books" -paraphrasing the Guru in the Avatar-Last Airbender cartoon.

If "books" can be digitized or listened to, then who was book?

TV show review:

♥

"Lucifer Morningstar is a DC Comics character appearing primarily as a supporting character in the comic book series The Sandman and as the title character of a spin-off, both published under the Vertigo imprint." -Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer_(DC_Comics)

Haven't read the comics, but decided to try the TV show. I'd heard of the concept and it's not my cuppa, but, the only things even halfway worth watching on teevee these days are based on comic books.

Immortal fallen angel Lucifer is supposed to be the head honcho of Hell, except he's abandoned his duties there to hang out on earth and live the Playboy lifestyle.

The theology is, as expected, screwy and stupid to the point of near blasphemy in my religious opinion. I would say it's "comic bookish," but that would be an insult to comic books.

The theological background is depicted in two bookend encounters Lucifer has with another angel and their discussions of the Father, and the Devil's dodging his assignment to Hell. That's the worst of the show.

But, that out of the way, the rest of the story is, Lucifer helps a cop solve a murder, using his wily superpowers. He's depicted as not such a bad sort, randy, cynical, and claims to hate children, but out to punish rather than encourage the wicked. As a cop story with super-anti-hero assist, it's not bad. The devil is made sort-of likeable. In this way, not so different from the comedy Reaper.

So, has nothing to do with actual evil and the father of lies. Could be confusing to those weak of faith and poor in belief. But everything is.

Going to watch the second episode, at least, to see where it goes.

♥

Speaking of teevee Hell, I have a copy of the premiere episode of "Angel from Hell," the premise of which (what I read) sounds vaguely like it might be like "Saving Grace" trying to be "Lucifer," but I haven't watched it yet, so I don't really know.

♥

Semi-related time-wasting webwork:
Imagine Only Heaven
What in Heaven do you mean by no Hell?
http://bit.ly/only-heaven

♥

Speaking of comic book theology, thought I'd throw this into the mix...

"...The archdeceiver has never been on Urantia since the days when he sought to turn back [Jesus] from the purpose to complete the bestowal... [after which,] Lucifer was taken into custody... and has since been a prisoner.... [Since then,] no one... has desired to go to the prison worlds to minister to the interned rebels.... We believe that all rebels who will ever accept mercy have done so. We await the flashing broadcast that will deprive these traitors of personality existence. ... Then will you look for their places, but they shall not be found. "And they who know you among the worlds will be astonished at you; you have been a terror, but never shall you be any more."
http://bit.ly/UP-59-3

Posted by: mindful webworker - click here for a story at February 07, 2016 12:41 PM (H/5vA)

329
Peter Jackson's magnum opus was Dead Alive.�The ending in the foyer with the lawn mower was...epic.
Posted by: ChocoCheese

Yes, that was awesome. And at the risk of being irritating by referencing a current event: the way that delusional idiot nebbish protagonist almost ruined his life over the false duties he felt he had, that was as excruciating as these idiot Euro-nebbishes destroying themselves by admitting a deluge of Muslim animals.

Both tried to delude themselves and paper things over and the situation became untenable.

One woke up and made it right. Will the other?

Posted by: Peter Jackson at February 07, 2016 12:41 PM (ML24Y)

330 He sat the zpmbies round the table and tried to pretend they were civilized, sentient human beings.

Which is the equivalent of handing out "do no grope or jerk off in the jacuzzi" tracts, as far as delusionality is concerned.

Posted by: Peter Jackson at February 07, 2016 12:45 PM (ML24Y)

331 317
Meh, I can still go back to the Middle Earth in my head, but - even
being the Tolkien fanboy I am - I can still enjoy the movies. Jackson at
least gave a shit about the source material.

-----------

He raped me. Three times.

Posted by: The Hobbit at February 07, 2016 12:45 PM (/pB9Z)

332 ***"He raped me. Three times.

Posted by: The Hobbit at February 07, 2016 12:45 PM (/pB9Z) "***

Yeah, I won't defend the Hobbit movies. Then again, PJ doesn't really defend them either.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 12:47 PM (Wckf4)

333 Reagan was wrong about it being morning in America.
It actually was twilight.
It's easy to confuse a sunrise and a sunset.

But Reagan's optimism was quintessentially American.
I cannot fault him for that.

Someday.....Who knows?

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at February 07, 2016 12:48 PM (T/5A0)

334 "So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?"

In "True Grit," John Wayne rode hid horse toward his enemies with a rifle in one hand and a six-gun in the other, so there's precedence.

Posted by: Puzzled Dolphin at February 07, 2016 12:49 PM (KWmO5)

335 I didn't expect much out of the Hobbit, but it was unexpectedly bad. I mean, it was good in the sense of visually amazing and entertaining, but bad in the sense of terrible storytelling and a ghastly barbed rape of the book.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:49 PM (39g3+)

336 ...how is he steering the car...

Using his forearm of his gun hand.

Posted by: scorecard at February 07, 2016 12:51 PM (2gG2D)

337 "Saw a woman driving and knitting at the same time during a slow roll traffic jamb long ago.

Were you around Minneapolis? Because that woman is actually an ER doctor."

I used to know a woman ER doc who knitted at medical meetings. Maybe it goes with the ER job.

Posted by: Michael K at February 07, 2016 12:53 PM (5namt)

338 Posted by: Burn the Witch at February 07, 2016 12:47 PM (Wckf4)

The last scene in the second Hobbit movie was *awesome*! It had nothing at all to do with the Hobbit of course, but it was a great scene. I have to admit to watching adventure-style movies to pick which scene I think will be turned into a magic-motion ride at the appropriate theme park, so I may have a different criteria for awesome.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 12:54 PM (GDulk)

339 Posted by: Puzzled Dolphin at February 07, 2016 12:49 PM (KWmO5)

Yes, but horses who are well trained can be steered with the knees, I'm not sure how one goes about training a car for that ability.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 12:55 PM (GDulk)

340 336 ...how is he steering the car...

Using his forearm of his gun hand.
Posted by: scorecard at February 07, 2016 12:51 PM (2gG2D)

You can't see her because she is down on his lap, but Sophia Loren is steering the car.

Posted by: eman at February 07, 2016 12:55 PM (MQEz6)

341 There were several sequences in The Hobbit which could have been great... in another movie. The gold-drenched dragon bit was pretty amazing, if ridiculous to an extreme. Just not in that story.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:56 PM (39g3+)

342 excruciating as these idiot Euro-nebbishes destroying themselves by admitting a deluge of Muslim animals

I was just making a world travel checklist this morning.

Europe -- forget it, can't walk the streets
Middle East -- still aflame
Africa -- diseased
Central and South America -- mosquitoes
Caribbean -- mosquitoes

With the omnipresent risk of Islam and aviation, looks like 'staycation' is the healthiest choice this year.

Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 12:56 PM (fbovC)

343 Posted by: ugg boots at February 07, 2016 12:56 PM (fbovC)

Go to Canada and visit Santa's Workshop.

Posted by: eman at February 07, 2016 12:58 PM (MQEz6)

344 236 ... The compendium doesn't include stories from A Fishing Life. I'll check out your suggestion.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 12:58 PM (FvdPb)

345 Schumer's Surprise wasn't that good, they were just a cover band for stuff I'd heard before.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 07, 2016 12:41 PM (39g3+)

Well, you have to agree that they did a bangup job on The Internationale!

Posted by: Hrothgar at February 07, 2016 12:58 PM (wYnyS)

346 Judging by the product, Morris would have failed the pee cup test ten ways from Saturday.
Reagan was forged by the war between free men and enslavers. He won the battle but the enslavers won the war.

Posted by: Man from Wazzustan at February 07, 2016 12:59 PM (FtrY1)

347 Reading The Road to Character by David Brooks. Excellent book about how internal character is impacted by our society.

Posted by: Utr at February 07, 2016 12:59 PM (8OdfZ)

348 Pasternak is one of the greatest poets, and perhaps the greatest poet writing in Russian, yet he was recognized for the his only novel.Well deserving of the Nobel, but also as a poet.

Posted by: johnoh at February 07, 2016 01:05 PM (aR/kH)

349 330 Peter Jackson. Good analogy!

Posted by: ChocoCheese at February 07, 2016 01:06 PM (OvUux)

350 Picked up a gloriously entertaining book last week (Hail to the Redskins) about the glory days under Joe Gibbs.
I highly recommend it to all Redskins fans and to (non-Cowboy) fans in general.

Doug Williams was a class act and tough as nails.
That is all.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at February 07, 2016 01:07 PM (T/5A0)

351 Reagan is steering with his knee like any other multi-tasking, red blooded American would.

Posted by: rodney smith at February 07, 2016 01:08 PM (J6cIA)

352 Well, the nood was really Ace's 2am bumped up, I see. Sure to confuse the corgi horde.

I quit watching the Hobbit movies when Dr Who with bird poop dribbling down his head rode the bunny sleigh through the woods. Off the rails and over the shark.

Some fan needs to do an edit (if possible) to limit the Hobbit flicks to what was in the book. I'd watch that.

Posted by: mindful webworker - hobbitually at February 07, 2016 01:10 PM (H/5vA)

353 I had no problem with the LOTR movies and they didn't spoil the books for me. But I keep them very separate in my mind. The Hobbit movies, on the other hand, were annoying even when they were visually interesting. At least the LOTR kept a good amount of connection to the books; The Hobbit movies much less so.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 01:15 PM (FvdPb)

354 " "When he f**k me good I take his ass to Red Lobster."

Lyric snip from Beyonce new song she may premier tonight. "

Someone's been reading their Shakespeare...

Posted by: Cap City Daydrunk at February 07, 2016 01:19 PM (24c3y)

355 Reagan is steering the car with his enormous prehensile penis.

Posted by: Ronaldus Magnus at February 07, 2016 01:19 PM (KYl0B)

356 In "True Grit," John Wayne rode hid horse toward his enemies with a rifle in one hand and a six-gun in the other,

-
And the reins in his teeth.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 01:21 PM (Nwg0u)

357 "Obama Pal and Donor Gayle King to Interview President for Super Bowl" -- Newbusters. I see your "Bouncy" post and raised you 10.

....because earflaps the petulant has everything else dicked, and has spare time to address the commoners on super Sunday. Pathetic.

Posted by: Cap City Daydrunk at February 07, 2016 01:22 PM (24c3y)

358 Some fan needs to do an edit (if possible) to limit the Hobbit flicks to what was in the book. I'd watch that.

I'm not sure cutting it down would help The Hobbit movie.

The Hobbit book had a completely different tone from LoTR. It was lighthearted.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Even when it was scary it was a romp, an adventure. The movie seemed to have the same tone as the LotR movies, possibly even darker.

I only watched the first one. Arthur Dent was lost in an ocean of CGI Orcs, I felt no connection to it.

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 01:22 PM (1xUj/)

359 Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 01:22 PM (1xUj/)

Bander, your light-hearted quote was from LoTR.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 01:27 PM (GDulk)

360 In addition to the Joseph Loconte book I mentioned above, I'm finding that a better knowledge of the period and the Inklings is increasing my appreciation of Tolkien's and Lewis' writing. I didn't expect that.

Posted by: JTB at February 07, 2016 01:29 PM (FvdPb)

361 I read the LoTR books first, then later "The Hobbit". The books seemed to be aimed at different audiences. In fact, at the beginning of LoTR, he still has some of "The Hobbit" feel, but it quickly changes.

And I've seen the LoTR films, but you need to see the extended versions. Jackson had to cut out too much for the 2 hour releases.

But I've heard too many bad things about "The Hobbit" films to want to waste my time.

Posted by: HH at February 07, 2016 01:30 PM (DrCtv)

362 Bander, your light-hearted quote was from LoTR.

Oh shit. You're right.

I stand by all of my points and reserve the right to substitute better evidence. ;-)

Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 01:34 PM (1xUj/)

363 I'm sure I can guess, but I'm just curious. Any specifics?
Posted by: AD at February 07, 2016 10:09
--------------------

Reagan's underlying philosophy was to kill children and old people, in order to feed the rich. I learned that in my Poli Sci class.

Posted by: Millenial Barista at February 07, 2016 01:36 PM (n22zQ)

364 could have been written by different people.

-
I quite enjoyed Gravity Wells by Canuck James Alan Gardner. It is a collection of his (previously published) short stories. One of the things that impressed me is that his vocabulary and style change from story to story to suit each work. The stories themselves range from good to meh to brilliant. Brilliant is Three Hearings on the Existence of Snakes in the Human Bloodstream.

Caveat lectur: A disturbing progressivism creeps into some stories.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 01:42 PM (Nwg0u)

365 Posted by: Bandersnatch, let all the children boogie at February 07, 2016 01:34 PM (1xUj/)

Lol, couldn't resist. Over-all I agree with you though. I read The Hobbit first as part of a Great Books club as a kid and then by choice later. I only read LoTR after seeing the first movie as an adult (and haven't gotten around re-reading those).

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 07, 2016 01:42 PM (GDulk)

366 Late to the game but one of my favorite Reagan books (though not really a biography) is "When Character was King" by Peggy Noonan. I know she doesn't have a lot of fans around here (with reason), but the book really captures Reagan's essence and what made him great.

Posted by: duke at February 07, 2016 01:46 PM (eSsh2)

367 Late to the book thread today because I took the dear grandma out to church and lunch. At 95, she doesn't drive anymore.
This is good for you morons because it means I can't put the full amount of Ayn Rand quotes I've compiled this week into my comments as I think it would be silly at this point in the thread.
Honestly, I may have to start blogging I'm so excited about all the new thoughts rattling around in my head after finishing Atlas Shrugged the other day.
Instead I'll leave just two small quotes...

The boy had no inkling of any concept of morality; it had been bred out of him by his college; this had left him an odd frankness, naive and cynical at once, like the innocence of a savage.

There was no reason for people to be as unhappy as that, she thought, no reason whatever... and then she remembered that reason was the one power they had banished from their existence.

Posted by: Sugar Plum Fairy # 176-671 at February 07, 2016 01:48 PM (CjKGu)

368 Light hearted story idea?

Super Bowl Zombie.

Let the flags fly along with the arms and brains as the refs try to flee.

Posted by: Anna Puma at February 07, 2016 01:55 PM (+yaaR)

369 "The Invisible Government"
Free on kindle

from Amazon

Posted by: Illiniwek at February 07, 2016 01:56 PM (5Gpe2)

370 "Reagan in his own hand" is an excellent insight into the kind of man he was. It's a collection of his letters.

Posted by: ChocoCheese at February 07, 2016 01:56 PM (OvUux)

371 16 mm silent film showing the scuttling of the Graf Spee, some of it shot from aircraft.

-
Kinda the same except different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvQRdbcl6iM

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 02:00 PM (Nwg0u)

372 Light hearted story idea?

Super Bowl Zombie.

-
Oldest QB ever to play in the Super Bowl is killed on the field but comes back to life to win one for the Gipper.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at February 07, 2016 02:03 PM (Nwg0u)

373 229 Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars

Thank you for the tip on Lois McMaster Bujold's Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. You just saved me $20. She is one of my favorite authors, and she has been mostly brain-eater disease free. Maybe not so much now.

Her last Vorkosigan book Captain Vorpatril's Alliance was good, but I could see her long suppressed liberalism coming out a tad.

Another current author who is quite good is Ryk E. Spoor. His best books are Spheres of Influence. the rollicking sequel to Grand Central Arena.

These two books are 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.

Another good SF author is Matthew Hughes. His Archonate stories are like Jack Vance, but better. He sets a good tone. Maybe because he is Canadian.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 07, 2016 02:05 PM (u82oZ)

374 295

I agree -- Cornwell's Archer books were incredible.

Posted by: nc at February 07, 2016 02:05 PM (iopMS)

375 Life is too lousy to be reading short books.

Posted by: Insomniac - Pale Horse/Death 2016 at February 07, 2016 02:11 PM (kpqmD)

376 Amazon changed their seller accounts from free to $35 a month.
Can anyone recommend another site for selling books, or even donating books?
Posted by: navybrat
---------------------------------------

Late to the party with this, but, as suggested to me by our own GGE, books for Service members:
http://www.operationpaperback.org/

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 07, 2016 02:43 PM (RrDm2)

377 33 The Edmund Morris thing is the greatest example of liberal brainwashing in American history. Here's Morris, a respected historian, given access to all of Reagan's papers, with one simple (though laborious) job: to tell how Reagan went from being a small-town boy to a movie star to Governor and then one of the century's five greatest Presidents.

And he could not do it. Because he had probably spent most of his adult career in the company of people who sneered at Reagan, mocked Reagan, hated Reagan and the country he loved.

Morris looked at the documents and how they told the story of a good-hearted man, very strong-willed, self-educated and much smarter than his public persona. And Morris simply could not make himself tell that story. It would be social death for him. Career suicide. He'd never sell another book, never get invited to another cocktail party, never write another essay.

So he cleverly devised a way to fail upward. He wrote an awful biography, but couched it as a daring literary experiment.
Posted by: Trimegistus at February 07, 2016 09:31 AM (E0naa)
Spot on! I made myself read to the bitter end. Morris simply could not write freely about a man he clearly wanted to admire but didn't understand.

Posted by: whatmeworry? at February 07, 2016 02:45 PM (dZGNV)

378 Sure wish we had room for ten times as many bookshelves, and time to organize everything. Books as clutter is not a good thing. Book hoarding.

Okay, now to plunge into the comments...
Posted by: mindful webworker
--------------

I get *really* pissed when I *know* that I have a book, and can't find it. Once upon a time I set out to catalog everything, with it's location (room, bookshelf). Then we moved, and all semblance of order was lost.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 07, 2016 02:47 PM (RrDm2)

379 Thanks, Mike Hammer.
My garage just became home to about a thousand books I have never read, they used to belong to a buddy, now deceased and his widow had me come over and clear it all out.

Posted by: navybrat at February 07, 2016 03:11 PM (8QGte)

380 You mean that Superb Owl day is not about birds??

Posted by: Pj at February 07, 2016 03:36 PM (cHuNI)

381 I'm not (yet) a Cruz guy but I could see him at the wheel.

Posted by: C. Moss at February 07, 2016 03:49 PM (HS6CF)

382 Open Question: OK, as you can see in the picture, Mr. Reagan has one arm
thrust through the windshield, shooting commies and hippies, and his
other arm is resting on the driver's side door, the window having been
previously kicked out. So with both arms accounted for, how is he
steering the car?

Answer: With his left leg/thigh. Not his right. That is firmly pressing down on the gas. He probably has a bottle of beer between his legs too.

He's just that good.

Posted by: EFG at February 07, 2016 04:15 PM (C+qQ0)

383 I quit watching the Hobbit movies when Dr Who with bird poop dribbling down his head rode the bunny sleigh through the woods. Off the rails and over the shark.

I know what he was trying to do there, I really do. But it was a terrible, terrible thing and he should be chastised for putting that on the screen.

Posted by: Johnny Cash's Ghost at February 07, 2016 04:24 PM (39g3+)

384 Just finished the mystery "In The Bleak Midwinter" by Julia Spencer-Fleming, based on a book thread recommendation. Very good! I'm going to check out the next in the series.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 07, 2016 09:45 AM (jR7Wy)

You're velcome! I love those books.

Posted by: RushBabe at February 07, 2016 05:27 PM (/NEnw)

385 And I love the pic. I just saved it to use as my new wallpaper.

Me too. I've seen it before at ReaganiteRepublicanResistance.com blogspot, but the larger version triggered the wallpaper idea.

Posted by: RushBabe at February 07, 2016 05:32 PM (/NEnw)

386 What is more striking to me is how I'm now evaluating writers for progressive biases. TFG and his media allies has so disgusted me that I can't help but watch for it in everything I read.

Posted by: GnuBreed at February 07, 2016 10:01 AM (gyKtp)

Rush said someone once asked him why he related everything to politics. He said, "Because everything IS political."

Posted by: RushBabe at February 07, 2016 05:39 PM (/NEnw)

387 Thanks for the heads up on the Finn Zhivago book...just ordered it. My wife is Russian, so I get added insight...for free!

Posted by: BignJames at February 07, 2016 06:02 PM (x9c8r)

388 In Re: Reagan's driving technique: put her on Cruz control

and steer with your knees. See it far to often but they're not gangbangers shootin' up the 'hood, but commuters eating bagels and drinking coffee, cause they only use their cell phones hands free by city (San Antonio) ordinance. Can't wait for self driving cars.

Posted by: David at February 07, 2016 06:57 PM (alBzY)

389 P.S. Try google images for Reagan's Raiders (a 1980's comic book).

Posted by: David at February 07, 2016 07:00 PM (alBzY)

390 Sugar Plum Fairy # 176-671 - go right ahead, no static from me. Say what you want about Rand as a literary stylist, she was a bloody spot-on prophet of where we were headed.

NaCly Dog, thanks, I was raised on that stuff, + Heinlein juveniles. I'll try those recommendations.

RushBabe, me too. "History" books can be the worst.

"when Dr Who with bird poop dribbling down his head rode the bunny sleigh through the woods. Off the rails and over the shark.
I know what he was trying to do there, I really do. But it was a terrible, terrible thing and he should be chastised for putting that on the screen.
Posted by: Johnny Cash's Ghost at February 07, 2016 04:24 PM (39g3+) "
Yes. Chastised. Severely. So wrong, so many different ways.

And thanks to whoever for the warning about the new Bujold. I have enjoyed the Vorkosigan saga immensely, but I will wait for the library to get that in and read it with trepidation.

Blessings upon all 'rons and 'ettes of the book thread and thanks for all the good info !
Confusion to our enemies !
*makes "toast" gesture, drinks shot of Jager*

Ok, off to the Puppy Bowl.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 07, 2016 07:23 PM (Z8DIA)

391 The invisible hand of the market is steering the car.

Posted by: Original Roy at February 07, 2016 11:16 AM (fASYn)

rickl called threadwinner too early. You win!

Posted by: RushBabe at February 07, 2016 08:30 PM (/NEnw)

392 So as I sit here "not" watching the Superbowl, I have to say, ANYTHING written by Ronald Reagan is worth reading. Far from the amiable dunce portrayed by the media, he was well spoken and had a great sense of humor.

Posted by: Heresolong at February 07, 2016 08:33 PM (InxHQ)

393 A room without books is like a body without a soul

Posted by: Marcus Tullius Cicero at February 07, 2016 10:22 PM (hIuX9)

394 Joe Queenan sounds like choad.

See, I'm using a word I'm sure he's heard before, since, apparently, he doesn't read a lot of books.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards at February 07, 2016 10:53 PM (MuMOo)

395 "Open Question: OK, as you can see in the picture, Mr. Reagan has one arm thrust through the windshield, shooting commies and hippies, and his other arm is resting on the driver's side door, the window having been previously kicked out. So with both arms accounted for, how is he steering the car?"

This betrays the underlying liberal bias of the painter: Driving a car is not like leading an economy, which should be more hands-off.

Posted by: Michael Isaacson at February 08, 2016 01:37 PM (tUNKV)

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