Sunday Morning Book Thread 05-29-2016: <s>Memorial</s> Fathers Day [OregonMuse]

Sunday Morning Book Thread 05-29-2016: Memorial Fathers Day [OregonMuse]

Can You Spot The Dad In This Photograph?

Yes, I know the real fathers day is next month. But I've heard that Memorial Day is now self-identifying as Fathers Day, so hey, who am I to say otherwise? Also, today's book thread pic was sent to me just this week and so I had to use it.

Good morning to all of you morons and moronettes and bartenders everywhere and all the ships at sea. Welcome to AoSHQ's stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread, where men are men, all the 'ettes are lovely, space isn't safe, and snowflakes will melt. Oh, and gender is binary, so don't get cute. None of these weird hybrids. What are we, potted plants? The Sunday Morning Book Thread is the only AoSHQ thread that is so hoity-toity, pants are required.

Is The Patriarchy Smashed Yet?

Last week, there was some discussion in the comments about Washington Times columnist Diana West's book, American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation's Character, and the controversy that erupted when it was first published.
Her massively researched book

...lights up the massive, Moscow-directed penetration of America's most hallowed halls of power, revealing not just the familiar struggle between Communism and the Free World, but the hidden war between those wishing to conceal the truth and those trying to expose the increasingly official web of lies...It was this moral surrender to deception and self-deception, West argues, that sent us down the long road to moral relativism, "political correctness," and other cultural ills that have left us unable to ask the hard questions: Does our silence on the crimes of Communism explain our silence on the totalitarianism of Islam? Is Uncle Sam once again betraying America?

I had noticed a few years back that the way the left in our country was treating Islam and the Islamists was eerily similar to the way they treated communism and communists back in the days of the Cold War. It's like I'm watching a reboot of the same movie (the last movie ended with Reagan, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the dissolution of the USSR. So who's our Reagan now? Trump?)

The Islamists' sneaking of operatives into the American government is the book Ms. West originally set out to write, but the communism question came up as a side issue, and then became the main issue for her.

But that's not her first book. Rather, that honor belongs to The Death of the Grown-Up: How America's Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization, wherein Ms. West asks "Is there a single adult left anywhere?" She sees

...a US filled with middle-age guys playing air guitar and thinks "No wonder we can't stop Islamic terrorism."...But, the grown-ups are all gone. The disease that killed them was incubated in the sixties to a rock-and-roll score, took hold in the seventies with the help of multiculturalism and left us with a nation of eternal adolescents who can't decide between "good" and "bad", a generation who can't say "no". From the inability to nix a sixteen year-old's request for Marilyn Manson concert tickets to offering adolescents parentally-funded motel rooms on prom night to rationalizing murderous acts of Islamic suicide bombers with platitudes of cultural equivalence, West sees us on a slippery slope that's lead to a time when America has forgotten its place in the world.

And to this I would add the inability of college administrators to tell disruptive students to shut up and get back to class, otherwise face expulsion. I remember seeing a video of a Mizzou student throwing a tantrum in response to a college ombudsman who came out to talk, and she was yelling and railing at him, and the guy just stood there and took it. I'm watching this play out, absolutely dumbfounded at his reluctance to say anything in response, and then it suddenly occurred to me that there really is not much difference between the yeller and yellee: I'd guess that both like and dislike pretty much the same things, he is no doubt on board with all of the agenda of social-justice-wankerism, so he really didn't have any reason to tell her to shut up and go back to class. In fact, you could make the argument that given their similarities in worldview, he probably should've been out there with her, yelling and screaming and carrying on. In order to fight social-justice-wankerism, you need a different platform upon which to stand, and he didn't have one.

And, as has been pointed out, the trigglypuffs on campus will continue to throw their tantrums until the adults who write the checks decide they're not going to write any more checks.

And another book which covers much of the same ground is Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream - and Why It Matters by Helen Smith (I think she's the Instapundit's spouse), who argues that

...men aren’t dropping out because they are stuck in arrested development. They are instead acting rationally in response to the lack of incentives society offers them to be responsible fathers, husbands and providers. In addition, men are going on strike, either consciously or unconsciously, because they do not want to be injured by the myriad of laws, attitudes and hostility against them for the crime of happening to be male in the twenty-first century.

A male population consisting of adolescent and subservient pajama boys is seen by progressives as a social good. In order to get this, they have to start early. So says Christina Hoff Sommers in her book The War Against Boys: How Misguided Policies are Harming Our Young Men, which documents how

...the problem of male underachievement is persistent and worsening. Among the new topics Sommers tackles: how the war against boys is harming our economic future, and how boy-averse trends such as the decline of recess and zero-tolerance disciplinary policies have turned our schools into hostile environments for boys. As our schools become more feelings-centered, risk-averse, competition-free, and sedentary, they move further and further from the characteristic needs of boys. She offers realistic, achievable solutions to these problems that include boy-friendly pedagogy, character and vocational education, and the choice of single-sex classrooms.

Paging Alan Turing...

There's a site Bot Or Not that asks the question, was this poem written by a human or a computer? After you get warmed up with a few samples, You can take the Digital Writers' Festival Quiz, a best-of-10 test.

we seelove solve losselse we seelove sow woe
selves we woowe loselosses we leveewe owe
we sellloose vowsso we loveless well
so lowso levelwolves evolve

So who wrote this, man or machine? To see the answer, drag your mouse over the line below this one.
This is the poem "Vowels" by Canadian poet Christian Bök. Human.

Some think this is just great:

As CNet reported in 2014 that "the line between human and AI poets is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish, as demonstrated by the site's leaderboards, which display the most human-like human poets and the most computer-like computer poets, as well as the most human-like computer poets and vice versa."

I don't think this is particularly noteworthy. And the reason is because the type of poetry they're writing AI software to emulate is modern poetry, i.e. crap. It's easy to do crap. It's not that difficult to whip up a little javascript into, for example, postmodern jargon ans corporate jargon generators, and have the crap output look reasonably like human-generated crap. Or, if you want real crap, there's always adolescent poetry:

I am
by The Aggregate Kid

i am spoiled
brat. my mommy told me that
you could be help clean it up
it;s our earth i mean whats
sup with all
the dirt and thilth i love
you to know
who you were gone you left you
shone on me,but now you’ve left this
land. and now you
have to say. the bell rings,
everyone goes outside. they
huddle close together like
bees in a
corner and cry.

Don't you just want to just smack that kid's whiny, bratty face? Go out and get a job, slacker. You want to cry, I'll give you something to cry about. Whap, whap, whap.

So all this tells us is that our machines are now good enough to replicate degraded and degenerate forms of human communication: postmodern jargon, modern experimental poetry, and corporate bullshit, the intent of which is not to communicate but to obfuscate

What I would like to see is AI that can create crank out an honest-to-goodness Elizabethan sonnet, with iambic pentameter, complex rhyme schemes, etc. Or a Norse saga. I'm not saying it's impossible, I just really haven't seen it done yet, not enough to fool the experts.

So I'll just leave you with the real deal:

Sonnet XVIII "To His Love" by William "Bill" Shakespeare

SHALL I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd.

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:—

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Memorial Day Weekend Sale

Need something new to read for the long weekend? Looking for a new series to start or want to discover a new author? Moronette author Sabrina Chase e-mailed me on Saturday

Of possible interest to budget-minded reading Morons, some of the degenerate author types I hang out with are doing a Start of Summer Reading sale for the Memorial Day weekend. The site that has the details is http://azounding.com/ (where we post promo-type news all the time). I have two books in this sale, Jinxers and The Scent of Metal. Some of the books are even free!

To go directly to the sale, just click on this link. In addition to Sabrina's books, you'll find books by Sarah Hoyt, Peter Grant, Amanda Green, and others. Always check the price before clicking the purchase button. Some of these books are already on sale and others will go on sale over the next 24 hours.

Celebrate Diversity, Earn Big $

So Penguin Publishing is holding a writing contest.

...in partnership with We Need Diverse Books™, Penguin Young Readers celebrates this momentous publication by launching a debut children’s fiction contest to find talented, ethnically diverse authors writing for readers ages 8-14.

Submit your manuscript for a book about diversity for ages 8-14 and you could receive a publishing contract from Penguin Random House LLC!

The contract they're going to award is nothing to sneeze at:

PRIZE: The confirmed winner will receive a book publishing contract for the publication of a novel for ages 8-14 by Penguin Random House LLC, with an advance of $35,000, plus royalties as follows: (i) on hardcover, 10% up to 50,000 copies and 12.5% thereafter; (ii) on paperback, 6% up to 50,000 copies and 7% thereafter; (iii) on audio, 8% of net; (iv) ebook, 25% of net; (v) world rights/all subrights at a 50/50 split; and (vi) an option on their next children’s or YA novel.

Here are the eligibility requirements:

ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to people of color (or those who self-identify as other than white) who are residents of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories and possessions, 18 years of age or older at time of entry and who have not had any works of fiction published in any medium prior to entering the Contest.

Emphasis mine. So Rachael Dolezal and Elizabeth Warren are both eligible, assuming they haven't been published before. Maybe some of you morons are, too. My question is, if you're a white guy, but you self identify as, say, a Yakut tribal elder, what hoops will Penguin make you jump through to prove your assumed diverse ethnic identity?

One more thing:

The submission must be in English, between 25,000-75,000 words and must not have been previously published in any medium.

Wait, so the organizers of a writing contest celebrating diversity have put in an "English only" requirement? Really? Now that's not very diverse of them, is it? I think there should be a protest about this. I mean, if I identify as a Klingon warrior, shouldn't I should be able to submit my manuscript in Klingon? To disallow this would be racist and un-diverse.

They should be forced to live by the same rules they prescribe for everybody else.

Thanks to Anna Puma for the tip.

Books By Morons

Moronette Lisa Mathisen has released the 3rd volume in her 'Glimpse' series is of short stories. Glimpse of Summer:

Forty quintessential scenes from summer will delight you in this hilarious third volume of the Glimpse series. It’s all here: vacations, sunburn, mosquitoes, trashy beach reads and blockbuster films...You will find yourself empathizing with characters whose exaggerated traits we all recognize in ourselves.

Promotional trailer for Glimpse 3 featuring a dancing crab.

The Kindle version should be released shortly.

Moron Recommendations

Moron bensdad00 recommends the author Richard Powell, whose book Don Quixote USA was mentioned a few weeks ago. In addition to that one, he paticlarly likes Pioneer, Go Home!, which Amazon describes as

...a warm and witty tale of little man versus “Big Gummint.” Powell relates the adventures of the Kwimpers—a motley clan of New Jersey Pineys who break down on the side of a southern highway project and decide to claim squatter’s rights. Call them “hicks” or “bumpkins” if you like, but these Kwimpers are considerably more resourceful than most folks give them credit for—and ten times as stubborn! When the government orders them to vacate, Pop Kwimper gets his dander up and the die is cast. Hilarity ensues as the family defends its homestead against an onslaught of conniving bureaucrats, Mother Nature, and the mob.

bensdad00's capsule summary is "family completely dependent on government welfare is cut off cold turkey, and learns it doesn't need the dole".

This one is now on my book pile.

What I'm Reading

I picked up The Anderson Tapes by Lawrence Sanders on sale this week. Don't know if the $2.51 Kindle price still holds. This novel is noteworthy for a number of reasons:

1. It's Sanders' debut novel
2. It won an Edgar Award
3. Dude wrote it when he was 50(!) years old.
4. The novel's story is told entirely through surveillance recordings, eyewitness reports, and other “official” documents.

It's about a heist:

John Anderson is preparing for the biggest heist of his criminal career. The mark is a Manhattan luxury apartment building with the tony address of 535 East Seventy-Third Street. Enlisting a crew of scouts, con artists, and a getaway driver, Anderson orchestrates what he believes to be a foolproof plan. To pull off the big score, he needs one last thing: the permission of the local mafia, who expect a piece of the action.

I think this novel was made into a movie sometime in the 70s, wasn't it?

___________

Moronette 'votermom' is putting together a list of moron authors over on the Goodreads site which is intended to be acessible to non-members. Here is the list she has compiled so far. Let her know if there's an author she's missing.

http://www.bookhorde.org/p/aoshq-authors.html

___________

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

___________

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

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

Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:03 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 I read the next in the Honor Harrington series, Honor Among Enemies, by David Weber. An engrossing story with vivid space-battle scenes. I'm enjoying this series. Every book is a winner.

Posted by: Zoltan at May 29, 2016 09:00 AM (JYer2)

2 Ah book thread

Still working on the Jack Ryan series. Now up to Debt of Honor.

now to read thread.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 09:02 AM (vvmPQ)

3 I spent most of the week resetting up my mini library now that my daughter has moved again. So many long packed away friends to revisit

Posted by: FCF at May 29, 2016 09:04 AM (kejii)

4 Oh when I consider how my talent is spent,
Here in this dark world and wide...
Why should I read depressing and horrid dreck
As that modern poetry which is of wreck?

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 09:06 AM (HIbcx)

5 I'm off to Church, but ask out of curiosity before I go, have any of you read any of Harriet Arnow's books? Also, John Fox. Both novelists have written tales involving Appalachia.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 29, 2016 09:08 AM (9mTYi)

6 On the last chapter of HMS Surprise, a Aubrey /Maturin novel, but the race got in the way to finish it.

Posted by: Skip at May 29, 2016 09:08 AM (3wHFl)

7 Hammer, did she write the doll maker? It is one of my favorites.

Posted by: NCKate at May 29, 2016 09:10 AM (IZFV4)

8 Blogger Bookworm has put out a kindle (short) book on the 2nd amendment:
"Our Second Amendment Rights In Ten Essays" which I've recently downloaded ($.99). Probably read 'em all on her site, but her gun post are *so* good (she's a lawyer). If you've read her site, then you know this is a great way to bone up on effective points to make against gun-control types.

Posted by: Lizzy at May 29, 2016 09:11 AM (NOIQH)

9 I'm ineligible for the Penguin contest for a variety of reasons.

1. Am already published
2. Self-identify as a cat-grrl

Unless I want to self-identify as unpublished.

Hey...

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 09:12 AM (HIbcx)

10 I don't read a lot of poetry but I really like John Donne. Whenever death strikes I read Death be not proud tho some have called thee mighty and dreadful. ..
Sometimes I'm in the mood for License my roving hands

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 09:12 AM (dC1U5)

11 Reading a 1920s bio of Lotta Crabtree, and wishing that a local history of Downieville, CA was available still - two listings on Amazon for it, but - not available. Not even used. (Sigh)

The Second Chronicle of Luna City is still selling strong as an ebook, thanks to OM's plug for it two weeks ago - but the print edition still hasn't shown up on Amazon.
:-( If anyone wants the print version, you can order it directly from me through my book website - www.celiahayes.com. There is a page for the Chronicles, listed under the heading for books, with a Paypal button.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 29, 2016 09:13 AM (xnmPy)

12 Maybe if dad let that bat hit the kid, the kid wouldn't keep his nose buried in an electronic device all day and instead pay attention to his surroundings.

Oh, and get the EFF offa my lawn!

Posted by: andycanuck at May 29, 2016 09:13 AM (PLnZs)

13 From the Chess Thread:
We also played washers. Good Times.
Posted by: olddog in mo at May 28, 2016 06:00 PM (Dhht7)

How do you play washers? Is it a board game?

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 28, 2016 06:35 PM

Washers is similar to horseshoes, but throwing washers into a pit with recessed cups in the ground. We made our own pits and buried 4" diameter cans.

http://www.washers.org

Posted by: olddog in mo at May 29, 2016 09:14 AM (Dhht7)

14 Don't know which I like better...the photo or the caption. Nice.

Posted by: creeper at May 29, 2016 09:15 AM (MH4k8)

15 So I'll just leave you with the real deal:

It's pretty until you remember that he wrote it for a teenage boy. Then it's...kinda icky.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at May 29, 2016 09:16 AM (WlGX+)

16 It's not just the culture that is hostile to men. So is the economy. Taxes and regulations are throttling employment and wages, making it impossible for young dudes to afford to date let alone afford to get married, buy a house, or start a family.

Just like most third world shitholes. Such as France.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 29, 2016 09:18 AM (EZebt)

17 To my Loaf

SHELL I compare these to to to tutu dog leg?
Tho wart more liver and moor tempura:
Tough rinds donut Shaka Zulu the darling butt
And someone's fleas hack crunchy dates

And I cry lick painted bees on toast!

Posted by: AI naturalfake - Poet at May 29, 2016 09:20 AM (HGtd0)

18 The disease that killed them was incubated in the sixties to a rock-and-roll score,

It was that goddam jungle music. I knew it.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at May 29, 2016 09:20 AM (WlGX+)

19 How many people here can identify as Mongolian? I'm thinking pretty much everyone. Even my pasty ass is about 0.1% east-Asian of various sorts (I've checked). Genghis Khan bathed a supercontinent in his semen.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at May 29, 2016 09:21 AM (6FqZa)

20 Reading "The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It... Every Time" by Maria Konnikova. From the cover flap: "'The Confidence Game' not only asks why we believe con artists; it also examines the very act of believing and how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us, leaving us to fall for it -- over and over again."

Great stories about how intelligent, perceptive people fall for cons. Persuasion principles used by con artists are also used by salespeople, advertisers, and politicians.

The author is a gifted writer, writing popular psychology articles for "Smithsonian" and "Scientific American" among others. Konnikova was the author of "Mastermind: How To Think Like Sherlock Holmes."

Posted by: doug at May 29, 2016 09:21 AM (YSXf2)

21 Just finished the latest Sandman Slim book. And I'll probably pass on everything else in this series.

I'm starting to run through Kindle Unlimited books now; reading Hell's Super by Mark Cain, and it's pretty good so far. The characters afterlives are much more mundane and arbitrarily shitty than the usual, without too many ridiculous famous dead people cameo's (though there are some, as books that take place in Hell always do). It reads like a cross between Niven's Inferno and The Princess Bride.

I've been trying to read more small publishers and independents, so figure a few months of Unlimited will keep the bar low in doing that.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:22 AM (Lv0zB)

22 NC Kate - Yes. And several others. Worth the read.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 29, 2016 09:23 AM (9mTYi)

23 "My question is, if you're a white guy, but you self identify as, say, a Yakut tribal elder, what hoops will Penguin make you jump through to prove your assumed diverse ethnic identity?"

I don't know, but I would encourage any white literarily-inclined Moron to attempt to find out. in fact, be sure to submit under an appropriately diverse pen name, like YI-Fen Chou (AKA Michael Derrick Hudson) did, to help your chances. Make 'em live up to their own book of rules.

Posted by: Yuge at May 29, 2016 09:23 AM (lIZ5F)

24 A male population consisting of adolescent and subservient pajama boys is seen by progressives as a social good.

As they say at Belmont Club, Western civilization is burning through its design margin.

A lot of people seem to take our wealth and technology for granted without regard for who built it and how it came to be. It simply "is".

Posted by: rickl at May 29, 2016 09:23 AM (sdi6R)

25 Kid in photo is so very lucky. Hadn't even ducked because he was playing with his phone (you can see it in his hand). Of course, I'd get smacked in the same situation because I'd be knitting. I wonder if the bat broke the guy's wrist.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 09:23 AM (GDulk)

26 Jackpot! Found all three of Lisa Mathiesen's "Glimps" series available on my Kindle Unlimited. Yup. Even #3.

Posted by: creeper at May 29, 2016 09:26 AM (MH4k8)

27 Been reading up via PDF's on the 1903 Springfield rear sight. A very complicated sight made easy to use by whomever designed it.

I am still waiting for the tell all book, behind the scenes, truth be told story by Rachel Jeantel. In cursive.

Oh, nevermind.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at May 29, 2016 09:27 AM (ej1L0)

28
"SHALL I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:"

Ah yes, the poetry of Marta.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living at May 29, 2016 09:28 AM (tEDMc)

29 That was a great save by the Dad. I don't even want to think about what kind of injuries that kid would have had if the bat hit him in the face.

Posted by: Lincolntf at May 29, 2016 09:30 AM (2cS/G)

30 Here's an excerpt from The EZ Dog Journal, from this date in 1944. (Carried over from the earlier thread for those who are interested).

May 29, 1944
Goodhan took me flying today. A "message to Garcia" sort of thing. A Lt of the 91 Recon was out on the point of II Corps advance and didn't know the situation. So he radioed for some help. Army turned the problem over to the Arty section and we sent Goodhan out to look. He buzzed a few towns trying to find out who owned them till he finally saw a jeep parked in Norma, a little town built right on the top of a 1000' sheer cliff. He found a cow pasture up there and landed (not an easy job). Sure enough - there was his Lt - with 2 or 3 men, and they were all between Norma and the Germans. Goodhan promised him a situation map and came back to the CP to get one. I went back with him on the second trip. As we circled the town to land the Italians started pouring out into the field. By the time we stopped rolling at least a couple hundred were gathered around shaking hands and raising a fuss in general.
We broke out a carton of cigarettes and had a great time giving them away. On the way back we toured the front lines - saw a lot of 3d Div doughboys moving up and quite a number of our tanks maneuvering.
The front as a whole is moving quite slowly. Mines, wire and suicide squads account for most of the delay.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 29, 2016 09:30 AM (mvenn)

31 Was anyone taught cursive italic in school instead of looped cursive?

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:31 AM (Lv0zB)

32 The dad is the guy in gray with his arm out blocking the bat.

Sorry for interloping.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at May 29, 2016 09:32 AM (9ym/8)

33 You knit at baseball games, Polliwog?

Posted by: andycanuck at May 29, 2016 09:32 AM (PLnZs)

34 Posted by: Lincolntf at May 29, 2016 09:30 AM (2cS/G)

Can't tell velocity from photo, but I believe people have died from being struck by aluminum bats so I'm guessing that dad averted a real tragedy.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 09:33 AM (GDulk)

35 I believe people have died from being struck by aluminum bats
I dinn do nuthin.

Posted by: local gangbanger at May 29, 2016 09:35 AM (PLnZs)

36 I'm guessing the dad in that picture is the guy who let his kid stare at his smart phone while sitting in the vulnerable part of the stands where screaming line drives and flying baseball bats go to meet up with someone's noggin.

Put the damn phone away for a bit, eh?

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 29, 2016 09:35 AM (mvenn)

37 Once upon a time 0101111000011101010101011100
0101011100000101101010101101010011100101010
boobs001010110100001110010101001010010100101
0111111111100101001010101101001111111001001
0000penis1111001101010101010101010101001100
vagina
vagina
vagina
111001010101111101000011101010101001100010

The End

Posted by: AI naturalfake - Pornographer at May 29, 2016 09:35 AM (HGtd0)

38 5 ... Harriette Arnow wrote Seed Time On the Cumberland. Haven't read it yet, it's on the shelf. But it is acclaimed by the muzzleloading community for its accurate portrayal of the Kentucky frontier. Her other books, such as 'The Doll Maker' get seriously good reviews.

Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 09:35 AM (V+03K)

39 Hastings tome on code breaking and spies, montefiore's on the romanovs, are both informative, Alexander 11's mistress and future wife katya dolguruki, oh my.

Posted by: admiral marcus at May 29, 2016 09:37 AM (nS3Ic)

40 I finished "Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari.
Non fiction.
Enjoyed it, even if it did, at times, go off in to the weeds.

Posted by: navybrat at May 29, 2016 09:37 AM (w7KSn)

41 Was anyone taught cursive italic in school instead of looped cursive?

Nope. Looped cursive, here. Not sure what the hell they taught my kids. None of them can write cursive for sh*t. Seems like they kept changing teaching methods and totally messed them up.

Posted by: olddog in mo at May 29, 2016 09:38 AM (Dhht7)

42
Father saves kid from bat flying into his face.

Father notices kid is playing with smart phone while sitting in $50 seat at game.

Father confiscates smart phone - "You'll get it back when we get home. Now watch the game."

And now you know... the rest of the story.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at May 29, 2016 09:39 AM (fOgSR)

43 Yeah, I would get all judgy about the dad letting his kid be on the phone, but at least he got him to a ballgame.

I have raised two boys to young adulthood, neither of whom has the slightest interest in sports of any sort. It's a thing that skips generations in my family.

****

Love the diary entry, Muldoon. You weren't kidding when you teased it yesterday.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 29, 2016 09:40 AM (1xUj/)

44 Love that dad!

I went to the library for the first time in a long time on Friday and picked up all the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike books by Robert Crais that I haven't read yet, and a few graphic novels: Kick-ass (I have Kick-ass the movie and was curious about the differences) and a version of the novel Outlander. Some jerk cut out a bunch of pages in the middle of the book. Why??

While I was there I flipped through this illustrated book about a building (it's just pictures, no text) in Paris, tracing it's changing appearance from about 1100 to present. I was just interested in that, but the ending was kinda cool.

Posted by: Gem at May 29, 2016 09:41 AM (c+gwp)

45 1 I've read every Harrington book except for some of the fiction anthologies. It's pretty fun, if you're a naval combat buff. (Or if not, if you skim those scenes like I do.) The Parliamentary politics, and politics of public perception, are one of the biggest draw for me, as It's very well-done and not just borrowed from historical incidents. Most people who can write at that level have experience in the field; Weber doesn't. Eventually Harrington herself gets a little unbelievable--however, the side novels and stories written with ostensibly-enemy agent Victor Cache are all quite good. Probably my favorite character in the series.

21 - I've heard about those books around; never picked up much specifically about them. What turned you off?

I've been working on catching up with the Dresden Files. So far I've read Cold Days, and I absolutely loved it. The whole series is pretty fun, but on the whole not that memorable, or at least I always forget the plot in between waiting for the next book. (It does have going for it that it's entirely apolitical, a welcome change in today's SF&F climate.) Butcher outdid himself with Cold Days, though. I did not know he was capable of this level of work. It's fantastic from start to finish, expertly plotted, clever, funny, the whole nine yards. I read it in one sitting, and by the end I felt like I'd taken a weekend vacation from real life to Maui. A++. Better: I don't know Butcher's politics, but either way, he spoke up -- on the original post -- against Irene Gallo's smears on the Sad/Rabid Puppies. That's worthy of commendation even if he is a leftist.

Posted by: Yuge at May 29, 2016 09:42 AM (lIZ5F)

46 Anyway - back on topic - I've been getting back to Imam Suyuti. This time it was his "History of the Caliphs" which one Major Jarrett translated to English in 1881.
archive.org/details/cu31924023164654

It's an somewhat uneasy juxtaposition between year-by-year annals, and vignettes in a truncated hadith style. Also it misses some important stuff - there's nothing on al-Khirrit's rebellion in the late 650s, and nothing direct on Ibn al-Ash'ath in 700.

Oh, and Suyuti dismisses the Fatimids (who claimed to be Shi'ite) as frauds, even by Shi'a standards; so there's nothing on what they did either. Which is a shame for us infidels, because the Fatimids (until the end) encouraged Christians and Jews, and told the local Sunnis to go pound sand. Wish Egypt had people like that in charge today.

Also the translator or - more likely - the printer makes mistakes. Page 12 has "VIII" for sura 108 and "XVIII" for sura 97. Looks to me like the author had scribbled "C,VIII." and, later, "C,XVII." with an elongated fullstop; and the printer (perhaps French?) interpreted this as "Coran VIII" etc.

As for the good - we get stories that parallel those found in the Iqd al-Farid. On the plump caliph Mu'awiya:

And from al Auza'i, that Khuraym-b-Fatik went unto Mu'awiyah, and his nether garment was tucked up, and he had shapely legs. And Mu'awiyah said, " if but those legs belonged to a woman ;" and Khuraym said "like thy hips, prince of the Faithful."

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at May 29, 2016 09:42 AM (6FqZa)

47 Aaand the kid was, at that very moment, texting his buddy about how boring the game was blah blah blah.

Anyone ever read the book "Nothing ever happens on my block" when they were a kid? Loved that one.

Posted by: Lizzy at May 29, 2016 09:42 AM (NOIQH)

48 Posted by: andycanuck at May 29, 2016 09:32 AM (PLnZs)

Been a long time (about 20 years) since I went to one, but yes the couple of times we went to Rockies games I had my knitting (although I have enough experience I don't have to look at it every second like one does with a phone game).

Several teams have "Stitch and Pitch Nights" nowadays but it's gotten too expensive (especially if you add parking and such) and after the strikes I generally lost interest.

I don't watch tv sports anymore but if I did it would be baseball because it takes a long time and has no whistles. This is perfect when "watching" is only intended to provide background noise and a little vision ble motion.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 09:42 AM (GDulk)

49
Looped cursive

Our "Q"s looked like they were "2"s that raised their pinkies to sip tea.

My cursive handwriting has really slipped from what I was taught, but then again, school paste doesn't taste as good today as it used to.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at May 29, 2016 09:42 AM (fOgSR)

50 I shot an arrow
into the air
F**k you daddy!

//A "AI" Turing

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 09:44 AM (g8Hfr)

51 "Last week, there was some discussion in the comments about Washington Times columnist Diana West's book, American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation's Character, and the controversy that erupted when it was first published."

==========
There was? I guess I missed it. For the life of me I dont understand why some historians have it so in for West. I had/have chalked it up to professional jealousy.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 09:46 AM (iQIUe)

52 I recently attended a graduation ceremony where the keynote speaker based his theme on a Maya Angelou quote -- 'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

I thought to myself, "Yeah, that's something known by every would-be tyrant in history."

Posted by: saltlick at May 29, 2016 09:47 AM (DuXIW)

53 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. I had two books come from the library and can't be renewed as others are waiting, so my other reading is on hold. 'War Hawk' by James Rollins and 'Valiant Ambition' by Nathaniel Philbrick. Both are starting off as excellent reads. Rollins seems to be pulling a Clive Cussler by co-writing different series with different co-authors. At least they all have been very good. Philbrick is doing his usual good job with a history of George Washington and Benedict Arnold and how they changed during the Revolution.

Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 09:47 AM (V+03K)

54 My looped cursive was atrocious, and lost even that when I went in the military and started printing IN ALL CAPS.

Once I started trying to reteach myself, I stumbled onto cursive italic. It's just epically stupid to me that they don't teach that instead.

Was just curious if anyone had seen a little bit of sense trickle down to the schools.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:48 AM (Lv0zB)

55 Not to go too wildly OT political, BUT we have allowed the international western left to obliterate the honor and dignity due to military members in the "cool culture."

The right needs to have their artists fete and celebrate martial prowess, and that includes combat arts such as wrestling, kickboxing, boxing, mma, archery, marskmanship etc etc.

Martial Artists and practitioners have an artistic worth that is under appreciated, and the right needs to celebrate manhood.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 09:49 AM (g8Hfr)

56 Reading the damned manuals - in PDF form - for the new camera and learning all about its quirks and features.

F'ing thing must weigh 10-15 pounds....got more bells and whistles (e.g., a rotating back to let you switch between portrait and landscape orientation without tilting the camera - which is a good thing - and the view-glass guidelines rotate to accommodate the new orientation, and the mirror-lock up takes two hands and shutter releases to use, and the film magazine is not at all like my old Kiev88's - the damned thing actually works perfectly, and I'm just not used to that kind of reliability.)

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 09:49 AM (lutOX)

57
I went to a minor league game in Columbia, SC decades ago with the first Mrs. Krebs. We sat one row back along the first base line about twenty feet beyond first base.

At one point a line shot foul ball came at us and I tried to catch it barehanded. Big mistake. Stung like nothing I had ever experienced before. And, no, I didn't wind up holding onto the ball.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at May 29, 2016 09:50 AM (fOgSR)

58 Posted by: Yuge at May 29, 2016 09:42 AM (lIZ5F)

Pretty sure he isn't a leftist since he games with Corriea and it's a rare leftist that can allow themselves to have fun in the company of people who think differently.

Most leftists can't (visibly) have fun with people who *do* think like them either since it's all supposed to be about earnestness and loyalty to The Cause. About the only enjoyment they're allowed is in imposing the will of the group on individuals.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 09:50 AM (GDulk)

59 We dragged our daughter to baseball games and she would always bring a book. The only reason she didn't actually hate it was the stadium junk food. But some of it must have sunk in: my husband's moment of glee came when one day she was jolted out of her book at the crowd's reaction to a high pop-up, muttered a dismissive, "can of corn," and then immediately went back to her book. :-)

Posted by: Gem at May 29, 2016 09:50 AM (c+gwp)

60 #13: thanks, olddog. Wow. Things I never knew.

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 09:51 AM (UHKOQ)

61 54 Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:48 AM (Lv0zB)

My cursive for my sig is acceptable, of course I evolved past loops for the most part and have fortune of having an angular name and surname.

Comes with being Knarfnil Tewdwit LLeowh, a fine Celtic Welsh name.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 09:52 AM (g8Hfr)

62 While I was there I flipped through this illustrated book about a building (it's just pictures, no text) in Paris, tracing it's changing appearance from about 1100 to present. I was just interested in that, but the ending was kinda cool.
Posted by: Gem at May 29, 2016 09:41 AM (c+gwp)
==========
That sounds interesting. There is a bbc doc you can find on youtube that also looks at a lot of bldgs and how they were changed due to the revolution. I think anyone visiting Paris shd watch it bc you can then identify the tell tale signs.

I had a book I bought in Munich during the early 90s that did the same thing with Munich and the nazis. Most of the nazi shit was torn down but you could still find the pedestals, etc. Creepy...

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 09:52 AM (iQIUe)

63 Since this is the book thread, I can recommend Write Now which teaches cursive italic just like you were taught every other form of writing.

It takes a lot to break the old muscle memory, and I drift between printing and italic when my thinking outruns my writing.

But it's cool if you want to improve the legibility of your handwriting.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:52 AM (Lv0zB)

64 Why is the kid on the phone instead of watching the game his dear old dad coughed up big bucks to take him to???

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 09:53 AM (iQIUe)

65 Batted balls and flying bats are an occupational hazard in my work. I've had a few close calls, never been hit, though we've had some cameras get pretty smashed up. Everyone tries to be on their toes, but sometimes you've got to read notes or adjust the broadcast rig and take your eyes off the game. A very vulnerable feeling if you're not in a box or behind netting.

Posted by: Lincolntf at May 29, 2016 09:53 AM (2cS/G)

66 A Limerick most effervescent
Computer? Or mere adolescent
It kept saying "poop"
In an infinite loop
In either event, prepubescent!

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 29, 2016 09:54 AM (mvenn)

67 Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:52 AM (Lv0zB)
***
Heh...

my scrawl is slanted - I turn the paper 90 degrees and damned near write top to bottom instead of left to right.

Studying Greek and Russian affected my handwriting - made it neater, in some ways, but a bit odd.

And I've got micrographia....which people hate....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 09:54 AM (lutOX)

68 My looped cursive was atrocious, and lost even that when I went in the military and started printing IN ALL CAPS.
Once I started trying to reteach myself, I stumbled onto cursive
italic. It's just epically stupid to me that they don't teach that
instead. Was just curious if anyone had seen a little bit of sense trickle down to the schools. Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:48 AM (Lv0zB)

=====

My kids were taught D'nealian (sp?) and all have dreadful cursive. The biggest drawback to the italic is that block printing is gone now. It seems especially hard on technical kids who really have to learn block printing. For some reason, the loop-de-loop training really helped with fine motor skills for the boys and prepared them for semi-legible cursive. I am not a fan of the italic teaching.

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 09:54 AM (MIKMs)

69 I don't think it's possible to peel this generation away from their phones.

Well, anything's possible with liberal application of sticks and carrots, but there's a big world of social pressures out there.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:55 AM (Lv0zB)

70 20 Reading "The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It... Every Time" by Maria Konnikova.

Posted by: doug at May 29, 2016 09:21 AM (YSXf2)

Heh. I first read the author's name as 'Anna Kournikova' and it had me wondering whether a tennis hottie actually had a hitherto unrevealed brain and was branching out into pyschology.

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 09:55 AM (UHKOQ)

71 Yes The Anderson Tapes was turned into a movie starring Sean Connery.I've never seen it though.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066767/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Posted by: steevy at May 29, 2016 09:56 AM (B48dK)

72 GD, Hamilton. Again, sorry for coming in here.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at May 29, 2016 09:56 AM (9ym/8)

73
Our son wrestled in high school and because he was small (130 pounds at the outset), he was wrestling varsity by his sophomore year. For three years I really got into the sport, even to the point of running the clock during multi-mat invitational meets.

My son says he will resist having our grandson go into the sport because of the wear and tear he claims he experienced. Soccer, fooking soccer, on the other hand, is clear to go.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at May 29, 2016 09:56 AM (fOgSR)

74 64 Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 09:53 AM (iQIUe)

B/C "it age"...

I'm reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Fall-France-Invasion-Making-Modern/dp/0192805509

The Fall of France and the making of the modern world.

What's funny is Fwance being so jaded by its "victory"(really America's in WW1) prior war it was structurally unable to adapt to modern warfare.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 09:57 AM (g8Hfr)

75 They had a doggie day at one of the Jays vs. Rangers games in Texas. That was pretty fun to watch on TV of them in the stands and outside lining up to get in.

Posted by: andycanuck at May 29, 2016 09:58 AM (PLnZs)

76 I stopped trying to use cursive in Jr high, the teachers stopped requiring it. Instead I practiced and refined my block printing which was very legible and drove my mom, a teacher with a beautiful Palmer hand, to despair.

When Mom died I started trying out cursive. I now have a decent hand when I apply myself.

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 09:58 AM (ry34m)

77 Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 09:55 AM (UHKOQ)
***
You hush, now.

Anna is a genius in many ways, and I value her opinions because I respect her as a person....

She has keen insights on a range of topics that I'm sure would be most interesting, and likely to re-shape my thinking....

Let others be blinded by her stunning physical form - no such shallowness can ever hope to encompass and appreciate all that she is...

heh....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awY1MRlMKMc

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 09:59 AM (lutOX)

78 Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:55 AM (Lv0zB)

The phrase "Sure, when you can pay for it." Means none of my teens has a phone. Son is 16 and started at Kroger this week so he is most likely to end up with one first.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 09:59 AM (GDulk)

79 Hm. I could never master the loops, but have the hands of a surgeon.

Looped cursive always had those weird stops that messed me up. Maybe it's all just individual?

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 10:00 AM (Lv0zB)

80 Had that poem pegged. It was too stupid not to be of human origin.

Posted by: Brother Cavil at May 29, 2016 10:01 AM (D0J8L)

81 73 Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at May 29, 2016 09:56 AM (fOgSR)

That is b/c society is stating implicitly "it is not worth it" to be a martial artist.

Look all respect to your son, wrestlers gaining and shedding weight sucks. My step-brother was a top 3 wrestler in Ohio 3 of his 4 High School years and I watched him jog hundreds of miles over the years in garbage bags to make weight.

It is not that their discipline is not worth it or laudable, it is our society rejecting the need for discipline.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 10:01 AM (g8Hfr)

82 Speaking of poetry. I ordered the Penguin Classics edition of Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene'. I read small segments of it in college but didn't remember much. As is often the case, CS Lewis comes to the rescue with a couple of chapters in his 'Allegory of Love' about the poem and its context. Despite being a paperback, this edition of the poem seems well bound and the print is clear and large enough. That isn't always the case these days and I appreciate it. Once those library books I mentioned above are finished, I'll start the Spenser and intersperse it with the other books I'm reading. The Patrick O'Brian book is too damn good to stop for very long.

Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 10:01 AM (V+03K)

83 So I got an e-mail from AbeBooks yesterday that led to the following webpage:

The World's Most Valuable Children's Books - Do You Have One?

https://tinyurl.com/gpmhyoq

Scroll down to #6: "The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams.

I have it! That is the exact image of the cover of the copy I have. It is an ex-library book, and is not in the best condition. There is blue tape on the spine and several pages are loose, but they all appear to be present. There are indeed seven full-page illustrations. There is no date anywhere. It simply says "Printed in the United States of America".

Ironically (if you're familiar with the story), it is stamped "DISCARDED" on the front and back endpapers. There is a library pocket inside the back cover. It is from the Ellicottville Elementary Library. That's a small town in western New York, and my family lived there from the summer of 1966 until December 1968.

I couldn't have been more than 10 years old when I got it. I had never read the story at the time, and I was already too old for children's books. I just picked it up and thought, "Wow, that looks really, really old." That was almost fifty years ago. I couldn't have paid more than a dime or a quarter for it, and the library may have given it away for free to make room for newer books.

I have always been curious about it, and am now virtually certain that it is in fact a 1922 first edition. Because of its condition, it probably wouldn't fetch $15,000 as the website says, but it must be worth hundreds at a minimum.

Posted by: rickl at May 29, 2016 10:02 AM (sdi6R)

84 53 Philbrick
is doing his usual good job with a history of George Washington and
Benedict Arnold and how they changed during the Revolution.

Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 09:47 AM (V+03K)

There was a recent article in The Smithsonian last month, or maybe the month before, that discussed how Benedict Arnold moved from a hero to a traitor. They laid most of the blame on his wife who was a hardcore royalist.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 10:02 AM (vvmPQ)

85 I think you're being a little unfair to "Vowels" by running the words together. Here's how it should be read:

"loveless vessels

we vow
solo love

we see
love solve loss

else we see
love sow woe

selves we woo
we lose

losses we levee
we owe

we sell
loose vows

so we love
less well

so low
so level

wolves evolve"

Now I wouldn't compare this to a Shakespeare sonnet, but it is rather clever wordplay.

Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:02 AM (xa+7G)

86 Makes sense, Polli.

So many of these parents fall into some weird "well, what if there's a school shooting and I need to contact them!11!!!" thing.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 10:03 AM (Lv0zB)

87 63 Since this is the book thread, I can recommend Write Now which teaches cursive italic just like you were taught every other form of writing.

It takes a lot to break the old muscle memory, and I drift between printing and italic when my thinking outruns my writing.

But it's cool if you want to improve the legibility of your handwriting.
Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 09:52 AM (Lv0zB)

===============
I have that book. One of the keys to better handwriting is to slow down.

Years ago, I thought I could be better at note taking if I knew shorthand. I looked at some books and it is impossible to learn on your own. There is also a shorthand that they teach reporters but that also looked too complicated to learn on my own.

I took some calligraphy lessons and got to the point where I could do a decent tho not professional italic. However, I had to put that aside. I think about taking it up again and I should before I get the shakes due to old age.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 10:03 AM (iQIUe)

88
69 I don't think it's possible to peel this generation away from their phones.

Our son and idiot DiL claim they intend to raise their new son to be screen free for as long as possible. They apparently do not understand that will require them to put away their phones and video games when they are with him. Good luck with attaining that goal, kiddos.

The grandson spends one weekday with us and Mrs. Krebs now spends most of the time with him. She usually has the television on to a music channel in the background, but sometimes she has "infant friendly" programming on. More insufferable pabulum for the mind would be impossible to conceive. Now that summer is upon us and my Svoutibg obligations are tapering off, I think I need to spend more time with the young'un, because I see him going full tilt zombie whenever his attention is caught by the tube drivel.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at May 29, 2016 10:05 AM (fOgSR)

89 Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:02 AM (xa+7G)

That is certainly better, but why did she have to drag the poor wolves into it?

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 10:05 AM (GDulk)

90 I don't think it's possible to peel this generation away from their phones.

Oh, it's not just this generation. I find myself out to dinner with my boys and my ex-wife two or three times a year and she invariably texts all the way through the meal.

So last week we're at a fancy lunch celebrating No. 1 Son's college graduation and she's got her face in the phone. I don't have a lot of influence over her so I turned to each of the boys in turn and tried to get them to challenge her to stay off the phone for one meal.

Each of them was "oh all of the hell no, I'm not going there".

Then her sister heard what I was up to and stepped in and we actually made it through the rest of the meal with no phones.

***

Oh, this is the Book Thread. I shall tell you what I learned about reading from said ex-wife.

I grew up a book snob. Mommy was an English Lit. major. I still read more slowly than some because I read as if there's going to be a mid-term and I have to get it all.

And I was raised to not read "trash". As a result, I didn't actually read all that much.

Then I met the ex and she just tore through books. It could be literature or airport novels, she just read all the time and as a result read a lot of good stuff mixed in with the trash.

I learned from her to just read and not read as if someone were reading over my shoulder and judging me.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 29, 2016 10:05 AM (1xUj/)

91 >>>Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream - and Why It Matters

I'm girlcotting it.

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at May 29, 2016 10:06 AM (BpifS)

92 @83 - There was an Antiques Roadshow episode recently with a first edition of "Where the Wild Things Are". The woman who brought it in said it was the first thing she bought with her first babysitting money. When she saw the book she really liked it and bought it and kept it all these years.

Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:06 AM (xa+7G)

93 Now I wouldn't compare this to a Shakespeare sonnet, but it is rather clever wordplay.
Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:02 AM (xa+7G)

OK. I copied and pasted it from the article it appeared in. I had no idea it actually looked any different.

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 10:06 AM (UHKOQ)

94 I wrestled on the school team in high school. I was really, really bad (bad in the 'bad' way, not bad in the 'good' way). I spent more time flat on my back that year than a 2 dollar hooker.

On the positive side, I could tell you how many lights were on the ceiling of every gym in the Gunnison Valley Conference.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 29, 2016 10:07 AM (mvenn)

95 84 Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 10:02 AM (vvmPQ)

Arnold's weakness was being wounded and invalided for a bit and being subject to his wife's henpecking and jealousy farming.

Washington went from being a fiercely loyal and HUNGRY to be accepted as a great man by parliament Englishman to American over the course of 1773-war's end.

Arnold never quite made the switch, but having a prom queen constantly sh*tmouthing the Colonials in your ear probably isn't the best recipe to do s....

Which brings us to Hummer Aberdein-Wienah and Grammy H.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 10:07 AM (g8Hfr)

96 The Death of the Grown-Up: How America's Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization

Unfortunately we are turning into a nation of infantile cry babies. From the way they dress to the way they act. Which is part of the left's plan to make them think they can't survive without big government holding their hand through life.

Posted by: TheQuietMan at May 29, 2016 10:07 AM (45oDG)

97 The Anderson Tapes was made into a movie. Sean Connery in the lead and one of Christopher Walken's first roles. Mid 70's I think.
Check out Sanders "Deadly Sin" books. Those are excellent, although he only got through four deadly sins before he died.

Posted by: tu3031 at May 29, 2016 10:09 AM (qJhUV)

98 The best, and long forgotten, novels of Benedict Arnold are Kenneth Roger's 'Rabble in Arms' and 'Arundel'.

Colonial America historical fiction unsurpassed. IMO.

Posted by: retropox at May 29, 2016 10:09 AM (04hbp)

99 Oh, and for parents who are always looking for earlier grades reading that appeals to boys, one of the commenters yesterday mentioned 'Hank the Cowdog' by Erickson. I got the books and the tapes (read by author) when they were really getting confident in their reading and they could read along (K-3, depending how fluent the kid is).

My kids loved them and I enjoyed them thoroughly as well brought back great memories.

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 10:09 AM (MIKMs)

100 X Files is on. The episode entitled Genderbender. It's about a human like creature that can change its sex just by willing it so. What kind of crazy is that?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 10:09 AM (Nwg0u)

101 OregonMuse, it's a common error, but needs to be pointed out: sex, not gender, is binary.

Sex is what you're born as: male or female. There's no changing it and no eliding the differences.

Gender is how you relate to the world: masculine or feminine. It's a continuum, and although males tend to be masculine and females feminine, there's a strong correlation between maleness and masculinity, and femaleness and femininity.

This gets lost in discussion largely because our prudish culture doesn't like the word "sex" and substitutes "gender" at every opportunity.

Posted by: Michael Rittenhouse at May 29, 2016 10:10 AM (OaAhi)

102 Picked up the CTL ALT Revolt novel last night after two weeks of feeling too busy to read. Slipped right back into the story and I am really really liking the way Nick Cole skewers all the SJWs and the "here is a bit of free shit to stay on the reservation" trends.

I think the novel may be one to hand to young people to get them thinking about negative side effects of progressivism even though it flows really well for me, getting close to old fogey status and not a gamer.

Posted by: PaleRider at May 29, 2016 10:10 AM (wYRTH)

103 98 Posted by: retropox at May 29, 2016 10:09 AM (04hbp)

Our generation is the last one who will ever get a fair reading of Colonial/Revolutionary history unless we scourge the demon of the leftoid domination of the academy.

Juan Pablito has no interest which is understandable if not forgivable....

Billy and Tyrone Smith have no interest in it, which is neither understandable nor forgivable.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 10:11 AM (g8Hfr)

104 I found my 1978 copy of Kipling's Just so Stories the other day, too bad that's not on the valuable kids book list, as it's a really nice edition.

Had that Velveteen Rabbit, but it was probably discarded at some point.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 10:12 AM (Lv0zB)

105 This gets lost in discussion largely because our prudish culture doesn't like the word "sex" and substitutes "gender" at every opportunity.
Posted by: Michael Rittenhouse at May 29, 2016 10:10 AM (OaAhi)
***
yep

As Camille Paglia said, 'Nouns have gender. People have sex.'

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 10:13 AM (lutOX)

106 Thanks to all those who mentioned that cutting the TV cord is no big deal and encouraging the idea. This was the first full week without Directv. I can honestly say I don't miss it. The residual pull is just from the habit of always checking to see what's on. It's similar to when I quit cigarettes a long time ago. The physical addiction passed quickly enough even if it was a struggle and put me in a REALLY BAD mood. But the habit of reaching for a smoke persisted for a couple of years, even after the urge was gone.

I'm already seeing benefits from the lack of mindless, often insulting, distraction of TV. Definitely the right move.

Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 10:14 AM (V+03K)

107 I read about half of CTRL ALT Revolt! and it started getting a little tedious; should I finish it?

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 10:14 AM (Lv0zB)

108 I suspect Helen Smith is right about the reason men are going Galt. It is the rational move. Allow me to provide a unified theory to explain this as well the failure of administrators to stand up to cry bullies. We have been betrayed by our legal system, particularly the judiciary. Failure to bend one's knee to the cry bullies is to risk massive legal judgments and the loss of one's livelihood.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 10:15 AM (Nwg0u)

109 Top pic: person's arm at the bottom makes it look like that kid's right foot is a human hand.

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at May 29, 2016 10:15 AM (BpifS)

110 X Files is on. The episode entitled Genderbender. It's about a human like creature that can change its sex just by willing it so. What kind of crazy is that?
--------
Did you bring the salt shaker, honey?

Posted by: ace's date who seems to have an unnatural liking for salt at May 29, 2016 10:16 AM (PLnZs)

111 Hatred of America, by any enemy at all, has always been the foundation of the American Left. That's why they celebrated the communists, and when the communists failed, they were left bereft. Then 9/11 happened and the Left had heroes once again.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at May 29, 2016 10:17 AM (AroJD)

112 106 Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 10:14 AM (V+03K)

No problem, this is an example of Ace catching up with me.(and to be fair Diogenes Lamp)

Seriously everyone should take an audit of their watching habits and prioritize their watching.

Compare the cost of cable/sat and buying the series as they spring.

Most people will be shocked at the savings I'll wager.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 10:17 AM (g8Hfr)

113 Bruce with a wang-

Thanks for your comments yesterday on Treblinka-I went through some old books and found your timetable. Our friends there obviously were off by a few years. It also "requires" me to get some new books on the subject, so even more thanks!

And keep up with the script writing-I am the only one in my family who writes in cursive. All the rest have some mild to severe form of dyslexia, and cursive is apparently more difficult for them to produce. They write chicken scratch. And tell me I have illegible handwriting.

Posted by: Moki at May 29, 2016 10:18 AM (ezHMO)

114 I'm ineligible for the Penguin contest for a variety of reasons.

1. Am already published
2. Self-identify as a cat-grrl

Unless I want to self-identify as unpublished.

-
Lance Armstrong self identified as a non-doper.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 10:18 AM (Nwg0u)

115 and JTB that is not to mention the satisfaction you feel at denying the package money beneficiaries like MSLSD and ESPN your coin.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 10:18 AM (g8Hfr)

116 I'm already seeing benefits from the lack of mindless, often insulting, distraction of TV. Definitely the right move.
Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 10:14 AM (V+03K)
***
haven't had TV in any form for nearly 5 years now, and I must say, I've got more time, money, and energy than I did before.

(And the world doesn't weight on me, as once it did; I was a news junky, and those 24 hour networks fed my habit.....)

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 10:18 AM (lutOX)

117 For Texas Morons, Project A-kon in Dallas next weekend has the following authors scheduled:

John Ringo, S.M. Stirling, Eric Flint, Bill Fawcett, Teresa Patterson, Helen McCarthy, and Nathan Brown.

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 10:19 AM (HIbcx)

118 Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 10:15 AM (Nwg0u)

At which point it is rational to have little which can be taken. Horrible for the overall economy, but completely rational.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 10:20 AM (GDulk)

119 116 Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 10:18 AM (lutOX)

More time to read, speak to loved ones, and game together.

If there is news that is needed to be known there are ways to get ahead of the networks on finding it.

Challenge for the horde next air crash see who has the quicker news and analysis with more accuracy....

Horde News Network with Vic, Sven, Anna Puma and others or the networks.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 10:21 AM (g8Hfr)

120 At which point it is rational to have little which can be taken. Horrible for the overall economy, but completely rational.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 10:20 AM (GDulk)
***
Or to have little that can be traced.....

Lots of folks are going Galt, participating in the grey market, and engaging in all manner of enterprises that do not expose them to the threat of such loss.

Me? I've got a laundromat, a main gig, and about 3 or four side-gigs - the first one is all-cash, the second one is on-the-record, and the other stuff doesn't appear in any record anywhere. Only way to go....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 10:22 AM (lutOX)

121 118 Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 10:20 AM (GDulk)

Our society is driven by people feeding the same impulses that led to the liquidation of the Kulaks.

The kulaks, rich peasants as in "Bob there has a hoe and a rake I hate him."

Live lean and live.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 10:22 AM (g8Hfr)

122 Posted by: Moki at May 29, 2016 10:18 AM (ezHMO)

Interesting. I've found that for my mild (never interfered with reading, just writing) dyslexia, cursive is very helpful as it keeps the letters flowing in the correct order and direction.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 10:23 AM (GDulk)

123 84 .. Hi Vic. The wife was a definite influence. I just started the book but the reviews mention how Arnold was screwed over by the Continental Congress for promotion and compensation. Funny how some things haven't changed.

Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 10:23 AM (V+03K)

124 In trying to find out why people are so pissed off at Diane West, I came across this:

http://goo.gl/Nr2hgL

It really doesnt answer the question. People have different opinions on history - so what? I think her point that those who attempted or did influence our policies to favor the commies are just as bad as those who committed espionage is valid. And lord knows there were more than enough people doing that in FDR's admin.

Conrad Black brings up Wm. Bullit and Summer Welles. Welles was force to resign after a "single homosexual incident. " I doubt it was the only one but who cares? Bullitt who was asked to investigate it may have had his own bias in that he was married to Louise Bryant of John Reed fame. He divorced her and refused to allow her to see their child after he caught her in bed with a woman. Never understood why he married her. She obviously was ultra left and had in my opinion unsavory connections with russia. She also led a bohemian life. Did he really think she would change?

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 10:24 AM (iQIUe)

125 I've been reading _The Monuments Men_ this week. It's a history of the "Monuments, Fine Arts, and Artifacts" teams who tried to keep European cultural treasures from being blown up during WWII, and had the job of tracking down Nazi loot and returning it to the lootees. (It was made into a movie recently.)

It's a fascinating subject, but the book is not great. It's terribly unfocused, skipping around among different Monuments Men as the war progresses, which means we never really feel a "through-line" or a coherent story for each man; plus it means the authors have to re-introduce each of their characters using the same damned descriptions over and over. (We hear that one man is "dapper" about five times per chapter.)

So I give it a B, which is really the average of a topic worth an A and an execution that only rates a C.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 29, 2016 10:25 AM (kQw7Y)

126 Posted by: BeckoningChasm at May 29, 2016 10:17 AM (AroJD)

Indeed. I'm reading Agent Storm eighth now, and the parallels to Whittaker Chambers' Witness are both eerie and myriad.

Posted by: Yuge at May 29, 2016 10:25 AM (lIZ5F)

127 Unless I want to self-identify as unpublished.

Hey...

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 09:12 AM
---I think that I'm going to identify as unpublished and a member of the Nation of Islam./think of the opportunties!!

Posted by: shibumi who is awaiting SMOD at May 29, 2016 10:26 AM (AHDxb)

128 In between reading Marcus Didius Falco mysteries I read "Mrs. Robinson's Digrace," by Kate Summerscale (who also wrote "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher"). Summerscale researched a British divorce case in 1858, just as England was taking divorce out of the church courts and into the law courts. Mr. Robinson sought to divorce his wife using her diaries as evidence. He was unsuccessful because, while the diaries made it clear his wife was romantically involved with another man, she wasn't explicit as to whether it was actual adultery.

One of the problems for the new divorce courts is that they wanted to make it possible for people to get out of truly unhappy, miserable, loveless marriages, without undermining the institution of marriage, and they had problems with this right from the start. Since the book is about one particular divorce case, and not marriage and divorce in general, Summerscale doesn't spend too much time discussing this, but you can see it was of great concern to Parliament and the courts.

Summerscale includes this fact, which I found very interesting: in 1792 the French allowed divorce on the grounds of incompatibility, and within ten years one in every eight marriages was dissolved, and almost 75% of these divorces were instituted by the wives. The feminist movement of the 1970's gets a lot of blame for encouraging marital dissatisfaction in women, but apparently women have been dissatisfied for far longer.

Another tidbit from the book that I found interesting - Summerscale mentions several times that the Robinsons and their circle of friends were all liberal and prided themselves on being intellectually elite. They were Victorian progressives. The Robinsons' youngest son died in 1930 and left about half of his estate to a neighbor. The rest was to go to German conscripts wounded in WW1, and if that was not possible, then to soldiers injured by the British in the Boer War. He told the neighbor he was 'fed up with England.' So apparently progressives' hatred of their own country and culture is nothing new.

Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:30 AM (xa+7G)

129 Pondering the fiction contest: I'm (part) French-Canadian. I wonder if I could convince those idiots that I'm part American Indian because it's statistically very likely. Probably not, though; I'm the whitest white girl you'll ever see. My legs practically glow in the dark by the end of winter.

On another note, is there anybody out there interested in beta-ing a novel for me? It's a young adult fantasy with a bit of romance and looks more like a historical fiction than a lot of the fantasy out there nowadays. 114,000 words, but it moves pretty quickly. I've been sending it to agents/ publishers for a few months and they've all said no, with no explanation, so I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong.

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper- quietly rebellious at May 29, 2016 10:33 AM (26lkV)

130 Thanks for your comments yesterday on Treblinka-I went through some old books and found your timetable. Our friends there obviously were off by a few years. It also "requires" me to get some new books on the subject, so even more thanks!

Posted by: Moki at May 29, 2016 10:18 AM (ezHMO)

==========
There are some very good sites on the internet. This one is very good so long as they stick to the Holocaust and not modern day politics:

http://holocaustcontroversies.blogspot.com/

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 10:33 AM (iQIUe)

131 I see there was mention of a P-47 crash last night in the ONT, looking at photos and news of the plane crash.

Only one bent propeller blade and flaps down. Plus a witness saying smoke came from engine before veering. At a guess engine lost power and Gordon set things up for a belly landing in the water.

Now we have to wait to see what caused him to die. But at a guess he suffered something many pilots in WWII suffered. Impact with the water at speed snapped Gordon's head forward where he struck the gunsight which rendered him either senseless or unconscious long enough to drown.

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 10:34 AM (HIbcx)

132 Krebs -- As much as we all want to raise children and grandchildren without too much TV/Video, I would not have survived this winter without VeggieTales for grandson. The bouncing vegetables, wonderful music, and bible stories (mostly old testament) are a blast. Grandson bounced around the house for 30 mins at a time not requiring major interaction or supervision.

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 10:36 AM (MIKMs)

133 Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:30 AM (xa+7G)

I believe much the same thing resulted in the USSR when it was tried there.

Posted by: Yuge at May 29, 2016 10:36 AM (lIZ5F)

134 Regarding that "Vowels" poem, a Norwegian progressive metal-turned-I-don't-even-know band named Ulver did a song using exactly that poem as the entire set of lyrics.

It is as pretentious as you think it is. But it's kind of fun.

(I tried to link it, but in case it didn't work, it's easy to find on Youtube.)

Posted by: They Can't Have My French Fries at May 29, 2016 10:37 AM (SN+xY)

135 107: I can't say because I'm only about 40% through it. Truth be told I am perhaps more engaged just because of all the skewering of the SJWs. I hope I find the book enjoyable all the way through and can recommend it for younger folks who need a good nudge towards thinking about outcomes vs only apparent intentions.

Posted by: PaleRider at May 29, 2016 10:39 AM (wYRTH)

136 Good Morning, Horde & Happy Memorial Day to us all. I've just started reading "After Yorktown" by Don Glickstein. It's about the Revolutionary War after the British surrender at Yorktown. A great subject to explore, but I'm not sold on the writer's execution. He skips around from person to time in dealing with the civil war in the southern colonies, he has a jarring insistence on referring to Americans as "Whigs" to differentiate them from the Tories, and every third page is about the horrors of slavery. I think I'll skip the chapters on American Indians & just get to the world war fought between the Brits vs the French & Spanish.

Posted by: Josephistan at May 29, 2016 10:40 AM (7qAYi)

137 >>>The bouncing vegetables, wonderful music, and bible stories (mostly old testament) are a blast.

VeggieTales is a paradox. It's aimed mostly at a Christian audience. But to portray NT personages as vegetables would be sacrilegious, so they do mostly OT stories, and only cover the NT by quoting Paul's epistles as a kind of 'verse of the day'.

Posted by: C. Andiron at May 29, 2016 10:40 AM (BpifS)

138 45---I haven't read any of the Honor Harrington books, but for some unknown reason I got hooked on Webers' "Safehold" series,; they are quite good, lots of politics and intercenine goings on. I read very little SF F but this series has me by the short hair. My main gripe is the gaps between volumes (about 2 years) since the last. Weber can write.

Posted by: Semilitterate at May 29, 2016 10:41 AM (ZOZDk)

139 "64
Why is the kid on the phone instead of watching the game his dear old dad coughed up big bucks to take him to???

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 09:53 AM (iQIUe)"

Let's be generous and assume that the kid is looking up statistics.

Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 10:41 AM (QHgTq)

140 Another great Book Thread, Muse. Thanks for the Shakespeare.

Posted by: anonymous-9 at May 29, 2016 10:41 AM (aK2vJ)

141 I'm scared.

Posted by: Richard Simmons at May 29, 2016 10:42 AM (aRUb8)

142 131 I see there was mention of a P-47 crash last night in the ONT, looking at photos and news of the plane crash.

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 10:34 AM (HIbcx)

I wonder if he & the P-47 were scheduled to be at the WWII Weekend at the MAAM next weekend?

Posted by: Josephistan at May 29, 2016 10:43 AM (7qAYi)

143 I've been reading Anatomy of Malice by Joel Dimsdale about a psychiatric look at four Nuremburg trial defendants, Goering (arrogant and ambitious drug addict who painted his finger- and toenails red), Ley (brain damaged alcoholic), Hess (crazy), and Sreicher (hate filled). It is pretty good so far with only a certain of PC garbage but I was struck by another feature. The lead US prosecutor was USSC Justice Robert Jackson. What struck me was that he never went to college. He certainly had his faults as a man and as a lawyer but his lack of a college degree didn't hold him back. Compare to ourselves. We are over educated and under competent. We are over credentialed and under qualified.

It's time we ended our love affair with "higher education".

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 10:44 AM (Nwg0u)

144 If they smash the patriarchy, whose going to open the pickle jars?

Posted by: CrustyB at May 29, 2016 10:44 AM (Hnglq)

145 Unfortunately we are turning into a nation of infantile cry babies. From the way they dress to the way they act. Which is part of the left's plan to make them think they can't survive without big government holding their hand through life.
Posted by: TheQuietMan at May 29, 2016 10:07 AM (45oDG)

Yup...grown men in the 30's and 40s running around dressed like 8 year olds...baseball cap, t-shirt with stoopid writing on it or last year's #1 team (front running phony), ass crack hanging out at all angles from their broke ass shorts and they wonder why they are a loser selling steaks off a truck door to door.

I told the idiot I was a vegan and he laughed and I told him off you go.

Just my 3 cents worth.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at May 29, 2016 10:44 AM (ej1L0)

146 If they smash the patriarchy, whose going to open the pickle jars?
Posted by: CrustyB at May 29, 2016 10:44 AM (Hnglq)

They can use the same hammer they used on the patriarchy.

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 10:48 AM (ry34m)

147 146 Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 10:48 AM (ry34m)

mmmmm glass impregnated pickles...

//Trigglypuff

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 10:48 AM (g8Hfr)

148 One last comment about "Vowels" - did everyone pick up that the only letters used in the entire poem are "v", "o", "w", "e", "l", and "s"? I love that sort of thing. I once read an entire book written without the letter "e".

Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:49 AM (xa+7G)

149 Rodham: Risky, Reckless.

Posted by: Joe Booze Biden at May 29, 2016 10:49 AM (o9vm9)

150 We cut off cable TV about two years ago, and didn't regret for an instant, especially as it sliced $100 off the Time Warner monthly bill. We replaced it with Roku boxes and streaming internet, so it isn't as if we cut TV watching entirely. Now, we just binge-watch series that capture our interest; things like Blandings, or Keeping Up Appearances. This last couple of weeks it's been Longmire, and last night we started another British series, Peaky Blinders.
The best bit is that we have gotten very used to no commercials. Late last year we had an overnight business trip to Brownsville - and it was just unbearable, watching something like Castle - every ten minutes, two or three minutes of commercials. For my money, that's the best part of cutting the cable.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 29, 2016 10:49 AM (xnmPy)

151 Brian Magee interview of Herbert Marcuse about the Frankfurt School. Number 5 includes his thoughts on converting western culture to female dominated.
Whoever builds a time traveling machine should go back and eliminate him and his friends from our future.
Listen to all 5 videos. For some reason they chopped up a 45 minute interview into pieces. Interesting stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL194167F9914F6117feature=plcp

Posted by: jason at May 29, 2016 10:49 AM (CLxvC)

152 Hello book thread!

Can't participate much -- all my appliances seem to be acting up, in the middle of a heatwave. And that means no A/C!!!

I have a short in menoriam post today for the death of the Byzantine Empire. Link in nic.

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 10:49 AM (7lVbc)

153 Unless I want to self-identify as unpublished.

Ya well there is published and then there is unnoticed and unread.

I got hooked on the David Weber books up to ten or eleven until I noticed it was as if the Old Dutch Masters were all painting the same scene over and over, just in different colors.

I started with the short story where the young girl catches the treecat filching celery from the greenhouse. Love them all until I had read too many.

Posted by: Yusef Tayeb at May 29, 2016 10:50 AM (3Kpqo)

154 Posted by: C. Andiron at May 29, 2016 10:40 AM (BpifS)
***
Ninevahites - fish-slappers...

my kids loved that stuff...
So did I, for that matter.

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 10:50 AM (lutOX)

155 Yup...grown men in the 30's and 40s running around dressed like 8 year olds...baseball cap, t-shirt with stoopid writing on it or last year's #1 team (front running phony), ass crack hanging out at all angles from their broke ass shorts and they wonder why they are a loser selling steaks off a truck door to door.
I told the idiot I was a vegan and he laughed and I told him off you go.
Just my 3 cents worth.
Posted by: Hairyback Guy at May 29, 2016 10:44 AM (ej1L0)

Yes, but I wonder if the steaks were any good.

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 10:50 AM (UHKOQ)

156 The American Airpower Museum is still listing on their site the P-47D as airworthy and there is no press release about the crash.

http://americanairpowermuseum.com/2014/01/01/republic-p-47d-thunderbolt/

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 10:51 AM (HIbcx)

157 last week inited that the rare first four shakespeare folios were coming up at auction. one wag stated they weren't all that rare. he was right.

on june 16 christie's is selling alice's adventures in wonderland by lewis carroll (dodgson), describing it as the greatest rarity. when first published, carroll was given some 50 copies to distribute as gifts. his illustrator teeiel objected to the quality of the printing, however, and the publication was recalled. but not before carroll had given away some 20 copies. of those, 8 are now in private hands. but only 2 are in the original cloth binding, 1 being heavily worn. this copy is the sole copy in near perfect condition.

that is rare.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 10:51 AM (WTSFk)

158 Mrs. Robinson's Digrace,

-
The institution of divorce was created to increase human happiness. It hasn't worked. Marriage has been cheapened, society has been filled with unhappy divorcees, and government has grown to fill the void left by collapsing families.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 10:51 AM (Nwg0u)

159 i noted, not inited (damn spelchek)

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 10:52 AM (WTSFk)

160 Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:49 AM (xa+7G)

That explains the wolves then. I definitely believe that creativity happens when there are constraints (frequently a lot of *nothing* happens when all restraint is removed), but that looks to be pushing the limits of limitation.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 10:52 AM (GDulk)

161 138
45---I haven't read any of the Honor Harrington books, but for some
unknown reason I got hooked on Webers' "Safehold" series,; they are
quite good, lots of politics and intercenine goings on. I read very
little SF F but this series has me by the short hair. My main gripe is
the gaps between volumes (about 2 years) since the last. Weber can
write.

Posted by: Semilitterate at May 29, 2016 10:41 AM (ZOZDk)

The Harrington series is actually better than the Safehold series.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 10:53 AM (vvmPQ)

162 his illustrator tenniel, not teelel (damn spelchek)

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 10:53 AM (WTSFk)

163 "I wonder if he & the P-47 were scheduled to be at the WWII Weekend at the MAAM next weekend?"

Apparently the pilot was Bill Gordon and it flew out of Farmingdale , R.I.

RIP.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at May 29, 2016 10:54 AM (9ym/8)

164 Anon Wrecks - I agree with all that, but you also have to agree that when a marriage is merely so-so, the husband thinks it's fine while the wife is unhappy about it. I'm not saying she's right and he's wrong, but maybe he could make a bit more of an effort to make sure she's happy, too.

Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:55 AM (xa+7G)

165 Voter Mom, I sense a story in the offering with your travails.

The Appliance Exorcist: How a Good Whack Fixed the Holy Air Conditioner.

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 10:56 AM (HIbcx)

166 157

on june 16 christie's is selling alice's adventures in wonderland by lewis carroll (dodgson), describing it as the greatest rarity.
Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 10:51 AM (WTSFk)

Auction houses are a great supplement to visiting museums. They're free to visit, and the artworks (or books, or coins, etc.) are things that haven't been available to the public before, and after they're purchased, will likely not be seen again. Every major city has at least one decent art auction house (NY has the two biggest, Christies & Sotheby's) - if you're planning a trip somewhere, check & see what might be on public view at the auctions.

Posted by: Josephistan at May 29, 2016 10:57 AM (7qAYi)

167 After 40 Years of writing, my handwriting has devolved from looped cursive to a combination of looped cursive and block letters. Very difficult for anyone else but me to decipher. I've tried to alter my writing so that it is either one or the other style rather than both, but I'm unable to do so.

Apparently my right hand has become self-aware and separate from my brain.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 29, 2016 10:58 AM (CS7jF)

168 52 I recently attended a graduation ceremony where the keynote speaker based his theme on a Maya Angelou quote -- 'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
Posted by: saltlick at May 29, 2016 09:47 AM (DuXIW)

When nuggets of wisdom are attributed to the wrong person, they are attributed to Mark Twain, Lincoln, Churchill et al. But never Maya Angelou. So she's got accuracy going for her.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at May 29, 2016 11:00 AM (VdICR)

169 The other day, we had some discussion of coyotes, wolves, and coydogs and coywolves. On my PBS station, Nature is airing an episode called coywolves.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at May 29, 2016 11:00 AM (kXoT0)

170 no more italics

Posted by: BourbonChicken at May 29, 2016 11:00 AM (VdICR)

171 "Another
tidbit from the book that I found interesting - Summerscale mentions
several times that the Robinsons and their circle of friends were all
liberal and prided themselves on being intellectually elite. They were
Victorian progressives. The Robinsons' youngest son died in 1930 and
left about half of his estate to a neighbor. The rest was to go to
German conscripts wounded in WW1, and if that was not possible, then to
soldiers injured by the British in the Boer War. He told the neighbor
he was 'fed up with England.' So apparently progressives' hatred of
their own country and culture is nothing new.

Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 10:30 AM (xa+7G)"

Gilbert and Sullivan would have been writing about this fellow and his contemporaries in 1885 when they produced The Mikado with the executioner singing about the list of people that never would be missed including "That idiot who praises with enthusiastic tone, all centuries but this and every country but his own."

Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 11:01 AM (QHgTq)

172 Almost all poetry is crap. That's the sad bottom line, its nearly all just awful. but the good poetry is transcendent, it takes you someplace amazing and uses language in a way that say more than the mere words.

Right now I'm reading the Norton Book of Classical Literature. I just finished the Iliad, as translated by various writers, and am working on the Odyssey, which I can never spell without spellcheck.

George R.R. Martin created the Song of Fire and Ice series by using the War of the Roses as a structure - sometimes almost exact copy - and I think an Iliad-based fantasy could be really effective as well.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:01 AM (39g3+)

173 Apparently my right hand has become self-aware and separate from my brain.
Posted by: Sharkman at May 29, 2016 10:58 AM (CS7jF)
***
heh... and people think 'you'll go blind' is the worst that can happen....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:01 AM (lutOX)

174

170
no more italics

Posted by: BourbonChicken at May 29, 2016 11:00 AM (VdICR)

Racist!

Posted by: Richard Simmons at May 29, 2016 11:02 AM (aRUb8)

175 In the who's the dad pic, I like the mouth-open look on (what you can see of) the kid's face. Just looked up from his cell, hasn't yet quite figured out the imminent danger.

Scrolled down through the post - Muse, that looks like about five posts' worth of verbiage. I'll still be reading it by the time next week's book thread is posted.

Posted by: mindful webworker - turning pages at May 29, 2016 11:02 AM (qBbz7)

176 Reading a second Robert Crais novel, this one stars Elvis Cole. The one I just finished was a Joe Pike.

Oh, and I just permanently deleted my Facebook account, which I'd had since FB was new, and which I never used.

Posted by: the littl shyning man at May 29, 2016 11:02 AM (wYENM)

177 Yes, but I wonder if the steaks were any good.
Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 10:50 AM (UHKOQ)

Haha...yup they probably were. Poor bastard, I didn't want to encourage him. I have a deep, unabated hatred for door to door sales people, meat included.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at May 29, 2016 11:02 AM (ej1L0)

178 166: & the catalogues can be very informative. christie's notes on the history of carroll's "alice" and this copy in particular is fascinating. not all the auction houses can be as comprehensive as christie's and sotheby's at their best, as here.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 11:03 AM (WTSFk)

179 Mine went bad too, so I lopped it off at the wrist.

Posted by: Ash Williams at May 29, 2016 11:04 AM (Lv0zB)

180 @171 - That's perfect! Yes, describes progressives to a 'T'. As we all know, progressives aren't very progressive. Still aping their Victorian originators.

Posted by: biancaneve at May 29, 2016 11:04 AM (xa+7G)

181 Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 11:01 AM (QHgTq)
***
heh....
no, they never would be missed....

funny stuff, even if the NPR types have co-opted it....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:04 AM (lutOX)

182 New author I've recently come across is Tawni O'Dell. If you like fiction with strong characters and twisty plots, then try her book, Angels Burning. I got it from the library and immediately requested the rest of her books and I am working my way through them.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at May 29, 2016 11:04 AM (kXoT0)

183 ... i really bring these things to your attention to encourage people to read the catalogues. the entries on the shakespeare folios were a neat summation of their histories.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 11:05 AM (WTSFk)

184 A point not mentioned is that women too have been a driving force behind the moral relativism, the political correctness, the exaltation of the forever offended and put upon.

The constant denigration of Men and maleness in school and in the culture.

The election of those who agree and the demonization of those who stand up.

The judgmentalism whereby anything white or male is named as being wrong and detrimental and no allowed.

Our defeat or our victory shall be shared because all have taken part and those that haven't have chosen their part as one of indecisiveness which is the root of defeat.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at May 29, 2016 11:05 AM (Xo1Rt)

185 The fun thing in my fantasy stories so far is that I don't really describe the characters very closely. I know basically what they look like in my head, but its largely up to the reader's imagination, because I prefer it that way. Are they white? Are they tan, yellow, fluorescent pink? Whatever you want.

(Erkenbrand is dark tanned, somewhat Hispanic, but this is a fantasy world, so our world categories don't really apply).

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:05 AM (39g3+)

186 Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 11:01 AM (QHgTq)
Defer!
Defer!
To the Lord High Excecutioner!

and etc....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:05 AM (lutOX)

187 It was this moral surrender to deception and self-deception, West
argues, that sent us down the long road to moral relativism, "political
correctness," and other cultural ills

The book "Disinformation" is a very good prelude to this one. Inter alia, it tells the story of the Communist war on the Catholic Church begun by Stalin, and it names names.

That "moral relativism" thing has also penetrated the Catholic Church at its highest levels, by the way. Another book (I don't remember the title/author) tells us that the Soviet Union managed to get a bunch of its agents ordained to the priesthood, and elevated them to Bishop and Cardinal.

A topic for the old "DOOM" series here at AOSHQ

Posted by: dad29 at May 29, 2016 11:05 AM (7Kti7)

188 ilbert and Sullivan would have been writing about this fellow and his contemporaries in 1885 when they produced The Mikado with the executioner singing about the list of people that never would be missed including "That idiot who praises with enthusiastic tone, all centuries but this and every country but his own."
Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 11:01 AM (QHgTq)

Well, I love my country more than any other, but this century leaves much to be desired.

Posted by: Josephistan at May 29, 2016 11:06 AM (7qAYi)

189 In the who's the dad pic, I like the mouth-open look on (what you can see of) the kid's face. Just looked up from his cell, hasn't yet quite figured out the imminent danger.

Yeah, well... in baseball, you gotta keep your eyes open unless you want a fly ball or bat to the face. Almost worth him taking one to the dome to get his nose out of the phone.

But then he'd just hate baseball and not learn the lesson.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:07 AM (39g3+)

190 George R.R. Martin created the Song of Fire and Ice series by using the War of the Roses as a structure - sometimes almost exact copy - and I think an Iliad-based fantasy could be really effective as well.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:01 AM (39g3+)

Pretty sure there's a bunch of fantasy set in / based of the Iliad but can't think of anything right now.

How about The Hittite by mumble mumble?

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:07 AM (7lVbc)

191 The Devil's just gotta be larfing and larfing about moral relativism.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:07 AM (Lv0zB)

192 I once read somewhere about an impossible to find book, one from a Time-Life series on the history of civilizations, in which it was put forth that downfalls of civilizations are always accompanied by the rise in power of women within those civilizations.

Apparently this book gets 'disappeared' from libraries, etc.

Posted by: Montag at May 29, 2016 11:08 AM (8aOqE)

193 "151
Brian Magee interview of Herbert Marcuse about the Frankfurt School.
Number 5 includes his thoughts on converting western culture to female
dominated.
Whoever builds a time traveling machine should go back and eliminate him and his friends from our future.
Listen to all 5 videos. For some reason they chopped up a 45 minute interview into pieces. Interesting stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL194167F9914F6117feature=plcp

Posted by: jason at May 29, 2016 10:49 AM (CLxvC)"

My modest proposal would be to offer Hitler a trade. We'll send you the whole Frankfurt School in exchange for a whole bunch of innocent Jewish tailors, book keepers and shop keepers.

Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 11:09 AM (QHgTq)

194 "The Contest is open to people of color (or those who self-identify as other than white)"

Because, as we know, it is really easy for white people to become published authors!

Posted by: PJ at May 29, 2016 11:10 AM (cHuNI)

195 ... in the case of this upcoming "alice in wonderland", the catalogue notes really bring the actual writing and publication alive as events in people's lives.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 11:10 AM (WTSFk)

196 Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:05 AM (39g3+)

Given that Erkenbrand was a ranger he *would* be darkly tanned no matter what his original color was.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 11:10 AM (GDulk)

197 Genghis Khan bathed a supercontinent in his semen.

===

BUKA-KHAN!

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at May 29, 2016 11:10 AM (Cq0oW)

198 The 1939 movie version of The Mikado I find very charming even as it gets my foot tapping.

https://youtu.be/XrzT81kcLds

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 11:11 AM (HIbcx)

199 ... worth a look...

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 11:11 AM (WTSFk)

200 165 Voter Mom, I sense a story in the offering with your travails.

The Appliance Exorcist: How a Good Whack Fixed the Holy Air Conditioner.
Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 10:56 AM (HIbcx)

I wish!
Hubby think he might be able to fix it, but holiday weekend means suspect part won't arrive for several days. (Condenser won't turn on, he ordered a capacitor)

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:11 AM (7lVbc)

201 I have a deep, unabated hatred for door to door sales people, meat included.

I live near a Kingdom Hall and used to have a Jehovah's Witness come by some Saturday mornings to proselytize. I'd invite him in.

Oh, sometimes I drink in the morning on Saturdays and I love to debate theology.

He hasn't been by in quite a while.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 29, 2016 11:12 AM (1xUj/)

202 Since it is Memorial Day weekend, I'll recommend Shrouds of Glory by Winston Groom. It is a popular (as opposed to academic) history of the Civil War Nashville campaign, one of the most complete victories of the war. The confederates were led by John Bell Hood, a great man, even a great general, who literally gave an arm and leg for the cause, but who was a terrible strategic commander. The federals were led by Virginia born George Thomas, the Rock of Chickamauga, a man largely cheated of his legacy.

This is an exciting book of a fairly obscure campaign filled with interesting characters and with a touch of life is not fair. Also refreshing is Sherman's letters explaining his view of how to defeat the South.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 11:13 AM (Nwg0u)

203 I'm following this thread while visiting my brother who's been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Actually there's not a lot of visiting going because he just fell asleep.
It's his 70th birthday. I'm sure he's given some thought to the possibility it'll be his last.
Feeling sad. Faith is there but so is the sadness.

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:13 AM (oVHOb)

204 If you need to come to my house to sell me something, I don't need it.

I am outright hostile to people that come knocking on my door. Except for the old black lady Jehovah's Witnesses; I can't be mean to them.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:14 AM (Lv0zB)

205 "192
I once read somewhere about an impossible to find book, one from a
Time-Life series on the history of civilizations, in which it was put
forth that downfalls of civilizations are always accompanied by the rise
in power of women within those civilizations.

Apparently this book gets 'disappeared' from libraries, etc.

Posted by: Montag at May 29, 2016 11:08 AM (8aOqE)"

That would suggest that despite the many obvious deficiencies with Islam, they will eventually triumph and achieve world domination because they got that one thing right.

Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 11:15 AM (QHgTq)

206 I live near a Kingdom Hall and used to have a Jehovah's Witness come by some Saturday mornings to proselytize. I'd invite him i

At first glance I thought you said Klingon hall.

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:15 AM (oVHOb)

207 downfalls of civilizations are always accompanied by the rise in power of women within those civilizations.

Sure, but cause or correlation? I would argue the primary cause of civilization's downfall is men abrogating responsibility and failing to grow up, resulting in women being the ones who take power as things fall to pieces. Without men showing leadership, stepping up, and being men... well...

Given that Erkenbrand was a ranger he *would* be darkly tanned no matter what his original color was.

And a hella farmer's tan

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:16 AM (39g3+)

208 Lung cancer's a horrible damned thing, and watching someone suffer through is a horrible experience; well wishes to you and your family, Northernlurker.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:16 AM (Lv0zB)

209 I just moved and after having had a the mass of my book collection in storage for a while, I have been moving back through some older series that I have not read for a while.

David Eddings- this guy may be repetitive, but his books are really fun reads.

Glen Cook's Black Company- I really like his writing, but the problem I have is that the books are not really that enjoyable. He gets a bit too much into the moral ambiguity and I always have issue when an author deploys rape in any fashion, but especially in a casual fashion. He never dwells on it, but it seems to be just a way from him to reinforce his real world, gritty world- which seems kind of pointless.

Jim Butcher- a lot of good stuff here. Enjoyable books.

Thinking about going back through Robert Jordan.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at May 29, 2016 11:17 AM (3ZoRf)

210 Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:13 AM (oVHOb)

I remember when you asked about a good time to visit hi. I'm glad you ate with him now. My prayers continue for your brother and you.

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:18 AM (7lVbc)

211 Haha...yup they probably were. Poor bastard, I didn't want to encourage him. I have a deep, unabated hatred for door to door sales people, meat included.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at May 29, 2016 11:02 AM (ej1L0)

Right, and anything he tells you is a lie. Did he say the steaks were from somebody else's rejected order he couldn't fill and so he had to sell them quickly at "rock bottom" prices, or something like that?

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 11:18 AM (UHKOQ)

212 I was reading something a couple of days ago, (Title and Author already suppressed, unless I'm in early stages of dementia), where a character in the book suddenly launches an anti-Nixon tirade. Now this might have been interesting if the author intended to set up a conflict between characters but it didn't read that way. It seemed more like the author putting his words in the character's voice.

It was annoying and I immediately closed the book and deleted it from the Kindle.

I could imagine an ALT-Left editor/publisher doing the same thing to my writings when I explain how an economy works, or why free trade is better than trade wars. Not because trade wars are bad, but because trade wars are a symptom of conflict between nation states.

That was when I turned off the device and went outside to flail away at dead and decaying tree stumps with a pick ax; obstructions that I'm tired of mowing around.

Posted by: Yusef Tayeb at May 29, 2016 11:20 AM (3Kpqo)

213
How come there are no discussions on ewoks? No ewok songs? No national geographic ewoks? No IMAX ewoks? No ewok porn fiction?

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 11:21 AM (iQIUe)

214 Northern Lurker,

The liver cancer that took mom started in her lungs.

God bless and keep you and your brother.

F**k cancer.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:21 AM (g8Hfr)

215 203 I'm following this thread while visiting my brother who's been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Actually there's not a lot of visiting going because he just fell asleep.
It's his 70th birthday. I'm sure he's given some thought to the possibility it'll be his last.
Feeling sad. Faith is there but so is the sadness.
Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:13 AM (oVHOb)

My prayers for you and your brother.

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 11:21 AM (UHKOQ)

216 204 If you need to come to my house to sell me something, I don't need it.

I am outright hostile to people that come knocking on my door. Except for the old black lady Jehovah's Witnesses; I can't be mean to them.
Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:14 AM (Lv0zB)
***
heh - we were just about the only jews in the county, and certainly the only ones in town, growing up.....

"jew-billies,' we called ourselves, having gone, in many respects, native by the second generation.

Always polite to the door-to-door religious folks, and even offered - as I recall - lemonade to the LDS and JW folks when it was hot out.

We knew they meant well - they had found something genuinely good and wanted to share it - and how can you fault someone who wants to help you?

Once, though, had a guy - some weird, charismatic Protestant sect - who just wouldn't take 'thank you, and may the Lord bless you,' as an answer.

As my mother went to close the door, he stuck his foot by the jamb and asked, 'Don't you want eternal life?'

She turned to me, inside, and called out, 'Boy! Shotgun!' and turned back to him.

'Mister, if you don't move your foot, you're gonna find out if you're right.'

Jew-billies - we're a bit different.....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:21 AM (lutOX)

217 Niche book recommendation: "Arduino Projects for Amateur Radio" by Jack Purdum, Dennis Kidder. http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Projects-Amateur-Radio-Purdum/dp/0071834052?

Very practical projects with exceptionally clear instructions. Written for people who are new to Arduino and/or programming. Purdum has written many professional programming books, but keeps it simple for newbies.

The authors' bias is toward simplicity and QRP. You may remember their DIY 40 Meter $50 DDS VFO CW rig in the March 2016 "QST". According to one Dayton FDIM commenter, they may have a new kit coming out soon. No details announced.

A tip: Select the Paperback rather than Kindle version of the book. You should see an option to "Try the eBook for free." A one-week loan of a nearly complete version of the book, with most of the graphics. I downloaded the trial version to my Amazon Fire tablet. Much better than the normal sample version. It sold me on the book. I hope Amazon does this on more technical books where the value proposition is hard to gauge from the publisher's blurb.

Posted by: doug at May 29, 2016 11:21 AM (YSXf2)

218 212 I was reading something a couple of days ago, (Title and Author already suppressed, unless I'm in early stages of dementia), where a character in the book suddenly launches an anti-Nixon tirade. Now this might have been interesting if the author intended to set up a conflict between characters but it didn't read that way. It seemed more like the author putting his words in the character's voice.

"This organic gardening book has three chapters about Nixon & nothing on how to get rid of snails!"

Posted by: Hank Hill at May 29, 2016 11:22 AM (7qAYi)

219 I kind of got tired of Butcher's Dresden books right after the Denarian's storyline wrapped up. After that it just seemed like he'd Chekhov's Gun some new power that'd save the day, and the story took a backseat to it.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:22 AM (Lv0zB)

220 No ewok porn fiction?

Not so fast, mister

Posted by: Inter-web Net-tubes Rule 34 at May 29, 2016 11:23 AM (KCxzN)

221 I'm following this thread while visiting my brother who's been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Actually there's not a lot of visiting going because he just fell asleep.

I can't even imagine, but as the youngest of four brothers I fear will be coming some day soon. I'm so sorry for you and you are in my prayers.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:23 AM (39g3+)

222 "That was
when I turned off the device and went outside to flail away at dead and
decaying tree stumps with a pick ax; obstructions that I'm tired of
mowing around.

Posted by: Yusef Tayeb at May 29, 2016 11:20 AM (3Kpqo)"

Have we talked to you about the technique of removing stumps with gunpowder made from your own pee?

Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 11:23 AM (QHgTq)

223 live near a Kingdom Hall and used to have a Jehovah's Witness come by some Saturday mornings to proselytize. I'd invite him in.

====

they would not leave me alone so one day i went to answer covered only in suds from the bath i was taking. never came back.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at May 29, 2016 11:24 AM (Cq0oW)

224 Well, okay, I guess the post wasn't that extraordinarily long. Just seemed that way at first glance. I was only on my first cup of coffee.

And I think the coffeemaker died today. At least it brewed the pot before it quit.

Posted by: mindful webworker - dog-earing the pages at May 29, 2016 11:24 AM (qBbz7)

225 213
How come there are no discussions on ewoks? No ewok songs? No national geographic ewoks? No IMAX ewoks? No ewok porn fiction?
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 11:21 AM (iQIUe)

Yub nub!
http://www.neuvel.net/ewoksong.htm

Posted by: Hank Hill at May 29, 2016 11:24 AM (7qAYi)

226 211 Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 11:18 AM (UHKOQ)

B/C hey my freezer it is working or I can't sell the meat to ANYONE else(I know what a compressor sounds like) BUT thanks to a series of interconnected and cosmically awesomesauce coincidences I can save YOU big scratch...

//Meat Man

Hell I admit I caved when we first got the apartment here, it was not a bad deal I worked in a Kroger meat department as a kid I have a pretty good head on meat prices so I ran the math and bought 200 bucks worth of meat "at random" at the bank here in scenic Butte...

poor dumbass was up from Utah.

I spotted his CDL, his License plates, and his weigh station sheet for the border.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:25 AM (g8Hfr)

227 203 I'm following this thread while visiting my brother who's been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Actually there's not a lot of visiting going because he just fell asleep.
It's his 70th birthday. I'm sure he's given some thought to the possibility it'll be his last.
Feeling sad. Faith is there but so is the sadness.
Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:13 AM (oVHOb)

I'll keep you & your brother in my prayers. I lost my Dad to cancer.

Posted by: Hank Hill at May 29, 2016 11:26 AM (7qAYi)

228 >>>Jew-billies - we're a bit different.....

Protestants consider Jubilees to be apocryphal.

Posted by: C. Andiron at May 29, 2016 11:26 AM (BpifS)

229 Off, propane & propane accessories salesman sock

Posted by: Josephistan at May 29, 2016 11:27 AM (7qAYi)

230 My Lutheran mother used to tell door to door proselytizers that we were Druids and worshipped trees. They didn't really know what to do with that

Posted by: ThunderB, War Criminal at May 29, 2016 11:27 AM (zOTsN)

231 230 Posted by: ThunderB, War Criminal at May 29, 2016 11:27 AM (zOTsN)

Conquer your kingdom and spread the good word at sword and famine point....

//England

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:28 AM (g8Hfr)

232 219 I kind of got tired of Butcher's Dresden books right after the Denarian's storyline wrapped up. After that it just seemed like he'd Chekhov's Gun some new power that'd save the day, and the story took a backseat to it.
Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:22 AM (Lv0zB)

What seems odd to me is that he seems to want to explore damnation and redemption themes in his works (Denarian/Winter), but he always seems to pivot away from the damnation part. It has a tendency to short circuit story lines, in my opinion.

I can understand from the writer's perspective, you have themes that you want to explore, but do not want to irreparably damage your character's likability in the process.

Have you tried his new Cinder Spires series? It seems to me he binge watched some A&E Horatio Hornblower. I really enjoyed it.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at May 29, 2016 11:28 AM (3ZoRf)

233 It seemed more like the author putting his words in the character's voice.

Yeah, that's always annoying. Some writers tend to do this a lot, such as Crichton. I usually agree with his voice, but... its the writer injecting his personal thoughts through a character, and bad writing.

I try to avoid this, but sometimes I wonder if the author is even aware of it?

Dresden books I enjoy even though they are pretty bad. I know they're pulpy nonsense, I just wish they would stop getting longer and longer.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:28 AM (39g3+)

234 Late to the book thread because it was too beautiful to be trapped inside. Now it's too hot outside so I'm cowering inside with the A/C cranked.

So, I finally read my copy of the graphic novel version of Amity Schlaes' "The Forgotten Man" and would recommend it highly for its uncanny application to these interesting times we live in. The Forgotten Man is the fellow in the social equation who pays for welfare programs but has no say in its forfeiture by unelected officials for distribution to those deemed needy. Convinced by the stock market crash that Capitalism was dead, FDR's technocrats were very impressed by the social engineering taking place in the Soviet Union as well as in the fascist regimes of Europe. Oh, there was a troubling lack of accountability or compensation, and maybe they were too enthusiastic with purging the ideologically impure, but nationalization was clearly the way to ensure equal distribution of goods and services to the people.

The TVA was established to control flooding and provide electricity to the impoverished Tennessee Valley -- and also compete with and break up the private power companies. Enter the person of Wendell Willkie, an executive at one of those power companies, whom I remember as being portrayed as a crass populist blowhard businessman. He was a lifelong Democrat who shifted allegiance to the Republican Party because he felt the Democrats were anti-business and no longer reflected American values. "I didn't leave my party. My party left me." Hmmm, who else said something similar?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at May 29, 2016 11:28 AM (jR7Wy)

235 Have we talked to you about the technique of removing stumps with gunpowder made from your own pee?
Posted by: Obnoxions A-Hole at May 29, 2016 11:23 AM (QHgTq)
***
F that - why waste good blackpowder?

Drill some holes in the stump, fill 'em with potassium nitrate, and water in well.

After a few weeks, light a fire - it'll burn it right out.

Of course, might take a goodish chunk of the neighborhood with it, but at least you got rid of the stump....and burned something.

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:29 AM (lutOX)

236 B/C hey my freezer it is working or I can't sell the meat to ANYONE else(I know what a compressor sounds like) BUT thanks to a series of interconnected and cosmically awesomesauce coincidences I can save YOU big scratch...

Heh... so you get those guys in your neighborhood, too. I wonder if it's some big national company that's teaching all their meat truck drivers to run the same sales pitch.

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 11:30 AM (UHKOQ)

237 Protestants consider Jubilees to be apocryphal.
Posted by: C. Andiron at May 29, 2016 11:26 AM (BpifS)
***
Heh...

I always thought of Protestants as being Catholics who couldn't take direction well.....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:30 AM (lutOX)

238 I read several complaints about the kid in the photo having his face buried in his cell.

Hey, he could have been just checking stats on the game or something, y'know.

Maybe not. But could have. H8rs.

Posted by: mindful webworker - or maybe not at May 29, 2016 11:30 AM (qBbz7)

239 LOL -- from our discussion of handwriting earlier --

'I copied off the letters in a hand so free
That now I am the ruler of the Queen's Navee'

(HMS Pinafore)

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 11:31 AM (MIKMs)

240 204 If you need to come to my house to sell me something, I don't need it.

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:14 AM (Lv0zB)
=============
If I dont know you, I don't answer the door. If I dont recognize the tel number, I dont pick up. I'm just not that curious.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 11:31 AM (iQIUe)

241 235 Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:29 AM (lutOX)

If you're going to risk a conflagration make a thermite coffee can....

https://youtu.be/ElpidLsSFz8

How to Make Thermite

Thermite is not too hard, and impresses the neighbors.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:31 AM (g8Hfr)

242 Yeah, that's always annoying. Some writers tend to do this a lot, such as Crichton. I usually agree with his voice, but... its the writer injecting his personal thoughts through a character, and bad writing.

I try to avoid this, but sometimes I wonder if the author is even aware of it?

Dresden books I enjoy even though they are pretty bad. I know they're pulpy nonsense, I just wish they would stop getting longer and longer.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:28 AM (39g3+)

I think all writers inject themselves and their worldview into their stories- how could they not. It all depends on how heavy the anvils tend to be.

And who cares if they are pulpy nonsense? If you enjoy reading them, then that is reason enough, no?

Posted by: Aetius451AD at May 29, 2016 11:31 AM (3ZoRf)

243 Hank and Obnoxious,

I love you guys.

in a platonic non sexual way.

Thanks for the laugh.

Posted by: Yusef Tayeb at May 29, 2016 11:31 AM (3Kpqo)

244 it would be refreshing if, in the midst of an assassin focusing on his 1.5 mile sniper shot, he mused on the importance of nixon and kissinger's opening to china and how that led eventually to the fall of the soviet union and deng's reforms.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 11:32 AM (WTSFk)

245 Btw, today in 1660 is also when King Charles II regained the English Throne, thus ending England's 19 year fling with life without totals.

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:32 AM (7lVbc)

246 Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 11:30 AM (UHKOQ)
***
Nahh....it's a common enough, and easy enough, scam that it springs up everywhere, like mushrooms after a rain.

(and, no, I have never been involved in it, but, yes, I've known guys who were, and who did all right with it. It's not the schmucks in the trucks who make anything off it - it's the guys who tell them they can make money doing it.)

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:33 AM (lutOX)

247 236 Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 11:30 AM (UHKOQ)

Quite, though I must admit the short sirloins we bought from the kid were decent enough BUT you are in Butte son (That '70s town) you should not be dressed as Wigga Hip Hoppe when trying your pitch in the town that Evel Knievel built.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:33 AM (g8Hfr)

248 My brother has a little dog that's being very protective. He's doing his job.

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:33 AM (80jdi)

249 I'll give you this gallon jug of Tide for free if you'll let me show you how well this vacuum works. No obligation.

Posted by: Kirby at May 29, 2016 11:33 AM (8aOqE)

250 245 Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:32 AM (7lVbc)

By 1668 3/4ths of my Surname were politely told to leave England...

We wound up in NY, VA, MA, SC, and GA largely.

The Howell family, always guilty of being Republican and rejecting the notion that any man is to be trusted with supreme power.

God rules only Christ is King.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:35 AM (g8Hfr)

251 I haven't, 451AD, I'll have to get to them eventually.

The damnation themes are definitely what I wish he'd explore more, but that character should have been damned long ago, yet here we are, basically ending every book with "then, the hooker gave the money back".

Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:36 AM (Lv0zB)

252 Yeah I'm fine with reading lousy books as long as they are entertaining. Its why I don't mock women reading Harlequin romances; who cares how objectively terrible they are, if you enjoy them? My mom says the ones written after around 1985 turn into softcore porn, though, and that annoys me.

Women reading porn in public disguised as "romance" is kind of creepy to me. It would bother me if guys were reading Hustler on the bus, or beach, too.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:37 AM (39g3+)

253 Thermite is not too hard, and impresses the neighbors.
Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:31 AM (g8Hfr)
***
And fun stuff, but hard to ignite safely, for some values of 'safe'

Magnesium ribbon is traditional, but I find those sparklers work just fine.....

...so I've heard, from people on the internet, who've seen movies......

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:37 AM (lutOX)

254 "... the fall of the soviet union and deng's reforms.

* bang *"

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 11:37 AM (WTSFk)

255 Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:35 AM (g8Hfr)

You can trace your family back that far?

*impressed*

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:38 AM (7lVbc)

256 19. In that case I self identify as Other.

Posted by: gracepc at May 29, 2016 11:38 AM (OU4q6)

257 If I dont know you, I don't answer the door. If I dont recognize the tel number, I dont pick up. I'm just not that curious.

-
I fire a shotgun through the door.

- Choo Choo Biden

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 11:39 AM (Nwg0u)

258 So my weekend started with my car being stolen from my driveway but I just got a call from the police saying it was impounded (conveniently before the towing company called the police) but at least it has been recovered.

In the meantime, I am reading "Hallow Mass" which it turns out I had already bought before the great "Hollow Mass" flap of a week or two ago, in which I was a proud participant. Anyway, I am enjoying this book immensely and, although I am just over half-way through, I will recommend it to all and sundry.

Does anyone know a good way to secure my car from being stolen again? I don't have a garage, and I know "The Club" is useless so, short of removing the distributor cap every night, what's an 'ette to do?

Posted by: Tonestaple at May 29, 2016 11:39 AM (VsZJP)

259 I can trace my family back to my great grandparents. And probably further, but I have never tried. I'm confident we have nothing interesting or noteworthy in our past. Its fun to think we're related to Zachary Taylor, even though he was a lousy president.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:39 AM (39g3+)

260 Jane Healy -Endangered Minds

I salute parents who make an effort to raise their kids with as little electronic screen time as possible.

To understand the impact of modern television on very young brains, I heartily recommend Jane Healy's classic book, Endangered Minds. She examines the impact of fast-changing images, typical of series like Sesame Street, on neurological development. Not good, if you want your kid to develop a THINKING brain.

Responsible parents obviously monitor the content of what their kids watch but Healy explains why monitoring for style of presentation is equally or even more important, especially for the under-10 set. Five hours of a hokey, slow-paced program like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood won't hurt your kid's brain development nearly as much as one hour of Sesame Street.

Healy has also written a book about the impact of computer use on young brains, also highly recommended.

A good (if admittedly simplistic) rule of thumb given to me by a pediatrician friend who happens to be married to a neurologist: the total WEEKLY screen time of children 0-10 should be limited to the same number of hours as their age in years.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at May 29, 2016 11:39 AM (T/5A0)

261 Northernlurker, I remember your original post regarding your brother....it's good you are able to share this time with him.

Peace to you both as your faith supports this journey.

Posted by: Jen the original at May 29, 2016 11:40 AM (Smc8E)

262 "... * bang *

a bead of sweat rolled to the tip of his nose as he wondered 'would nixon ever be given credit for those monumental events?'..."

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 11:40 AM (WTSFk)

263 OregonMuse or other Moron.

is there a [ b ] ?bbcode? that works in the comment box to do the you have to highlight it to read it thing?
For spoilers and the occasional "this joke might be to rude even for some morons"

[h]test[/h]

Posted by: DaveA at May 29, 2016 11:40 AM (DL2i+)

264 Death be not proud
Tho some call thee mighty and dreadful
For thou art not so
....for one short sleep past
And death thou shalt die

My mind is wandering. I do apologize.

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:40 AM (80jdi)

265 Btw,
today in 1660 is also when King Charles II regained the English Throne,
thus ending England's 19 year fling with life without totals.

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:32 AMvotermom, have you heard Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcasts on that subject?

Posted by: AltonJackson at May 29, 2016 11:41 AM (KCxzN)

266 The damnation themes are definitely what I wish he'd explore more, but that character should have been damned long ago, yet here we are, basically ending every book with "then, the hooker gave the money back".
Posted by: Chupacabra at May 29, 2016 11:36 AM (Lv0zB)

I think with the Dresen series, he ran into a problem. He started it out as a very serialized kind of series. Meaning the positions were kind of reset at the end of the book. Then he started to explore longer and bigger arcs stretching over more books.

I think most of the problem comes from getting epic in your serial, or vice versa. It has a tendency to be unsatisfying because he does not commit to one or the other.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at May 29, 2016 11:41 AM (3ZoRf)

267 Thank goodness for the 'ettes who write. If it wasn't for you and a VERY few others like Donna Andrews I would despair of modern women writers. Too many cookie cutter romances or overly cutesy mysteries infect the Kindle daily deals lists or 'suggested' reading emails from Amazon and B and N. The fun of Sgt. Mom's Texas stories or creativity of Sabrina Chase's sci-fi, to name just two, is increasing rare. Like most TV shows and movies, popular reading matter, especially fiction, leaves me indifferent at best or repulsed at worst.

It may be partly my age, mid-sixties, or attitude but there must be others who realize the 'popular' culture is receding from daily life at an increasing rate.

Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 11:42 AM (V+03K)

268 "Feeling sad."

No tears in Heaven. That's why Jobs said wow.

soldier on

Posted by: huh? at May 29, 2016 11:43 AM (CRXed)

269 I found a paperback set of 9 volumes of the complete Diaries of Samuel Pepys at a garage sale. What a fascinating portrait of 17th century London! Pepys wrote a lot in his diary that was pretty risque for the time. He really had an eye (and other parts) for the ladies. His wife was really long suffering to put up with him.

His account of his operation for bladder stones is terrifying. the description of the Great Fire of London and the plague years is a classic.

Posted by: JHW at May 29, 2016 11:44 AM (kn0BL)

270 255 Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:38 AM (7lVbc)

My grandmother spent a not inconsiderable amount of money, and honestly the Howell surname is not hard to backtrack given we are in Doomsday and the Original Issue of Coats of Arms.

I am descended Thomas Howel, Howel being the intial Anglicization of Hywel which is traced back to Hywel the Good's ancestors.

Grandma got us traced back to the 1620s in Lincolnshire, we are descended from a Captain who rode for Cromwell.

The history of the family seems to be "junior woodchucks near history but not making it on their own"

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:44 AM (g8Hfr)

271 My brother had his Durango stolen out of our driveway. Burglars busted into the house through a window, took his keys, a few other things*, and drove off.

He got a call at like 5 in the morning asking if his car was in the driveway. Then the cop asked if that was his crackpipe under the seat...

Turns out the crack addled skatebois pulled a u-turn right in front of a cop and got pulled over.

*One of the items was a small fireproof safe we had containing all our key software for our computers. It was annoying but we had to laugh at how disappointed the burglars had to be when they opened it up and got stuff like Microsoft Office.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:44 AM (39g3+)

272 votermom, have you heard Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcasts on that subject?
Posted by: AltonJackson at May 29, 2016 11:41 AM

I don't really listen well, to either podcasts or audio books, so no. I take it they're good?

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:45 AM (7lVbc)

273 DaveA:

some bbcodes work in the comment boxes, like bold, italic, and ~~strikethrough~~.

[sup]and some do not[/sup]

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 11:46 AM (UHKOQ)

274 138 - Good to know; Safehold never seemed that attractive to me for whatever reason (partially sheer length). I'll definitely pick it up now, though: I've often wished to see Weber turn the talents he showcases in HH to something that doesn't just largely re-hash Forester. I hope he does keep the sense of honorable warfare, though -- that's one of the biggest draws of the HH series.

Actually, though I've never read the books, the A&E Hornblower films are fantastic, and I'm told quite faithful. For all the strengths of Harrington, Hornblower is still far superior. And that's coming from someone that usually doesn't like fiction of that age.

151 - I'm not surprised. As a bit of background, Marcuse was one of the most notable Frankfurt scholars; an acknowledged inspiration for the New Left, who marched under banners reading "Mao, Marx, Marcuse". (Those same student radicals of course later went on to bring about SJWs.) He was also responsible for the concept of "repressive tolerance" we see on display in the public sphere.

209 - Eddings is wonderful. Yes, he was repetitive, but you should read it all anyways; the ride is fun enough to make it worth your while. Amusingly, even his first book was designed to be so: hs mission was write a book that contained absolutely no original plot elements but that was still worth reading. He succeed brilliantly. Funnily enough, despite being a former academic, author, and longtime resident of Portland, I believe he was actually an Objectivist.

Posted by: Yuge at May 29, 2016 11:46 AM (lIZ5F)

275 Of course, might take a goodish chunk of the neighborhood with it, but at least you got rid of the stump....and burned something.

I am going to re-tell a story. I last told it when EC's hair was on fire, which was at least mumble years ago, so I figure I'm safe.

We bought a house with what might once have been an English garden for a backyard but which had reverted to bramble. I resolved to clear the bramble and reclaim a back yard.

I got to one bit that was thoroughly resistant to hacking, so I thought burning it out would be a good idea. I poured copious amounts of gasoline on the stump.

Now, the physics thing that I got wrong was that I was unfamiliar with the concept of a fuel-air explosion. I thought explosions needed a pressurized container. So it's a very hot summer day and I've just dumped a gallon of petrol onto bramble.

Also, in any good disaster more than one thing has to go wrong. You know, if the pilot had seen the swizzle stick setting then the framowitz wouldn't have been a problem.

I had just refilled my Zippo. Sometimes there's extra fuel that runs down the sides. The fuel which had run down the sides caught fire. I said ouch and dropped the Zippo. Zippos, unlike say Bics, do not stop burning when they're dropped.

So I learned that a fuel-air explosion is a thing and I lost all the hair on my arms and legs and some of my eyebrows and a lot of my beard.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 29, 2016 11:46 AM (1xUj/)

276 I think with the Dresen series, he ran into a problem.

I think he has written himself into a corner with the Dresden books. He keeps making each one face a more horrendous challenge, and its all building up to something, but I don't believe he even knows what.

The Dresden books were a seat-of-the-pants knockoff to get published while trying to sell his fantasy trilogy, and they took off really well. But they never were intended to be anything but a fun romp, and he'd have been better served just leaving them at that instead of becoming something big or a connected series.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:47 AM (39g3+)

277 Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:44 AM (g8Hfr)

A captain who rode for Cromwell? Now there's material for a book!

What an interesting family tree.

Although with a nick like sven I mistook you for a filthy Scandi.

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:48 AM (7lVbc)

278 I remember seeing a video of a Mizzou student throwing a tantrum in
response to a college ombudsman who came out to talk, and she was
yelling and railing at him, and the guy just stood there and took it.

Hi !

Posted by: W at May 29, 2016 11:48 AM (Nxqko)

279 I sat down with Doug Laux's "Left of Boom: How a Young CIA Case Officer Penetrated the Taliban and Al-Qaeda" yesterday morning. Finished the entire book by midnight. Fascinating subject, great read.

Posted by: Kalifornia Kafir at May 29, 2016 11:48 AM (H4Acv)

280 yes, votermom, they're good

Duncan did the "History of Rome" podcast series; Revolutions covers the English, American, French, and Haitian revolutions

Posted by: AltonJackson at May 29, 2016 11:48 AM (KCxzN)

281 "others who realize the 'popular' culture is receding from daily life"

Next generation. My generation wasn't much at this stage either.

I think the most significant thing will be the school lunch changes. How the kids must despise Michelle Obama. That's what she gets for lending her name to something she knows nothing about.

I absolutely loved lunches at my elementary and high schools. A talented bunch of sweet women cooked them. Didn't know how lucky we were till lately.

Posted by: huh? at May 29, 2016 11:49 AM (CRXed)

282 My mind is wandering. I do apologize.
Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:40 AM (80jdi)
***
No apologies needed.....

Words of beauty, words of power. But for poets, could we ever think at all?

(We call Death 'neshika' - the kiss - and say that it is, for a good man, like pulling a hair from milk. We don't fear it, and I've had at least three relatives who positively embraced it when the time came. No, death is nothing to fear. Pa said to me, when I realized, after the death of Ma, my grandmother and his bride, that everyone dies, 'The worst thing that can happen to anyone happens to everyone. You know that. You know that nothing you do or don't do will ever stop it. So, since there's no avoiding the worst thing that can happen, there's no reason for despair. It is out of our hands.'

hard wisdom from a hard man.

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:49 AM (lutOX)

283 Actually, though I've never read the books, the A&E Hornblower films are fantastic, and I'm told quite faithful.

They take some liberties, particularly as the series goes on - the later the show, the less like the books they become - but are very well done, still.

I'd love to produce a Hornblower and a Aubrey-Maturin series on like HBO or BBC.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:50 AM (39g3+)

284 279 I sat down with Doug Laux's "Left of Boom: How a Young CIA Case Officer Penetrated the Taliban and Al-Qaeda" yesterday morning. Finished the entire book by midnight. Fascinating subject, great read.
Posted by: Kalifornia Kafir at May 29, 2016 11:48 AM (H4Acv)

I have that on my to read pile right now.

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:50 AM (7lVbc)

285 Defer!
Defer!
To the Lord High Excecutioner!

and etc....
Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:05 AM (lutOX)

I immediately started singing "Defer! Defer! To the champion sumo wrestler!" thanks to the aforementioned VeggieTales. Sumo of the Opera is an awesome mix of the Mikkaido, Rocky, and Karate Kid. And it's one of my daughter's favorites (she calls it "HI-YA!").

Posted by: pookysgirl at May 29, 2016 11:51 AM (K27gs)

286 @281 huh? Unfortunately those sweet old ladies no longer cook the meals. They're pre-made and packaged at the District kitchen, refrigerated or frozen, then sent out to the individual schools to be re-heated. Think airline food at its worst.

Posted by: Kalifornia Kafir at May 29, 2016 11:52 AM (H4Acv)

287 one reason the folio's were once considered the greatest rarities was because it was assumed the great fire consumed most copies. subsequent census' established that wasn't so much the case. they're pretty rare, though.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 11:52 AM (WTSFk)

288 277 Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 11:48 AM (7lVbc)

Like a lot of people from Lincolnshire we start off blonde and cute and wind up brunette and not cute...

I think of it as God's punishment for our helping conquer Wales.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:52 AM (g8Hfr)

289 Me: ...he could have been just checking stats...

Ah, I see Obnoxions A-Hole #134 already thought that.

Posted by: mindful webworker - great thoughts with but a single mind at May 29, 2016 11:52 AM (qBbz7)

290 Its fun to think we're related to Zachary Taylor, even though he was a lousy president.

Family legend was that we were descended from John and John Q Adams. I believe the legend began when someone had a genealogy done in the 40s.

I have a copy of that genealogy. We come from some of their cousins. It seems to have gone from fact to legend in a heartbeat.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 29, 2016 11:53 AM (1xUj/)

291 Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at May 29, 2016 11:28 AM (jR7Wy)

It was Schlae's The Forgotten Man which led me to see that Trump is an almost play-by-play of Willkie. Rs under FDR were cowed and silent because they didn't *really* believe their platform just like Rs today. So an outsider had to step up. Hopefully the 22nd (?) amendment makes the difference this time.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 11:53 AM (phT8I)

292 Thanks
OregonMuse

Posted by: DaveA at May 29, 2016 11:54 AM (DL2i+)

293 Unfortunately those sweet old ladies no longer cook the meals. They're pre-made and packaged at the District kitchen, refrigerated or frozen, then sent out to the individual schools to be re-heated. Think airline food at its worst.

-
With Michelle scraping only a certain amount of cream of the top.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 29, 2016 11:54 AM (Nwg0u)

294 Does anyone know a good way to secure my car from being stolen again? I don't have a garage, and I know "The Club" is useless so, short of removing the distributor cap every night, what's an 'ette to do?
Posted by: Tonestaple at May 29, 2016 11:39 AM (VsZJP)

*****

Getting a security system installed would be best, but if that is too much a simple ignition cutoff switch installed would werk. They install the switch in someplace like deep in the console or somewhere accessible but hidden from view under the dash.

Most cars no longer have distributors.

Posted by: ManWithNoParty at May 29, 2016 11:55 AM (YLidQ)

295 Hi !
Posted by: W at May 29, 2016 11:48 AM (Nxqko)

Remember when W prosecuted the boarder patrol agents for doing their job.

That's when he lost me.

Currently I'm thinking W is a good man corrupted by his family.

If more comes out I'll drop the good man part.

Laura's obvious love for him made me like W to begin with in spite of who his father is.

Posted by: huh? at May 29, 2016 11:55 AM (CRXed)

296 One of the things I love about John Donne and, perhaps other Elizabethan poets is his clear vision of reality sex, death and the Living God- all of it interwoven.
Another of his divine poems that I often read ends "having done all Thou hast Donne. There is no more."

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 11:57 AM (80jdi)

297 294 Posted by: ManWithNoParty at May 29, 2016 11:55 AM (YLidQ)

As a sequel to "the club" I wish someone would invent "the bomb" a simple device that uses a chip in your key fob coupled with a switch that detonates a pound of symtex in your gas tank if they remain un-deactivated.

Set the timer for say 785 feet and watch the fun begin.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 11:57 AM (g8Hfr)

298 Does anyone know a good way to secure my car from being stolen again? I don't have a garage, and I know "The Club" is useless so, short of removing the distributor cap every night, what's an 'ette to do?
Posted by: Tonestaple at May 29, 2016 11:39 AM (VsZJP)
***
heh....

I've got a theft-proof security system:

I drive a '97 Corolla.

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:58 AM (lutOX)

299 271
*One of the items was a small fireproof safe we had containing all our key software for our computers. It was annoying but we had to laugh at how disappointed the burglars had to be when they opened it up and got stuff like Microsoft Office.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 11:44 AM (39g3+)

Once my car was broken into and the thief made off with my prescription sunglasses that were in the glove compartment. I'm very nearsighted and I LOL'd at the thought of him putting them on.

Posted by: rickl at May 29, 2016 12:00 PM (sdi6R)

300 Set the timer for say 785 feet and watch the fun begin.

So, like James Bond's theft deterrence system in For Your Eyes Only

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 12:02 PM (39g3+)

301 This isn't really a book for the book thread but I have been listening to the Maritime History Podcast by Brandon Heubner.

I found it looking for information on Minoan links to the Hittites. It is interesting and not dramatic in any way.
He starts with the Ubaid people of the lower Mesopotamia and goes from there.

http://maritimehistorypodcast.com

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:02 PM (ry34m)

302 300 Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 12:02 PM (39g3+)

or a not quite so low tech version like Mad Max's...

man Furry Road still pisses me off....

The Furyosa show with cameo by Mad Max....

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:03 PM (g8Hfr)

303 Posted by: rickl at May 29, 2016 12:00 PM (sdi6R)
***
Heh....

Had somebody swipe a camera during a shoot....

The camera showed up the next day at the shoot locale with a note reading 'Broke display. No good. Sorry.'

It was freaking Hasselblad......

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 12:03 PM (lutOX)

304 Can I promote a show that I have recently stumbled on that does not portray men as idiots and handles different views of people in a really healthy manner? "Last Man Standing", starring Tim Allen is an excellent show.

Posted by: Cindy Munford at May 29, 2016 12:03 PM (7Lm22)

305 Sven, ain't that a bit of overkill?

Small 2oz shaped charged of Semtex under the driver seat ... so the blast goes skyward.

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 12:04 PM (HIbcx)

306 298 Does anyone know a good way to secure my car from being stolen again? I don't have a garage, and I know "The Club" is useless so, short of removing the distributor cap every night, what's an 'ette to do?
Posted by: Tonestaple at May 29, 2016 11:39 AM (VsZJP)
***

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

Stick a large Obama/Biden sticker on the back. No one will touch it.

Posted by: Soona at May 29, 2016 12:04 PM (Fmupd)

307 There was an English conman who stole a Shakespeare folio from a library. Yes, they use to leave them on the shelves. He came up with some story that he bought it while on vacation in Cuba. The guy was sent to prison and unfortunately committed suicide. It was a shame. He should have been able to do the sentence easy. Hell, it's not like they ever really punish people there.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 12:04 PM (iQIUe)

308 @294
Move.

Posted by: xnycpeasant at May 29, 2016 12:04 PM (3Rr8K)

309 Ancient DNA Reveals Lack of Continuity between Neolithic Hunter-Gatherers and Contemporary Scandinavians

http://tinyurl.com/jzzg9d6

Oddly Finns are the guys with the most Neanderthal DNA....*but* they are also the least Scandi Sandis language wise.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:05 PM (g8Hfr)

310 Does anyone know a good way to secure my car from being stolen again?

=====

Doberman in the back seat

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at May 29, 2016 12:06 PM (Cq0oW)

311 The Furyosa show with cameo by Mad Max....
Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:03 PM (g8Hfr)
***
C'mon - it had Immortan Joe - 'shiny and chrome' - not a total loss, and one of many, many flicks my angel and I got thrown out of.....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 12:06 PM (lutOX)

312 Does anyone know a good way to secure my car from being stolen again? I don't have a garage, and I know "The Club" is useless so, short of removing the distributor cap every night, what's an 'ette to do?
Posted by: Tonestaple
--------------
Trade it in for an ugly but reliable beater with a stick shift?
I dont know anyone under 30 that knows how to wotk a clutch.

Posted by: Chi at May 29, 2016 12:07 PM (5v4p1)

313 I have a dash cam- which is good for vandalism but maybe not so great if the whole car is stolen.

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 12:07 PM (80jdi)

314 Anyone who wants to point out that GHWB flew planes for his country during WW2 fine. And got his ass shot down. Fine.

I didn't say he wasn't a patriot. I didn't say he wasn't brave. I said George HW Bush told lies. Read-his-lips. And that his public policies were the same as Bill Clinton and weren't that far from Ted Kennedy. Compassionate conservatism. CIA guns for drugs. When I was a 20 something E2 or E3 I had a lifer sergeant in Little Rock tell me the USAF was running drugs. And he said it as a throw away line like it was common knowledge.

Posted by: huh? at May 29, 2016 12:07 PM (CRXed)

315 305 Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 12:04 PM (HIbcx)

The objective is to give a "teachable moment" to other would be thieves...

yes your car likely jumps 5 feet in the air, but those memories last a lifetime.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:07 PM (g8Hfr)

316 This is a good day for "seconds".
Aside from Charles II reclaiming the throne, Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople today (1453)

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 12:08 PM (7lVbc)

317 I liked the lunatic guitar-playing guy with all the amps. That was pretty much the only part of Fury Road I really enjoyed. The rest was overlong, and they should have just assaulted the base rather than driving all over creation for no good reason.

From the very start I said "there is no green. This is Mad Max. Its all dead."

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 12:09 PM (39g3+)

318 Tonestaple is an 'ette? I didn't know that.

*doffs hat* Howdy, ma'am.

Posted by: rickl at May 29, 2016 12:09 PM (sdi6R)

319 yes your car likely jumps 5 feet in the air, but those memories last a lifetime.
Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:07 PM (g8Hfr)
***
And, after you hose out the interior, you've got a moonroof......

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 12:09 PM (lutOX)

320 234 The TVA
was established to control flooding and provide electricity to the
impoverished Tennessee Valley -- and also compete with and break up the
private power companies. Enter the person of Wendell Willkie, an
executive at one of those power companies, whom I remember as being
portrayed as a crass populist blowhard businessman. He was a lifelong
Democrat who shifted allegiance to the Republican Party because he felt
the Democrats were anti-business and no longer reflected American
values. "I didn't leave my party. My party left me." Hmmm, who else
said something similar?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at May 29, 2016 11:28 AM (jR7Wy)

The TVA (and also one in SC) was originally established by a private utility who began the construction. FDR nationalized it using his "pen and phone". You never hear about that little scheme from the FDR worshiping media.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 12:10 PM (vvmPQ)

321 Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople today

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 12:10 PM (39g3+)

322 The comedian Adam Carolla has a great story:

- Gets pulled over by LAPD
- LAPD pulls guns when they see a screwdriver sticking out of the ignition of his truck
- LAPD inspects license and registration, ascertains he is the owner of the truck and asks why he doesn't get his ignition fixed
- Carolla tells LAPD that he's too broke to get it fixed, that's why he starts the truck with a screwdriver and his shift knob is a pair of vise grips
- LAPD asks why his truck isn't stolen every night
- Carolla tells them that it is; he bought a toggle switch at Radio Shack and connected it to the fuel pump. Every morning he just walks after his truck until he finds where the junkie abandoned it because he thought it ran out of gas.
- LAPD calls him a genius and tells him he should patent his invention.

Posted by: Oschisms at May 29, 2016 12:11 PM (ZsN9X)

323 Sultan Mehmed II was also the second to sack Constantinople in two centuries. The Fourth Crusade got there first in 1204

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 12:11 PM (HIbcx)

324 When I was a 20 something E2 or E3 I had a lifer sergeant in Little Rock tell me the USAF was running drugs. And he said it as a throw away line like it was common knowledge.

====

there was a massive expose on that in the San Jose Mercury News back in the day. Reporter was later hounded out of the business and later committed suicide. But no one proved him wrong.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at May 29, 2016 12:12 PM (Cq0oW)

325 in any case, check out the catalog entry for the "alice" coming up at christie's. go to the calendar, click upcoming auctions, scroll to the 16th. you'll find it interesting... um not you, but you... no not you, you already know most of it, but you... not you, you're beyond redemption, but you... yes, you, you will surely appreciate the catalogue notes.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 29, 2016 12:12 PM (WTSFk)

326 Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 12:09 PM (39g3+)
***
yeah, but it had Lenny Kravitz's hot daughter.....

Girl's got a gorgeous belly, and hips that just cry out for, well, you know...

Five wives... yeah, a man could get used to that....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 12:13 PM (lutOX)

327 While Sven goes all Russian on car thieves, I need to scoot and get ready for work.

http://astore.amazon.com/aoshq-20/detail/B014BTSEYO

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 12:13 PM (HIbcx)

328 324 Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at May 29, 2016 12:12 PM (Cq0oW)

The drug running started under LBJ, and was largely by Reagan's time done b/c Donk Ass was trying to throw away Latin America to Ivan.

I can't say I like it, but I understand it.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:13 PM (g8Hfr)

329 124 In trying to find out why people are so pissed off at Diane West, I came across this:

http://goo.gl/Nr2hgL

It really doesnt answer the question. People have different opinions on history - so what? I think her point that those who attempted or did influence our policies to favor the commies are just as bad as those who committed espionage is valid. And lord knows there were more than enough people doing that in FDR's admin.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 10:24 AM (iQIUe)

The guy who wrote the piece you linked to is Conrad Black, who authored the FDR biography 'Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom'. On the other hand, West's book is quite critical of FDR. So you can see the reason for Black's animosity.

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 12:14 PM (UHKOQ)

330 323 Sultan Mehmed II was also the second to sack Constantinople in two centuries. The Fourth Crusade got there first in 1204
Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 12:11 PM (HIbcx)

And they left the original kilroy was here graffiti.

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 12:14 PM (7lVbc)

331 327 Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 12:13 PM (HIbcx)

Nice Anna....

We should get a hoard sourced Poor Man's Mack Bolan with Americans versus Isis here....given our government insists on importing them.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:15 PM (g8Hfr)

332 234 After a few weeks, light a fire - it'll burn it right out.

Of course, might take a goodish chunk of the neighborhood with it,
but at least you got rid of the stump....and burned something.

Posted by: at May 29, 2016 11:29 AM (lutOX)

The best way to get rid of stumps is to call someone in with a stump grinder and a backhoe. That huge fire we had here a couple of years ago that burned up a pile of woods and a couple of neighborhoods down near the beach was started by someone trying to burn off stuff.

He thought he had put the fire out and walked off while the ground was still smoking. The fire had spread into the loam beneath the surface and was actually spreading. Needless to say county and State officials were not impressed.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 12:15 PM (vvmPQ)

333 The drug running started under LBJ, and was largely by Reagan's time done b/c Donk Ass was trying to throw away Latin America to Ivan.

=====

they needed money to finance the war against the sandanistas

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at May 29, 2016 12:16 PM (Cq0oW)

334 Sumo of the Opera is one of my favorites as well (the 'faciful flannelgraph' life of St. Patrick is pretty funny as well).

Until that final bell,
God loves us when we finish well,
So don't stop,
Just keep on keeping on.

Son finally got into wrestling and bless the coaches who tolerated very tall kids. Most wrestling coaches won't look at kids over 6 ft. At major meets I could always find our team because we had three 6'4"-5" boys who were very good. It was fun, but I would come home exhausted because I was 'helping' with clenching muscles and reminded parents with small children to get to higher ground because those huge bodies and momentum could not stop if they went off mat.

Nasty SJW and NIMBY John Irving wrestled and used that in several of his novels.

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 12:17 PM (MIKMs)

335 Five wives... yeah, a man could get used to that....

"Oh no my dearest Polly
such things can never be
for I've a wife already
children I have three
Two wives are allowed in the army
but one's too many for me"

--The Pogues, Gentleman Soldier

Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 29, 2016 12:17 PM (1xUj/)

336 Five wives... yeah, a man could get used to that....

Yeah, til they all turn on you at once. All of them would synch on Furiosa and you'd spend one week a month in sheer hell.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 12:19 PM (39g3+)

337 Ancient DNA Reveals Lack of Continuity between Neolithic Hunter-Gatherers and Contemporary Scandinavians

http://tinyurl.com/jzzg9d6

Oddly Finns are the guys with the most Neanderthal DNA....*but* they are also the least Scandi Sandis language wise.
Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:05 PM (g8Hfr)

That whole Vanir/Aesir might be more than mythological.

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:19 PM (ry34m)

338 306 298 Does anyone know a good way to secure my car from being stolen again? I don't have a garage, and I know "The Club" is useless so, short of removing the distributor cap every night, what's an 'ette to do?

Posted by: Tonestaple at May 29, 2016 11:39 AM (VsZJP)

Always remember to park your car in a "Car-Theft Free" Zone. Once you do that, no one will ever steal it, and it will always be safe.

Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 12:20 PM (UHKOQ)

339 The guy who wrote the piece you linked to is Conrad Black, who authored the FDR biography 'Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom'. On the other hand, West's book is quite critical of FDR. So you can see the reason for Black's animosity.
Posted by: OregonMuse at May 29, 2016 12:14 PM (UHKOQ)
==============
I dont know where he got the champion of freedom idea. Sure, we didnt want to go to war with the ruskies after fighting the nazis. But letting the commies take over eastern europe was shameful.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 12:22 PM (iQIUe)

340 Just finished "Monster Hunter Nemesis" by Larry Correia. It's the 5th in the series. It follows Agent Franks of the MCB as he is framed for murder and goes rogue trying to stop project Nemesis- a program by the government agency Special Task Force Unicorn" trying to create super soldiers to kill monsters. Good stuff from Larry once again.

Now starting "Space Eldritch 2", a collection of short stories set in the future involving the Cthulhu mythos.

Posted by: Darth Randall at May 29, 2016 12:22 PM (6n332)

341 As Greece showed, just a token resistance to the Soviets made them back off. Their people were even more tired of war, and they had virtually no resources to fight with. We could have pushed them back over their borders again if we wanted, but there was no will in government.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 12:23 PM (39g3+)

342 295
Remember when W prosecuted the border patrol agents for doing their job. That's when he lost me.
Currently I'm thinking W is a good man corrupted by his family.

Posted by: huh? at May 29, 2016 11:55 AM (CRXed)
--------------------------
W lost me the minute he started babbling about "compassionate conservatism" and his desire to be "the education president." If not for moral and religious reasons, I would have voted for pro-partial-birth-abortion Gore. As it was, I left the POTUS line blank.

My thinking was that the GOPe Congress, having neutered or marginalized the Gingrich reformers, would go even further left with a GOPe POTUS than they would with a Democrat. (Who knows what would have happened?)

In any case, I have never liked W or his dad politically --- yet I think they are good men, very decent as politicians go. I also think they are both intelligent and competent. So why did they do so much harm?!?

Do they realize the harm they have done? I don't think so. They see the world very differently from the way we do. That's for sure.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at May 29, 2016 12:23 PM (T/5A0)

343 337 Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:19 PM (ry34m)

Yup, you have to figure the Aesir backers were probably the Indo-Europeans and the Vanir fans were the Finno-urgic style locals I'd wager.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:24 PM (g8Hfr)

344
"and when nine months
had been and gone,
the poor girl she brought shame,
she had a little militia boy
and she didn't know his name!"

Used to play that at the shows.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living at May 29, 2016 12:26 PM (tEDMc)

345 I finished a whole book. Wasn't easy. But I did.

Among other books I got last Christmas was "The boy who came back from heaven - A remarkable account of miracles, angels, and life beyond this world - a true story" by Kevin & Alex Malarkey.

I've long had an interest in "back from death" visions, partly from curiosity about the psychological component, partly because, well, maybe something of value can be gleaned even if it's not "real."

In this case, a car wreck causes six-year-old Alex to be "internally decapitated." The X-rays, shown in the book with other pix, are tough to look at, skull and backbone disconnected. He spent months in a coma, and only gradually got any restoration of movement and speech.

The labors of the medical personnel, the strain upon the family, and the community of support and prayer are powerful stuff. (I have a cousin whose baby had the organs-outside-the-body thing and had a similar experience in all three points; alas, she lasted only a couple of months after birth.)

Spoiler: Alex does not fully recover, physically, but he does have tremendous strength of will and positive spirit. Since he wasn't expected to live, or, if he did, to recover from traumatic brain injuries, you could say he "fully recovered" his personality.

Alex was the first child to go through the "Christopher Reeve" surgery that provided a prosthetic way for him to be able to breathe on his own again.

The author is Alex's father, Kevin, who was the driver in the accident. He struggles with his own guilt over a moment of carelessness. He writes about all the consequences of the accident, his guilt and doubt, marital difficulties, struggles with faith; these are hard realities frankly expressed.

That all is a wrenching, but fascinating story. But the medical story is just the basis for the main aspect of the book - Alex during and after his time comatose, seeing and talking to angels, describing his time in heaven with Jesus, even doing battle with the Devil.

Among the community of folks praying for Alex, in his room at the hospital, in churches, in a wider community via the web, others see angels and have insights, and there's "fortuitous coincidences."

I really don't know what to make of that. I don't want to dismiss the extra-natural material as either a youngster's wild imagination under duress, nor parental fraud (the unfortunate family name of Malarkey invites cynicism).

Angels at hand I can believe more readily than Alex's descriptions of the literal gates and walls of heaven. Allowing for some subjectivity of perception, I give it a maybe who knows. But the miraculous is not separate from the mundane - they are one story.

When doctors decide to try to fuse Alex's neck vertebrae, a visitor sees angels holding Alex's head, and miraculously his neck heals enough the doctors decide they don't need to do anything. In fact, throughout the ordeal, medical work amounts to maintenance, like keeping Alex breathing, and all the healing "just happens."

A minor layout complaint. There are snippets of testimony by Kevin's grandfather, by doctors and preachers and others, and things Alex himself has to say, "sidebar" items which are placed in a rather interruptive way.

As inspiration, I take more from the worldly struggles and praying community than I do from the supernatural parts. I'm one of those for whom angels and divine intervention are not outside my belief system, but such things always seem to happen to "somebody else." Amusing or ironic, or something, that the main selling point of the book is the least of it for me. Still, inspiring overall.

Posted by: mindful webworker - not famous for being concise at May 29, 2016 12:26 PM (qBbz7)

346 "F that - why waste good blackpowder?

Drill some holes in the stump, fill 'em with potassium nitrate, and water in well.

After a few weeks, light a fire - it'll burn it right out.

Of course, might take a goodish chunk of the neighborhood with it,
but at least you got rid of the stump....and burned something.

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at May 29, 2016 11:29 AM (lutOX)"

I am guessing that you have never experienced the thrill of seeing a tree stump launched into the air to come to earth we know not where. Maybe on top of your head. Maybe on top of your truck. Maybe on top of a building.

And if you don't shit your pants, you win. Well, also if it does not land on top of anything or kill anybody.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at May 29, 2016 12:27 PM (QHgTq)

347
309 Ancient DNA Reveals Lack of Continuity between Neolithic Hunter-Gatherers and Contemporary Scandinavians

http://tinyurl.com/jzzg9d6

Oddly Finns are the guys with the most Neanderthal DNA....*but* they are also the least Scandi Sandis language wise.
Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:05 PM (g8Hfr)

Scandis can manipulate their DNA using potions and spells.

Posted by: eman at May 29, 2016 12:27 PM (MQEz6)

348 Vic, if you're still here:

I believe that the book,you referenced in the EMT (re: Rock throwing aliens) was "Footfall" ((Niven & Pournelle).

And hey - book thread related!

Posted by: speedster1 at May 29, 2016 12:28 PM (vUcdz)

349 sven1007, I'm about to start geeking out on the similarities of the Hittite Pantheon and the Scandanavian and how they probably were expressions of the homeland Indo-European culture.
This is one of my little obsessions

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:29 PM (ry34m)

350 347 Posted by: eman at May 29, 2016 12:27 PM (MQEz6)

If by "potions and spells" you mean "borrowed succubi from Scotland and Ireland" yes...yes they could.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:30 PM (g8Hfr)

351 349 Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:29 PM (ry34m)

There is history that will sadly never be written about how in all likelihood there was a genocide in Africa once upon a yester century.

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:31 PM (g8Hfr)

352 Oregon Muse: saw a post online that follows up on your post about "Lost Children of the Empire" last year: http://bookcents.blogspot.com/2016/05/lost-children-of-empire-untold-story-of.html

Posted by: justinpod at May 29, 2016 12:33 PM (3OTR8)

353 "Nasty SJW and NIMBY John Irving wrestled and used that in several of his novels.

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 12:17 PM (MIKMs)"

I think John Irving used that in all of his novels, at least all the ones I read since they all seemed to be the same novel rewritten several times.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at May 29, 2016 12:33 PM (QHgTq)

354 Do we have a COB around who can post an open thread so the book thread can go back to being about books?

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 12:34 PM (vvmPQ)

355
There is
history that will sadly never be written about how in all likelihood
there was a genocide in Africa once upon a yester century.
Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 12:31 PM (g8Hfr)

Which one??

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:36 PM (ry34m)

356 Finished The Two Towers and I'm waiting until next weekend to start on The Return of the King.

In the meanwhile I'm working through George Silver's Paradoxes of Defence and then will start on Brief Instructions on My Paradoxes of Defence.

Other than that, a book on R Programming for the online course that I'm currently taking.

Posted by: Colorado Alex at May 29, 2016 12:36 PM (fC9RO)

357 Another thing I got from The Forgotten Man was that FDR seemed to actually be orgasmic over the national and international turmoil he could cause by his randomness. No wonder O sees FDR as a guide.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 29, 2016 12:36 PM (phT8I)

358 348 I believe that the book,you referenced in the EMT (re: Rock throwing aliens) was "Footfall" ((Niven Pournelle).

And hey - book thread related!

Posted by: speedster1 at May 29, 2016 12:28 PM (vUcdz)

Yeah, that may be it. I have that in paperback but haven't read it in a long time. I'll have to see if it is available in the Kindle and not > $10.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 12:36 PM (vvmPQ)

359 348 Vic, if you're still here:

I believe that the book,you referenced in the EMT (re: Rock throwing aliens) was "Footfall" ((Niven & Pournelle).

And hey - book thread related!
Posted by: speedster1 at May 29, 2016 12:28 PM (vUcdz)
---
This was also used in Michael Flynn's "Firestar" series.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at May 29, 2016 12:36 PM (jR7Wy)

360 >>>323 Sultan Mehmed II was also the second to sack Constantinople in two centuries. The Fourth Crusade got there first in 1204
Posted by: Anna Puma at May 29, 2016 12:11 PM (HIbcx)

Never have I heard of this "Istanbul" you speak of......all I know is Constantinoplis Aeterna.

Posted by: Basileus Michael Muslimoctonus at May 29, 2016 12:37 PM (dTqaU)

361 Oh, whew. Good news. Coffee maker's fine. It was just the surge-protector power strip needed to be reset.

Posted by: mindful webworker - it's a miracle! at May 29, 2016 12:37 PM (qBbz7)

362 322 The comedian Adam Carolla has a great story:

- Gets pulled over by LAPD
- LAPD pulls guns when they see a screwdriver sticking out of the ignition of his truck
- LAPD inspects license and registration, ascertains he is the owner of the truck and asks why he doesn't get his ignition fixed
- Carolla tells LAPD that he's too broke to get it fixed, that's why he starts the truck with a screwdriver and his shift knob is a pair of vise grips
- LAPD asks why his truck isn't stolen every night
- Carolla tells them that it is; he bought a toggle switch at Radio Shack and connected it to the fuel pump. Every morning he just walks after his truck until he finds where the junkie abandoned it because he thought it ran out of gas.
- LAPD calls him a genius and tells him he should patent his invention.
Posted by: Oschisms at May 29, 2016 12:11 PM (ZsN9X)
I heard a comedian tell a story about a time he and a buddy decided to illegally license a new junker car in a neighbouring province.
So they borrowed a plate from a friend and hit the road smoking dope all the way.
When a cop pulled up behind they threw their dope into a wheat field and stopped.
After checking their papers the cop told them he needed to get something from his office. It would take him about an and they should.
So they waited When the cop came he explained how wasn't allowed to tell them to off. Then he remembered he had forgotten something and needed to get it wink, wink.

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 12:39 PM (80jdi)

363 Yeah, Footfall is the book and it is available on Kindle for $6.99

http://amzn.to/1OVQjKb

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 12:39 PM (vvmPQ)

364
there was a massive expose on that in the San Jose Mercury News back in the day. Reporter was later hounded out of the business and later committed suicide. But no one proved him wrong.

I said I was abducted by a flying saucer. No one has proved me wrong.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at May 29, 2016 12:41 PM (k4M/B)

365 Listened to audiobooks of The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler, Out On The Cutting Edge (Scudder #7) and A Ticket To The Boneyard (Scudder # by Lawrence Block, all very good mysteries. Also read Dread Companion by Andre Norton where a young woman becomes governess to two strange children as they take a spaceship to a colony world. Once there she and the kids enter a fantasy land. Pretty good as well.

Posted by: waelse1 at May 29, 2016 12:44 PM (lumNb)

366 I read The Martian and Draw One in the Dark by Sarah Hoyt.

I had seem the Martian so I thought the book would be just more detailed and interesting. It wasn't really. It was 1/3 explanation, 1/3 swearing, and 1/3 fellatio on NASA.

#LeaveHimThere!

Mark Watney was also incredibly annoying. Part of this was because I saw the movie, so I knew most of the answers to the problems, and so the descriptions of the solutions came off more like condescending explanations and incremental solution generation.

Oh, I also started a book called The Rocket Company--if you liked the logistical descriptions space exploration of The Martian but thought it spent too much time plot amd character development, this is the book for you.

The Sarah Hoyt book I read because it was free and I wanted a change of pace, didn't expect to enjoy it too much.
Read the whole thing in two sittings in 24 hours. Very enjoyable and compelling, and I bought the next in the series--and read it until 2am last night.

Posted by: .87c at May 29, 2016 12:45 PM (opLAB)

367 "316
This is a good day for "seconds".

Aside from Charles II reclaiming the throne, Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople today (1453)

Posted by: @votermom at May 29, 2016 12:08 PM (7lVbc)"

And the Muslim conquest of Constantinople made it economically feasible for Henry the Navigator of Portugal to finance voyages of exploration down the African coast looking for an alternate route to the spice islands of Indonesia. Which led to Columbus sailing to America. Which led to the creation of the greatest country in history, the United States (1776-200

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at May 29, 2016 12:45 PM (QHgTq)

368 I'm on a Jane Austen kick right now... Getting ready to read Persuasion....I just like the classics better I guess... Oh, and it's a real "book" I just like the feel of a book...

Posted by: donna at May 29, 2016 12:45 PM (O2RFr)

369 OK, Vic.

I am poking through another of $.50 books, a reprint of Bullfinch's Mythology because I remember one of the Mabinogion tales in it reminded me of Thor's duel with Hrungnir and how Thor got a chunk of whetstone stuck in his head.

Still can't find it and I am worried that I made it up or can't remember where I read it

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:47 PM (ry34m)

370 Yeah, Footfall is the book and it is available on Kindle for $6.99
http://amzn.to/1OVQjKb Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 12:39 PM (vvmPQ)

=====

Lent out my copy to a friend but their kid for some reason fell in love with the cover and step-in illustration. He was very young and actually ate the darned thing. I laughed and thought it was cute. For some reason the Niven/Pournelle pairing works even better than either alone -- and both are excellent authors.

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 12:49 PM (MIKMs)

371 Speaking of books I'm reading Customs of the Country by Edith Wharton- free on iBooks.

Posted by: Northernlurker, muzungo at May 29, 2016 12:50 PM (80jdi)

372 356 ... CA, Is this your first time reading LOTR? I still remember the sense of wonder with my initial reading. And that was in 1965.

Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 12:50 PM (V+03K)

373 369 I am
poking through another of $.50 books, a reprint of Bullfinch's Mythology
because I remember one of the Mabinogion tales in it reminded me of
Thor's duel with Hrungnir and how Thor got a chunk of whetstone stuck in
his head.

Still can't find it and I am worried that I made it up or can't remember where I read it

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:47 PM (ry34m)

I have that book I got from Gutenberg for free but I haven't read the who thing yet. It is huuuge.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 12:50 PM (vvmPQ)

374
I believe that for too long our country and our government have not given the Palestinian people the respect that they need.
-- Sen. Bernie Sanders

http://goo.gl/EZhja1

==============

They deserve shit.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 12:51 PM (iQIUe)

375 I almost burned down my property because I was burning out a stump and didn't realize the "dirt" was about fifty years of half-decayed pine needles and leaves.

Adrenaline, a shovel, and a full bladder saved my woods.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 29, 2016 12:52 PM (kQw7Y)

376 This was also used in Michael Flynn's "Firestar" series.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at May 29, 2016 12:36 PM (jR7Wy)

I thought I was the only one who read that series. Did you read any of Dana Stabenow's science fiction, Eris?

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:53 PM (ry34m)

377 No I have not, Kindltot. What do you recommend?

I'm a big Flynn fan, starting back with "In the Country of the Blind".

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at May 29, 2016 12:55 PM (jR7Wy)

378 Nood

Nood

Nood

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 12:55 PM (vvmPQ)

379 "For some reason the Niven/Pournelle pairing works even better than either alone -- and both are excellent authors.

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 12:49 PM (MIKMs)"

I think that Pournelle has the better science and tech background and Niven is actually a better writer. Individually their stuff is good but together it is great.
Sadly, I haven't seen them do much new stuff recently, although I guess they both must be getting on in years so I guess it is understandable.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at May 29, 2016 12:55 PM (QHgTq)

380 I have started reading a new book called The Syndicate by Sophie Davis.

Sovie Davis is the single author name shared by two women friends, btw.

The book is about operatives sent back through time to steal "lost" items from the past and sell them to very rich clients.

Posted by: eman at May 29, 2016 12:55 PM (MQEz6)

381 Reading Act One by Moss Hart, playwright extraordinaire.

Read it in high school and liked it then.

Re-reading now feels totally different as Hart chronicles his struggles to get out of poverty via a career in theatre. Young people trying to find their first meaningful job would really gain a sense of perspective.

His travails as a summer camp social director in upstate New York are hilarious as he works to make ends meet. His herculean efforts to write his first successful play and his tribulations through the evolution of the play are funny, poignant, suspenseful, and inspiring at the same time.

Also evocative of an era without air conditioning, when women smoked cigarettes in holders, a down on their luck family had two brothers who shared a bed in a small bedroom for years as a matter of course, and the smart theatre crowd could make or break a career.

Descriptions don't do it justice, just give it a shot.

Posted by: RM at May 29, 2016 12:57 PM (U3LtS)

382 "374

I believe that for too long our country and our government have not given the Palestinian people the respect that they need.

-- Sen. Bernie Sanders

http://goo.gl/EZhja1

==============

They deserve shit.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 29, 2016 12:51 PM (iQIUe)"

I agree. We have been giving the Palestinians entirely too much respect. They need to either accept the existence of Israel of be deported to any place that will have them and if no government will accept them they should be dropped off in Somalia.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at May 29, 2016 12:59 PM (QHgTq)

383 Forcing myself to finish Ghost Mountain Boys, about the 1942 campaign in New Guinea. Topic is great and of course one of the little known ones, but the writing style is the opposite of engaging (lots of little digressions into personal details of some of the people, lots of imagined thoughts/reactions by them, almost no framework-setting in terms of bigger picture, almost no maps to help the reader through an avalanche of detailed small-unit actions in the taking of Buna).

Cheated a bit last night by starting in on the next read, "Silent Victory" about the US submarine campaign against Japan. Which looks to be vastly better than the New Guinea book, and was referred to as fairly authoritative in the last read, Conquering Tide by Ian Toll (Pacific War, 1942-44).

Part of the difficulty with Ghost Mountain Boys is that Toll's books are so well done, a very good mix of detail, framework/bigger picture, and color /personalities, even for readers who already have detailed knowledge the topic.

Posted by: rhomboid at May 29, 2016 01:02 PM (QDnY+)

384 "Also
evocative of an era without air conditioning, when women smoked
cigarettes in holders, a down on their luck family had two brothers who
shared a bed in a small bedroom for years as a matter of course, and the
smart theatre crowd could make or break a career.

Descriptions don't do it justice, just give it a shot.

Posted by: RM at May 29, 2016 12:57 PM (U3LtS)"

The movie "Rear Window" was based on the idea that there was no air conditioning and no television. By the time the movie came out, that era was already gone but it is still a good movie. Was that Grace Kelly's last before she was off to Monaco to marry the prince?

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at May 29, 2016 01:03 PM (QHgTq)

385 CA, Is this your first time reading LOTR? I still remember the sense of wonder with my initial reading. And that was in 1965.
Posted by: JTB at May 29, 2016 12:50 PM (V+03K)

No. I first read it in the fourth grade, but haven't read it in probably ten years. If forgotten how wonderful his writing is.

Posted by: Colorado Alex at May 29, 2016 01:06 PM (fC9RO)

386 I really liked In the Country of the Blind. It reads very well.

Stabenow writes the Kate Shugak mysteries, but she wrote a three book series on commercial space exploration very similar to Firestar's premise.

The only one I have been able to find (as I no longer have a credit card and have to beg other people to buy things on Amazon for me) in the local book stores was Red Planet Run, where the main character, tired of converting asteroids into habitats and acting as a local Justice of the Peace, gets pressured by her mother into doing a aerostat survey of Mars with her surly twin children.

Stabenow said in an interview that she liked doing SF, but she couldn't get anything past those three books published.

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 01:06 PM (ry34m)

387 "seconds"

Rock Hudson movie.

I don't think it did too well at the box office.

Posted by: huh? at May 29, 2016 01:18 PM (CRXed)

388 Don't have a credit card either (that I am willing to use for online stuff), so I order through local public library for authors or stuff I am interested in. That way, I can pinpoint my money towards those things I really want to buy (through my kids who have Amazon accounts).

Posted by: mustbequantum at May 29, 2016 01:20 PM (MIKMs)

389 355 Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 12:36 PM (ry34m)

Whichever one drove the "future Chinese" and "future indo-europeans" northeast...

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 01:20 PM (g8Hfr)

390 Thanks Kindltot, I found the series on Amazon.

I'd love to reread the Firestar series again but I might be depressed that it's been almost 20 year and the educational system has only gotten worse. Though on the plus side, private enterprise has really taken off.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at May 29, 2016 01:22 PM (jR7Wy)

391 76
I stopped trying to use cursive in Jr high, the teachers stopped
requiring it. Instead I practiced and refined my block printing which
was very legible and drove my mom, a teacher with a beautiful Palmer
hand, to despair.

When Mom died I started trying out cursive. I now have a decent hand when I apply myself.

I've always had horrible handwriting. 7th grade English teacher fed up with trying to decipher my homework tried to get me to improve it, but finally gave up. I moved to block printing in high school when I discovered computers; uppercase only, 'natch.

When I started studying Russian a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to be able to write decently, so spent much time practicing. Now I have decent cursive handwriting, but if my mind wanders while I'm writing it starts coming out in Cyrillic.

Posted by: Anachronda at May 29, 2016 01:23 PM (Oi5b2)

392 333 The drug running started under LBJ, and was largely by Reagan's time done b/c Donk Ass was trying to throw away Latin America to Ivan.

=====

they needed money to finance the war against the sandanistas
Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at May 29, 2016 12:16 PM (Cq0oW)

Maybe some of y'all can put me some knowledge on Camp Stanley here in San Antonio.

Everyone knows they keep a low profile because they have some secret things going on. They "store stuff". That's all you hear about what they do.

So I googled something like "what the hell goes on at Camp Stanley?) and found a NYT article quoting others who think the CIA ran (or runs) small arms out of there.
Any thoughts?

Posted by: stace at May 29, 2016 01:35 PM (ozZau)

393 200
(Condenser won't turn on, he
ordered a capacitor)

Maybe a pizza would work.

http://tinyurl.com/zlneb66

Posted by: Anachronda at May 29, 2016 01:35 PM (Oi5b2)

394 Happy to oblige.

Posted by: speedster1 at May 29, 2016 01:36 PM (vUcdz)

395 213

How come there are no discussions on ewoks? ... No ewok porn fiction?

I'm guessing you just haven't looked.

Posted by: Anachronda at May 29, 2016 01:38 PM (Oi5b2)

396 392 Posted by: stace at May 29, 2016 01:35 PM (ozZau)

Camp Stanley (allegedly) would run guns down to Nicaragua and Biggs Army Airfield (allegedly) was running El Int and Real Time flights down there and to the Honduras as well for the Delta Boys (who allegedly) were at work "advising" folks in theater...(allegedly)

Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 01:40 PM (g8Hfr)

397 Finished 11/22/63 by SK. Was pretty good. Had a love story aspect I was not expecting. Only real complaint was the ending. In typical King fashion he builds everything up and then it just sorta ends. Still would recommend though.

Almost finished reading Stranger In a Strange Land by Heinlien. Holy crap it sucks. Had always heard how good it was and it just is not. It's got some okay parts but overall just terrible. Hard to believe it's the same author who wrote Starship Troopers.

Posted by: prophet at May 29, 2016 01:42 PM (KIJKy)

398 396 392 Posted by: stace at May 29, 2016 01:35 PM (ozZau)

Camp Stanley (allegedly) would run guns down to Nicaragua and Biggs Army Airfield (allegedly) was running El Int and Real Time flights down there and to the Honduras as well for the Delta Boys (who allegedly) were at work "advising" folks in theater...(allegedly)
Posted by: sven10077 at May 29, 2016 01:40 PM (g8Hfr)

Thanks Sven.

I used to do some work loosely connected to the development issues around Camp Bullis, which is adjacent to smaller Camp Stanley.

The Camp Bullis rep would say stuff like "Camp Stanley likes to keep a low profile and we are doing the talking for them." Other people in the room would grin and nod sagely. That's what got me curious.

Posted by: stace at May 29, 2016 01:45 PM (ozZau)

399 259
I can trace my family back to my great grandparents. And probably
further, but I have never tried.

I've been working on the Polish branch of mom's line. Farmers so rural that when I punch a search into Ancestry.com, it just laughs at me. So I've been poking my way through microfilmed parish records at the local LDS family history center. Much more interesting than I expected.

Philosophical question: If I'm looking through a big book of death records hoping to stumble across one pertaining to my family, is that the same thing as wishing someone would die?

Posted by: Anachronda at May 29, 2016 01:49 PM (Oi5b2)

400 I bought 2 audiobooks and the introduction has a long trigger warning about it might offend people. I am so sick of this shit.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at May 29, 2016 01:52 PM (c4yY7)

401 Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at May 29, 2016 01:52 PM (c4yY7)
---
That's ridiculous. What were they, older stuff like Mark Twain?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at May 29, 2016 01:57 PM (jR7Wy)

402 Thanks, everyone, for the awesome LOLs this morning. I am going to figure out the fuse box first and pull one until I can call the nice people at Wedell's Auto Electric, and I assume I need an electrical shop, to install a cut-off switch. I think I can handle messing with a fuse. I'll just get an extra or two just in case I manage to break it.

Posted by: Tonestaple at May 29, 2016 02:01 PM (VsZJP)

403 BTW, Palpatine, I win: it's a 95 Honday Civic DX, bottom of the line. Seattle Police told me they probably just "borrowed" my car to do a crime or two and then they would abandon it not too far away. They were right about abandoning it It's at one of the closest tow yards, so at least I don't have to cross a pass or anything to get it back. I just hope they didn't take a shit in it or something similarly psychopathic and nasty.

Posted by: Tonestaple at May 29, 2016 02:03 PM (VsZJP)

404 I wish someone would invent "the bomb"
-----------

The TV commercials would be awesome.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 29, 2016 02:53 PM (9mTYi)

405 Just got my first and last audiobook. It's not so much the book, I'm sure it will be fine, it's Audible. Apparently it costs you $15/month to be able to listen to audiobooks. I'm sure there's a free app somewhere though.

Posted by: GGE Hades of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at May 29, 2016 03:09 PM (vbvxt)

406 405
Just got my first and last audiobook. It's not so much the book, I'm
sure it will be fine, it's Audible. Apparently it costs you $15/month to
be able to listen to audiobooks. I'm sure there's a free app somewhere
though.

Posted by: GGE Hades of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at May 29, 2016 03:09 PM (vbvxt)

My MIL got an audio book for a trip and it played on a standard MP3 player. I thought almost all of them did that. Something doesn't sound right with that one you have.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 03:18 PM (vvmPQ)

407 Does anyone know a good way to secure my car from being stolen again?
--------------

Trunk monkey.

Only 30 sec. : http://tinyurl.com/h9jjqmj

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 29, 2016 03:19 PM (9mTYi)

408
Trunk monkey.

Only 30 sec. : ~~http://tinyurl.com/h9jjqmj~~
------------

Crap, linked the wrong one, here:

http://tinyurl.com/l4k3sao

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 29, 2016 03:21 PM (9mTYi)

409 Here is the first book in a series we were talking about earlier. It has two different audio versions. One is a CD with MP3 files you can load on your MP3 player. IIANM almost all of these come that way.

http://amzn.to/1P9tLLo

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at May 29, 2016 03:23 PM (vvmPQ)

410 GGE - What's up bubblehead? Keeping things under control over in your part of the state?

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 29, 2016 03:24 PM (9mTYi)

411 GGE - What's up bubblehead? Keeping things under control over in your part of the state?
--------

Oops. Forgot, you were a surface guy.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 29, 2016 03:26 PM (9mTYi)

412 Nobody reads comments past 400... But if you're out of the norm and happen to be reading this, check out "Goon" on Netflix. It is a hockey movie loosely based on a true story and is the perfect antidote to the "War on Boys and Men" miasma that we are swimming in these days.

Stay turgid, Morons.

Posted by: SnakePlizzken at May 29, 2016 05:00 PM (bNsQh)

413 "I found a paperback set of 9 volumes of the complete Diaries of Samuel
Pepys at a garage sale. What a fascinating portrait of 17th century
London! Pepys wrote a lot in his diary that was pretty risque for the
time. He really had an eye (and other parts) for the ladies. His wife
was really long suffering to put up with him."

Second this. If you can, look for the University of California edition. It's annotated to the nth degree, so you understand who Pepys is dealing with.

Volume 1 is a great read because he covers the restoration of Chuck 2 with descriptions of the executions of the regicides. He also wrote about the Great Fire in 1666 that puts you there with him.

If it's still available Kenneth Branaugh voiced an abridged version of the diary. It's available on cassette but doesn't appear to be on Audible.

Posted by: Uma Thurman's Feet at May 29, 2016 05:16 PM (ORCas)

414 Almost finished reading Stranger In a Strange Land by Heinlien. Holy crap it sucks.

Yeah, it has great concepts, and about half the book is interesting but it really loses the plot, like he took brain damage half way through writing or something

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 08:23 PM (39g3+)

415 When I started studying Russian a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to be able to write decently, so spent much time practicing. Now I have decent cursive handwriting, but if my mind wanders while I'm writing it starts coming out in Cyrillic./i]

I used to have beautiful handwriting but taking 4 1/2 years of Russian ruined it; same thing happens to me.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 08:24 PM (39g3+)

416 Yeah, it
has great concepts, and about half the book is interesting but it
really loses the plot, like he took brain damage half way through
writing or something

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 29, 2016 08:23 PM (39g3+)

In an interview Heinlein said that he stopped writing it half way through and did other things for a while, I forget what, and then went back and started up.
He wouldn't say where the break is and suggested people find it for themselves.

I read it in two tries.

I read it as a discussion on a number of things coming out of the Analog style of short story. There was a surprising amount of stories about Psi, and what it would or could or could not do.
John W. Campbell was big on Psionic stuff and a lot of it was written for Astounding/Analog. In SiaSL psionics was actually a Martian science, and incidentally addressed questions that are reserved for religion: why are we here, what is the afterlife, etc.
The question raised, as I saw it, was what would happen if A) all the big questions could be answered, B) all the big dilemmas could be resolved, and C) what would the push-back be and what would the conflict create?
(Being that it was modeled to a large degree on early perceptions of Christianity a good amount of the final point was pre-determined.)

Some poster stated a while ago that the three books, Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and SiaSL were a trilogy, in differing universes, and I think the 'Ron was right. I think it is a trilogy about the basis of honor, the basis of liberty, and the basis of conscience.

But, I think all three books at the very bottom are about self-determination:
What does a society that determines its own rules by and for its members look like, and how does it react to something as overwhelming as the attack by the Bugs?
What does the process to self determination look like, and how do you make such a society come about against the contrary tide of common sense and self interest?
What does a society that subscribes to the idea of a truly self-determined conscience look like?

I think in the last point he falls flat, but I think that is because he viewed Christianity as . . . well negative and oppressive in worldview. I disagree with him greatly and I am not a fan of the book - it reminds me of Beyond This Horizon, which was very depressing in itself and its society was oppressive in its scope, even though some of its leaders were looking for solutions to the elements that made the society be oppressive.

Anyhow, my movie review.

Posted by: Kindltot at May 29, 2016 09:19 PM (ry34m)

417
The more I see the photo of the Dad blocking the bat, the more impressed I am by him. Well done, sir!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at May 29, 2016 09:49 PM (fOgSR)

418 Thanks Kindltot, that's an interesting interpretation.

Posted by: .87c at May 30, 2016 02:20 AM (Ku6as)

419 "Can You Spot The Dad In This Photograph?"
Easy, he's the guy that brought the fat kid to a baseball game so the little snowflake could cruise the net.

Posted by: Noovuss at May 30, 2016 09:57 AM (LSOWG)

420 "I had noticed a few years back that the way the left in our country was
treating Islam and the Islamists was eerily similar to the way they
treated communism and communists back in the days of the Cold War."

The Left's totalitarian and anti-Civilizational impulses are always seeking a home. First it was "Red". Then "Green" became the new "Red". Now "Black" is the new "Green".

Posted by: furious at May 30, 2016 03:55 PM (8lw4l)

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