Sunday Morning Book Thread 02-18-2018

Good morning to all you 'rons, 'ettes, lurkers, and lurkettes. Welcome once again to the stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread, a weekly compendium of reviews, observations, and a continuing conversation on books, reading, and publishing by people who follow words with their fingers and whose lips move as they read. Unlike other AoSHQ comment threads, the Sunday Morning Book Thread is so hoity-toity, pants are required. Even if it's these pants, from George Takei's collection of pants he considers too gay.

Pic Note

A moron named 'zogger', whom I think mostly lurks, sent me this pic of his library, which you can click on to see a larger version of. Appears to be many interesting items and books here for your perusal. He says:

So here is where I keep most of my books. I have a maybe 30 more books in boxes. I used to have over 500 but I did some weeding out when I retired a few years ago. Also, I am moving toward ebooks this year.

You can see some of the technical books from my past life as a software developer. Also many chess books as I have tried over the years to get better…a losing cause I am afraid.

One shelf on the far right has part of my video collection. Plus a lot of junk on the desk top.

It Pays To Increase Your Word Power®

BARYPHONY is difficulty in speaking.

Usage: Um..ah, let me be, uh, clear, and, uh, as I've, ah, always said, er...

None Dare Call It Censorship:

“Every time I see a woman in public reading a book by a man (usually dead, usually white), I fantasize about offering her a book by a woman instead.” BACK TALK author @d_lazarin shared 6 must-reads by women, for women, with @SignatureReads. https://t.co/JyZU5zDGsW.
— Penguin Books (@PenguinBooks) February 5, 2018

Yes, well, whenever I see a woman reading a book, I leave her the hell alone, because, after all, she's a grown woman, and the fact that she's reading means she's intelligent. Which means she is fully able to make her own reading choices without a chorus of censorious scolds yammering at her about what she should and shouldn't be reading.

(fortunately, the idiot who tweeted this is getting hammered in the comments)
(h/t Chris Taylor)

Starving Artist Will Illustrate Books For Food

The daughter of the pastor of my church just graduated cum laude with her degree in Art. She is now a free-lance artist and is looking for work. Perhaps one of more of you moron authors needs a book illustrator. If so, perhaps you should contact her, or at least pay a visit to her website to see samples of her work.

Is Your Country A Sh*thole?

If so, perhaps you should be reading How the West Won: The Neglected Story of the Triumph of Modernity by Rodney Stark. It contains plenty of information you can use to turn your sh*thole country into a country that is better than a sh*thole.

How the West Won demonstrates the primacy of uniquely Western ideas—among them the belief in free will, the commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, the notion that the universe functions according to rational rules that can be discovered, and the emphasis on human freedom and secure property rights.

Progressives always hate this. They think the reason that sh*thole countries are sh*tholes is because the West turned them into sh*tholes. Not so:

Stark also debunks absurd fabrications that have flourished in the past few decades: that the Greeks stole their culture from Africa; that the West’s “discoveries” were copied from the Chinese and Muslims; that Europe became rich by plundering the non-Western world. At the same time, he reveals the woeful inadequacy of recent attempts to attribute the rise of the West to purely material causes—favorable climates, abundant natural resources, guns and steel.

Progressives believe that peace, prosperity and plenty are mankind's birthright, that they spring up naturally and every sh*thole country would have all three if it weren't for other countries stealing it from them. This is just the "Minorities would be doing great if it weren't for The Man hassling them and keeping them down" argument writ large. Progressives seriously believe this. But it's not true. The country my ancestors came from used to be a sh*thole, too, back a thousand years ago or so. But it got better, thanks to the principles discussed in Stark's book, and I am eternally grateful.

The Protestant work ethic is not a naturally-occurring, universal value.

(An ONT a few weeks back linked to this article, that describes the author's experiences in Senegal when he was in the Peace Corps. Where he was going to be working was described to him beforehand as "a fecalized environment". In other words it was, quite Literally, a sh*thole. Which, thanks to certain aspects of the prevailing culture, was not likely to change.)

Moron Recommendations

Moron 'cool breeze' recommended Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men on the Bummel (a follow-up to his classic Three Men On a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)). Here is how the GoodReads blurb describes these books:

Conceived as a fairly serious guide to amateur boating on the Thames in 1889, Jerome K. Jerome's best-known novel ended up as a hilarious account of the misadventures of three friends and a dog as they attempt to relax and enjoy themselves amid unreliable weather forecasts, imaginary illnesses, repellent cooking, and an unopenable can of pineapple chunks.Three Men in a Boat was a terrific success for its author, and a surprisingly accurate portrayal of the age. George, Harris, and J., the narrator, were entertaining representatives of the new middle class, seeking to escape the dreary world of offices and desks during weekend trips out into the countryside. Jerome's heroes proved so popular that he brought them back for an equally picaresque bicycle tour of Germany, an adventure recorded in Three Men on the Bummel. The new Introduction by Jeremy Lewis describes the social context of the two books and the remarkable life of their author.

Jerome is a keen observer of human nature, and cool breeze sent me some quotes that ring true even today, oveer a century later. Like this one:

"Of all games in the world, the one most universally and eternally popular is the game of school. You collect six children and put them on a doorstep, while you walk up and down with the book and cane. Only one thing mars it: the tendency of one and all of other six children to clamour for their turn with the book and cane. The reason, I am sure, that journalism is so popular a calling, in spite of its many drawbacks, is this: each journalist feels he is the boy walking up and down with the cane. The Government, the Classes, and the Masses, Society, Art, and Literature, are the other children sitting on the doorstep."

So journalists had a puffed-up, inflated of themselves even back them. Why does this not surprise me? The links to Jerome's books, by the way, are to gutenberg.org, so you can pick up e-copies for free.

___________

Books By Morons

Moron author Vince Milam has a new one out. According to the e-mail he sent me:

The second Case Lee novel - The New Guinea Job - has just been released. The first in the Case Lee series - The Suriname Job - sold so well Amazon Publishing (Kindle Press) picked it up, as they have for The New Guinea Job.

And, yes, our hero Case still lives on the Ace of Spades - an old wooden cruiser plying the waters of the Intracoastal Waterway. And, yes, he often refers to himself as a moron. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Heh. Here's how the blurb for the new one begins:

When a mysterious client asks former Delta Force operator Case Lee to investigate a massive New Guinea gold discovery, the job quickly unravels into an incredible world of spies, terrorists, and tribal headhunters. Case—with a sense he’s being played—walks away from the entire mess. Until life-threatening events pull him back in. This time, he’s not taking any prisoners.

Both The New Guinea Job and The Suriname Job are available on Kindle for $3.99.

___________

Meanwhile, another moron author, Jeb Kinnison, has published Nephilim, which he describes as a "Mormon Gothic YA romance-adventure":

Mt. Hermon, Utah, is the ideal small town—until forces of darkness from deep beneath the mountain lead its people astray. Sara just moved to town with her divorced mother from a wealthy Long Island suburb; her Jewish roots don’t protect her when a relentless angel comes calling. Jared has lived there all his life, and his addiction to online games and porn has his grades tumbling and his Mormon family worried. Together, Jared and Sara fight the battle of their lives against spirits from the Underworld.

A YA romance package built on a foundation of Mormon history and theology. $2.99 on Kindle.

Kinnison is also the author of the 'Substrate War' series (Red Queen, Nemo's World, and Shrivers) and also the non-fictional Death by HR: How Affirmative Action Cripples Organizations.

___________

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: OregonMuse at 08:20 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good morning book lovers

Posted by: MAC SOG and nothing will happen at February 18, 2018 08:29 AM (czkHE)

2 Ah book thread in early.

Currently re-reading the W.E. B. Griffin Marine Corps series. If any of you book thread Morons have never read any of his stuff and you like military fiction based on actual history I highly recommend this one and the one on the Army.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at February 18, 2018 08:31 AM (mpXpK)

3 Anyone have any experience with a Kindle Fire? It's not charging. Cable seems fine. It's about 5 or 6 years old. Do they just wear out?

Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 08:33 AM (+Tibp)

4 BARYPHONY how appropriate

Posted by: Random ~~lurker~~ commenter at February 18, 2018 08:34 AM (UOiT9)

5 “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

― Haruki Murakami

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:34 AM (qJtVm)

6 The daughter of the pastor of my church just graduated cum laude
with her degree in Art. She is now a free-lance artist and is looking
for work. Perhaps one of more of you moron authors needs a book
illustrator. If so, perhaps you should contact her, or at least pay a visit to her website to see samples of her work.

I have a SIL who graduated with a degree in art. She never found a job related to art. She went back and got a teaching credential and has been doing that.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at February 18, 2018 08:35 AM (mpXpK)

7 3; probably a dirty charge port. q tip, a little cleaning fluid. happened to my ipad.

Posted by: chavez the hugo at February 18, 2018 08:36 AM (KP5rU)

8 Over the last little while I've read The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis and Real Christianity by William Wilberforce.
This seems to apply to comment 5.

Posted by: Northernlurker-Teem at February 18, 2018 08:37 AM (5fRCd)

9 probably a dirty charge port. q tip, a little cleaning fluid. happened to my ipad.
Posted by: chavez the hugo

Thanks I will try that

Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 08:37 AM (+Tibp)

10 Thanks for the early book thread, OM.

Found a couple of interesting travel books at my local used book store.

Exploration of the Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia by Sir S. W. Baker, M.A., F.R.G.S., which promises “Highly exciting adventures of the author among elephants, lions, buffaloes, hippopotami, rhinoceros, etc., accompanied by expert native sword hunters” (186

.

“Africa may have some charms, but it certainly is a rather trying country; in the rainy weather we have the impenetrable high grass, the flies, and the mud; when those entertainments are over, and the grass has ripened, every variety of herb and bush is more or less armed with lances, swords, daggers, bayonets, knives, spikes, needles, pins, fish-hooks, hay-forks, harpoons, and every abomination in the shape of points, which render a leather suit indispensable to a sportsman, even in this hot climate. My knickerbockers are made of coarse but strong Arab cotton cloth, but after a walk of a few minutes I am one mass of horrible points from the spear grass; the barbed points having penetrated, break off, and my trousers are as comfortable as a hedge-hog’s skin turned inside out…”

And this is why I would only want to be an explorer in a country with a temperate clime and decent roads.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:39 AM (qJtVm)

11 from the Latin; Barry + Phony...

Posted by: The Gipper Lives at February 18, 2018 08:39 AM (Ndje9)

12 3
Anyone have any experience with a Kindle Fire? It's not charging.
Cable seems fine. It's about 5 or 6 years old. Do they just wear out?

Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 08:33 AM (+Tibp)

My SIL had an early model Kindle fire. They had a generic problem with the port the cable plugs into. Sometimes you can get a new cable with tighter contacts and it will go back to charging.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at February 18, 2018 08:41 AM (mpXpK)

13 It's too true to be good.

Posted by: The Gipper Lives at February 18, 2018 08:41 AM (Ndje9)

14 I also found Journey to the World’s End by Hakon Mielche (1941) which looks to be a chatty travelogue by a Dane who visits various and sundry places around the globe. I immediately liked the chapter heading “Concerning jaguars, giant spiders, snakes, and dynamite”. I randomly flipped through it and landed on this:

“In case the last chapter may have given the impression that we spent all of our time doing nothing but visit bars and clubs, I hasten to add that we also paid a visit to a museum.”

Touring a museum in Tierra de Fuego, the taxidermied native specimens “…looked like they had been stuffed by an upholsterer’s apprentice and the results of his work are really comical, entirely new animals which would be a sensation in the civilized world…calves with two heads and pigs with three legs, just as at the more superior fairs”.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:43 AM (qJtVm)

15 "If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking."

********

This sounds a lot deeper and more meaningful on the surface than it is when you stop and think about it. Platitude.

Posted by: Muldoon at February 18, 2018 08:44 AM (wPiJc)

16 I am reading King Solomon's Mines by Rider Haggard, in the illustrated Reader's Digest hardback version I picked up in an estate sale. I got to chapter 8, and stopped. Maybe because in my library I have every book Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote. It was a thing when I was 10-16 years old.

Started The Birth of the Modern: World Society 1815-1830, by Paul Johnson. It was Horde recommended right here. Good so far.

It's a cockroach killer of a book. Well, maybe not dog-sized Philippine cockroaches, but it is big.

If I like that I have access to Paul Johnson's Modern Times.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 08:44 AM (hyuyC)

17 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. Here's to another week of physical and intellectual improvement and delight through the written and/or spoken word.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 08:45 AM (V+03K)

18 This sounds a lot deeper and more meaningful on the surface than it is when you stop and think about it. Platitude.
---

Would you rather be hangin' with Oprah's Book Club members, or with folks here on the venerable Book Thread? Because there are some arcane tomes mentioned by the Horde.

I think it is pretty spot-on.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:46 AM (qJtVm)

19 Plus a lot of junk on the desk top.
-----------

Anyone who doesn't have a lot of junk on their desktop, doesn't have any imagination.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 18, 2018 08:47 AM (c/EDo)

20 Read 'Brazen Chariots' by Major Robert Crisp. An excellant first hand account of tank warfare against Rommel's Afrika Korps during Operation Crusader in Nov/Dec 1941. He writes of life in the desert, of making a brew (the Brits were obsessed with making tea), and the horrors of battle and dealing with it by 'obliterating the past once again by overcrowding the present.' There's humor too. He finds an abandoned British tank with the personal gear of the crew still onboard. In an officer's valise was a pair of silk pyjamas. He wore them that night. The next day itching like crazy the Medical Officer said he had crabs. The pyjamas were infested with them. The M.O. thought it quite funny and suggested dousing himself with the high octane gas they used for the Stuarts. He did. Didn't kill the crabs, just caused a lot of pain in his nethers.

Crisp had a healthy disrespect of authority. He is critical of the generals, British tank designers and their tanks in general, but seemed pleased with the M3 Light Tank 'Stuart' (they called them Honeys) they received from the U.S. Army shortly before Crusader.

Some head music.

Black Willows-Dead Mantra
https://youtu.be/WC0atW-h42M

The Temptations-Papa was a Rolling Stone
https://youtu.be/Hcqs5z0yEl4

Polkacide-In Heaven There Is No Beer
https://youtu.be/G6v_AAmAaSQ

Posted by: Jake Holenhead at February 18, 2018 08:48 AM (+ufX6)

21 Wow, the thread went up early. Great! There is no bad time for a book thread.

BTW, I love that library in the top photo. I think I own or have read a lot of the books. The Rockwell print is always funny and appropriate for this time of year.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 08:48 AM (V+03K)

22 All Hail Eris, Literate Savage

Allan Moorhead's Blue Nile is a fascinating book. One of my all time favorites.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 08:49 AM (hyuyC)

23 "I think it is pretty spot-on."

I don't know.

Seems to be an assumption that everyone who reads the same text will come away thinking exactly the same thoughts, driven by the words of the text.

And due to variations in human intelligence, background, life experiences and the effect of each individuals paradigm, that assumption is pretty much incorrect.

IMHO

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 08:50 AM (EyPfd)

24 Morning all.

Hey who is taking care Racheal Duffy-Campos's 26 kids when she is on TV?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 08:51 AM (SjImc)

25 Always thought a barphony was any guy drinking at 2am

Posted by: REDACTED at February 18, 2018 08:51 AM (VWsDy)

26 Jerome's two Three Men books are very funny. The Bummel chapter on German Law is particularly good.

Lenten reading: The Divine Comedy. But this time I'm doing it differently. I'm reading parallel cantos of each, rather than each part in order. I'm trying to see as many of the parallels/mirror images as I can.

Posted by: George LeS at February 18, 2018 08:51 AM (+TcCF)

27 @16 - I really enjoyed "The Birth of the Modern: World Society 1815-1830" as well, but it is heavy reading... literally!

Posted by: Hans G. Schantz at February 18, 2018 08:52 AM (NhF/Q)

28 I think it is pretty spot-on.

*******

Perhaps in a certain context. I was merely referring to the overly broad statement. Of course nobody reads only what everybody else is reading. But even if they did, any given individual would not think only what everybody else thought.

Thoughts stem not only from what one reads, but from one's upbringing, culture, personal experiences throughout one's life, conversations, reflections and observations. This is one of the beauties of the human condition.

Posted by: Muldoon at February 18, 2018 08:53 AM (wPiJc)

29 Also continuing with The Taking of K-129 by Josh Dean ("The Number 1 best seller in 'Submarines'!" trumpets Amazon). Dean crams so much detail in this book but he is such a deft writer that the story just flies along.

My bedside reading is Hallow Mass. Lots of chuckles at the expense of Prog college infiltration.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:53 AM (qJtVm)

30 Anyone have any experience with a Kindle Fire? It's not charging. Cable seems fine. It's about 5 or 6 years old. Do they just wear out?
===
Batteries wear out. Replace for ~$20.

Posted by: Pogomip at February 18, 2018 08:53 AM (qAl7x)

31 .Blutarski, That happened with my old Kindle Fire. When I ordered a new one, I charged the old one with the new charger cable and it worked. Probably the tighter contacts as someone else described. So now I have a spare.

Posted by: Sallynell at February 18, 2018 08:53 AM (6JKPC)

32 Batteries wear out. Replace for ~$20.
Posted by: Pogomip

Can I replace or do I need to send it in?

Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 08:54 AM (+Tibp)

33 Adam Rippon will work for NBC as a correspondent for remainder of 2018 Winter Olympics

That's kinda gay isn't it?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 08:54 AM (SjImc)

34 "Adam Rippon will work for NBC as a correspondent for remainder of 2018 Winter Olympics "

Is he gonna team up with Tara and Johnny?

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 08:56 AM (EyPfd)

35 Tolle Lege
Still working on Patrick O'Brien's Surgeon 's Mate from the Aubrey/ Maturin series. Would get more reading if I stopped posting

Posted by: Skip at February 18, 2018 08:56 AM (aC6Sd)

36 I read 'Blazing Chariots' by Major Quentin Crisp.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:56 AM (qJtVm)

37 Will be reading The Cloud of Unknowing for my Lenten reading. I have been wanting to read this book for years and found a copy in a used book store several months ago.

Posted by: MAGA at February 18, 2018 08:57 AM (LnOh3)

38 Jake Holenhead

Major Robert Crisp also wrote a quite revealing book of the campaign in Greece, The Gods Were Neutral.

I got my phrase "swanning around" from Brazen Chariots.

Alas he was killed before the end of the African Campaign at Tunis, so we lack his observations of the end of Rommel in Africa.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 08:58 AM (hyuyC)

39 I'm flying to Pensacola in early march and need a book to read.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 08:58 AM (SjImc)

40 Still slogging my way through Churchill's WWII memoirs. At my rate of reading, it's taking about month per volume. One reason for that is that I always have 2-3 reads going at the same time. Last week obtained (tip o' the hat to a Moron) 'Five Days in London, May 1940', by Lukacs, and I've been working on 'Clash of the Carriers, The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot', Tillman.

The latter is filled with minute and interesting details. A lot of effort went into the research. The writing is not terrific, but perfectly readable and always interesting.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 18, 2018 08:59 AM (7ThJ3)

41 @23
@28

*****

Whoa! Dude, it's like we were thinking exactly the same thing. Are you reading what everybody else is reading?

Posted by: Muldoon at February 18, 2018 08:59 AM (wPiJc)

42 I'm flying to Pensacola in early march and need a book to read.
Posted by: Nevergiveup
-------

See 40.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 18, 2018 09:00 AM (7ThJ3)

43 Polish PM pays respects to Nazi collaborators underground group
Photo posted on Morawieckis Twitter shows him paying his respects to the Holy Cross Mountains Brigade, which collaborated with the Wehrmacht near the end of WWII; spokesman for Polish opposition party: underground force contributed to tarnishing Polands international image.

This Polish PM just keeps on digging.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 09:00 AM (SjImc)

44 Mike Hammer

Five Days in London, May 1940

I recommended it to you. Hope you like it.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 09:01 AM (hyuyC)

45 I read 'Blazing Chariots' by Major Quentin Crisp.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:56 AM (qJtVm)

Good thing I'm not drinking coffee yet. I might have needed a new laptop.

Posted by: Jake Holenhead at February 18, 2018 09:01 AM (+ufX6)

46 I've got to remember to drop that quote by Murakami on this one well intentioned asshole in my book group, who I know thinks highly of Murakami, who slavishly follows the NYT recommendations even though I sporadically tell him that those don't mean a fucking thing to me. To his credit, his current choice, "A Brief History of Seven Killings" by Marlon James, is pretty good. The current part takes place in the shithole of Jamaica in 1976 when reggae was initially big (personally I could never stand it but a few people whose tastes I respect do like it so I won't disparage it like the dogshit Jarles Chohnson plays) and Bob Marley was regarded as a major deity. He tells a tale from various viewpoints including some Kingston thugs whose dialect is initially almost completely difficult to make sense of, other locals, a CIA guy and a Rolling Stone writer who is alternately annoying and funny ("maybe I should listen more to the Ramones"). Anybody else read this or anything else by him?

Posted by: Captain Hate at February 18, 2018 09:01 AM (y7DUB)

47 Still slogging my way through Churchill's WWII memoirs.

I read them all years ago. Great Books

And I will look into those suggestions you made. Makes the flights go faster and the stopovers

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 09:02 AM (SjImc)

48 I read the debut novel of Larry Rothman, Never Hurt Me. The book introduces LAPD homicide detective sergeant Lawrence Case. A loner, Case is a straight-arrow, dedicated cop who lives to protect the public by putting bad guys in jail.

In Never Hurt Me, Case is pitted against a fiendishly clever serial killer who devises very unique methods to kill his victims, making his getaway without leaving many clues.

Rothman does a very good job at fleshing out the backgrounds of both Case and the killer. The police dialog seems authentic with just the right amount of humor. The tension rises throughout the book and the story moves forward at a good pace. A very good first effort.

Full disclosure: The author is a friend of a friend, but I have not met Mr. Rothman.

I also read Faded Coat of Blue by Owen Parry, which was mentioned here a few weeks ago. Captain Able Jones, a Welshman and a veteran of the English wars in India and a recent immigrant to America, is wounded in the Battle of Bull Run. After recovery he is working as a quartermaster clerk when he is enrolled by General McClellan himself to find the killer of an officer who comes from Philadelphia's highest society. Soon Captain Jones is stepping on the toes of the rich and powerful.

Parry has done a great deal of research and tells the story of the mystery amid great detail of everyday life in the early months of the Civil War. A very good mystery and an interesting read. I'm glad to see that there are at least five other books in the series.

Posted by: Zoltan at February 18, 2018 09:02 AM (T8WeQ)

49 Reading The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille.
His lead characters always tend to be entertaining smart asses. Wonder if he could be a moron?

Posted by: That Deplorable SOB Van Owen at February 18, 2018 09:02 AM (ipyio)

50 "Whoa! Dude, it's like we were thinking exactly the same thing. Are you reading what everybody else is reading?"

Pretty scary...in't it?

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 09:02 AM (EyPfd)

51 Seems to be an assumption that everyone who reads the same text will come away thinking exactly the same thoughts, driven by the words of the text.

And due to variations in human intelligence, background, life experiences and the effect of each individuals paradigm, that assumption is pretty much incorrect.

IMHO
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 08:50 AM (EyPfd)

Unless they're Oprah Book Club members, in which case they'll all think what they think Oprah would want them to think.

Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (NWiLs)

52 Stark also debunks absurd fabrications that have flourished in the past few decades: that the Greeks stole their culture from Africa; that the West's "discoveries" were copied from the Chinese and Muslims; that Europe became rich by plundering the non-Western world.

========

Hey, if we're all free to invent revisionist theories how about this one: European sailors discovered North America before the American Indians. We should demand reparations from them and deport everyone on the reservations back to Asia.

Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (/qEW2)

53 I have a Samsung galaxy tablet and am worrying about its battery life, interesting thing from listening to Rush who I think might know more about smart phones than the makers of them. He was saying they have only limited recharging, he explained it all. Anyway no doubt this works just like a phone so eventually it will go. Already it keeps telling me it is charging slow and to use the original charger which of course I am( its the only one I have). I had a Kindle fire but only had it a year before I dropped it and replaced it with this. It was much better for books than the Kindle app in this.

Posted by: Skip at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (aC6Sd)

54 "Makes the flights go faster and the stopovers"

And if you're going to P-Cola, there's gonna be stopovers.

I think the only direct flight might be from Houston, or maybe Atlanta.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (EyPfd)

55 I'm flying to Pensacola in early march and need a book to read.
Posted by: Nevergiveup
-------

See 40.
Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc.

-------

Re 'Carriers'. Here is a copy, very inexpensive:
https://preview.tinyurl.com/ycumopfn

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (nBBdT)

56 Hello from Adriane -

Since I am actually awake early enough to hit the Book Thread, I would like to take the opportunity to offer a book by my friend Kim ...

The Penguin and the Wallaby

... based on true story!
: -))

Available through Amazon ...

Posted by: Adriane the Critic ... at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (AoK0a)

57 Alas he was killed before the end of the African Campaign at Tunis, so we lack his observations of the end of Rommel in Africa.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 08:58 AM (hyuyC)

No he survived. I think he died in the 90s. Don't know why he didn't write a followup book.

Posted by: Jake Holenhead at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (+ufX6)

58 Morning, all!

I'm adding 'How the West Won' to my Amazon list. Thanks for the recommendation.

At the moment, I'm reading '1177 BC: When Civilization Collapsed' by Eric H Cline. I think it was also a recommendation by the Horde, and it's very good so far (I'm only on the first chapter).

And I published another book on Friday! Next week's book thread will also have an announcement but I'm curious to see how many people read the comments vs. how many people only read the post. So, 'Test of Valor' is a historical fiction novella, available in ebook from Amazon for $1.99. Please consider supporting a starving author; it's far more charitable than saving the whales

Posted by: right wing yankee at February 18, 2018 09:06 AM (obZ4W)

59 The only book that I can see in that library that I have is Without Remorse. Good book, but not one of Clancy's best.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at February 18, 2018 09:07 AM (mpXpK)

60
"Mimic and the Space Engineer" by James David Victor - Unrelated to the movie titled "Mimic".

Three short shorties (approximately 100 pages) in a set for 99 cents with two more shorts of the same length.

https://preview.tinyurl.com/y99s7cwm (includes AOSHQ tag)

You can read all five in a day. The Alien is humanized, the Engineer is a sympathetic character - a love starved young man with low self esteem. It is a simple story; a pleasant diversion from reality and was perfect for the mood I was in.

A story for boys, and reasonably priced. I recommend all five.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at February 18, 2018 09:07 AM (roQNm)

61 >>>I fantasize about offering her a book by a woman instead.

What if the woman is a black midget? Would a book by a woman be preferable to a book by a black midget? Exactly how are these factors weighted? Also, is she allowed to finish the book first before starting to read the suggested one?

Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at February 18, 2018 09:07 AM (/qEW2)

62 Blutarski-esque, my old kindle fire has the same trouble. I clean the port, wiggle the cord, place the kindle *just so*, and swear at it until either the light comes on or I set it aside to try again later.

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 09:09 AM (e8PP1)

63 And I suppose you'll want a link (now with spaces!) to Test of Valor:

https://www.amazon.com/Test-Valor-Blake-Smith
-ebook/dp/B079VPFP9N/ref=sr_1_1?ie=
UTF8qid=1518962325sr=8-1
keywords=test+of+valor+blake+smith

Posted by: right wing yankee at February 18, 2018 09:09 AM (obZ4W)

64 nbc has decided to go all gay, all the time. that's a yuge demographic. good luck, dipshits.

Posted by: chavez the hugo at February 18, 2018 09:10 AM (KP5rU)

65 Using as a devotional "40 days with Wesley" by Rev Rueben Job, which contains an opening prayer, scripture, reading from John Wesley, a reflection,a second reading from Wesley, time for reflection and journaling and blessing. We are on Day 5. I like it very much so far!

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at February 18, 2018 09:10 AM (8+Ozj)

66 Jake Holenhead

Thank you. I did not know that.

He was badly injured and not expected to live, the last word I saw of him.

Shrapnel in the brain, and all that. This modern internet is an amazing thing.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 09:10 AM (hyuyC)

67 I find shit-hole country offensive. Prefer turd-world nation.

Posted by: Valiant at February 18, 2018 09:10 AM (3MiF8)

68 I finished reading A Long Time Until Now by Michael Z. Williamson.. The story is about a group of 10 US military types getting whisked back to about 20,000 BC. Williamson's writing style is good, but the novel dwells excessively on the challenges of building a camp, palisades, shelters and latrines. The story finally gets interesting when the ancient Romans and some guys from the future so up. My advise is read Chapter 1, skip to about page 350 (you're going miss almost nothing of importance) and finish reading the book. There was a good yarn in there but Williamson got too focused on the survival in primitive conditions aspect of the story and went down the rabbit-hole on that thought experiment. Rating = 3.0/5.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 09:11 AM (5Yee7)

69 Sheesh! I've just started the book thread and have already put half a dozen books on the 'to be checked into' list. This thread is always dangerous to my budget but this week is becoming alarming.

Hope the used book store (for non-moron books) is well stocked.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 09:11 AM (V+03K)

70 Since we just left Tombstone on our trek across the country, my husband gave me "Doc" by Mary Doria Russell. Great detail on Doctor John Holiday and all the people he encountered out West. Good read. I'm going to start the second one, "Epitaph: A story of the O.K. Corral".

Posted by: Abby at February 18, 2018 09:11 AM (GRCND)

71 "If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking."

Haruki Murakami

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:34 AM (qJtVm)

I suspect that is the point of those 'six female authors you *must* read' people. How dare a woman expand her mind beyond "female authors" or just want a interesting story with interesting characters?

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 09:12 AM (rp9xB)

72 53
I have a Samsung galaxy tablet and am worrying about its battery life,
interesting thing from listening to Rush who I think might know more
about smart phones than the makers of them. He was saying they have only
limited recharging, he explained it all. Anyway no doubt this works
just like a phone so eventually it will go. Already it keeps telling me
it is charging slow and to use the original charger which of course I
am( its the only one I have). I had a Kindle fire but only had it a year
before I dropped it and replaced it with this. It was much better for
books than the Kindle app in this.

Posted by: Skip at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (aC6Sd)

I have a Galaxy Tab II that I used constantly for a few years and the battery started getting weak. It would still work and charge but would not hold the charge long. So I had to use it with the charger still plugged in all the time. I replaced with with an 8" Gal Tab A and use it now all the time. The original cable started giving problems in which my computer would not "see it" when I plugged it in. I put a new cable on it and it went back to working fine.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at February 18, 2018 09:12 AM (mpXpK)

73 Vic: I've re-read the W.E.B.G Marine Corps series twice.

The abandonment of the story regarding the Mongolia mission has always pissed me off. Suddenly... it's Korea.
Irritating as hell.

Last Christmas, I gave my brother-in-law (another fan of Killer McCoy) a WWII British military marked Fairbairn for Christmas.

...absolving me of ever having to get him another present.

I have a Fairbairn Colt 1903 -Shanghai Municipal Police issue, and an SMP marked Fairbairn. Prized possessions.

Posted by: retropox at February 18, 2018 09:13 AM (4EZTx)

74 Adam Rippon will work for NBC as a correspondent for remainder of 2018 Winter Olympics "

Ah. To give valued insights as to what VP Pence thinks of various events and performers, no doubt.

Posted by: Anon a mouse at February 18, 2018 09:13 AM (7LY+6)

75 Still slogging my way through Churchill's WWII memoirs.

I read them all years ago. Great Books Posted by: Nevergiveup

No spoilers, please.

Posted by: The Gipper Lives at February 18, 2018 09:14 AM (Ndje9)

76 Currently attempting to read Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking". Well written, but it's a bit like reading about a train wreck as it unfolds.

Posted by: SJW Hrothgar at February 18, 2018 09:14 AM (gwPgz)

77 Kindle Daily Deals today has a ton of shit books by progtard celebs. But I did get "Never Look at the Empty Seats" a memoir by Charlie Daniels. I've been a fan for decades and heard Charlie interviewed. This should be an enjoyable read. It has 90 percent 5 star reviews on Amazon.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 09:16 AM (V+03K)

78 If Adam Rippon can use a microwave, he'll have his own show on the cooking channel within a year.

Posted by: REDACTED at February 18, 2018 09:16 AM (VWsDy)

79 78: Awesome.

Posted by: chavez the hugo at February 18, 2018 09:16 AM (KP5rU)

80 "The Year of Magical Thinking' saved me in the first months of my widowhood. It is the only book I ever annotated. Every page is packed with truth.

Posted by: vivi at February 18, 2018 09:17 AM (11H2y)

81 Well, I went up to an antique rifle show in KY last weekend and for a wonder came back without buying any books, largely because I already had most everything that was on sale in my interest range. I did get a bunch of "how-to" DVDs (blacksmithing, stock carving, gun barrel work, and forging a flintlock from scratch) and a couple of doo-dads.

However, I did just manage to get a copy of an out-of-print book on Appalachian hunting pouches that I've been looking for for years. Rather pleased about that.

Posted by: Grey Fox at February 18, 2018 09:17 AM (bZ7mE)

82 "A book by a woman author"

Mary Renault was recommend on the book thread two(?) weeks ago. I bought three used books, cheap.

I don't think they are my kind of story.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at February 18, 2018 09:18 AM (roQNm)

83 No spoilers, please."

Ah, the Germans didn't win.

Posted by: Anon a mouse at February 18, 2018 09:18 AM (7LY+6)

84 Excuses for US olympic athletes:
Trump sucks, Pence sucks, #MeToo, food no good, it's too cold, it's too windy, Global warming, climate change, Park City training complex not good enough, I'm a victim, Ihave the flu, I have a cold, i have my period, rink ice soft. ski run too icy, i'm getting hit on, Europeans want it more, not enough blacks, whole thing is based around in- equality, broke a nail, trouble sleeping, time zones, too much pressure. On and on.

European women:
Ledecka won a gold on a pair of borrowed skis.

Posted by: redenzo at February 18, 2018 09:18 AM (14qvS)

85 vivi at February 18, 2018 09:17 AM (11H2y)

Please accept my condolences ...

Posted by: Adriane the Critic ... at February 18, 2018 09:18 AM (AoK0a)

86 Right Wing Yankee:
Looks like it may have echoes of William Marshal. I'll give it a read.

Posted by: That Deplorable SOB Van Owen at February 18, 2018 09:20 AM (ipyio)

87 84; nailed it.

Posted by: chavez the hugo at February 18, 2018 09:20 AM (KP5rU)

88 15 "If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking."

********

This sounds a lot deeper and more meaningful on the surface than it is when you stop and think about it. Platitude.

Posted by: Muldoon at February 18, 2018 08:44 AM (wPiJc)
---------------------------------

The corollary is "when everybody in the room thinks the same, nobody is doing any thinking" which is one of my ways to identify leftist thinking.

Posted by: Boots at February 18, 2018 09:20 AM (EBwPV)

89 Ah, what light upon yonder window breaks ... it is the book-thread!
I finished Connie Willis' "Blackout" a couple of nights ago, and now into the first couple of chapters of the follow-on book, "All Clear." It's heavy going, although to be clear, I love her writing, the scene-setting and research are superb - but, yeesh, what a slog! Blackout is over 500 pages, and All Clear is over 600. All kinds of tiny sub-plots and minor characters who might turn out to be significant, and everything but the kitchen sink about WWII-era Great Britain. Seriously, I wonder if the whole thing couldn't have been pared down into a single volume with just as much tension and impact.

On a past thread recommendation, I ordered Owen Parry's "Faded Coat of Blue" (Abel Jones Book 1) and received it on Friday. It's next on my to-read stack; the sample pages on Amazon were terrific and all thanks to the 'Rons who recommended the series!

Working away on the last sequence for Luna City #6, which I think to have out there by April, for all those waiting with bated breath to find out about the human skull found during excavations for the Mills Farm expansion...

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (xnmPy)

90 74 Adam Rippon will work for NBC as a correspondent for remainder of 2018 Winter Olympics "

Ah. To give valued insights as to what VP Pence thinks of various events and performers, no doubt.
Posted by: Anon a mouse at February 18, 2018 09:13 AM (7LY+6)

It's now officially the Homolympics.

Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (NWiLs)

91 Excuses for US olympic athletes:"

You noticed that trend as well, I see.

It's interesting - the spin at first (NBC) was "yay, you h8ters we're gonna win everthing Trump/Pence sucks" to
"whoops. We really didn't mean that"
to now:
"Well, isn't it nice the rest of the world gets to win"

It's making the coverage fun to watch again.

Chicago is OUT?????

Posted by: Anon a mouse at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (7LY+6)

92 >>>Every time I see a woman in public reading a book by a man (usually dead, usually white)

Maya Angelou is dead. Does that mean the push to get people to read her crappy poetry will be abandoned? I'm trying to understand what the standard is here. The word is obviously there for a reason.

Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (/qEW2)

93 Reading The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille.
His lead characters always tend to be entertaining smart asses. Wonder if he could be a moron?
Posted by: That Deplorable SOB Van Owen at February 18, 2018 09:02 AM (ipyio)

That was my read for this week as well. One of my old college profs is friends with DeMille. Knowing my prof, who used to infiltrate Weather Underground meetings while he was in college, I'd say DeMille's "Moron status" is a definite yes.

The Cuban Affair provides a timely look at that little s-hole off Florida we take for granted most of the time. The book puts the lie to those TV ads for Cuban cruises showing Cuba as a vibrant place with relaxed people. Hah! The setting for the story, which was a "meh" for me, is invaluable.

The protagonist has a habit of answering questions and also telling us what's really on his mind in the following sentence. I was constantly backtracking to see if he really said things out loud.

All in all, definitely recommended.

Posted by: SandyCheeks at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (ihzOe)

94 And if you're going to P-Cola, there's gonna be stopovers.

I think the only direct flight might be from Houston, or maybe Atlanta.
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 09:04 AM (EyPfd)

Yup. From NJ I have to go thru Charlotte, Dallas, or Atlanta. Or even Miami

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 09:22 AM (SjImc)

95 Kenneth Clarke, upon England's loss to Germany in the 1990 FIFA World Cup Semi-final: "Isn't it terrible about losing to the Germans at our national sport?"

Margaret Thatcher: "They might have beaten us at our national sport, but we managed to beat them at their national sport twice in the 20th century."

Sadly, it looks like Islam is winning the war.

Posted by: The Gipper Lives at February 18, 2018 09:23 AM (Ndje9)

96 It's now officially the Homolympics.
Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (NWiLs)

They love gatekeeping

Posted by: REDACTED at February 18, 2018 09:23 AM (VWsDy)

97 If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.

Haruki Murakami

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 08:34 AM (qJtVm)

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

Not true. People tend to bring their own experiences into everything they read and, therefore, see different thing in during the process of reading. Sometimes, the reader will see something wildly different than what was intended by the author.

Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 09:25 AM (WEBkv)

98 Oh and last night I was in a pub for a late dinner and they had their TV's tuned to the Olympics. Which was the first time I've watched this year's Olympics. Thankfully it was audio-free, so pictures only without any of the SJW nonsense others have remarked upon here at AoSHQ.

The ski jump competition where they ski backwards down the hill, and then take off from the jumps backwards, wow!

That was the only thing that caught & kept my attention.

Posted by: Boots at February 18, 2018 09:25 AM (EBwPV)

99 Good morning, bookies.

Posted by: RI Redbot - Now, with & Platinum Membership at February 18, 2018 09:25 AM (HQfxm)

100 Anyone have any experience with a Kindle Fire? It's not charging. Cable seems fine. It's about 5 or 6 years old. Do they just wear out?
Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 08:33 AM (+Tibp)

In a related experience, I've been having major trouble with iTunes lately and have spent countless hours on the phone with Apple support. The young tech I had yesterday was OBSESSED with cords. I told him they were practically brand new and appeared perfect, but he had me switch cords to devices every couple minutes! So who knows? Could be a cord thing.

Posted by: SandyCheeks at February 18, 2018 09:25 AM (ihzOe)

101 It's now officially the Homolympics.

Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (NWiLs)

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

Normally, I watch my language, but this deserves a hearty, Oh, FFS!

Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 09:26 AM (WEBkv)

102 "The corollary is "when everybody in the room thinks the same, nobody is doing any thinking" which is one of my ways to identify leftist thinking."

It's not really too often that I get into a nit-pic, but for some reason the previously mentioned quote is digging at me.

And for that, I apologize.

But...I don't see the corollary at all.

One view is that if everyone reads the same words, they will think the same way.

The other is that in a group where all think the same way, there is no true thinking taking place.

Not equal.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 09:26 AM (EyPfd)

103 I have every book Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote. It was a thing when I was 10-16 years old.
....
Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 08:44 AM (hyuyC)

I read everything that ERB wrote that was available in paperback back in the 1970s when I was the same age. Burroughs is a bit formulaic: hero goes to unexplored world, finds and wins the true love of the buxom and scantily clad princess, but still fun. I don't have any ERB books anymore except for a 1st edition Tarzan. I was idly flipping through it a while back and the story actually gets a bit gruesome in parts -- the novel must have been ground-breaking when published.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 09:27 AM (5Yee7)

104 Chicago is OUT?????
Posted by: Anon a mouse at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (7LY+6)

My favorite Olympic moment ever.

Posted by: Captain Hate at February 18, 2018 09:27 AM (y7DUB)

105 ...I've been working on 'Clash of the Carriers, The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot', Tillman.

The latter is filled with minute and interesting details. A lot of effort went into the research. The writing is not terrific, but perfectly readable and always interesting.
Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 18, 2018 08:59 AM (7ThJ3)

I'd recommend a look at Fighters Over the Fleet by Norman Friedman. He doesn't talk about the battles themselves, rather it's an account of the development of fleet air defense. Puts it all into perspective, what the problems were, how they were solved, and how the enemy worked around the solutions.

Posted by: George LeS at February 18, 2018 09:29 AM (+TcCF)

106 "Every time I see a woman in public reading a book by a man (usually dead, usually white), I fantasize about offering her a book by a woman instead..."

And why does Penguin employ such a hyperpolitical jackass?

Posted by: pst314 at February 18, 2018 09:29 AM (16pX7)

107 73
Vic: I've re-read the W.E.B.G Marine Corps series twice.

The abandonment of the story regarding the Mongolia mission has always pissed me off. Suddenly... it's Korea.

Irritating as hell.

Last Christmas, I gave my brother-in-law (another fan of Killer McCoy) a WWII British military marked Fairbairn for Christmas.

...absolving me of ever having to get him another present.

I have a Fairbairn Colt 1903 -Shanghai Municipal Police issue, and an SMP marked Fairbairn. Prized possessions.

Posted by: retropox at February 18, 2018 09:13 AM (4EZTx)

He skips around like that in the Army series too. When re-reading I re-order the way I read them.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at February 18, 2018 09:30 AM (mpXpK)

108 So she should start with Ann Rand?

Posted by: Fox2! at February 18, 2018 09:30 AM (brIR5)

109 The protagonist has a habit of answering questions and also telling us what's really on his mind in the following sentence. I was constantly backtracking to see if he really said things out loud.

All in all, definitely recommended.
Posted by: SandyCheeks at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (ihzOe)

Sandy, I had the same problem, but made worse by listening to it on cd. "Did he really say that?"

Posted by: RI Redbot - Now, with & Platinum Membership at February 18, 2018 09:31 AM (HQfxm)

110 75 Still slogging my way through Churchill's WWII memoirs.

I read them all years ago. Great Books Posted by: Nevergiveup

No spoilers, please.
Posted by: The Gipper Lives at February 18, 2018 09:14 AM (Ndje9)

Reminds me of when we Band of Brothers came on. My wife got into it. At one point I said to her "I don't mean to spoil it, dear, but we win."

Posted by: George LeS at February 18, 2018 09:33 AM (+TcCF)

111 Maya Angelou is dead.

*******

NOW I know why the caged bird lies motionless at the bottom of the cage.

Posted by: Muldoon at February 18, 2018 09:33 AM (wPiJc)

112 I was idly flipping through it a while back and the story actually gets a bit gruesome in parts -- the novel must have been ground-breaking when published.
Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 09:27 AM (5Yee7)

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

Yeah, the storyline after Lord Greystoke thought Jane had been murdered by the Germans was interesting.

As kid, reading about Tarzan turning a lion loose on those evil Germans was something else.

Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 09:33 AM (WEBkv)

113 NOW I know why the caged bird lies motionless at the bottom of the cage

Maya stopped feeding it.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 09:34 AM (meYfp)

114 Would you rather be hangin' with Oprah's Book Club members, or with folks here on the venerable Book Thread? Because there are some arcane tomes mentioned by the Horde.

After getting sucked into Okra's book selections decades ago, I learned decades ago after the first few, that they inhaled mightily. Now when I see a book advertised with her recommendation, I automatically look at it like Dracula and a cross.

Posted by: SandyCheeks at February 18, 2018 09:35 AM (ihzOe)

115 It's not really too often that I get into a nit-pic, but for some reason the previously mentioned quote is digging at me.

And for that, I apologize.

But...I don't see the corollary at all.

One view is that if everyone reads the same words, they will think the same way.
----
Didn't think the quote would be that problematic!

In my limited experience, people who think the same way tend to all read the same books.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 09:35 AM (qJtVm)

116 Right Wing Yankee:

Looks like it may have echoes of William Marshal. I'll give it a read.

Posted by: That Deplorable SOB Van Owen at February 18, 2018 09:20 AM (ipyio)

Thanks! It's not nearly as epic as Marshal's life- a life that should have been turned into a tv miniseries long before now- but it's a fun way to kill a couple hours. If you like it, please put up a review- I don't have many forms of advertising yet, and reviews are like gold to me.

Posted by: right wing yankee at February 18, 2018 09:36 AM (obZ4W)

117 As kid, reading about Tarzan turning a lion loose on those evil Germans was something else.

He thought they were Illinois Nazis.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 09:36 AM (meYfp)

118 In my limited experience, people who think the same way tend to all read the same books.
Posted by: All Hail Eris
----
Or perhaps don*t read at all.

Posted by: Tonypete at February 18, 2018 09:36 AM (tr2D7)

119 101 It's now officially the Homolympics.

Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 09:21 AM (NWiLs)

Isn't that just going back to the original Olympic idea?

Posted by: George LeS at February 18, 2018 09:37 AM (+TcCF)

120 After getting sucked into Okra's book selections decades ago, I learned decades ago after the first few, that they inhaled mightily. Now when I see a book advertised with her recommendation, I automatically look at it like Dracula and a cross.
Posted by: SandyCheeks at February 18, 2018 09:35 AM (ihzOe)
-------
"You simply must read Three Cups of Tea!" I've had that one pressed on me and instinctively recoiled.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 09:38 AM (qJtVm)

121 Isn't that just going back to the original Olympic idea?

Posted by: George LeS

Them Greek Homolympians

Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 09:38 AM (+Tibp)

122 "Every time I see a woman in public reading a book by a man (usually dead, usually white), I fantasize about offering her a book by a woman instead..."

Every time I read in public, I thank God no one tries to throw acid in my face or beat me to death.

Posted by: no good deed at February 18, 2018 09:39 AM (eIQHF)

123 The only thing missing from Zogger's picture is a red Swingline.

Posted by: Marooned at February 18, 2018 09:39 AM (8hRlF)

124 "In my limited experience, people who think the same way tend to all read the same books."

And this, I do agree with.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 09:41 AM (EyPfd)

125 It's been a week for starting books, leafing through magazines and sampling some references.

The new issue of Backwoodsman magazine arrived which is always a good thing. I've been looking through some of my fly tying and fishing books to go along with learning about the colonial era fly fishing I mentioned last week.

One of the books I started was "Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years" by Elizabeth Barber. It was recommended here last week (sorry I can't recall who but thanks). Damn interesting so far as the author lays out the importance of cloth production in very ancient times, how it helped shape, or made use of, male/female roles in a culture, and how cloth was made. It is instructional and informative so far. And Barber is accomplished in both fiber arts and archeology.

I did have to laugh at some of the Amazon reviews for the book. A few took the feminist approach that this is some kind of long overdue acknowledgement that women were important in ancient times. Duh! Oh yeah, that thought never occured to anyone before.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 09:42 AM (V+03K)

126 Vic: I don't mind the jumping about, so much as not ending the WWII era with a story, before jumping to Inchon.
He just abandoned Bannion and crew - presumably in Mongolia. He could have thrown in China Station at Kungming as a plot point, and added Julia Child as a minor character.

Posted by: retropox at February 18, 2018 09:42 AM (4EZTx)

127 I'd recommend finishing King Solomon's Mines. For one thing, the final battle shows one thing the left cannot comprehend. Here is Haggard, a Victorian imperialist if ever there was one, and he paints a clear parallel and equality between an Englishman and an African.

There's also the part about the English sailor and the African girl loving one another. Of course, actual consummation is unthinkable to Haggard. But it's treated quite sympathetically as tragic, not at all the foaming-mouthed rant they want to believe would be Haggard's attitude. (Which, granted, you do find in The Clansman. D W Griffiths toned down the racism a lot.)

Posted by: George LeS at February 18, 2018 09:43 AM (+TcCF)

128 The only thing missing from Zogger's picture is a red Swingline.

Maybe he doesn't WANNA have his pages stapled together by a kid or a grandkid.

Or a cat.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 09:43 AM (meYfp)

129 100: no offense, but, you were talking to a dipshit. every time itunes updates, it fucks the root registry.

Posted by: chavez the hugo at February 18, 2018 09:43 AM (KP5rU)

130 I did have to laugh at some of the Amazon reviews for the book. A few took the feminist approach that this is some kind of long overdue acknowledgement that women were important in ancient times. Duh! Oh yeah, that thought never occured to anyone before.
Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 09:42 AM (V+03K)

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

I'm tempted to look up those bad reviews and lay the following from Proverbs on them:

Proverbs 31:10-31

In part:

10 A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. 11 Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it.

Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 09:45 AM (WEBkv)

131 In my limited experience, people who think the same way tend to all read the same books.
Posted by: All Hail Eris
----
Or perhaps don*t read at all.
Posted by: Tonypete at February 18, 2018 09:36 AM (tr2D7)

^^^^ THIS ^^^^

Crazy Leftist sister-in-law's and Leftist brother-in-law's house has ZERO bookshelves. I only see them once or twice a year (mainly to drink free beer) and they have learned to avoid talking politics around me because I am vastly more well-read than they are and dismantle their feeble "thoughts" to the amusement of the rest of the family.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 09:46 AM (5Yee7)

132 81 ... Grey Fox,

What is the title and author for that Appalachian hunting pouch book? Sounds interesting.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 09:46 AM (V+03K)

133 100: no offense, but, you were talking to a dipshit. every time itunes updates, it fucks the root registry.

I guess an angel doesn't get its wings either.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 09:46 AM (meYfp)

134 I fear my memory of Brazen Chariots may be faulty, but doesn't he mention shooting a Brit army tank because he doesn't recognize it? That would have to have been a Stuart, as all the other tanks they used in Crusader were their own design. (The Valentine wasn't that bad.)

The crabs story puzzles me. While Operation Crusader was being fought, my father was training with the RCAF. (For him, "going to Canada" during the war had a very different meaning than for the boomers.) Anyway, he said that it was simply mandatory to hose down with a blue anti-crab liquid whenever you returned from leave. It was just assumed that you'd likely need it. Would the Canadian Air Force have something like that - in standard use - which the British army lacked?

Posted by: George LeS at February 18, 2018 09:49 AM (+TcCF)

135 I am reading a ton of potato chip books right now. Nothing really to recommend, but I am entertained.

Posted by: no good deed at February 18, 2018 09:49 AM (eIQHF)

136 >>>Adam Rippon will work for NBC as a correspondent for remainder of 2018 Winter Olympics

Now NBC gets to promote a loudmouthed homosexual as an attempt to say FU to the administration. Another example of how liberals reward bad behavior for personal advantage. But what happens when children and teens see that bad behavior is rewarded?

Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at February 18, 2018 09:49 AM (/qEW2)

137 10 A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. 11 Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it.
Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 09:45 AM (WEBkv)

The Paolo, he is discreet.

Posted by: Paolo at February 18, 2018 09:50 AM (NWiLs)

138 For the food faddists here, and WWII buffs, and bookies:

I enjoyed "A Covert Affair" by Jennet Conant.
It's about Julia Child in the OSS.

...even though Conant is married to that dipshit Steve Kroft.

Posted by: retropox at February 18, 2018 09:50 AM (4EZTx)

139 What is the title and author for that Appalachian hunting pouch book? Sounds interesting.

Jim Webb, "Sketches of hunting pouches, powder horns, and accoutrements of Southern Appalachia." There is something like three different variants out there - a 50 page one published in 1990, a 200+ version from 1998, and a colorized version from a couple years ago that immediately sold out. I've got the '98 version.

Posted by: Grey Fox at February 18, 2018 09:51 AM (bZ7mE)

140 I am reading a ton of potato chip books right now

What's a potato chip book ?

Titles ?

Authors ?

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 09:52 AM (meYfp)

141 "The corollary is "when everybody in the room thinks the same, nobody is doing any thinking" which is one of my ways to identify leftist thinking."

It's not really too often that I get into a nit-pic, but for some reason the previously mentioned quote is digging at me.

And for that, I apologize.

But...I don't see the corollary at all.

One view is that if everyone reads the same words, they will think the same way.

The other is that in a group where all think the same way, there is no true thinking taking place.

Not equal.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2018 09:26 AM (EyPfd)
--------------------------------------

Having had to nit-pic when my kids had lice that one and thankfully only time in elementary school, I don't want to take on the nit-pic challenge, just to say that in my case, living in blue area of a blue state, I encounter people all day long who promote leftism without ever thinking about how destructive it is. And always justify it with some scrap of something they once read and can't forget. And they reinforce it with group-think in public.

Although, some leftists can wake up when the destruction hits them where they live. A subsidized housing development has been proposed for my little community, and it will be studio apartments to house basically the long term homeless. Over 20 apartments on a tiny lot that in this town should have a single family home, or a 2-unit duplex, and the first subsidized development of any kind.

Some of the leftists living the closest to this development are fighting it, and their shaming by the leftists who live further away has begun. The leftists in proximity to this development seem to be discovering new ideas about property rights that never occurred to them before now. It's a beautiful thing, although if it gets out of hand and the development goes through I'll probably have to move :-(

Posted by: Boots at February 18, 2018 09:52 AM (EBwPV)

142 Thanks all, Love the Book Thread

Great pic from zogger, I could get lost snooping thru his titles.

Three Men on the Bummel was also free on Kindle at some point, It's part of my 'free' audible library. There's a Kindle Unlimited "trick" that's enabled me to get a load of free classics to my audible account. If you have an active KU account, search KU titles with audible narration & by price.
If a book is $0 and is also "read & listen" you can 'buy' for free. You need to download a book as one of your ten titles before you 'buy' if for $ 0. Selection on Kindle Unlimited varies greatly, I've joined 3 or 4 times, but only for a month at a time. I also distrust digital media, so have no great faith that I won't loose these titles at some point.

Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike -formerly; Southeast PA lurker at February 18, 2018 09:53 AM (vFHFh)

143 Women are too stupid to pick out their own books and must be guided.

Posted by: washrivergal at February 18, 2018 09:53 AM (tcwn1)

144 What's a potato chip book ?

You know, not a lot of substance, and you can blow through them quickly.

Posted by: no good deed at February 18, 2018 09:54 AM (eIQHF)

145 Zogger has everything for the Moron Horde: Chandler, Asimov, Douglas Adams, Cussler, wildlife photography, technical firearms books, military history, Ayn Rand, Louis Lamour, some sort of wiring project on the desk, and a jar full of brass.

Only thing missing is the foreign language dictionaries, puppets, figurines, knives of odd provenance and interesting mechanical contraptions tucked in odd corners.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 18, 2018 09:55 AM (2K6fY)

146 Adam Rippon will work for NBC as a correspondent for remainder of 2018 Winter Olympics

Now NBC gets to promote a loudmouthed homosexual as an attempt to say FU to the administration. Another example of how liberals reward bad behavior for personal advantage. But what happens when children and teens see that bad behavior is rewarded?
Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at February 18, 2018 09:49 AM (/qEW2)

What NBC gets is low ratings. I have basically not watch i minute of these here olympics. Just like lebron can shove the nba up his ass, I don't watch that no more either. Thank G-D for baseball and the History channel

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 09:55 AM (SjImc)

147 Oh.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 09:55 AM (meYfp)

148 143 Women are too stupid to pick out their own books and must be guided.
Posted by: washrivergal at February 18, 2018 09:53 AM (tcwn1)

And yet they are allowed to vote. Sad!

Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 09:55 AM (NWiLs)

149 By the way would it be wrong of me to say that rippon sounds like a fag? Not that there is anything wrong with that?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 09:56 AM (SjImc)

150 126
Vic: I don't mind the jumping about, so much as not ending the WWII era with a story, before jumping to Inchon.

He just abandoned Bannion and crew - presumably in Mongolia. He
could have thrown in China Station at Kungming as a plot point, and
added Julia Child as a minor character.

Posted by: retropox at February 18, 2018 09:42 AM (4EZTx)

Yeah that was aggravating. I figured he was having problems finding material for the latter WWII stuff. But at the same time he was starting new series on other topics like Spies and the Philly PD. Those I read a few and just dropped.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at February 18, 2018 09:56 AM (mpXpK)

151 Crazy Leftist sister-in-law's and Leftist brother-in-law's house has ZERO bookshelves.
---
How is this even possible.

Who can live like this?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 09:56 AM (qJtVm)

152 Women are too stupid to pick out their own books and must be guided.
Posted by: washrivergal at February 18, 2018 09:53 AM (tcwn1)

I bet I am not the only one who read that as

Women are too stupid to pick out their own boobs?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 09:57 AM (SjImc)

153 Awright, off to see "Lady Bird".

Everybody behave. No donnybrooks!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 09:57 AM (qJtVm)

154 143 Women are too stupid to pick out their own books and must be guided.
Posted by: washrivergal at February 18, 2018 09:53 AM (tcwn1)

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

Hmm, I wonder if I can introduce Lazarin to an 'ette or three and convince them to go on and tell the 'ette's what to read?

Although, I'd probably have to forewarn the 'ettes and and extract a promise of stopping just short of disembowelment.

Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 09:57 AM (WEBkv)

155 153 Awright, off to see "Lady Bird".

Everybody behave. No donnybrooks!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 09:57 AM (qJtVm)

All right. Hullabaloo it is!

Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 09:58 AM (NWiLs)

156 Who can live like this?

A couple of my dear friends read only one or two books a year. It blows my mind. I've been a voracious reader ever since I learned how to read.

Posted by: no good deed at February 18, 2018 09:59 AM (eIQHF)

157 Zogger's reads C J Box.

His books are interesting and enjoyable.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 09:59 AM (meYfp)

158 Reading The Confederacy as a Revolutionary Experience by Emory M. Thomas. Interesting. He describes how the Confederacy become more centralized and authoritarian as the war progressed, in contrast to its initial vision of a return to very limited central government.

Posted by: Skookumchuk at February 18, 2018 10:01 AM (TKmA0)

159 Did I really need to put a sarc tag on what I wrote, 'cause I thought I was being plainly sarcastic.

Posted by: washrivergal at February 18, 2018 10:02 AM (tcwn1)

160 Three Men on the Bummel can be found at Gutenberg.com

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2183

Jerome K Jerome was also the editor of The Idler, a humorous magazine. Kipling was the other candidate for the editor post, by the way.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 18, 2018 10:02 AM (2K6fY)

161 146: who in the hell is lebron? obammies lost son?

Posted by: chavez the hugo at February 18, 2018 10:02 AM (KP5rU)

162 And yet they are allowed to vote. Sad!
Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 09:55 AM (NWiLs)

Didn't Jimmy Kimmel, in his pre-woke Man Show days, do a woman-on-the-street gag where he had them sign a petition to End Women's Suffrage? Multiple California(?) gals didn't know the definition of "suffrage" and thought it meant "suffering."

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 10:02 AM (5Yee7)

163 156 Who can live like this?

A couple of my dear friends read only one or two books a year. It blows my mind. I've been a voracious reader ever since I learned how to read.
Posted by: no good deed at February 18, 2018 09:59 AM (eIQHF)

++

I can't. I have to have a book on the back-burner at all times. I cannot be without a book to read. Ever.

Posted by: washrivergal at February 18, 2018 10:03 AM (tcwn1)

164 I bet I am not the only one who read that as

Women are too stupid to pick out their own boobs?

the last time I misread something and admitted it, I thought Maria Bartiromo was sitting on a union guy's face.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:04 AM (meYfp)

165 JT, I love C. J. Box, except for one thing: how many times can his wife and daughters be in mortal danger, fer cryin' out loud?

I'll still read everything he writes, though.

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 10:04 AM (e8PP1)

166 Damn,

in my post at #60 about "Mimic" I wrote "the Engineer is a sympathetic character - a love starved young man with low self esteem. "

Now that I have had coffee, I should have written "the Engineer is a sympathetic character - a love starved young man with low self esteem who does acts of heroism.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at February 18, 2018 10:04 AM (roQNm)

167 139 ... Thanks Grey Fox. I'll keep an eye open for the 98 or later version. At the moment, Amazon says they are unavailable and B and N doesn't list it at all.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 10:05 AM (V+03K)

168 I love C. J. Box, except for one thing: how many times can his wife and daughters be in mortal danger, fer cryin' out loud?

UMMMM... I was told there would be no math .

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:06 AM (meYfp)

169
Good Sunday, readers.

The Good, The Bad, & the Ugly was a book, no? Anyway, if you like the movie, I have a treat for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkM71JPHfjk

The Danish National Symphony Orchestra performs the theme song live! Including all the Wa-Ah-Ah-AHHS!!

Posted by: Soothsayer SLX Pro Series II Platinum Turbo at February 18, 2018 10:07 AM (MJNxV)

170 Didn't Jimmy Kimmel, in his pre-woke Man Show days, do a woman-on-the-street gag where he had them sign a petition to End Women's Suffrage? Multiple California(?) gals didn't know the definition of "suffrage" and thought it meant "suffering."
Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 10:02 AM (5Yee7)

I don't recall Kimmel in particular, but it's been done at various times by different people on the street and on college campuses. The results are basically the same each time: "Like, ohmigod, women's suffrage? That's terrible! Like yah, I'll totally sign your petition!"

Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 10:07 AM (NWiLs)

171 Crazy Leftist sister-in-law's and Leftist brother-in-law's house has ZERO bookshelves.
---
How is this even possible.

Who can live like this?
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 09:56 AM (qJtVm)

Semi-literate dolts that have been indoctrinated to reliably push the D button on the voting machine. Reading well thought-out opposing opinions causes cognitive dissonance, so it's easier to not read.

Enjoy the movie. Mrs Cop and I are going to see the new Eastwood movie about the U.S. Marines(?) ruining some jihadi wet-dreams of shooting up a bunch of cowering Frogs on a train.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 10:09 AM (5Yee7)

172 Rider Haggard....damn now I've got to read about it too!

Posted by: saf at February 18, 2018 10:09 AM (cS/ge)

173
btw, let me add something more,

Sunday morning is a perfect time for Morricone for your background music, while you eat your toast, do laundry, etc.

Go to you youtube now and select a Morricone playlist.

Posted by: Soothsayer SLX Pro Series II Platinum Turbo at February 18, 2018 10:10 AM (MJNxV)

174 Battery Life on phones-tablets:

I have an ipod that's same generation as first iphone (10 yrs?), still usable but battery life is probably only 40% or less than when new.

First real smartphone was a motorolla model, used for about 3 years before upgrading, and then went about 4 months without using it. Battery completely dead when I tried to use it again.

Lesson learned, as long as I have a use for an "old" phone or tablet, I use/check/charge at least every other month.

Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike -formerly; Southeast PA lurker at February 18, 2018 10:12 AM (vFHFh)

175
"King Solomon's Mines" by Henry Rider Haggard.

I do have it. Don't remember much about it except it was entertaining and free or nearly so.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at February 18, 2018 10:14 AM (roQNm)

176 Muse,

Thanks for the link to your pastor's daughter's website. My 8 year old granddaughter has a thing for unicorns so I ordered one of the pictures based on the unicorn tapestries. Her birthday is in a couple of months and it will make a lovely gift.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 10:14 AM (jm1YL)

177 Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?

Nothing too deep right now. Since my mom had her stroke and then passed away my brain and thinking is exhausted.

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:14 AM (oo76P)

178 JT, I love C. J. Box, except for one thing: how many times can his wife and daughters be in mortal danger, fer cryin' out loud?

I'll still read everything he writes, though.

Posted by: April

I dunno, but I LIKE his family; they seem like a normal bunch of folks, with normal ( not to say unserious) problems.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:15 AM (meYfp)

179 Spent the week slogging through Clementine, a biography of Winston Churchill's wife. The book is a bit boring in the first third, surprisingly, because Clementine was quite a lady -- completely dedicated to serving her husband, and she did put up with Winston's narcissism and many flaws, albeit not without hearty arguments. Of course she had her own flaws, too. Both apparently proved to be terrible parents (both had come from disturbed families); their son Randolph was an alcoholic and gambler, much indulged by Winston, yet seriously neglected (as were the other three) by both parents. I learned that the Churchills were constantly on the edge of financial disaster, especially when Winston was out of office. This is why he was a prolific writer -- he had to keep the wolf from the door. I hope the story picks up as the timeline gets closer to the Second World War. I have been a great admirer of Churchill, and this book has not yet, anyway, dampened my appreciation for him.

Posted by: Alifa at February 18, 2018 10:15 AM (fiV4N)

180
Sorry to hear that, Mrs Pauls.

Posted by: Soothsayer SLX Pro Series II Platinum Turbo at February 18, 2018 10:16 AM (MJNxV)

181 Good morning everyone -
no good deed's (hi no good deed!) comment above made me think.... how many of you remember learning to read? I have a couple of recollections of sounding out words in books with someone helping me. I don't recall who it was - a teacher or maybe WeaselMom. Anyhoo, it's a pleasant sort of memory.

Posted by: Weasel at February 18, 2018 10:16 AM (Sfs6o)

182 Another book I started this week is Jordan B. Peterson's "12 Rules For Life". I'm just on the first chapter but this looks like a winner. I haven't tried to analyse why but his writing style, with modern vocabulary, reminds me of GK Chesterton (if Chesterton had had a psychology background) and "The Eternal Man". I should try to figure out why that is. Or maybe I'm just odd.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 10:17 AM (V+03K)

183 Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?

Nothing too deep right now. Since my mom had her stroke and then passed away my brain and thinking is exhausted.

Posted by: mpfs

Big Trouble by Dave Barry
Tricky Business by Dave Barry

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:17 AM (meYfp)

184
An amusing book, I thought, is "God Is My Broker" by Christopher Buckley and some other guy.

Posted by: Soothsayer SLX Pro Series II Platinum Turbo at February 18, 2018 10:17 AM (MJNxV)

185 I took a mini-holiday this week so was able to get some reading done:

I restarted and finished-

"The Conversions" by Harry Matthews

"The Conversions" is one of those paranoid literary art novels that were somewhat popular in the late 50s through 70s.

Usually, they concern a protagonist who gets set on a quest or tries to solve a mystery bu-u-u-ut the quest doesn't quite get finished or ends in an odd manner. Same with the mystery.

Examples would be Don De Lillo's "Running Dog", "The Names" and "Ratner's Star". Thomas Pynchon's "Crying of Lot 49", "V" and "Gravity's Rainbow".

For TC, a young man is set on a quest by a wealthy man after he receives an ancient golden adze inscribed with six pictures involving religious iconography and a woman. He has to learn what the pictures mean and give the correct answer to 3 questions to receive a fortune left him in the wealthy guy's will.

Along the way, the hero finds out that the adze belongs to a secret heretical cult.

Most of the novel is taken up with seeking out conflicting historical information and trying to piece it together. The author is very good at mixing fake history and science with bits and pieces of real history and science. The tone of the novel is drily humorous with a big dollop of shaggy dog.

So-

If that sounds like your kind of thing, dive in. It's very well written. There's no current printing however but you can find it pretty easily in used book stores.

If that doesn't sound like your kind of thing. Stay far away.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 18, 2018 10:18 AM (9q7Dl)

186
Big Trouble by Dave Barry
Tricky Business by Dave Barry
Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:17 AM (meYfp)
----------
Agreed! Very entertaining.

Posted by: Weasel at February 18, 2018 10:19 AM (Sfs6o)

187 131: And watch the same programs

Posted by: CN at February 18, 2018 10:19 AM (5gaNQ)

188 Thanks Sooth.

I want to get back to reading again. I was with my mom 24/7 from NYE to Feb. 2nd when she passed.

She loved to read too. She loved her Kindle and the ability to take her books everywhere she went.

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:19 AM (oo76P)

189 Big Trouble by Dave Barry
Tricky Business by Dave Barry
Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:17 AM (meYfp)
----------
Agreed! Very entertaining.

Posted by: Weasel

I've read both several times. They're quick and hilarious reads.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:21 AM (meYfp)

190 Thank you!

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:21 AM (oo76P)

191 ''Adam Rippon will work for NBC as a correspondent for remainder of 2018 Winter Olympics "

Isn't that just precious?

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 10:21 AM (jm1YL)

192 are any other countries celebrating their ghey athletes the way we are? i hope we are getting our diversity credits....i've noticed the asian countries don't have any blacks, whites, browns on their teams......and haven't seen a rainbow flag in their cheering sections........

Posted by: phoenixgirl now officially retired ...baseball can't get here soon enough at February 18, 2018 10:21 AM (0O7c5)

193 I can recall working on "B" words. Specifically 'boy' and 'blue' and 'ball'

Posted by: Weasel at February 18, 2018 10:22 AM (Sfs6o)

194 177 Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?

Nothing too deep right now. Since my mom had her stroke and then passed away my brain and thinking is exhausted.

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:14 AM (oo76P)

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

Look up Sara Hoyt's series she wrote under "Elise Hyatt" pen name.

Murder mysteries, but very light hearted reading.

Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 10:22 AM (WEBkv)

195 ''Adam Rippon will work for NBC as a correspondent for remainder of 2018 Winter Olympics "

Maybe they can bring back "Hello Larry "

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:23 AM (meYfp)

196 My husband finished VDH's new book on WWll and absolutely loved it.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 10:23 AM (jm1YL)

197 (((mpfs)))

Posted by: phoenixgirl now officially retired ...baseball can't get here soon enough at February 18, 2018 10:23 AM (0O7c5)

198 3 Anyone have any experience with a Kindle Fire? It's not charging. Cable seems fine. It's about 5 or 6 years old. Do they just wear out?
Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 08:33 AM (+Tibp)

The new Fires are relatively cheap - as cheap as having the charging port repaired at a phone store. The HD 8 is a great size and weight, longer battery life. I paid the $20 to have it ad-free, well worth.
Also just started Hollow Mass, can't wait to get going!

Posted by: Miss Sippi at February 18, 2018 10:24 AM (pqV+D)

199 Hey phoenixgirl!

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:24 AM (oo76P)

200 Isn't that just precious?
Posted by: Tuna

********

I believe the approved adjective is 'courageous'

Posted by: Muldoon at February 18, 2018 10:24 AM (wPiJc)

201 Tricky Business by Dave Barry

Oh, man. I just previewed it on google.

Take a cruise ship outside the territorial limit in a tropical storm?

Take a look on youtube for video of cruse ships in big waves. Are you crazy?

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at February 18, 2018 10:24 AM (roQNm)

202 Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?

Nothing too deep right now. Since my mom had her stroke and then passed away my brain and thinking is exhausted.

Posted by: mpfs

Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
Solomon Gursky Was Here - Mordecai Richler

Posted by: Captain Hate at February 18, 2018 10:25 AM (y7DUB)

203 I've become hooked on Perry Mason too.

It's on at 9am on the local METV station.
I would watch it every morning with Mom. Then Matlock.

I know, I know...don't judge me!

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:26 AM (oo76P)

204 Take a cruise ship outside the territorial limit in a tropical storm?

Take a look on youtube for video of cruse ships in big waves. Are you crazy?

I don't wanna give away, but there's a reason WHY they're going out.

Read it, you won't be sorry.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:26 AM (meYfp)

205 I finally got around to browsing zogger's personal library. He's got both Braing-Gould's The Annotated Sherlock Holmes and Jack Tracy's The Encyclopedia Sherlockiana. I've got both and highly recommend them if you have more than a casual interest in the literary character.

Leslie Klinger has put out a newer Annotated that incorporates more recent Sherlockian scholarship. For those unfamiliar with that topic, Sherlockians play a literary game in which Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are real people and Arthur Conan Doyle was merely Watson's literary agent (which mightily upset Sir Arthur's son, Adrian Doyle) .

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 10:27 AM (5Yee7)

206 177 ... "Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?"

mpfs, Condolences. How about some of the PG Wodehouse books? They always make me smile and laugh.

Also, the Liturgical Mystery series by Mark Schweizer. No one can get through those without roaring with laughter several times.

If you like light mysteries, try the Chet and Bernie series by Spencer Quinn. Bernie is a PI and Chet is his dog. The stories are narrated by and from Chet the dog's point of view. Mrs. JTB and I enjoy them.

Posted by: JTB at February 18, 2018 10:27 AM (V+03K)

207 ''I believe the approved adjective is 'courageous' ''

I can think of other more appropriate unladylike adjectives.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 10:28 AM (jm1YL)

208 I adore Chet and Bernie!

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:28 AM (oo76P)

209 I dunno, but I LIKE his family; they seem like a normal bunch of folks, with normal ( not to say unserious) problems.
Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:15 AM (meYfp)

I do, too. And his stories are gripping. I like his characters in general. Nate, Omar, and the various bureaucrats and politicians are always spot on.

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 10:29 AM (e8PP1)

210 @205 oops "Braing-Gould" should be "Baring-Gould"

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 10:29 AM (5Yee7)

211 Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 09:57 AM (WEBkv)

Heather Radish, Polly Spins, and I had a nice exchange when someone retweeted the Lazarin statement. We were not amused as we had all grown up reading sci-fi, adventure, etc with no regard to the sex of the author.

I can see Muldoon and VIA's problem with the quote Eris put up, but it is important to realize progressives *do* believe it is correct (since they never account for individuality).

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 10:29 AM (rp9xB)

212 Alifa

Does that book mention Clementine's affair?

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 10:33 AM (hyuyC)

213 Books = Good.

This looks interesting:

http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2017/05/18956/

Posted by: Huck Follywood, grateful at February 18, 2018 10:34 AM (ylUqT)

214 Morning all.

Posted by: TickledPink at February 18, 2018 10:35 AM (h64ab)

215 I do, too. And his stories are gripping. I like his characters in general. Nate, Omar, and the various bureaucrats and politicians are always spot on.

I agree April.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:36 AM (meYfp)

216 Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?

Nothing too deep right now. Since my mom had her stroke and then passed away my brain and thinking is exhausted.

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:14 AM (oo76P)

========

A bit old but they age well: Getting Even, Side Effects and Without Feathers by Woody Allen. Non-political, in fact probably about half of it is dedicated to skewering pretentious intellectuals with which he undoubtedly has had a lot of contact.

Brain Droppings by George Carlin, also pretty much non-political.

Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at February 18, 2018 10:36 AM (/qEW2)

217 Morning all.

Posted by: TickledPink

Hiya Pinkster !

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:37 AM (meYfp)

218 171 Retired Buckeye Cop

One Air Force service-member, One Army, and one college friend. All three religious, and good friends.

The AF guy, (Stone) was so amazing I gave up Air Force jokes for Lent that year. I also gave up Army jokes for Lent, but that was not as much of a sacrifice. It was tough, but I made it.

Note, the one Marine in the movie (a recruiter) had a Purple Heart ribbon.

Saw The 15:17 to Paris last night with my wife. We both enjoyed it immensely.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 10:38 AM (hyuyC)

219 Sandy, I had the same problem, but made worse by listening to it on cd. "Did he really say that?"
Posted by: RI Redbot - Now, with & Platinum Membership at February 18, 2018 09:31 AM (HQfxm)

Oh, good. It wasn't just me. Honestly, would putting those thoughts in italics have been so hard on everyone involved?

Posted by: SandyCheeks at February 18, 2018 10:38 AM (ihzOe)

220 I read Brain Droppings and without Feathers.

Both were good.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:39 AM (meYfp)

221 I blew up the library pic and perused zogger's shelves ( which were assembled with no help from ace, I presume ). Zoinks, you could anchor a small boat with zogger's Complete SQL Reference Book.

Posted by: Hands at February 18, 2018 10:41 AM (EzdLW)

222 214 {{{TickledPink}}}

Well, I'll overcome my shyness.

Which outfit did you wear for your date?

Did it go well?

Would you recommend the restaurant?

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 10:41 AM (hyuyC)

223 Tickled Pink, good morning, and how did the date go?

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 10:41 AM (e8PP1)

224 The Morning "News" shows on the MSM are so fuckin anti-trump.Disgusting

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 10:45 AM (SjImc)

225 I read two other books.

"The Candlestick Course" by Steve Nison

because I've gotten interested in technical trading and "Japanese Candlesticks" seem to be the atom upon which everything else is built.

The neat thing is that "Japanese Candlesticks" derive from the old system of rice trading in Japan when long ago rice itself was the currency of the land.

So, an ancient system for reading the rice market has become one of the strongest modern tools for reading changes and the "emotion" of the market.

It is a funny old world.

And-

Not a book, but when things are to busy to concentrate on reading, a manga is nice.

"PTSD Radio"

It's a horror manga concerning various people who've somehow either offended or ignored the strictures imposed by an ancient all-but-forgotten god associated with the town. The god manifests itself through hair, crows, shadows, flesh..

The artist is very good at thinking up creepy, unexpected images to spring on you as you turn the pages. It's tough to do that sort of thing without showing some form of extreme violence, but this guy does it very well.

PTSD Radio wants to creep you out rather than gross you out.

Unfortunately, I don't know how it ends. I believe the 4th and final book is to be published at the end of this month.

And with manga, the end is everything. This guy has a lot of plates spinning in the story. I hope he can tie it all together.

If you'd like a sense of what "PTSD Radio" is like it reminds me a lot of "Uzumaki".

In it's own way "Uzumaki", reminded me a bit of the paranoid novels like "The Conversions" I mentioned above.

It came to an unexpected ending, which both explained the mystery and didn't explain it at all.

Hopefully, PR sticks the landing.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 18, 2018 10:47 AM (9q7Dl)

226 The Morning "News" shows on the MSM are so fuckin anti-trump.Disgusting

Did they say anything about the Pinkster's date ?

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:47 AM (meYfp)

227 3 Anyone have any experience with a Kindle Fire? It's not charging. Cable seems fine. It's about 5 or 6 years old. Do they just wear out?
Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 08:33 AM (+Tibp)

Not read all the comments, so maybe this is redundant.

The port hardware on the devices can wear out, too.

Posted by: Iron Mike Golf at February 18, 2018 10:48 AM (di1hb)

228 Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?

Nothing too deep right now. Since my mom had her stroke and then passed away my brain and thinking is exhausted.

Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:14 AM (oo76P)

Condolences on the loss of your Mom. Light reading is surely the ticket at a time like this. If no one has mentioned it yet, try "One for the Money," by Janet Evanovich. It's the "Stephanie Plum" series and is a hoot (at least in the first 10 or so of the series). Take care.

Posted by: SandyCheeks at February 18, 2018 10:49 AM (ihzOe)

229 Finished listening to book 3 of Churchill's History of the English Speaking People. This one seemed to go a lot faster. Fitting the American Revolution into a greater context was helpful and I thought he was pretty even-handed in his treatment of the issues involved.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 10:50 AM (rp9xB)

230 Fitting the American Revolution into a greater context was helpful and I thought he was pretty even-handed in his treatment of the issues involved.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 10:50 AM (rp9xB)

Well he is 1/2 American

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 10:51 AM (SjImc)

231 C'mon, Pink.
Keeping it the thread theme, was it anything worth writing home about?

Posted by: RI Redbot - Now, with & Platinum Membership at February 18, 2018 10:52 AM (HQfxm)

232 39 I'm flying to Pensacola in early march and need a book to read.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 08:58 AM (SjImc)

Well then, you'd best go to the bookstore and buy one.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 10:52 AM (htCxB)

233
Sunday News Cliff Notes: Republicans are toast. People like their tax cuts so much they'll put the House back in the hands of the Democrats.

*brain warp from attempt to process cognitive dissonance*

Posted by: Acme Trucking Enterprises, White Truck Division at February 18, 2018 10:53 AM (2FqvZ)

234 177 mpfs
Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?

Terry Pratchett's Going Postal, then Making Money.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 10:53 AM (hyuyC)

235 I mention Vindolanda by Adrian Goldsworthy a few weeks ago as a book about Ancient Rome in Scotland that I enjoyed. This week I came across Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem set (at least in the first several chapters) there as well although 200 years later. I never heard of Vindolanda until a few weeks ago now I'm tripping over it.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Broke, Woke, Toke, Joke at February 18, 2018 10:53 AM (+y/Ru)

236 3 Anyone have any experience with a Kindle Fire? It's not charging. Cable seems fine. It's about 5 or 6 years old. Do they just wear out?

Posted by: Blutarski-esque 0.0 at February 18, 2018 08:33 AM (+Tibp)

It wouldn't hurt just to go out and buy a new Kindle. They're pretty inexpensive these days.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 10:54 AM (htCxB)

237 Is everyone on the US olymipic team gay?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 10:54 AM (SjImc)

238 I'm flying to Pensacola in early march and need a book to read.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 08:58 AM (SjImc)

Well then, you'd best go to the bookstore and buy one.

But how can he read while flapping his arms ?

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:54 AM (meYfp)

239 Well then, you'd best go to the bookstore and buy one.
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 10:52 AM (htCxB)

Yes the stores in the terminal have a very limited selection

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 10:55 AM (SjImc)

240 ''The Morning "News" shows on the MSM are so fuckin anti-trump.Disgusting ''

Made the mistake of flipping on the TV to watch cross country skiing(Go Norway!). Forgot that I'd left it on the local NBC affiliate and got Bernie spewing about the "Mooler" investigation. You've never seen my fingers work so fast on the remote.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 10:55 AM (jm1YL)

241 Is everyone on the US olymipic team gay?

Is there a test for that ?

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:55 AM (meYfp)

242 Read Julie Morgenstern's Time Management From the Inside Out. Took copious notes which is unusual for me. I found several ideas that I can implement immediately and that I believe will help a lot as I move from "just" mom-responsibilities to mom-and-business responsibilities.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 10:55 AM (rp9xB)

243 Pink must have gone back upthread to read the comments.

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 10:55 AM (e8PP1)

244 Is everyone on the US olymipic team gay?

Is there a test for that ?
Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:55 AM (meYfp)

Pretty much, when a guy wins a medal and the write up says his parents and boyfriend were there

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 10:56 AM (SjImc)

245 241
Is everyone on the US olymipic team gay?

Is there a test for that ?

Yeah...sperm bubbles on the chin.

Posted by: R. DUKE at February 18, 2018 10:57 AM (O2LSH)

246 OM- another great job on the book thread.

I presume your healing is going well ?

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:57 AM (meYfp)

247 Is everyone on the US olymipic team gay?
Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 10:54 AM (SjImc)

NBC certainly has gone out of its way to make it seem that way. That and making sure you know that all the Homolympians hate Vice President Pence, Christians and President Trump. Well, F*ck them and I'm glad they're making a poor showing. Maybe next time, they will put more time into practicing and less into virtue-signalling.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 10:59 AM (5Yee7)

248 Pink must have gone back upthread to read the comments.

Several people enquired as to her well being on last nite's ONT.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:59 AM (meYfp)

249 Yes the stores in the terminal have a very limited selection
Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 10:55 AM (SjImc)

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

I recommend any book by Ann Coulter. Mainly because it should provoke all the right people.

Interesting note: I found a couple of Ayn Rand books in an airport bookstore a few years ago, Not sure which airport. Anyway, I think one of them was "Anthem" which I purchased.

Posted by: Blake at February 18, 2018 11:01 AM (WEBkv)

250 Pretty much, when a guy wins a medal and the write up says his parents and boyfriend were there

Yeah...sperm bubbles on the chin.

LOL

You guys are killing me.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:02 AM (meYfp)

251 Pink must have gone back upthread to read the comments.

Several people enquired as to her well being on last nite's ONT.
Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:59 AM (meYfp)

Yes, inquiring minds want to know: polka dots, red or nothing at all?

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 11:02 AM (5Yee7)

252 ''NBC certainly has gone out of its way to make it seem that way. That and making sure you know that all the Homolympians hate Vice President Pence, Christians and President Trump. Well, F*ck them and I'm glad they're making a poor showing. Maybe next time, they will put more time into practicing and less into virtue-signalling.''

I prefer the "real men'' sports like cross country skiing and biathlon. High testosterone levels there.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 11:02 AM (jm1YL)

253 Sandy, and any others interested in The Cuban Affair:
The audio narrator, Scott Brick, has got Demille's heroes down perfectly. He "gets" Demille's writing style and humor. I think they've worked together on a number of his audio versions.

Posted by: RI Redbot - Now, with & Platinum Membership at February 18, 2018 11:03 AM (HQfxm)

254 Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) said President Donald Trumps tweet saying the FBI missed the warning on Florida shooter because they are working on the Russia investigation is an absurd statement.

CNN's favorite Republican

What a POS

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 11:04 AM (SjImc)

255 C'mon, Pink, many of us haven't been on a date in years, because, you know, married and stuff (not saying that like it's a bad thing).

We want to know all about it!

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 11:05 AM (e8PP1)

256 234 and 177
I got your funny books right here.

The Evolution Man by Ray Lewis. Funniest book ever; the saga of an upwardly mobile apeman trying to move his horde up the evolutionary ladder, written in the style of a British drawing room comedy.

Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. A wild ride through an imaginary Apocalypse; the book is dedicated to G. K. Chesterton, "A man who knew what was going on."

Pure Drivel by Steve Martin; funny smart guy who knows his way around a comic premise.

Gentleman prefer Blondes by Anita Loos. A gal who knew her way around a premise, too.

Posted by: vivi at February 18, 2018 11:05 AM (11H2y)

257 mpf, early Terry Pratchett, Gerald Durrell's animal expedition books like The Drunken Forest, or if you can find any of Willy Ley's zoology or natural history books. All of them are written well, are engrossing without much interpersonal drama or conflict, and they just roll on to the end.

I am sorry to hear of your loss.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 18, 2018 11:06 AM (2K6fY)

258 Whodathunkit Department: U.S. Snowflakes flail and fail at Winter Olympics.

Posted by: Burger Chef at February 18, 2018 11:06 AM (RuIsu)

259 ''The audio narrator, Scott Brick, has got Demille's heroes down perfectly. He "gets" Demille's writing style and humor. ''

He does the "Orphan X'' novels as well which, by the way, lovers of Jack Reacher type books would enjoy. He is so talented. My favorite narrator.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 11:07 AM (jm1YL)

260 Hi, Weasel! I remember vividly the first time I comprehended a word on my own. We were sitting at a stop sign, and I actually read the word stop instead of just seeing the big red octagon. It was life changing.

Posted by: no good deed at February 18, 2018 11:07 AM (eIQHF)

261 BTW, screw the olympics, I"m watching "Signs" with Mel Gibson again. That's my kind of virtue signalling.

Posted by: vivi at February 18, 2018 11:08 AM (11H2y)

262 I woke up with this conversation in my head and will share since the thread is slow.

Scene: Two diplomats talking. One is describing the government of the small nation where he works.

D1: Yes, their governmental philosophy is called Scientific Felinism.

D2: Felinism? They think they're cats?

D1: No, they are all required to have a cat and ask its opinion on any decision.

D2: Uh huh. Dare I ask about the "Scientific"?

D1: They just thought it made the idea sound cooler.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 11:09 AM (rp9xB)

263 mpfs, you can't go wrong with The LawDog Files. You can read little bits a time without getting lost, because they are just stories about his work. And super funny.

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 11:09 AM (e8PP1)

264 258
Whodathunkit Department: U.S. Snowflakes flail and fail at Winter Olympics.

Yeah...everybody competing wins a medal; 4th place on down gets rusty pot iron medals.

Posted by: R. DUKE at February 18, 2018 11:10 AM (O2LSH)

265 Polliwog, LOL. I would read that.

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 11:10 AM (e8PP1)

266 Yeah...sperm bubbles on the chin.

I've read all of the Reacher books, some more than once.

I thoroughly enjoy them.

I just finished re-reading "Gone Tomorrow "

Lee Child takes an interesting look at the effects of the Patriot Act.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:10 AM (meYfp)

267 I recommend the plays and screenplays of Martin McDonough, which include In Bruges and Three Billboards. One of his works is Hangmen, which is rumored to be coming to Broadway soon.

So I set up a Google alert for "Hangmen" to get early news of ticket sales. So far all I've gotten are misspelled ads from the gay section of craigslist.

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 18, 2018 11:12 AM (pV/54)

268 Posted by: no good deed at February 18, 2018 11:07 AM (eIQHF)
----------
Thinking about very early recollections reminds me now of several books I read a few years ago on Savants. Incredibly interesting. One is titled Born on a Blue Day and is about a guy who was high functioning enough to describe how he memorized the value of PI to some ridiculous number of decimal places. In a nutshell he saw numbers as colors.

Posted by: Weasel at February 18, 2018 11:12 AM (Sfs6o)

269 85 thank you, Adrian the Critic. No matter how much time passes, one never gets used to being a widow or a widower. Someone who is supposed to be here...isn't.

Posted by: vivi at February 18, 2018 11:12 AM (11H2y)

270 BARRYPHONY is difficulty in speaking.

At last, my legacy is getting some recognition.

Posted by: Queen Barry of Ogabe at February 18, 2018 11:13 AM (Tyii7)

271 ''Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) said President Donald Trumps tweet saying the FBI missed the warning on Florida shooter because they are working on the Russia investigation is an absurd statement. ''

What an a**hole. Ashamed he's my governor. Ungrateful shit he is. PDT was offering condolences and called Kasich about the 2 murdered policemen almost before the story came on the local news. I doubt Obama would have taken time out from his golf game.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 11:13 AM (jm1YL)

272 266-

Please disregard the first line

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:13 AM (meYfp)

273 Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 11:09 AM (rp9xB)

"They're made of meat?"

Posted by: hogmartin at February 18, 2018 11:13 AM (y87Qq)

274 So what Penguin is saying is women shouldn't read or write?

Posted by: Cathy Newman at February 18, 2018 11:14 AM (EzdLW)

275 Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 11:10 AM (e8PP1)

Sadly, that's all there is. Anyone who wants to play with it is welcome to.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 11:14 AM (rp9xB)

276 "You simply must read Three Cups of Tea!" I've had that one pressed on me and instinctively recoiled.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 09:38 AM (qJtVm)

Three Cups of Tea is a pack of lies, by the way. The guy didn't start all those schools, and if you think the Taliban was interested in setting up a school for young girls, I've got a bridge to sell you.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 11:14 AM (htCxB)

277 I presume your healing is going well ?

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 10:57 AM (meYfp)

Thank you. And yes, it is. Slowly, but definitely improving.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 11:16 AM (htCxB)

278 274 So what Penguin is saying is women shouldn't read or write?

Posted by: Cathy Newman at February 18, 2018 11:14 AM (EzdLW)

No, I think Penguin is saying women are lobsters.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 11:16 AM (htCxB)

279 Three Cups of Tea is a pack of lies, by the way

Okay.

I don't even like tea.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:17 AM (meYfp)

280 Glad to hear it OM.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:18 AM (meYfp)

281 No, I think Penguin is saying women are lobsters.

And they don't scream.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:19 AM (meYfp)

282 ''Please disregard the first line''

You know any Moron or 'ette worthy of his or her association with this blog will immediately scroll up to and read what we should ignore. Of course.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 11:19 AM (jm1YL)

283 Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 11:14 AM (htCxB)

Once that girl was shot for trying to go to school, and survived to tell the tale, 3 Cups' days were numbered.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 11:19 AM (rp9xB)

284 Here was a fascinating read, at least to me. It is called "The Places In Between", by Rory Stewart. He walked across Afghanistan from the Iranian border to Kabul:

https://www.amazon.com/Places-Between-Rory-Stewart/dp/0156031566

Posted by: Huck Follywood, grateful at February 18, 2018 11:19 AM (ylUqT)

285 So I guess we aren't going to hear about TP's meatfest after all.

Posted by: Insomniac at February 18, 2018 11:20 AM (NWiLs)

286 You know any Moron or 'ette worthy of his or her association with this blog will immediately scroll up to and read what we should ignore. Of course.

LOL.

I didn't think of it that way.

It was a carryover from a previous copy.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:20 AM (meYfp)

287 Tuna

You know us well.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 11:20 AM (hyuyC)

288 I think I'll get a copy of The Revolt Against the Masses. Interview was good.

Posted by: ScoggDog at February 18, 2018 11:21 AM (dYdbl)

289 BTW, screw the olympics

Have been watching another country's coverage. Cross-country, ski-jumping, hockey, alpine, curling, and biathlon recently and there's been no figure skating, no virtue signalling, and no tragic backgrounds.

If I didn't know better, I would get the idea that Olympics are about sport.

Posted by: t-bird at February 18, 2018 11:21 AM (dzxr0)

290 Dear women, since we know those big words by old dead white men (the dead thing is just to run in that they died and so are not hip anymore i think) are just too much for you, why don't you read some fluffy light romance novels by a woman. *pats her empty little head*

yeah, right.

I don't recall ever not being able to read. wild huh?

Think maybe I'll read Huck Finn again soon after Vic mentioned it this morning!

Posted by: sugar plum fairy - can has books at February 18, 2018 11:21 AM (eauMe)

291 mpfs - sorry about your mom. I hope you have wonderful dreams about her. I know she'll come visit you that way.

Not long after Michael died, I dreamt that he came to the bedside. He was wearing one of his favorite alligator shirts and a pair of chinos. I got out of bed, stood up, and looked right in his eyes. He looked happy and content and took my face in his hands and said, "It's going to be better than you ever imagined."

Posted by: vivi at February 18, 2018 11:22 AM (11H2y)

292 OM,

congrats on another great book thread.

And I am thrilled you are healing well. Carry on, my healing son.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2018 11:22 AM (hyuyC)

293 Gunman opens fire on church festival crowd with at least four dead

Trump Rhetoric to blame

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 11:23 AM (SjImc)

294 So I guess we aren't going to hear about TP's meatfest after all.

She signed with an agent and it will all be revealed in her new book

"Polka dot, Red or Nothing" ?

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:23 AM (meYfp)

295 Most fun thing I've read lately is Hamlet and Macbeth - out loud! I think Shakespeare is meant to be heard!

Posted by: sugar plum fairy - can has books at February 18, 2018 11:23 AM (eauMe)

296 Three Cups of Tea is a pack of lies, by the way.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 11:14 AM (htCxB)

Always good to see a graduate of The ScoggDog School of Gentle Pursuasion.

Posted by: ScoggDog at February 18, 2018 11:23 AM (dYdbl)

297 Ok. More guys with muscles. Speed skating.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 11:24 AM (jm1YL)

298 Any recommendations for light hearted, funny reads?

====================

I sort of hate to admit it, since I'd bet he's a lefty, but for funny reads Carl Hiaasen can be excellent. Here's one that you might enjoy:

https://preview.tinyurl.com/y88wncbp

Posted by: Huck Follywood, grateful at February 18, 2018 11:24 AM (ylUqT)

299 Posted by: naturalfake at February 18, 2018 10:47 AM (9q7Dl)

I was thinking this week that I was curious if there was any writing on how having a destructible commodity as the basis of exchange compared to a system with an indestructible commodity as well as to fiat currency. It seems like there is enough history of each to be able to get a good comparison.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 11:25 AM (rp9xB)

300 291: Great dream.

Posted by: CN at February 18, 2018 11:26 AM (5gaNQ)

301 bottom story of the year: George Rape Rape Martin won't be finishing Winds Of Winter.

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at February 18, 2018 11:26 AM (5s7Dx)

302 >>One is titled Born on a Blue Day and is about a guy who was high functioning enough to describe how he memorized the value of PI to some ridiculous number of decimal places. In a nutshell he saw numbers as colors.

That might be related to synesthesia. Some people process sensory information is a different way and a a message received by one sense can trigger a second.

John Mayer claims that when he hears music he sees colors. There are a surprising, well surprising to me anyway, number of very talented artists who have this condition.

https://tinyurl.com/hlcq46y

Posted by: JackStraw at February 18, 2018 11:26 AM (/tuJf)

303 291:Some dreams seem amazingly real, comforting and helpful.

Posted by: CN at February 18, 2018 11:27 AM (5gaNQ)

304 ''bottom story of the year: George Rape Rape Martin won't be finishing Winds Of Winter.''

Surprise, surprise. Lazy ****.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 11:27 AM (jm1YL)

305
Very good sermon by the pastor at Mass this morning. Then again, almost all the sermons by him and the curate are good. No preaching about politics. Just good solid doctrine and advice.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at February 18, 2018 11:27 AM (fT8kL)

306 Did somebody say pancakes?

Posted by: Monk at February 18, 2018 11:28 AM (g4lFK)

307 257
Willy Ley's zoology or natural history books.
Posted by: Kindltot at February 18, 2018 11:06 AM (2K6fY)

Huh. I didn't know that. I only know him as a hugely prolific and influential writer on rocketry and space travel.

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

Posted by: rickl at February 18, 2018 11:28 AM (sdi6R)

308 Did somebody say pancakes?

Now I'm hungry.

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:29 AM (meYfp)

309 Sigh

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 18, 2018 11:30 AM (SjImc)

310 Sessions opens his snout to defend FBI and blow kisses at "proven professional" Rosenstein.

Posted by: CN at February 18, 2018 11:30 AM (5gaNQ)

311 bottom story of the year: George Rape Rape Martin won't be finishing Winds Of Winter.
Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at February 18, 2018 11:26 AM (5s7Dx)

So he allowed HBO to finish his work? I'd be pissed if I put in any time reading those books and he refused to finish the series. What an asshole.

Posted by: Monk at February 18, 2018 11:30 AM (g4lFK)

312
Pancakes? As in, dripping in butter and syrup? With a little curl of steam rising from them?

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at February 18, 2018 11:31 AM (fT8kL)

313 Don't remember everything Rush said about phones, but do remember him saying certain apps suck battery use, with a IPhone you can find which ones, ending those can make battery use less.
He went on this for awhile explaining test phones he has and how he came to this conclusion.

Posted by: Skip at February 18, 2018 11:31 AM (aC6Sd)

314 301 bottom story of the year: George Rape Rape Martin won't be finishing Winds Of Winter.
Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at February 18, 2018 11:26 AM (5s7Dx)

So winter isn't coming?

Posted by: rickl at February 18, 2018 11:32 AM (sdi6R)

315 So gratified to see on Twatter that my red diaper comrades are fully behind me. When Ed "Red" Asner calls you "a hero", it just doesn't get any better than that. *sob*

Posted by: Lindsey Vonnnn at February 18, 2018 11:33 AM (Tyii7)

316 Posted by: naturalfake at February 18, 2018 10:47 AM (9q7Dl)

I was thinking this week that I was curious if there was any writing on how having a destructible commodity as the basis of exchange compared to a system with an indestructible commodity as well as to fiat currency. It seems like there is enough history of each to be able to get a good comparison.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 11:25 AM (rp9xB)

Huh. Interesting.

And, as in rice, what if your basis of exchange is consumable. Basic, baseline food for the masses..

A direct method of control in a way that taxed currency could never be.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 18, 2018 11:33 AM (9q7Dl)

317 314 301 bottom story of the year: George Rape Rape Martin won't be finishing Winds Of Winter.
Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at February 18, 2018 11:26 AM (5s7Dx)

So winter isn't coming?
Posted by: rickl at February 18, 2018 11:32 AM (sdi6R)

Sometimes I get performance anxiety.

Posted by: Winter at February 18, 2018 11:33 AM (NWiLs)

318 NBC certainly has gone out of its way to make it seem that way. That and making sure you know that all the Homolympians hate Vice President Pence, Christians and President Trump. Well, F*ck them and I'm glad they're making a poor showing. Maybe next time, they will put more time into practicing and less into virtue-signalling.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 10:59 AM (5Yee7)

So say we all.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader & Global Rethinker at February 18, 2018 11:34 AM (htCxB)

319 Very good sermon by the pastor at Mass this morning. Then again, almost
all the sermons by him and the curate are good. No preaching about
politics. Just good solid doctrine and advice.
=======================

I wish I could find a minister like this. Mine routinely (like every Sunday) refers to politics, and twice called Trump a racist two weeks ago.

Posted by: Huck Follywood, grateful at February 18, 2018 11:34 AM (ylUqT)

320 Most fun thing I've read lately is Hamlet and Macbeth - out loud! I think Shakespeare is meant to be heard!
Posted by: sugar plum fairy - can has books at February 18, 2018 11:23 AM (eauMe)

Our lit teacher in high school had us read a particular scene silently first and then assigned parts and had us read it theatrically. Mind: blown.

Posted by: hogmartin at February 18, 2018 11:34 AM (y87Qq)

321 318: Yes, so sick of performers running their mouths, be they singers, actors, or athletes. I hope the ratings dive further

Posted by: CN at February 18, 2018 11:35 AM (5gaNQ)

322 I always figured Fattie RR Martin would die before finishing that series anyway.

Posted by: steevy at February 18, 2018 11:35 AM (LiyEm)

323 319: At least you don't have Rabbi Sharpton. But at least we can skip weekly services with a clear conscience.

Posted by: CN at February 18, 2018 11:37 AM (5gaNQ)

324 Another great nordic ski event last night - men's 4 X 10K relay. Short enough, and a relay, so plenty of drama and tension, and changes in the situation. The final minute was not a neck-neck thing, but still interesting, as the Norwegian was so clearly strategic, and played his advantage perfectly.

No stupid NBC commentary, pooftah or otherwise. I don't even know how the US team is doing overall, and have missed the whining being lampooned above.

Live feeds. The thing to watch.

Posted by: rhomboid at February 18, 2018 11:37 AM (QDnY+)

325 nevergiveup......they'd like you to believe that.....

Posted by: phoenixgirl now officially retired ...baseball can't get here soon enough at February 18, 2018 11:37 AM (0O7c5)

326
I wish I could find a minister like this. Mine routinely (like every Sunday) refers to politics, and twice called Trump a racist two weeks ago.

Posted by: Huck Follywood, grateful at February 18, 2018 11:34 AM (ylUqT)

Traditional Catholic parish (FSSP). Couldn't be happier I'm going there.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at February 18, 2018 11:38 AM (GMzbE)

327 Pancakes? As in, dripping in butter and syrup? With a little curl of steam rising from them?

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:38 AM (meYfp)

328 Posted by: naturalfake at February 18, 2018 11:33 AM (9q7Dl)

Just had the thought that, with an economy based on a consumable staple, "hoarding" could have been a real issue. An individual hoarding gold doesn't affect others n the same way that *knowing* your neighbor has food might.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 11:38 AM (rp9xB)

329 My advise is read Chapter 1, skip to about page 350
(you're going miss almost nothing of importance) and finish reading the
book. There was a good yarn in there but Williamson got too focused on
the survival in primitive conditions aspect of the story and went down
the rabbit-hole on that thought experiment. Rating = 3.0/5.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 09:11 AM (5Yee7)

Robinson Crusoe is like that too. Some people like the detailed story of the struggle against physical adversity. Could be some useful learning in those 350 pages.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at February 18, 2018 11:39 AM (Dbv1R)

330 291. 'Already Here' is a book about a doctor whose deceased son communicates about the afterlife. Dr. Leo Galland

Posted by: kallisto at February 18, 2018 11:39 AM (k9lXi)

331 All right, time to cook some stuff to eat this week. I'll be busy until the food thread. I'll have to check on Pink's date later, I guess.

Good day, 'rons.

Posted by: April at February 18, 2018 11:39 AM (e8PP1)

332 Good day, 'rons.

Posted by: April

Have a good one April

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:40 AM (meYfp)

333 "Stark also debunks absurd fabrications that have flourished in the past few decades... At the same time, he reveals the woeful inadequacy of recent attempts to attribute the rise of the West to purely material causes - favorable climates, abundant natural resources, guns and steel."

Probably due to a late freeze and dryer than normal winter, this year's gun harvest was lighter than normal. Indications are good for next year, however.

Posted by: Bacon Jeff at February 18, 2018 11:40 AM (3JQ/p)

334 So winter isn't coming?

Posted by: rickl at February 18, 2018 11:32 AM (sdi6R)

Well...it going to be a very long Fall, don't you see?

One where it just sort of glides into spring.

Like Winter in Brownsville, Texas.

You know, Winter where you can eat tamales and drink beer out on the patio for Christmas...So's it's more like Summer than Winter.

Okay, now bring me a Viagra and the next tatted up fan girl.

I got a lot of virgin years to make up for now that this writing crap's outta the way.

Posted by: George RR Martin at February 18, 2018 11:41 AM (9q7Dl)

335 >>Our lit teacher in high school had us read a particular scene silently first and then assigned parts and had us read it theatrically. Mind: blown

Did you ever see Renaissance Man? It was a so-so movie staring Danny DeVito as an out of work ad guy who gets a job teaching soldiers who are in danger of washing out of the Army because they are perceived as "dumber than dog shit".

One of his teaching techniques was to have the soldiers act out Shakespeare so they can better understand the meaning. It culminates with one soldier who was being called out by his drill instructor and he responds by reciting the St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V.

Posted by: JackStraw at February 18, 2018 11:42 AM (/tuJf)

336 I fantasize about offering her a book by a woman instead.

Something by Julia Child, if you don't mind, because I'm hungry.

Posted by: t-bird at February 18, 2018 11:43 AM (ZM6hc)

337 Another really quick (and good!) comic read from Carl Hiaason is "Double Whammy".

Here's the Amazon description:

R.J. Decker, star tenant of the local trailer park and neophyte private
eye is fishing for a killer. Thanks to a sportsman's scam that's
anything but sportsmanlike, there's a body floating in Coon Bog,
Florida--and a lot that's rotten in the murky waters of big-stakes,
large-mouth bass tournaments. Here Decker will team up with a
half-blind, half-mad hermit with an appetite for road kill; dare to kiss
his ex-wife while she's in bed with her new husband; and face deadly TV
evangelists, dangerously seductive women, and a pistol-toting redneck
with a pit bull on his arm.

Posted by: Huck Follywood, grateful at February 18, 2018 11:44 AM (ylUqT)

338 Posted by: JackStraw at February 18, 2018 11:42 AM (/tuJf)

That sounds really familiar - I might've seen parts of it in a hotel room or something. Worth seeing?

Posted by: hogmartin at February 18, 2018 11:44 AM (y87Qq)

339 Currently reading Spade & Archer, by Joe Gores. Its a prequel to The Maltese Falon by Dashiell Hammett, and its like Gores is possessed by Hammett's ghost or something. Really well written and more importantly very much like the Falcon in terms of style, characterization, pacing, etc.

Its mostly about Sam Spade solo, because he never really liked Archer who is fleshed out more in this book. Its set up as three short stories connected by a single antagonist who Sam hunts down with the sort of brash risk-taking pushing the envelope and genius shown in the Maltese Falcon. Great stuff.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 18, 2018 11:45 AM (39g3+)

340 Something by Julia Child, if you don't mind, because I'm hungry.

You too ?

This is gettin' more tortuous than the food thread.

And I don't even know what HALF of that stuff IS !

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 11:45 AM (meYfp)

341 Robinson Crusoe is like that too. Some people like the detailed story of the struggle against physical adversity. Could be some useful learning in those 350 pages.

Robinson Crusoe was frustrating to me because it was a third really interesting survival and overcoming adversity, then 2/3rds social criticism as he came back home and found out how much he disliked civilization as opposed to noble savagery.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 18, 2018 11:46 AM (39g3+)

342
Enjoy the movie. Mrs Cop and I are going to see
the new Eastwood movie about the U.S. Marines(?) ruining some jihadi
wet-dreams of shooting up a bunch of cowering Frogs on a train.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 18, 2018 10:09 AM (5Yee7)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Enjoy the movie. Saw it Friday night. We enjoyed it.
It would have been an overall better experience if my wife hadn't waited until we got home (45 minute drive) to notice that her purse was still at the theater. The between showings cleaning crew picked it up and turned it in. Nothing missing.

Posted by: Still John at February 18, 2018 11:48 AM (hBCf0)

343 ''I always figured Fattie RR Martin would die before finishing that series anyway.''

I'm beginning to think that "The Name of the Wind"series is never going to be finished either. I think all these authors who can't finish what they started should just hire Brandon Sanderson to complete them. He seems to be one of the few reliable authors of fantasy out there today.

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2018 11:52 AM (jm1YL)

344 >>That sounds really familiar - I might've seen parts of it in a hotel room or something. Worth seeing?

It was just ok, I wouldn't go out of my way to see it but not horrible either.

I just found it interesting that he used the same technique as your teacher.

Posted by: JackStraw at February 18, 2018 11:52 AM (/tuJf)

345 Live feeds. The thing to watch.

They're really well-produced. Drone shots, rail-cameras, captions, etc. IIRC, they used to just be a camera that someone left running.

Posted by: t-bird at February 18, 2018 11:53 AM (+y0ym)

346 Good morning oh so literate Hordlings.

Friend loaned me The Ship That Wouldn't Die by Don Keith. It is about the US Navy tanker USS Neosho's short life in WWII and sinking during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Overall a good read that does open up a somewhat unknown event. But of course I have a few quibbles.

Nimitz on December 10 1941 was in still in Washington DC when he quotes the admiral but it is not stated in the text so one might get the impression he was already in Hawai'i. "But the Fleet's at the bottom of the sea." is one quote I kinda remember from Hoyt's biography of Nimitz when he learned he had been appointed to command what was left of the Pacific Fleet and telling his wife. This kinda of omission was probably caused by the author's familiarity with the subject matter.

Keith perhaps should have skipped talking about USS Sims because there were so few survivors and he is using only three to tell the story. Dicken who was on the bridge with Hyman says the Captain was not injured while the other two said he received a head wound. One of the stories that is new in this book as opposed to Hoyt's on the whole battle is how as the bow sank the No.1 5in turret fired one last shot from beneath the water. Then there is the misspelling of Ensign Tachna's name, the man is only mentioned on three pages; first it's Tachna, then Trachna, and again Tachna.

When talking about the survivors after the rescue, Kieth manages a real interesting bobble. In the space of two paragraphs, one woman had two different Neoho survivors mentioned as her husband.

As for Keith's opinion that history will judge Admiral Fletcher more kindly, I don't know. At Coral Sea he was always worrying about fuel. When he found Shoho he threw both air groups at the carrier to sink it. Which aborted Japan's planned invasion of Port Moresby. At Midway he seemed to have learned the wrong lesson when faced with an even more powerful Japanese carrier force. People speculate what would have happened if Ring's dive bombers from Hornet had arrived and how it could have changed events. The same argument can be used to speculate what if Admiral Fletcher, who had a better contact report than Admiral Spruance, had thrown his second dive bomber squadron which he kept in reserve because he was afraid of another debacle like Shoho into the attack. Too bad we can't ask Fletcher's ghost how one Dauntless squadron with no fighter escort would have fared in such an attack. In either case Hiryu probably would have been sinking with her three sisters and USS Yorktown would have survived the battle instead of being sunk.

But overall the book is a good addition to the library since it better unpacks what happened to the tanker and destroyer plus expanding upon the heroism of men like Oscar Peterson who sacrificed his life to save his ship. Thus earning the Medal of Honor the hard way.

Posted by: Anna Puma (HQCaR) at February 18, 2018 11:54 AM (6W470)

347 Most fun thing I've read lately is Hamlet and Macbeth - out loud! I think Shakespeare is meant to be heard!

I've found that plays are torturous to read like prose, but if you read them and try to play the parts, they are much more engaging. You're right, they are designed to be spoken, not read.

Although Loren Estleman says that he learned to write dialog by writing plays so there might be something in there for would-be novelists consider.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 18, 2018 11:55 AM (39g3+)

348 NOOD

Posted by: Skip at February 18, 2018 11:57 AM (aC6Sd)

349 Neosho always sounded to me like it should have been the name of a Japanese ship. I wonder if people got confused back then?

Posted by: rickl at February 18, 2018 11:59 AM (sdi6R)

350 Willy Ley's degree was in zoology. The rocketry thing was a college hobby. Yup, the VfR was a hobby group.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 18, 2018 11:59 AM (2K6fY)

351 And why does Penguin employ such a hyperpolitical jackass?/i]

Its unlikely they have anyone who is NOT a hyperpolitical jackass working for them. And mostly female.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 18, 2018 12:00 PM (39g3+)

352 I thoroughly enjoyed Williamson's _Long Time Till Now_ even the nitty-gritty parts. But I'm interested in "coping with" stories. It didn't end with a cliff hanger, but did leave room for a sequel. Wish he'd write one!

Posted by: Miss Sippi at February 18, 2018 12:01 PM (pqV+D)

353 Rickl, that comment is mentioned early on in the book.

"With the ominous hubbub going on around the Pacific Rim and the saber rattling of the Japanese Empire, more than a few people had remarked to Phillips that the name Neosho sounded more like one of Emperor Hirohito's ships than an American vessel."

pg. 19

Posted by: Anna Puma (HQCaR) at February 18, 2018 12:05 PM (6W470)

354 at 337 Huck, that sounds like the kind of book I *used* to enjoy. Now I tend to notice that *every* satire or bad guy character is someone the author thinks is a member of the VRWC or tea party to the point of painfulness. Only if it was a very very good author who made me believe they were just doing this to get past the 'censors' in the publishing business, but had some subtle jabs at leftoids could I engage. I don't mind poking some fun at 'my side', heck I love Donny two scoops, or folks who use "its going to by yuuuge and bigly, the best widget ever in history" but I can't read stuff that seems like the author believes the BS parodies.

Posted by: PaleRider at February 18, 2018 12:09 PM (84F5k)

355 And why does Penguin employ such a hyperpolitical jackass?

Because most hyperpolitical jackasses are white mailes? Oh, maybe I wasn't supposed to notice that...

Posted by: t-bird at February 18, 2018 12:20 PM (Cmp0w)

356 Ok, sold on the first Lee Case novel. :-) Thanks for the book thread, OM.

Posted by: Gem at February 18, 2018 12:26 PM (XoAz8)

357 I was thinking this week that I was curious if there
was any writing on how having a destructible commodity as the basis of
exchange compared to a system with an indestructible commodity as well
as to fiat currency. It seems like there is enough history of each to be
able to get a good comparison.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 11:25 AM (rp9xB)

I am reading Freidmans Capitalism and Freedom now, the section about currency controls.
There is a lot of history on fiat versus hard currencies because those are the paths most taken.
The problem with a destructible currency is that money by definition has to be readily convertible and durable, and not easily created and destroyed. The last part is important because the purpose of currency is to allow you to store your earnings for future use as well as trade it back and forth with ease.

However the best approximation of a destructible currency would be the merchants' money and notegelds used in the US, France and Germany in the 30's - there was a coinage issued by the national chambre de commerce in France, and such things as "wooden nickels" and the beloved "Tenino money" created by local community chambers of commerce in the US that was a way to get some sort of currency flowing because of the liquidity trap of national currency controls and collapse of banks due to runs when they only held fractional reserves. The Notegeld(en) were currencies printed for the same reason by the individual German states during the hyperinflation of the Weimar Deutchmark. All of these were temporary money.
A better example for your situation would be the old foodstamps that were used before the current EBT cards, they had limited lifespan and limited use.

Now, a destructible currency that is more of a universal use would be the old cigarettes in the POW camp example, and the value of the commodity goes up with scarcity: the market fluctuates with the schedule of Red Cross packages, and savings is an issue because you could lose your shirt on the market fluctuations.

However, I think a destructible currency is as good a description as any for a fiat currency in a hyperinflationary spiral.

A currency that self-destructs would increase that mythical 'Velocity" of money as defined by Keynes since the drive would be to get the greatest value out of it before it turned into waste paper. In fact it is ideal for describing money as used by Keynesians because in that system savings really does destroy wealth, as opposed to keep it back for future use.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 18, 2018 12:29 PM (2K6fY)

358 Yay book thread!

Posted by: Votermom's phone at February 18, 2018 12:35 PM (/kkBf)

359 Yay book thread!

Hey !

Aren't you in Jabib or something ?

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 12:41 PM (meYfp)

360 OregonMuse,
Thanks for the links to your pastor's daughter's portfolio. I dropped her a line about doing some work for my Hero series.

New book comes out in two weeks. Finally!

Posted by: Long Running Fool at February 18, 2018 12:46 PM (poggK)

361 177 Posted by: mpfs at February 18, 2018 10:14 AM (oo76P)

Catching up after church, but I found Starship Grifters (A Rex Nihilo Adventure) Kindle eBook
by Robert Kroese to be very light funny scifi.

Posted by: SJW Hrothgar at February 18, 2018 12:51 PM (gwPgz)

362 JTB, we are in NZ

internet is slower than Im used to
that's coz they only get counter -clockwise megabits or something

also someone pranked the cars and switched the steering wheels to the other side but so far no one seems to have noticed

Posted by: votermom certified russian matryoshka bot at February 18, 2018 12:56 PM (/kkBf)

363 mpfs, let me second JT's suggestion of Dave Barry, and add a suggestion of anything by Patrick McManus. Very funny, and they're collections of articles so they're short.

Posted by: Cybersmythe at February 18, 2018 01:20 PM (jT9wB)

364 Read Julie Morgenstern's Time Management From the Inside Out. Took copious notes which is unusual for me. I found several ideas that I can implement immediately and that I believe will help a lot as I move from "just" mom-responsibilities to mom-and-business responsibilities.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at February 18, 2018 10:55 AM (rp9xB)

What are the odds? I've had that book sitting a few feet away from me for probably close to two years after buying it off a library table. Good to know!

Posted by: SandyCheeks at February 18, 2018 02:41 PM (ihzOe)

365 JTB, we are in NZ

Have fun and be safe .

JT ( the B is silent)

Posted by: JT at February 18, 2018 03:09 PM (meYfp)

366 Thanks for all of the comments on my "library"...I think. Also thanks to OregonMuse for posting the pix. The pix is a panorama made up of 3 shots. That way I could get the titles in focus so all could make comments on my reading preferences.
Some responses:
-My Swingline is blue and my wife has it on her desk.
-I moved my Dilbert figure so as to not block the book titles.
-No foreign language dictionaries because I have enough trouble with English
-I guess I shoulod have put a few Randall Made Knives in the pix
-SQL has no equal..as us database experts once said

You might notice the lack of "literary classics". My mom was an english teacher so I guess have I rebelled against authority.

Posted by: Zogger at February 18, 2018 03:40 PM (SKahJ)

367 Zogger, I love your book den. I don't have a lot of classics either, because it's like giving shelf space to homework.

Needs a cat though.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 04:16 PM (qJtVm)

368 I can't have a cat because we have a doberman. She is not a fan of cats.

Posted by: Zogger at February 18, 2018 04:41 PM (SKahJ)

369 Shelf porn!

Posted by: andycanuck at February 18, 2018 04:50 PM (ewxPW)

370 Shelf porn!
-----------

Stacked!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 18, 2018 05:01 PM (qJtVm)

371 "BARYPHONY is difficulty in speaking.

Usage: Um..ah, let me be, uh, clear, and, uh, as I've, ah, always said, er..."

Example: Barack Obama without a teleprompter.

Posted by: Lord of the Fleas at February 18, 2018 05:10 PM (jkseZ)

372 Reading The Confederacy as a Revolutionary Experience by Emory M. Thomas. Interesting. He describes how the Confederacy become more centralized and authoritarian as the war progressed, in contrast to its initial vision of a return to very limited central government.
Posted by: Skookumchuk
------------

Great Heavens! I thought that I was the only one who had ever even heard of that book, let alone read it. I have a copy around here somewhere.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at February 18, 2018 05:55 PM (QxXRY)

373 One wall of five

Posted by: LINAS K PALUBINSKAS at February 18, 2018 07:16 PM (XQbnK)

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