Sunday Morning Book Thread 06-06-2021

Good morning to all you 'rons, 'ettes, lurkers, and lurkettes, wine moms, frat bros, crétins sans pantalon (who are technically breaking the rules). Welcome once again to the stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread, a weekly compendium of reviews, observations, snark, witty repartee, hilarious bon mots, and a continuing conversation on books, reading, spending way too much money on books, writing books, and publishing books by escaped oafs and oafettes 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, and it's obvious now that it's not what you know that gets you ahead, it's not who you know, it's if your mom is Vice President and can swing you that sweet modeling gig even though you're a scrawny, androgynous little runt and not particularly attractive, which doesn't matter because we're this close --><-- to forcing applause at gunpoint.

Pic Note:

Wikipedia:

The Boston Public Library McKim Building (built 1895) in Copley Square contains the library's research collection, exhibition rooms and administrative offices. When it opened in 1895, the new Boston Public Library was proclaimed a "palace for the people." The building includes lavish decorations, a children's room (the first in the nation), and a central courtyard surrounded by an arcaded gallery in the manner of a Renaissance cloister. The library regularly displays its rare works, often in exhibits that will combine works on paper, rare books, and works of art. Several galleries in the third floor of the McKim building are maintained for exhibits.

The building is inscribed "Built by the People and Dedicated to the Advancement of Learning." A completely different civilization. What happened to these people?

(h/t Seattle Independent)

It Pays To Increase Your Word Power®

Blog Note:

I would like to thank All Hail Eris for filling in for me so wonderfully while I was on the IR. But I have to clear up some of her misinformation she spread in my absence: I had no "monkey gland therapy", nor did I have blood transfusions from "virgin cabana boys". Hmph! An AoSHQ Cob needs not these things! But I do thank for getting me some of that adrenochrome taken from clubbed baby harp seals. It helped a lot.

Anyway, AHE did a fine job and I think we all owe her a big round of clap.

Talking To Lefties

Way back when, All Hail Eris had this recommendation:

81 Insty had this linked: "Cry Bullies: Protecting Yourself Against Social Muggers and Victimhood Aggression"

I read the excerpt and got it.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:54 AM (Dc2NZ)

The Amazon blurb didn't say much, so I stole this from one of the reviews:

Robert's book "Cry Bullies" cuts through the kinds of predatory behaviors these individuals use like a knife; as he states very clearly in the beginning, "I'm skipping negotiation tactics...(in part) ...because negotiation requires two parties willing to actually compromise..."

you cannot compromise with angry people who have given themselves permission to prey upon you socially. as Robert states, "this is about how to shut them down, keep your cool, and not look like the bad guy....(with) active counter debating, active call outs of dubious "facts"....."

Published back in 2018, Cry Bullies: Protecting yourself against social muggers and victimhood aggression is a short book, 92 pages, and it costs only $2.99.

If you're going to buy this book (or even if you're not), I would suggest you also read Leninthink: On the pernicious legacy of Vladimir Lenin as a companion piece. It traces the SJW style of rhetoric and argumentation back to Lenin himself:

Basic books on negotiation teach that you can often do better than split the difference, since people have different concerns. Both sides can come out ahead—but not for the Soviets, whose negotiating stance John F. Kennedy once paraphrased as: what’s mine is mine; and what’s yours is negotiable. For us, the word “politics” means a process of give and take, but for Lenin it’s we take, and you give. From this it follows that one must take maximum advantage of one’s position. If the enemy is weak enough to be destroyed, and one stops simply at one’s initial demands, one is objectively helping the enemy, which makes one a traitor.

Lenin didn't bother explaining to his opponents, for example, the Socialist Revolutionaries, why they were wrong, just the fact that they weren't in 100% agreement with him at every point was enough to denounce them as traitors worthy of extermination.

You can see how this plays out in the 1957 book, available for free on archive.org, How Communists Negotiate by Admiral C. Turner Joy, a book I've mentioned on the thread once or twice before. Admiral Joy led the Allied team charged with negotiating the cease-fire terms with North Korea and it's a good, first-person account of the commies' infuriating lying, dishonesty, and gas-lighting. And the only time the Norks ever made a concession was when they were absolutely forced to do so.

Lefties aren't really interested in discussing issues. They want you to join them in their 'woke' crusade or just shut the hell up. They can't admit the possibility of the legitimacy of any kind of dissent or even indifference. "I just want to be left alone, and I'll leave you alone" is an idea totally alien to the progressive mindset.

And, of course, all of this is moot when the shooting starts.

Who Dis:

(Last week's 'who dis' was noted science fiction author and crazy man, Philip K. Dick)

And I highly recommend the book he's reading, The Science Fiction Hall of Fame (I think that's Volume IIA) for some all-time great classic science fiction stories. They first started being published sometime in the 1970s and I think they're now OOP.

Fortunately, there are Kindle editions:

Volume 1
Volume 2A
Volume 2B

Moron Recommendations

190 Due to the death of Michael Collins earlier this week, I re-read his memoir "Carrying the Fire", and reminded of what a fine book it is. Collins writes well; he's humorous, readable, and gives an excellent account of each of his two space flights - on Gemini X, and Apollo 11. As a man, he comes across as quite likable; someone who enjoys a good meal and a glass of good wine, who recognizes the value of exercise and fitness but doesn't make a cult of it, the son and nephew of famous Army generals who chose to go his own way in the Air Force, who is highly accomplished but who also recognizes that a big measure of luck went into his being chosen for the space program. It's also a reminder of a bolder, more open America, one which produced citizens like Michael Collins. Highly recommended.

Posted by: Nemo at May 02, 2021 09:51 AM (S6ArX)

There's not much I can add to this thorough review except like to the book itself. This is advertised as "the 50th Anniversary Edition", so it's obviously been around for awhile. The Kindle edition is $10.99.

___________

197 So I then got McCarthy's "Peeler," set in 1920s Ireland, and if you want to read about guerrilla fighters going up against an oppressive and powerful government, read this one.

And imagine it here, today. It's kill the cops, but the cops are the true enemy. Redo the Rudy Guiliani raid thing, only this time highly trained operatives kill every one of the FBI in the raid.

Posted by: Mr Gaga at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (D8OwC)

Sounds like a good read:

West Cork. November 1920. The Irish War of Independence rages. The body of a young woman is found brutally murdered on a windswept hillside, a scrapboard sign covering her mutilated body reads 'TRATOR'. Traitor. Acting Sergeant Séan O'Keefe of the Royal Irish Constabulary, a wounded veteran of the Great War, is assigned to investigate the crime, aided by sinister detectives sent from Dublin Castle to ensure he finds the killer, just so long as the killer he finds best serves the purposes of the crown in Ireland. . . The IRA has instigated its own investigation into the young woman's death, assigning young Volunteer Liam Farrell – failed gunman and former law student – to the task of finding a killer it cannot allow to be one of its own.

The good news is that the Kindle edition of Peeler is only 99 cents. Don't know how long that price will last.

Mrs. Muse and I watched an excellent "period" mystery on Amazon Prime video recently, set in Melbourne, Australia during the 1880s. I looked it up on Amazon and it is actually a very old book, advertised as "the best selling mystery of the nineteenth century". The book, first published in 1886, is The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume. Here's the plot:

When a man is found dead in a hansom cab one of Melbourne’s leading citizens is accused of the murder. He pleads his innocence, yet refuses to give an alibi. It falls to a determined lawyer and an intrepid detective to find the truth, revealing long kept secrets along the way. Fergus Hume’s first and perhaps most famous mystery

You can get a free Kindle version, but you might want to spend 99 cents to get this annotated edition, because:

...Included in this book is a new, introductory foreword discussing the story, the times, and the influences that went into the tale, adding historical context to the book. Author biographies are also included, as are illustrations, when appropriate. These are not scanned versions of the originals, but handcrafted, quality-checked and edited books meant to be enjoyed!

And all for less than a buck. Such a deal.

___________

It's always good to get good YA book recommendations. This one is an updated version of the Scheherazade story, wherein a boy is imprisoned by a witch and must tell her a new scary story every night to stay alive:

86 I read "Nightbooks" by J.A. White, labeled as "scary" for ages 8-12. The protagonist Alex is lured into Hansel-and-Gretel subservience to a witch in an lower apartment. Natasha, the young witch, wants him to read stories every night - a kind of 1001 Nights arrangement - to entertain her and, strangely enough, placate the apartment. A fellow prisoner and a magical cat are good supporting characters, particularly in a harrowing scene involving centipede thingies. There is mystery woven in, including why Alex was planning to burn his notebooks in the first place and what happened to the previous storyteller.

The protagonist is likable and bookish without being a nerd...The novel is interspersed with Alex's stories, which are pretty spooky.

I liked it and would recommend it for kids outgrowing Goosebumps.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at April 11, 2021 09:41 AM (/+bwe)

Nightbooks is $8.99 for the paperback edition or $7.99 on Kindle. It's over 300 pages, so you'll be getting a lot of bang for your buck.

___________

Books By Morons

Lurkette author Alma Boykin has a new novella out, a dark fantasy with romance elements, Wolf of the World: The Elect: Story the First:

One searches for oil. The other searches for revenge.

Gregor watches Americans searching for oil in Carpathian Poland. As the Americans grow frustrated by their lack of success, Gregor grows fascinated by Linda, the petrogeologist. His master, Lord Ivan Bethlán, shares that fascination, and demands that Gregor bring Linda to him.

A geologist and a Calvinist werewolf must join forces to stop a monster.

See, I was just thinking the other day, "you know, there just aren't enough novels featuring Calvinist werewolves on the market", so I'm glad to see Ms. Boykin doing her bit to rectify the deficit.

This novella is available on Kindle for $2.99.

Ms. Boykin has many other urban fantasy novels published, so if you're a fan of that genre, she is probably an author you should consider checking out.

___________

Moron author James Cambias has just published the "hard" science fiction novel The Godel Operation:

Daslakh is an AI with a problem. Its favorite human, a young man named Zee, is in love with a woman who never existed — and he will scour the Solar System to find her.

Daslakh's nicely settled life gets more complicated when Zee helps a woman named Adya escape a gang of crooks. This gets the pair caught up in the hunt for the Godel Trigger, a legendary weapon left over from an ancient war... In their search, they face a criminal cat and her henchmen, a paranoid supermind with a giant laser, the greatest thief in history, and a woman who might actually be Zee's lost love.

It's up to Daslakh to save civilization, keep Zee's love life on the right track—and make sure that nobody discovers the real secret of the Godel Trigger.

Also available at Baen Books. I don't see a Baen e-book version there, but it is available on Kindle for $8.99.

___________

Lurking moron author 'Long-time Commenter, First-time Reader' e-mailed me earlier this week to tell me about his new fantasy/western novel, The Quick and the Undead:

Madigan Moore rode into town in search of an old friend. What he found instead was a whole mess of trouble: a mysterious murder, a missing person, and some all-fired nasty magic at work underneath the surface.

Now it’s somehow fallen to Madigan to set things right. Thrust into the middle of a fight he never asked for, he’ll need to face more kinds of trouble than a body could want. Atop his trusty steed and wielding a gun that can literally shoot around corners, Madigan should be ready for anything, but even he wasn’t prepared to find monsters - both human and otherwise - lurking behind every bush. To survive, he’ll need to think fast and move faster, elsewise he’ll be dead… or worse.

This is the first installment of a series, and the Kindle edition can be yours for $2.99

___________

If you like, you can follow me on Twitter, where I make the occasional snarky comment.

___________

So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, bribes, insults, threats, ugly pants pics and moron library submissions 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 09:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 hiya

Posted by: JT at June 06, 2021 08:01 AM (arJlL)

2 OMG Joan Collins!

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 08:02 AM (ONvIw)

3 Still working on the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. On book 5 now.

Posted by: Vic at June 06, 2021 08:02 AM (mpXpK)

4 Mornin'! Been reading through Maverick, Jason L. Riley's bio of Thomas Sowell. It's excellent. If people aren't familiar with Sowell's work, they will likely think it's too much hero worship. But Sowell really is just s awesome as Riley explains. Losing Walter Williams was pretty sad for me last year. I hope Sowell sticks around for a while and writes some more.

Posted by: Catherine at June 06, 2021 08:03 AM (H/fKi)

5 I read Knife of Dreams, book eleven in the WOT series, by Robert Jordan. After a couple of "meh" books, the action picks up and the story moves forward once again.

Posted by: Zoltan at June 06, 2021 08:04 AM (kiyX4)

6 The Copley building steps seem usually populated by angry homeless people these days.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at June 06, 2021 08:04 AM (C3zFG)

7 Tolle Lege
My summer of reading is half over and summer isn't here.
Finished Gulag Archipelago, all 3 books in 1 month exactly.
Couldn't put it down.
Didn't get much further on Rise and Fall of the Third Reich but will be now that only reading it.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 08:04 AM (Cxk7w)

8 Welcome back, OM! AHE did a great job! Kudos all around!

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at June 06, 2021 08:04 AM (hQrcu)

9 Welcome Back, OM.

I hope your whole body tattoo of your favorite scenes from the "Naked Lunch" went well.

You'll have to post pictures sometime.

And All Hail the Mighty Eris for a spectacular job of filling in while you were acting as a canvas for the greatest Yakuza Tattoo Artist in Kyoto.

Posted by: naturalfake at June 06, 2021 08:05 AM (dWwl8)

10 I read Knife of Dreams, book eleven in the WOT series, by Robert Jordan. After a couple of "meh" books, the action picks up and the story moves forward once again.
Posted by: Zoltan at June 06, 2021 08:04 AM (kiyX4)
---
The action does NOT STOP for the last three books! I think you will really enjoy them...

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at June 06, 2021 08:05 AM (hQrcu)

11 Hiya Cannibal Bob !

I know you're in here; I can smell the favi beans and the chianti !

Regards to Heidi !

Posted by: JT at June 06, 2021 08:05 AM (arJlL)

12 Anyway, AHE did a fine job and I think we all owe her a big round of clap.
---

Couldn't get it from a finer COB, O'Muse!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 08:05 AM (Dc2NZ)

13 Anyway, I am rereading Henry II by W.L. Warren. I read a lot of Plantagenet biographies, and this one was one of my favorites.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 08:06 AM (ONvIw)

14 OM, in case Eris didn't tell you, the Who Dis? prize is now Valu-Rite and pork rinds. Of course, you're free to substitute as you see fit....

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at June 06, 2021 08:06 AM (PiwSw)

15 A couple of Morons mentioned Joe Haldeman's The Forever War the other day. I decided to read it yesterday and it was OK, I guess. I wouldn't put it anywhere near my top tier science fiction stories. However, I can definitely see how it influenced a lot other science fiction authors and stories, so for that reason alone, I think it has a worthy place among the greats.

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at June 06, 2021 08:07 AM (hQrcu)

16 Who dis looks like Elizabeth Taylor.

Posted by: dantesed at June 06, 2021 08:07 AM (88xKn)

17 Warning from Alexander Solzhenitsyn
All you freedom-loving "Left-wing" thinkers of the west!
You Left-wing Laborites! American, German and French
students! As far as you are concerned, none of this amounts to much. As far as your concerned, this whole book of mine is a wasted effort. You may understand it all yourself one day- but only when you yourselves her " hands behind your back there" and step ashore to our Archipelago.
Learned many things, how the Soviets used criminals in the Gulag to control the vermin to them political. The Soviets claimed ( as bet any Sundowner administration would) they held no political prisoners.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 08:07 AM (Cxk7w)

18 OM, in case Eris didn't tell you, the Who Dis? prize is now Valu-Rite and pork rinds.

And a porkpie hat

Posted by: JT at June 06, 2021 08:08 AM (arJlL)

19 "Hell had broken open, and hundreds of bureaucrats were gushing out."

"Breaking Point" is C.J. Box's most pointed commentary on government overreach (so far). In this story, the EPA hounds and harasses a man until he snaps. The EPA decreed that the lot he was building his family's dream home on was a wetland, and he is charged astronomical penalties for every day that it is not returned to pristine condition (there is no water on this piece of property). Two agents serving him papers are found murdered, and the man disappears into the wilderness. This reminds Joe Pickett of another nearly identical case in Idaho and he starts his own investigation. But he is still commandeered by the feds to assist the EPA agents and their SWAT team (!) to track down the killer.

And one act of official idiocy by the agency does far more damage to the environment than any careless civilian (shades of Gold King Mine spill).

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 08:09 AM (Dc2NZ)

20 Welcome back to the land of books, OM.

Posted by: grammie winger at June 06, 2021 08:09 AM (45fpk)

21 Good morning all! Leaving Nashville this morning. Son went 1-1 in the tournament. Had to go 2-0 to play today. Headed home today

Posted by: Jmel at June 06, 2021 08:09 AM (ZBWXC)

22 Who dis looks like Elizabeth Taylor.

She's not choking on a chicken bone !

Posted by: JT at June 06, 2021 08:09 AM (arJlL)

23 Is that Loretta Young?

Posted by: grammie winger at June 06, 2021 08:09 AM (45fpk)

24 It was a fantastic job Eris, first time didn't even realize you picked up the battle flag without a step and continued on.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 08:09 AM (Cxk7w)

25 Still working my way through McCullough's The Great Bridge. At the rate I'm going, it will be drug to the beach, get sandy, have drinks sloshed on it, and still not be finished by September. I am enjoying it though.

Posted by: Tonypete at June 06, 2021 08:11 AM (Rvt88)

26 It was a fantastic job Eris, first time didn't even realize you picked up the battle flag without a step and continued on.
Posted by: Skip

She was busy not answering e-mails.....

Posted by: JT at June 06, 2021 08:12 AM (arJlL)

27 The Copley building steps seem usually populated by angry homeless people these days.
Posted by: Huck Follywood

It's been that way for at least 40 years Huck. . .

Posted by: Tonypete at June 06, 2021 08:12 AM (Rvt88)

28 OregonMuse

Welcome back. I'm so glad you are recovering from your injuries incurred rescuing those orphans and ladies of negotiable virtue from that burning group house. Well done.

All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes did her best to back you up. She did an exemplary job. She has a slightly different style, with élan. A respectful tip o ta hat to you, All Hail Eris.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 08:13 AM (u82oZ)

29 Welcome back OM, and good morning all.

Often lost in remembering D-Day is the liberation of Rome the day prior. Here's how my dad described it in his wartime diary.

June 5, 1944
Rome is ours. We have it surrounded and occupied. The natives are delirious with joy. What with flag waving and flower throwing and shouting and ringing it is a great show. Our battery moved from Velletri to the fair grounds SW of Rome. As soon as we closed in the new area 'Ace' [Taylor] took me for a flight over Rome. The main streets were thronged with people. The entrance to Vatican City was so crowded with people that we couldn't see the ground. [Margin note: This was the Pope's address welcoming the Allies. A lucky flight for us because flying over the Vatican is strictly forbidden. However this was a special occasion and passed uncensored.] Rome is not badly bombed. Only the railroad yards show any amount of bombing. Our troops are moving well out with little opposition. All troops are advancing straight up the axis on rather narrow division fronts. The Air Corps is still raising Cain in the rear areas. Gerry seems very confused and disorganized.

MY DAD BUZZED THE POPE!!

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 08:13 AM (m45I2)

30 The people"dedicated to the advancement of learning" haven't disappeared, they simply have been obscured by the cacophony of fools who are given credence far in excess of their number.

Posted by: irongrampa at June 06, 2021 08:14 AM (KATBx)

31 https://archive.org/details/
TheGulagArchipelago-Threevolumes

Would recommend to anyone if you never have try a few pages. I knew from very early teenage years Communists were murdering bastards but this filled in a lot of unknown.
And see now our current Communists are following the Sovets playbook.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 08:14 AM (Cxk7w)

32 MY DAD BUZZED THE POPE!!

There's a sentence you don't often read.

Posted by: grammie winger at June 06, 2021 08:14 AM (45fpk)

33 Oh, and take note of the name of my dad's pilot.

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 08:15 AM (m45I2)

34 On many sites, I get ads from Thrift Books. Yesterday the ad included a book called "Hebrews to Negroes" by a guy named Dalton who puts for the idea that blacks are the Israelites and the "chosen". I've never been comfortable with "chosen-ness" and think people set too much store in that word. This man doesn't, but thinks they have been denied as they are it. It has over 1000 reviews. Crazy times

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 08:15 AM (ONvIw)

35 Good morning morons. Love hearing about your dads exploits Muldoon

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 06, 2021 08:15 AM (EZebt)

36 It looks like Joan Collins to me too.

Posted by: lin-duh at June 06, 2021 08:16 AM (UUBmN)

37 Joan Collins smoldered even while reading. "East Of Eden" is a Steinbeck novel I never read, I suppose I should admit right up front.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at June 06, 2021 08:16 AM (C3zFG)

38 Smoking a cig, reading a book. Gin wafting in on a breeze. Waiting for the hot dog eating contest to start.

Posted by: klaftern at June 06, 2021 08:17 AM (r4sI4)

39 Good morning folks

Posted by: rhennigantx at June 06, 2021 08:17 AM (yrol0)

40 So that actually is Joan Collins, for once.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 08:17 AM (2JVJo)

41 "East Of Eden" is a Steinbeck novel I never read, I suppose I should admit right up front.
Posted by: Huck Follywood

Raymond Massey was terrific in the film.

Posted by: Tonypete at June 06, 2021 08:17 AM (Rvt88)

42 Joan Collins smoldered even while reading. "East Of Eden" is a Steinbeck novel I never read, I suppose I should admit right up front.
Posted by: Huck Follywood

But, you saw the movie with Jimmy Dean, right ?

Posted by: JT at June 06, 2021 08:17 AM (arJlL)

43 Vic

Wow. The Honor universe. Every book gets bigger, and the actions get smaller. It does have it's appeal. I think of every battle as Harpoon calculating a Soviet launch on a USN CVBG.

You would think star-spanning cultures in the far future would have better ways of organizing themselves, and teaching interpersonal dynamics. But no.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 08:17 AM (u82oZ)

44 37 Joan Collins smoldered even while reading. "East Of Eden" is a Steinbeck novel I never read, I suppose I should admit right up front.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at June 06, 2021 08:16 AM (C3zFG)

Basically socialism is gooderer.

Posted by: rhennigantx at June 06, 2021 08:18 AM (yrol0)

45 23 Is that Loretta Young?

Posted by: grammie winger at June 06, 2021 08:09 AM (45fpk)

CN posted the correct answer at #2.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 08:18 AM (5Z/rC)

46 Sigh. What does it say when Calvin was ahead of his time?

"The submission was an experiment to test the journal's intellectual rigor, and specifically to investigate whether "a leading North American journal of cultural studies ould publish an article liberally salted with nonsense if (a) it sounded good and (b) it flattered the editors' ideological preconceptions."

https://tinyurl.com/fmezhxc

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:18 AM (83lwH)

47 38 Smoking a cig, reading a book. Gin wafting in on a breeze. Waiting for the hot dog eating contest to start.
Posted by: klaftern at June 06, 2021 08:17 AM (r4sI4)
---

Sounds like a Bulwer-Lytton contest winner! Can't wait to read the rest of the novel.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 08:18 AM (Dc2NZ)

48 There was a TV series:

East of Eden: With Timothy Bottoms, Jane Seymour, Bruce Boxleitner, Soon-Tek Oh.

Posted by: rhennigantx at June 06, 2021 08:19 AM (yrol0)

49 37 Joan Collins smoldered even while reading. "East Of Eden" is a Steinbeck novel I never read, I suppose I should admit right up front.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at June 06, 2021 08:16 AM (C3zFG)

I read it years ago, and was glad I did. It was an interesting book, and later I had a patient who used quotes from the evil lead female character. Knowing Steinbeck was a great aid in that case. Life imitates art in many ugly ways

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 08:19 AM (ONvIw)

50 Never saw the film either.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at June 06, 2021 08:20 AM (C3zFG)

51 It was a great way to have a real Joan Collins! And she did look a lot like Liz in that pic.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 08:20 AM (ONvIw)

52 So I've always loved the picture accompanying this music by Dynatron's "Rise to the Stars":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoHFSx7nhVg

Turns out it's from the children's book "By Space Ship to the Moon" by Fletcher Pratt (intro by Willy Ley), with illustrations by Jack Coggins. Of course I got an old copy. Published in 1952, with lots of speculations on the why and how.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 08:20 AM (Dc2NZ)

53 They read in Boston??

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 06, 2021 08:20 AM (EZebt)

54 Muldoon

Thank you for that excerpt. Your dad and 'Ace" did good.

We captured Rome instead of going after the German Army, and General Clark never recovered his reputation.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 08:20 AM (u82oZ)

55 CN posted the correct answer at #2.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 08:18 AM (5Z/rC)

Oh sure. Rub it in.

Posted by: grammie winger at June 06, 2021 08:20 AM (45fpk)

56 JOAN COLLINS !!!!

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 08:21 AM (V13WU)

57 Is the Joan Collins a drink? I feel like it should be.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 08:21 AM (Dc2NZ)

58 "The natives are delirious with joy. What with flag waving and flower throwing and shouting and ringing it is a great show."

Delirious with joy. Your father had a way with words.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:21 AM (83lwH)

59 Nice Lieberry!

Those pants....that's a man baby!

The Who Dis is Petruchio's old lady. What a mouth on that broad.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at June 06, 2021 08:23 AM (R/m4+)

60 Is the Joan Collins a drink? I feel like it should be.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes

Instead of an ice cube, it has a nipple in it !

Posted by: JT at June 06, 2021 08:23 AM (arJlL)

61 31 https://archive.org/details/
TheGulagArchipelago-Threevolumes

Would recommend to anyone if you never have try a few pages. I knew from very early teenage years Communists were murdering bastards but this filled in a lot of unknown.
And see now our current Communists are following the Sovets playbook.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 08:14 AM (Cxk7w)

I picked up Vol 1. of GA 30 years ago. I thought the first volume would be enough. But after I started reading it, I became convinced that it was my moral duty to read all 3 volumes. And I did. It is truly a monumental work.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 08:23 AM (5Z/rC)

62 For some reason, whenever I see Steinbeck's "East of Eden" I always think it's part of Harry Harrison's Eden trilogy that begins with "West of Eden". VERY different storyline...

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at June 06, 2021 08:24 AM (hQrcu)

63 Nascar at Sears Point
Chase has won 6 out of last 7 road races.

Posted by: rhennigantx at June 06, 2021 08:24 AM (yrol0)

64 57 Is the Joan Collins a drink? I feel like it should be.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 08:21 AM (Dc2NZ)

The Joan Collins is a Tom Collins only with...

(finish the sentence)

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 08:25 AM (5Z/rC)

65 I'm reading Jay Dyer's Esoteric Hollywood: Sex Cults and Symbols in film Book 1 and 2 right now.

I have Dave McGowan book Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops and The Dark Heart of the Hippie Dream along with Programmed to Kill when I finish up Dyer.

Posted by: Widespread Pepe at June 06, 2021 08:26 AM (hOSix)

66 Welcome back OM. Hopefully you're doing alright in yourself.

Posted by: ... at June 06, 2021 08:26 AM (uEbPt)

67 43 Vic

Wow. The Honor universe. Every book gets bigger, and the actions
get smaller. It does have it's appeal. I think of every battle as Harpoon calculating a Soviet launch on a USN CVBG.

You would think star-spanning cultures in the far future would have
better ways of organizing themselves, and teaching interpersonal
dynamics. But no.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 08:17 AM (u82oZ)

This is about my 5th reread of this series.

Posted by: Vic at June 06, 2021 08:26 AM (mpXpK)

68 "It has over 1000 reviews. Crazy times"

Yup. I recently came across a similar hilarity. Black intellectuals talking about white culture in terms of how it needed to be broken down before it could be reformed.

I told them it sounded a lot like White Man's Burden before promptly being Banned For Life with Oak Leaf Clusters.

It must take a special kind of denial to engage in such thoughts as your own people are killing each other in the streets over tennis shoes.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:26 AM (83lwH)

69 And remembered Dennis Prager's Rational Bible Deuteronomy should have been out, and seems to be in ebook, but I want hardback and it's not coming until September.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 08:27 AM (Cxk7w)

70 Nearing the end of Volume I of Foote's Civil War. Just finished the battle of Anteitam. One wonders how much more damage Lee would have inflicted on McLellan had his orders not been copied out and wrapped around three cigars. Longstreet, at least, did the right thing by committing the orders to memory and then eating them.

And a few commenters here have noted Foote's pro-Southern bias. I hadn't noticed it much at the beginning, but it is coming through more clearly now.

I'd like to finish it today, but, as usual, I'm hung over and depressed. I just wish this year were over. I'm tired of working. Almost tired of life, but that's a story for another day.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 08:27 AM (2JVJo)

71 What a fuckin morning. So I was down at Camp Lejeune for 3 days and was suppose to fly out on American early this AM thru Charlotte. At 9 or so last night American cancels the Charlotte flight to NY. FUCK! Of course can't get thru to them and then they book me on a flight tomorrow???? So I did some quick searches and found a flight out of Raleigh Durham direct for about $250. Now since SATO ( The Gov Travel People) also did not answer, I am probably going to have to swallow that $250, fine ok. Then since I am returning the rental car to a different airport Hertz, those fucks, are charging me an extra $250!!!! I will try to expense it on my voucher but who knows...Then I get to LGA in NY and my limo driver texted me he is broken down on the highway, sends me a picture of his busted tire, and he can't get me. LOL. My wife was going to have to come but some Uber Driver walks up to me and asks if I need a ride, and I said " sure, why not"

Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 06, 2021 08:27 AM (85Gof)

72 Sears Point? Should be good. Can be good.
Unless "they" feel the need to gin up some crap for the "As the World Turns" crowd.

Posted by: klaftern at June 06, 2021 08:29 AM (r4sI4)

73 Two summers ago, I started reading "Exodus" by Leon Uris. I had to give up because my eyesight was deteriorating. Last night I downloaded it onto my Kindle Paperwhite so I can adjust the font bigly. I don't know why this didn't dawn on me before.

Posted by: grammie winger at June 06, 2021 08:30 AM (45fpk)

74 Nearing the end of Volume I of Foote's Civil War.
Just finished the battle of Anteitam. One wonders how much more
damage Lee would have inflicted on McLellan had his orders not been
copied out and wrapped around three cigars. Longstreet, at least, did
the right thing by committing the orders to memory and then eating them.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 08:27 AM

Those orders not being found and acted on are the basis for the Harry Turtledove alternate history book series. They start out with the South winning the Civil War and becoming independent. Of course there is a new war every generation or so. A good series actually. Settling Accounts.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at June 06, 2021 08:32 AM (JUOKG)

75 We captured Rome instead of going after the German Army, and General Clark never recovered his reputation.
Grant did the same. Instead of trying to occupy Richmond, he went after Lee's army until Appomattox, ending the war.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 08:33 AM (v16oJ)

76 Nemo and OM are right.

Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins is the best book of the US space program in the Moon era. And I've read plenty, even the story of the Saturn V 2nd Stage and the construction saga.

He was an accomplished man (Smithsonian Air & Space Museum on time, under budget), but he describes the apogee of his life very well.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 08:33 AM (u82oZ)

77 You. Yes, YOU! Put your pants on now! Slack time is over!!!

Posted by: Assistant Associate AoSHQ Book Thread Pants Monitor at June 06, 2021 08:33 AM (DMUuz)

78 "I picked up Vol 1. of GA 30 years ago. I thought the first volume would be enough. But after I started reading it, I became convinced that it was my moral duty to read all 3 volumes. And I did. It is truly a monumental work."

Should be on everyone's reading list. When dealing with the evils of Marxism, why learn from experience when Solzhenitsyn can give you all the Spoilers so you can react as if you were a veteran in the fight?

And I'm always spotlighting "oh how we burned in the camps" as a reminder that violence should never be taken off the table. Always assumed it wouldn't be, don't know why I did, because I was very wrong.

Like with Yates: "the best lack all conviction", I could never imagine a Good that wouldn't fight to defend it's values.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:33 AM (83lwH)

79 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. I hope everyone had a great week of reading.

Posted by: JTB at June 06, 2021 08:34 AM (7EjX1)

80 And last, ( OK, probably not) have no idea how the Soviet Union even survived eating millions of their own ( Democide).
Yet seems from all we know China and Norks are still doing the same thing.
Often as I do with war books tend to look up where the story is taking place. Many of what started as a Gulag only are now small towns with Lukoil gas stations and car dealers. Many of the cathedrals and monasteries look to be renovated or are in the process with scaffolding. The buildings are magnificent structures even in the middle of nowhere. Easily found on Google maps and come with ground pictures.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 08:34 AM (Cxk7w)

81 While downloading Exodus to my Paperwhite, I saw that I had 27 unread books stored on there. How does that happen? I blame the Book Thread.

Posted by: grammie winger at June 06, 2021 08:36 AM (45fpk)

82 "Instead of trying to occupy Richmond, he went after Lee's army until Appomattox, ending the war."

Can I elbow in to rec Bruce Catton's "A Stillness At Appomattox". My first read of a Civil War book, it was incredible.

I was astonished at how many times the Union's a__ was saved by Midwestern Generals literally riding against the tide of troops in a rout and turning them around. Just unbelievable courage and leadership.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:36 AM (83lwH)

83 NGU that bastard probably really blocked up the Van Wyck with that busted tire.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 06, 2021 08:36 AM (EZebt)

84 Those pants are fine. I would wear them to a Welcome Back OregonMuse barbecue in my back yard.

Posted by: A scrawny, androgynous little not particularly attractive runt at June 06, 2021 08:36 AM (Tnijr)

85 Before I talk about what I read I want to thank whoever mentioned Anthony Burgess's 99 Novels: The Best in English Since 1939 last week. I love books like this when authors list their faves and explain why they like them, so I ordered it immediately. It arrived yesterday, a hardbound edition which some dickweed wrote notes in with a red sharpie like a fucking idiot. That small caveat aside I was heartened by some of the inclusions that tend to get overlooked, like Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet and quirky personal choices like Mordecai Richler's Cocksure and Goldfinger. Also a rarely mentioned late Faulkner choice The Mansion. I'll be digging into this a lot.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:37 AM (y7DUB)

86 Vic

Yes, there is much to see there. And a lot is very entertaining.

But 5 times! Wow. Twice for the early books, and once for the later books is all I can take.

I am going to write of the Old Man Wars in a bit. It is an easier series.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 08:37 AM (u82oZ)

87 OMG!! The 'these pants' are disturbing, as is the thing modeling them. It looks like Dr. Seuss on bad acid designed them.

Posted by: JTB at June 06, 2021 08:37 AM (7EjX1)

88 I did a lot of reading this week! I started J.P. Marquand's Mr. Moto novels, which I downloded for free at fadedpage.com. It's interesting that these were written (and very popular) in the late 30s, and the movies with Peter Lorre were made right at the same time. Obviously, Warner Brothers immediately snapped up the rights to a hot property. But they didn't adapt the actual stories Marquand wrote; they just created new ones, and in one case adapted a Charlie Chan film in production that got derailed by the death of Warner Oland. The movies are like "continuing adventures of Mr. Moto", and actually they're quite different. The novels are very based in current events, and are frankly political, with references to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and espionage with a view to coming war between Japan and other countries.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at June 06, 2021 08:38 AM (OHBkE)

89 68 Yep, but probably due to their "stolen identity ".

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 08:39 AM (nGRtn)

90 The internet truly is a wondrous thing. Sure, it's susceptible to abuse, and has lots of worthless stuff, but I doubt our kids will ever understand what it's like to really want to know some useless little factoid that just pops into your head, but be unable to scratch that itch.
One of the remarks above triggered a mindthought about an old space-themed lunchbox I had as a kid. A quick search, and lo and behold, there it was for the first time since I was a wee sprite.
https://tinyurl.com/yywknk6f

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 08:40 AM (v16oJ)

91 Gimme my pants back.

Posted by: Po, the Teletubby at June 06, 2021 08:40 AM (wyw4S)

92 Good morning, all - and welcome back, OM! The book festival in Seguin went very well for me, and I am booked for next year. I live in hope, eh? Helping my daughter cope with the baby, who was three weeks premature, and now making up for that last month in the womb growth spurt by wanting to be fed almost constantly.
So - my casual reading is suffering something awful, and I can barely squeeze in the time for my own writing.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at June 06, 2021 08:41 AM (xnmPy)

93 NGU that bastard probably really blocked up the Van Wyck with that busted tire.
Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 06, 2021 08:36 AM (EZebt)\

NO doubt. But I am home

Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 06, 2021 08:41 AM (85Gof)

94 Welcome back OM!

Just starting book 2 of Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.
The Royal Navy Vs. Napoleon WITH Dragons!
I'm not normally a fantasy reader at all, but book one- His Majesty's Dragon, surprised me and I hope the whole series keeps fantasy to a "minimum"

Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike at June 06, 2021 08:41 AM (C/fpg)

95 The Boston Library Reading Room looks like a church, from back when education was almost a religion.

Posted by: G'rump928(c) at June 06, 2021 08:42 AM (yQpMk)

96 Can I elbow in to rec Bruce Catton's "A Stillness At Appomattox".
This is the AOS way. Welcome.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 08:42 AM (v16oJ)

97 like Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:37 AM (y7DUB)
---------

I have his Travel Reader on hold and will read The Alexandria Quartet after. Have you read his brother Gerald's books? I mentioned them a few weeks back. I highly recommend them.

Posted by: Po, the Teletubby at June 06, 2021 08:43 AM (wyw4S)

98 Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 08:27 AM (2JVJo)

Were you aware that Foote wrote that in longhand? Don't know how it took him to finish it.

Posted by: dantesed at June 06, 2021 08:44 AM (88xKn)

99 "nor did I have blood transfusions from "virgin cabana boys"

So your saying the cabana boys were not virgins? ...and that we should re-order society according to Lobsters?

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:44 AM (83lwH)

100 Whoops, that was me, Captain Hate.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe on July 24! at June 06, 2021 08:44 AM (wyw4S)

101 Someone a few weeks ago recommended Rick Atkinson's "The British Are Coming". I ordered it for a surprisingly low price (yeah, yeah, Amazon sucks...) and just started it last night.

So far, so good, and I'm still surprised at just how good a writer Atkinson is. It flows smoothly, so you cease to be aware of the act of reading. I shouldn't be surprised, because his Liberation trilogy was the same. The guy really is a man of letters.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 08:44 AM (v16oJ)

102 The Boston Library Reading Room looks like a church, from back when education was almost a religion.
Posted by: G'rump928(c) at June 06, 2021 08:42 AM (yQpMk)
---
Back in olden times, religion was the *reason* for an education...

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at June 06, 2021 08:45 AM (hQrcu)

103 Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:37 AM (y7DUB)

Captain Hate, that was me. I'm glad you like it.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at June 06, 2021 08:45 AM (PiwSw)

104 Thanks to last week's listing of free books, I am currently slogging my way through John Ringo's Posleen novels. They are driving me half crazy. There is just enough story and character to keep me wading through untold pages of weapons and tactics descriptions.

Posted by: Captain Josepha Sabin -- Bitterly clinging to the deplorable life at June 06, 2021 08:47 AM (/7+9I)

105 Bluebell too. Horde mind!

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at June 06, 2021 08:47 AM (PiwSw)

106 I also read a brand-new French book, called 'La Mythomane de Bataclan' by Alexandre Kauffmann, based on a positive write-up by Theodore Dalrymple. It was expensive for a Kindle book - $20 - but the print edition was more than twice that and I'd have had to wait for it to come from France.

'Mythomane' is a rare word in English, so I'd translate this as "The Bataclan Fabulist". Bataclan, you might remember, was the scene of a Paris jihadi attack during a heavy metal rock concert, where lots of people were killed and wounded. In the aftermath, an online support group called Life for Paris was started up, and this one woman named Florence (Flo-Kitty was her Facebook moniker) quickly became one of the key people in running it. She claimed a dear friend was seriously wounded in the attack. It turned out she made up the whole story, going so far as to create fake online accounts for the man plus a fake boyfriend. She even got money from the French govt. meant for survivors. A real head case.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at June 06, 2021 08:47 AM (OHBkE)

107 Oh I ran into a delightful woman who got her first book published. Poor thing didn't know she deserved to celebrate it like a baby shower, so I sent her here and to Hoyt's with advice that lots of readers might have ideas on how the wish they had done (or did do it). So keep a watch for her.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:48 AM (83lwH)

108 On Faith by Antonin Scalia.
Beautiful essays on courage, the virtue of military service, where God and religion place in society today, other big subjects written in a concise and compelling manner by a brilliant man.

Posted by: LASue at June 06, 2021 08:48 AM (Ed8Zd)

109 50th Anniversary Edition of "Carrying the Fire"? I recall reading it when it came out, so that makes me (counting fingers and toes)...

But like a lot if my reading, I recall only snippets.

Posted by: JM in Florida at June 06, 2021 08:48 AM (HCeRP)

110 What does it say when Calvin was ahead of his time?

-
~~Years~~ Decades ago Mad Magazine did a piece on writing your way through school. It started with an elementary What I Did On My Summer Vacation where he had visited his grandfather's farm and learned that the pigs and grandfather smelled funny. It continued progressing through school including a doctoral thesis all centered around grandfather/pigs/smelled funny.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 08:49 AM (d9FiS)

111 Were you aware that Foote wrote that in longhand? Don't know how it took him to finish it.
Posted by: dantesed at June 06, 2021 08:44 AM (88xKn)

I was, actually. I learned that from Tony Horwitz' Confederates in the Attic. I write my books in longhand with a dip pen, too, but I was doing that before I knew Foote did.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 08:49 AM (2JVJo)

112 "They start out with the South winning the Civil War and becoming independent"

I always imagined that would mean America was never strong enough to enter WW2, so Europe fell to the Nazi. Am I close?

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:50 AM (83lwH)

113 I'm currently reading "First Platoon" by Annie Jacobsen and recommend it highly. It starts off with an infantry platoon in Afghanistan and uses its experiences to reveal the current plethora of surveillance systems that can be used over large geographic areas and how those systems are moving into police work in America, to include the gathering of "biometric" data.

With the ways our current rulers, elected and otherwise, are currently abusing our political system, it's hard to imagine that they won't abuse these capabilities in their new "War on Terror".

Oh, and lest I forget, this book showcases the impact of JAGs, JAGettes, and JAGoffs on our young infantrymen trying to do a near impossible mission encumbered by way to many "human rights" rules of engagement.

On the less downer side, be prepared for more acronyms than any reader should ever have to see.

Posted by: 11B40 at June 06, 2021 08:50 AM (evgyj)

114 I'm about halfway through The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah and the Search for Infinity by Amir D. Aczel. The book is a number of things: first it's the story of Georg Cantor, a somewhat obscure mathematician who spent not insignificant periods of his life in a nuthouse. Second it's a history of the concept of infinity and the people who pursued it. Getting your head around the concept of infinity is borderline unpossible. Most people think about it in terms of never getting to the end of the universe but it also manifests itself in the other direction, like an infinite number of numbers existing between 0 and 1 and that the infinity between 0 and 1 is the same as between 0 and 2, which is counterintuitive but that's the nature of infinity. I think I can finish this without being institutionalized but others have failed...

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:51 AM (y7DUB)

115 Bluebell too. Horde mind!
Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at June 06, 2021 08:47 AM (PiwSw)
------

No, that was you! I was the one with the sticky Po sock who asked Captain Hate if he had read Gerry Durrell's books.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 08:53 AM (wyw4S)

116 Good morning y'all!

Posted by: tbodie at June 06, 2021 08:53 AM (VzbI8)

117 Black intellectuals talking about white culture in terms of how it needed to be broken down before it could be reformed.

-
They're going to Build It Back Better?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 08:55 AM (d9FiS)

118 This weeks re-read:

"Ringworld" by Larry Niven.

Breathtaking in the width and originality of the vision it took to create this amazing story.

Posted by: Oswald Thatendswell at June 06, 2021 08:56 AM (fBtlL)

119 The Great Bridge is worth the slog

Posted by: JM in Florida at June 06, 2021 08:56 AM (HCeRP)

120 I was, actually. I learned that from Tony Horwitz' Confederates in the Attic. I write my books in longhand with a dip pen, too, but I was doing that before I knew Foote did.
Please tell me you use one of those old-fashioned fountain pens, the kind you have to keep dipping into the inkwell. A sharpened feather would be even better, but I'm a realist.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 08:56 AM (v16oJ)

121 I'm about halfway through The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah and the Search for Infinity by Amir D. Aczel.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:51 AM (y7DUB)

===
You might like El Aleph a thematically related short story by Jorge Luis Borges.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 06, 2021 08:57 AM (EZebt)

122 Most people think about it in terms of never getting to the end of the universe but it also manifests itself in the other direction, like an infinite number of numbers existing between 0 and 1 and that the infinity between 0 and 1 is the same as between 0 and 2, which is counterintuitive but that's the nature of infinity. I think I can finish this without being institutionalized but others have failed...
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:51 AM (y7DUB)

I'll bet you could have used an infinite number of examples.

Posted by: Tom Servo at June 06, 2021 08:57 AM (bxPTJ)

123 "I was astonished at how many times the Union's a__ was saved by Midwestern Generals literally riding against the tide of troops in a rout and turning them around. Just unbelievable courage and leadership"

See the History Channel's truly excellent docu drama on Gen. Grant. Highly recommended

Posted by: Tuna at June 06, 2021 08:57 AM (gLRfa)

124 Bluebell too. Horde mind!
Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at June 06, 2021 08:47 AM (PiwSw)

Risking getting shivved, I only remember reading your rec. Although with Bluebell's impeccable tastes I'm not surprised...

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:58 AM (y7DUB)

125 Currently reading 'Caesar and Christ' by Will Durant. Thanks to the horde for that recommendation.

Posted by: dantesed at June 06, 2021 08:58 AM (88xKn)

126 I'm actually familiar with the word nosegay but have never used it in a sentence. Although I just did.
I just came across the word jalousie in Don Quixote, which I had to look up.

Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at June 06, 2021 08:58 AM (cSyAR)

127 We captured Rome instead of going after the German Army, and General Clark never recovered his reputation.
Posted by: NaCly Dog

Mark Clark: The Joe Hooker of WWII.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 08:58 AM (d9FiS)

128 Got a "Trots and Bonny" cartoon collection from the library. Holy shit! I remember reading them when I snuck peeks at my older sister's stash of National Lampoons. Filthy stuff! I laffed.

The 70's were a different era, man.

A different planet.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 08:59 AM (Dc2NZ)

129 It is truly a monumental work.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 08:23 AM (5Z/rC)

On a smaller scale, but even more brutal is a book called "Kolyma Stories" by Varlam Shalamov. It's a tough read though....

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at June 06, 2021 08:59 AM (Q9lwr)

130 "The EPA decreed that the lot he was building his family's dream home on was a wetland, and he is charged astronomical penalties for every day that it is not returned to pristine condition (there is no water on this piece of property)."

I have a farm in another city (Cotton and Cattle) managed by a Salt of the Earth Rancher. One day my cousin told me that Geese were using a small wetland area on it for migration. I told her that was sweet...

And immediately instructed the Rancher to drain that fcker. I fear the EPA more than I love animals. Sad, but not worth risk of losing 200 acres to PCBS.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:00 AM (83lwH)

131 Risking getting shivved, I only remember reading your rec. Although with Bluebell's impeccable tastes I'm not surprised...
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:58 AM (y7DUB)
------

Not me! I was asking if you read Gerald Durrell's books but had left my Po sock on.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:00 AM (wyw4S)

132 Since this is D-Day, I want to highlight the amazing feat of Pegasus Bridge.

The book Pegasus Bridge by Stephen Ambrose is lean, informative, and arguably his best book.

It was a very important mission, and a classic coup de main.

Well told for all, but to me the glider pilots stand out. They had a task beyond the limits of technology, and they nailed it. Any military vet would appreciate this: the pilots had a signed note from General Montgomery to be exempt from all orders until they were taken back to England. Their safe return was that important.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:00 AM (u82oZ)

133
"They start out with the South winning the Civil War and becoming independent"

I always imagined that would mean America was never strong enough to enter WW2, so Europe fell to the Nazi. Am I close?

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 08:50 AM

WWI WWII both happen but the USA allies with Germany and the CSA allies with Great Britain both times. The CSA loses both times just like Germany did in real life. Oh and he works in the holocaust but in his world it's the whites in the south killing blacks by the trainload.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at June 06, 2021 09:00 AM (JUOKG)

134 You might like El Aleph a thematically related short story by Jorge Luis Borges.
Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 06, 2021 08:57 AM (EZebt)

A reread of Labyrinths is in my short term future.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:01 AM (y7DUB)

135 Please tell me you use one of those old-fashioned fountain pens, the kind you have to keep dipping into the inkwell. A sharpened feather would be even better, but I'm a realist.
Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 08:56 AM (v16oJ)

I actually do. I'm not old-school enough to use a quill, though.

The thing with dip pens is that you have to search a while to find paper that won't soak up the ink like a sponge and bleed through the other side. I have a few hardback notebooks I bought at a thrift store years ago and use those for when I am at home writing (which, sadly, isn't very often these days).

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:03 AM (2JVJo)

136 See the History Channel's truly excellent docu drama on Gen. Grant. Highly recommended

Posted by: Tuna at June 06, 2021 08:57 AM

I once sat on the same outhouse that President Grant used when he visited friends in CT. His friends house has been turned into a museum and it is pretty much exactly the way it was in the 1870s. I had a picture of me sitting there in my Confederate uniform but I can't find it.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at June 06, 2021 09:04 AM (JUOKG)

137 Finished Circe by Madeline Miller. It was very well written, and should appeal to anyone with an interest in Greek mythology. Now reading Bernard Cornwell's Gallows Thief and liking it so far.

Posted by: Linnet at June 06, 2021 09:04 AM (yy9Ma)

138 Got a "Trots and Bonny" cartoon collection from the library. Holy shit! I remember reading them when I snuck peeks at my older sister's stash of National Lampoons. Filthy stuff! I laffed.

Your sister read Lampoon, Eris? I did, myself, but the magazine always seemed to be aimed more at horny guys.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:04 AM (2JVJo)

139 WWI WWII both happen but the USA allies with Germany and the CSA allies with Great Britain both times. The CSA loses both times just like Germany did in real life. Oh and he works in the holocaust but in his world it's the whites in the south killing blacks by the trainload.
Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at June 06, 2021 09:00 AM (JUOKG)

So is he saying that the USA kills blacks or the Brit aligned CSA. It doesn't really work, does it, unless they are blaming it on Brit "colonialism"? And if they are, why exclude France? France seems to get a pass in these matters, despite the ongoing mess in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:05 AM (ONvIw)

140 I noticed one of the Kindle Daily Deals choices this morning is "Mr. Poppers' Penguins" for $1.99. It sounds like a bit of fun. One of our grand-nephews is seven. I thought I would let his folks know since he is in the age range.

Posted by: JTB at June 06, 2021 09:05 AM (7EjX1)

141 I noticed one of the Kindle Daily Deals choices this morning is "Mr. Poppers' Penguins" for $1.99. It sounds like a bit of fun. One of our grand-nephews is seven. I thought I would let his folks know since he is in the age range.
Posted by: JTB at June 06, 2021 09:05 AM (7EjX1)
-------

A most excellent book!

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:05 AM (wyw4S)

142 Another media hoax about Trump. He had his pants on.backwards last night.

https://bit.ly/3ge62Kz

He's not like super aware, super genius Biden.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 09:06 AM (d9FiS)

143 "They're going to Build It Back Better?"

Haha. No.

The thought has not yet occurred to them.

They think Civilization is easy. Water comes from the faucet, food comes from the store....

I served in Somalia, I'm not a supremacist or anything stupid like that, but I saw it with my own two eyes. Cradle of civilization squatting in mud huts trying to remember to eat with the right hand and wipe with the left.

If Civ was easy, Africa would be Paradise instead of Tragedy.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:06 AM (83lwH)

144 Not me! I was asking if you read Gerald Durrell's books but had left my Po sock on.
Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:00 AM (wyw4S)

Any specific recommendations? Anyone read his brother's Avignon Quartet?

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:07 AM (y7DUB)

145 I read most of the novels in the Old Man's War universe.
Old Man's War
The Ghost Brigades
The Last Colony
Zoe's Tale
The Human Division
The End of All Things

I did not read The Sagan Dairy.
Part 1.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:07 AM (u82oZ)

146 IIRC, Brandon Sanderson was hired to finish the last book of WoT, and in imitation of the original managed to compress that last book into 3 volumes. the action does pick up, but the ending could only be, after however many books it was, anti-climatic.

@90, "the internet is a wonderful thing". I had this memory of a wonderful book "Cracker Barrel Troubleshooter" from when i was a wee lad and a few years back went looking for it. and found it. it was good and fun, but wasn't the book i remembered. i must've somehow conflated a couple of other books into it.

Posted by: yara at June 06, 2021 09:07 AM (N7mou)

147 Joan Collins was an inspired Who dis?, OM. So glad you are back. All Hail Eris did a stellar job, but your wit and sense of style are irreplaceable.

I visited the Boston Public Library to do some historical research 10-15 years ago (pre-'Rona and homeless infestation). It is a lovely building.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at June 06, 2021 09:07 AM (fTtFy)

148 Your sister read Lampoon, Eris? I did, myself, but the magazine always seemed to be aimed more at horny guys.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:04 AM (2JVJo)
---

It was pretty gross, but there were P.J. O'Rourke gems and funny cartoons for the more delicate blossoms in the audience.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 09:07 AM (Dc2NZ)

149 Got a "Trots and Bonny" cartoon collection from the library. Holy shit! I remember reading them when I snuck peeks at my older sister's stash of National Lampoons. Filthy stuff! I laffed.

Your sister read Lampoon, Eris? I did, myself, but the magazine always seemed to be aimed more at horny guys.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:04 AM (2JVJo)

Mrs. Agnew's Diary.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:09 AM (y7DUB)

150 Google has very nice display to Honor D-Day?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 06, 2021 09:10 AM (85Gof)

151 P.J. O'Rourke was funny once. Is he still ?

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:10 AM (V13WU)

152 Ah that reminds me, if you are curious about why Western Civ seems to get a headstart on most the world (ie why we explored the Americas instead of the reverse) pick up "Guns Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond

If makes a strong argument for several factors (domestication of several animal types leading to resistance to disease, etc) that assured the West's ascendency.

It will also sharpen your arguments against any White Supremacist Unicorns, should you ever encounter one.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:11 AM (83lwH)

153 A NY Times reporter called me this week seeking my father's personal papers. He's writing a book on the emergence of new media in the 70s. My father developed the prototype to CNN. Another NY journalist, Gabe Sherman, lied about and defamed my father and his achievements in his book on Roger Ailes a few years ago. Naturally I'm wary of another hit job. I told this NY Times reporter (who was cordial and ingratiating -- but so had Sherman been) that everything he needs to know was in my e-book response to Sherman. https://tinyurl.com/htun86x4
But he said he may want to visit and see the documents. I said fine. I never dealt with Sherman, as I didn't have control of the papers at the time. My feeling is, the writer is going to write his book, and the more he invests in conversations with me and the truth, the harder it will be for him to lie. Or so it would seem.

Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:11 AM (H8QX8)

154 He's not like super aware, super genius Biden.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 09:06 AM (d9FiS)

Who shit in the front of my pants?!?

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:11 AM (y7DUB)

155 Greetings:

Catholic grammar schools had a thing for fountain pens back in the '50s and '60s until BIC came along. Schaefer pens, Watermark ink (India blue that looked great on your white collared shirt when you ga=ot home to Mother. Public school had inkwell holes in their desks.

And yer, fountain pens could be weaponized even though BICs made great spitball projectors.

Posted by: 11B40 at June 06, 2021 09:12 AM (evgyj)

156 Pegasus Bridge - the Normandy/D-Day tours are great. standing on the landing site for those gliders... what a remarkable feat. their precision was stunning.

Posted by: goatexchange at June 06, 2021 09:12 AM (bDyGY)

157 If only all the men who died today 77 years ago today could see what has become of their countries.

https://tinyurl.com/rfnb2x9u

I'd rather be speaking German.

Posted by: JimmyCrackCorn at June 06, 2021 09:12 AM (MW2n0)

158 Old Man's War starts off the saga. It is well written, with highly appealing characters. It has a great SF premise, with the plucky humans fighting, well, most of the universe.

How the humans get the ability to be as winning as they are, as the ultimate underdogs, is this books story.

Scalzi writes characters with gusto, but the smart ass dialog form everyone does wear. Scalzi also does well with vignettes of action scenes. This is Military SF, after all.

I recommend this book. But the climax has an amazing plot hole, See if you catch it.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:13 AM (u82oZ)

159 Bing has a pic of Normandy Beach, with caption "On this shore, history was made" ( and a paragraph explaining).

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:13 AM (V13WU)

160 Another NY journalist, Gabe Sherman, lied about and defamed my father
and his achievements in his book on Roger Ailes a few years ago.
You forgot the obligatory quotes around "journalist".

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 09:13 AM (v16oJ)

161 The first time I heard the word "nosegay" was in the movie The Magnificent Seven. The traveling salesman says that the dead barfly needed to get buried in Boot Hill soon because he wasn't turning into a nosegay.

Posted by: MichiCanuck at June 06, 2021 09:13 AM (fOyfj)

162 150 Google has very nice display to Honor D-Day?
Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 06, 2021 09:10 AM (85Gof)

Not on my laptop.

My dad was in the 101st. I didn't find out for years. None of my uncles really talked about the war, but greatly honored Memorial Day. I remember visiting the cemetery as a family.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:13 AM (ONvIw)

163 did read an interesting book last week, "The Austrian Painter" (and yes, you did figure out who that is/was), an alt-history book where Germany wins WWI and the title character looks back from 1964 a everything that's happened. not sure it's quite believable since the assumption is that the character is actually a competent artist, but hey, suspension of belief, right?

also re-read through Bujold's Penric series. Typical Bujold, which is to say, well-written and (for me at least) insightful.

Posted by: yara at June 06, 2021 09:13 AM (N7mou)

164 My feeling is, the writer is going to write his book, and the more he invests in conversations with me and the truth, the harder it will be for him to lie. Or so it would seem.

==

should there be an agreement of some sort in place before you give access to your archives ?

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (V13WU)

165 runner

P.J. O'Rourke is no longer funny. At all. Sad.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (u82oZ)

166 *shouldn't there be..

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (V13WU)

167 Schaefer pens, Watermark ink (India blue that looked great on your white collared shirt when you ga=ot home to Mother.
Yup. I had some of those. Indelible ink and young boys are not a good combo.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (v16oJ)

168 All Hail OregonMuse! Welcome back to your rightful place, enthroned in splendor above the seething (but erudite) Horde of the Book Thread! Remember to smite the unbepantsed with your non-gimpy arm, OK?

Reading things like Silk and Steel, an interesting martial arts memoir (and look at Communist China before the economic reforms where everybody was dirt poor). Tried to read Crybullies] but the typos and repastings kept distracting me. I can see the guy has something to say but it was a slog pulling it out.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (7IHuq)

169 Google has nothing but a smug little lie about being "carbon neutral."

Posted by: Trimegistus at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (QZxDR)

170 Google has very nice display to Honor D-Day?
Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 06, 2021 09:10 AM (85Gof)

Not on my laptop.

???
I guess you missed the sarcasm? Sigh

Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (85Gof)

171 @NaCly Dog, I stopped reading him a while ago..maybe that was the reason...

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:16 AM (V13WU)

172 Any specific recommendations? Anyone read his brother's Avignon Quartet?
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:07 AM (y7DUB)
------

I've only read his Corfu trilogy, and it was wonderful. The three books are My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives, and The Garden of the Gods (also published under another title which I can't remember - one in the UK and one in the US). They are the books upon which the BBC series The Durrells is loosely - and I can't stress loosely enough - based.

I started watching the series and by the third series I hated all the characters except the youngest boy. I also thought it was too "today's morals (or lack thereof)" for the time period in which it took place, so I got the first book from the library. I was right, the book was totally different and completely enchanting - beautifully written and hilarious, but also full of information about the flora and fauna of Corfu that Gerry explored during their five years living there. He was only 10 when they moved there.

I can't recommend these books highly enough.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:16 AM (wyw4S)

173 159 Bing has a pic of Normandy Beach, with caption "On this shore, history was made" ( and a paragraph explaining).
Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:13 AM (V13WU)

Good for Bing. Duckduck has a cartoon of a black scientist and a burning document.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:16 AM (ONvIw)

174 >>>we all owe her a big round of clap

That's so great!!!

Posted by: m at June 06, 2021 09:18 AM (TZgEk)

175 Welcome back, OM, and many thanks to Eris for taking the helm!

**************

I finished the Perry Mason "Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde." This makes two of Gardner's wartime books that are weak. "TCOT Empty Tin" is the other.

This one led to a smart piece of deduction by Perry, and fizzled. The best Masons are those in which he fits all the pieces together for the reader. Not this time. And the only courtroom scene has no fireworks or revelations. Maybe it's more realistic, but it's also less satisfying.

Gardner is also sloppy with time elements. Even in 1940s Los Angeles, I can't believe that preliminary hearings take place within days after the arrest, yet characters refer to what happened days ago.

***********

For audiobooks, I have "Laughing Gas" by P.G. Wodehouse ready to go. This is a standalone story that Pixy won't let me explain.

Posted by: Weak Geek at June 06, 2021 09:18 AM (Om/di)

176 npr (yes, npr) has a very nice article on Normandy's commemoration of D-Day:

https://tinyurl.com/u2r4yr2m

Posted by: m at June 06, 2021 09:19 AM (TZgEk)

177 "WWII both happen but the USA allies with Germany and the CSA allies with Great Britain both times. The CSA loses both times just like Germany did in real life."

Odd. I thought no United States mean no Federalism, which was necessary to create all those planes and tanks. Oh well. The alternate reality I hail from has some strangeness too.

We never had a SJW movement because someone decided to hang Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. They never went became college teachers and infect our youth, which somehow nipped all that in the bud.

Muhammad Ali became a Country & Western sensation though, but that's a story for another day.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:19 AM (83lwH)

178 Good Morning

Speaking of Brandon Sanderson, I am now a couple of hundred pages in The Way of Kings. I'm liking it a lot. It is so easy to visualize what his characters look like and the hunt scene I just read was so vivid it felt like watching a movie. My only issue is that the trade edition is so unwieldy, it makes for difficult reading before going to sleep. Next time either ebook or hardcover.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 09:19 AM (sd8p8)

179 I guess you missed the sarcasm? Sigh
Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (85Gof)

Nope. Sigh. I was impressed by Bing's though. I didn't expect any of them to have a proper commemoration.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:19 AM (ONvIw)

180 Unfortunately, Bing's pic of the day is marred by quote of the day - by a well known WWII hero , B. Obama...

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:19 AM (V13WU)

181 Several take aways from Turner Joy's book.

The Allied negotiators were driven to the negotiation talks in captured American Jeeps still covered in blood.

Once at the negotiations the Allied personnel found their chair legs had been shortened so they had to look up at the Communists.

Also when the Communists would start making demands for a piece of real estate it became SOP to call the units there to warn them of an attack.

Posted by: Anna Puma at June 06, 2021 09:20 AM (ADEDD)

182 did read an interesting book last week, "The Austrian Painter" (and yes, you did figure out who that is/was), an alt-history book where Germany wins WWI and the title character looks back from 1964 a everything that's happened. not sure it's quite believable since the assumption is that the character is actually a competent artist, but hey, suspension of belief, right?

I searched that out on Amazon and read a sample. It didn't hold me, but then again, I'm not much for fiction.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:20 AM (2JVJo)

183 Sigh, edit functions have made me lazy, sorry for the typos, I need to be more careful before hitting post. Ugh

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:20 AM (83lwH)

184 Finally, it posts!

How can a knock review be considered spam??!!

Posted by: Weak Geek at June 06, 2021 09:20 AM (Om/di)

185 Of to seize the day.

I'm so glad you're back in the driver's seat, OM! Now I can drink!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 06, 2021 09:20 AM (Dc2NZ)

186 P.J. O'Rourke is no longer funny. At all. Sad.

O'Rourke is shanty Irish who desperately wants to be WASP. He strapped on the kneepads for Scankles and never took them off.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:21 AM (2JVJo)

187 169 Google has nothing but a smug little lie about being "carbon neutral."
Posted by: Trimegistus at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (QZxDR)

I guess "don't be evil" is passe?

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:21 AM (ONvIw)

188 Time for a quick review before I head out to the woods. I am reading Sheep, which is the autobiography of Louise Turk. I found out about the book in a book on shepherd wagons. She and her husband worked on the ranches in Wyoming during the Depression and WWII. She is a good writer and it's interesting to read about how she and her family coped. I like to read autobiographies about ordinary lives and this reminds me of Anne Ellis's Life of an Ordinary Woman (about her childhood in the gold fields).

And there is a bonus for me. I bought the book used. Under the front fold of the dust cover is an inscription by the author. She must have done some book signings in 2003. I'd definitely recommend this book.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at June 06, 2021 09:21 AM (YynYJ)

189 The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is my favorite book in the Old Man's War universe.

It takes an appealing character and follows her around. This allows you to explore the universe some more. Good writing, especially characterization, and the plot holes are limited.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:22 AM (u82oZ)

190 June 4 Bing had up a picture of Midway. Runways still there but not much else.

Posted by: Anna Puma at June 06, 2021 09:22 AM (ADEDD)

191 Thanks for the recommendation of The Mystery of the Hansom Cab, OMuse. That sounds right up my alley.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:23 AM (wyw4S)

192 should there be an agreement of some sort in place before you give access to your archives ?
Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (V13WU)

Thanks. I have thought about that.

Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:23 AM (H8QX8)

193 The Gospel According To John (Moses Browning)

1 In the beginning was the 1911, and the 1911 was THE pistol, and it was good. And behold the Lord said, "Thou shalt not muck with my disciple John's design for it is good and it workith. For John made the 1911, and lo all of his weapons, from the designs which I, the Lord, gave him upon the mountain."

https://bit.ly/3z1zPyR

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 09:23 AM (d9FiS)

194 I can't recommend these books highly enough.
Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:16 AM (wyw4S)

Added to the list. I really hope heaven, or my designated destination in the afterlife, is a Borges like infinite library because there's no way I complete my to read list before shuffling off this mortal coil.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:23 AM (y7DUB)

195 John Scalzi?

Znidd Suddait!

Posted by: Anna Puma at June 06, 2021 09:24 AM (ADEDD)

196 I suppose I'll go hide in a dark room for the rest of the day.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:24 AM (2JVJo)

197 The Chinese guy telling about the bioterrorism to the DIA is an interesting story. He was NOT turned over to the FBI as DIA seemed to think FBI would have maybe turned back over to CCP.

DAYUM

Posted by: rhennigantx at June 06, 2021 09:25 AM (yrol0)

198 4 ... Catherine,
Thanks for mentioning the Thomas Sowell bio. Just ordered a hardcover edition. I've long thought that Sowell and Walter Williams comprised about 60 percent of the total brain power in this country.

Posted by: JTB at June 06, 2021 09:25 AM (7EjX1)

199 I really liked Old Man's War and first few sequels, but Author's active blacklisting of others made me stop at Zoe' Tale.

The first two were so good I can't not recommend them.
Now I'm curious about the more recent books.

Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike at June 06, 2021 09:25 AM (C/fpg)

200 Today's Bing picture is Normandy.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (5p7BC)

201 Also, I thought it was Elizabeth Taylor only to be wrong again.

And, the girl looking out the window is dreaming about going across the street to that store and buying the new shoes she saw in the window on her way home the other day.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (sd8p8)

202 Errr Suddabit!

Posted by: Anna Puma at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (ADEDD)

203 Thanks. I have thought about that.
Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:23 AM (H8QX

---------

Maybe ask for the chance to review and approve before he publishes, and get it in writing.

He may not want to do that, in which case it might make it easier for you to tell him no looky at papers then.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (wyw4S)

204 yay book thread!

woke up late and walked doggeh before it became unbearably hot

been reading a lot of library ebooks on libby / overdrive lately - mostly trashy stuff

noticed that most of our right wing sf authors - even big names like Larry Correia - do not have ebooks on any of the 3 library overdrives I added.

I need to think about what title (there may be a limit) I can recommend to buy

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (oEn12)

205 I suppose I'll go hide in a dark room for the rest of the day.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:24 AM (2JVJo)

Go get some vitamin D!!!!

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (ONvIw)

206 re: Nosegay

***

Cyrano's Nose Knows No Noses - a limerick

These rumors are making me furious
They're loathsome, and petty, and spurious
I didn't know Roxane
Was really a man
So my nose isn't gay, it's just curious!

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (m45I2)

207 And then, immediately, npr falls down, in an article on vaccines:

the current crop of vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. . . . the three vaccines already authorized in the U.S.

"Authorized," giving no reference to "emergency" or to "not yet approved by the FDA" or to any iffiness. That is very misleading.

https://tinyurl.com/2uee2v66

Posted by: m at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (TZgEk)

208 P.J. O'Rourke is one of those once-funny writers that the internet left behind, i.e., he got too lazy to expand his writing beyond a once-in-a-blue-moon column in print media.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (vuisn)

209 Ciao AHE !

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:27 AM (V13WU)

210 And, the girl looking out the window is dreaming about going across the street to that store and buying the new shoes she saw in the window on her way home the other day.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (sd8p

She's lovely, though.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:27 AM (ONvIw)

211 The Last Colony by John Scalzi is OK. The quality of writing is falling off, as the author takes his the best characters and sends them on a new, dangerous adventure. It is kinda like rural Ohio in space.

There are some well done action scenes. So I recommend this for that, but it is not the can't put down book that The Ghost Brigades is.

It does introduce an appealing alien leader.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:27 AM (u82oZ)

212 1 In the beginning was the 1911, and the 1911 was THE pistol, and it was good. And behold the Lord said, "Thou shalt not muck with my disciple John's design for it is good and it workith. For John made the 1911, and lo all of his weapons, from the designs which I, the Lord, gave him upon the mountain."

https://bit.ly/3z1zPyR
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 09:23 AM (d9FiS)

What about the 1911A?? PS I shoot that middle priced Kimber. Used to be about 800 buck and they now go for about 1200.

Posted by: rhennigantx at June 06, 2021 09:27 AM (yrol0)

213 The thing with dip pens is that you have to search a while to find paper that won't soak up the ink like a sponge and bleed through the other side. I have a few hardback notebooks I bought at a thrift store years ago and use those for when I am at home writing (which, sadly, isn't very often these days).
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:03 AM (2JVJo)

Hard to get more erudite than reading "nickelfucker" written with a dipped pen,

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:27 AM (y7DUB)

214 "Oh and he works in the holocaust but in his world it's the whites in the south killing blacks by the trainload."

That doesn't follow either. You would kill your Oxen or Horses. How does he explain why southerners are killing their "property" ?

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:28 AM (83lwH)

215 Picked up for a dollar the 1965 hardcover of Jablonski's "Flying Fortress."

Posted by: Anna Puma at June 06, 2021 09:28 AM (ADEDD)

216 no looky before signy !

Posted by: runner at June 06, 2021 09:28 AM (V13WU)

217 145 I read most of the novels in the Old Man's War universe.

I bailed after "Zoe's Tale". Scalzi seemed less interested in telling his tale than, oh, I don't know...teaching me a lesson, maybe?.

The books no longer had the clean drive of the first book.

Posted by: naturalfake at June 06, 2021 09:31 AM (dWwl8)

218 A big round of clap.

Funny. My gangrene penis fell off.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at June 06, 2021 09:31 AM (VgIeo)

219
A-a-a-a-nd, back from a constitutional with the lively and nature-loving Mrs naturalfake.

Posted by: naturalfake at June 06, 2021 09:31 AM (dWwl8)

220 "How can a knock review be considered spam??!!"

Same issue, I think it's the length, only because deleting a few paragraphs makes the spam filter happy.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:32 AM (83lwH)

221 someone please tell me the pants pic is a photoshop

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at June 06, 2021 09:32 AM (oEn12)

222 been reading a lot of library ebooks on libby / overdrive lately - mostly trashy stuff
=====

Gave up on all of those years ago because the waitlists for 'bestsellers' or 'highly touted bestsellers' was in the hundreds.

My own little library has gone to the mass digital (we had our own within a system, mostly to facilitate researchers) and again it seems that amazon-like clicks are plugging up the works.

Posted by: mustbequantum at June 06, 2021 09:33 AM (MIKMs)

223 210 And, the girl looking out the window is dreaming about going across the street to that store and buying the new shoes she saw in the window on her way home the other day.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 09:26 AM (sd8p

Jesse Wilcox Smith was a fine illustrator. I saw a small exhibit years ago at Moore College of Art. Kid 2 took some Saturday classes there and I loved driving them, just to hang out and admire the place.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:34 AM (ONvIw)

224 Whoever did that photo shoot is treating Kamala's stepdaughter like Sid treats his sister's toys in Toy Story. There's a real element of meanness to it.

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 09:35 AM (m45I2)

225 Get out of bed.

Go to war with pen and flash bangs.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at June 06, 2021 09:35 AM (VgIeo)

226 I looked at the introductory chapter to "The Quick and the Undead." Looks good, and I'm not a fan of Westerns generally. Downloaded.

Posted by: Dr Alice at June 06, 2021 09:36 AM (JOMsB)

227 Zoe's Tale
The Human Division
The End of All Things

Not recommended unless you are a completest. Yes, there is good stuff here. The new characters do not come up to the same stature as the ones left behind in The Last Colony.

The smart ass dialog drags. The most appealing character is the leader of the alliance of 400+ space-traveling species set against the humans.

Plot holes are everywhere, the focus is a tad askew wrt my interests (too much stupid politics), and the ending is just OK.

Bottom line, will not read again.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:37 AM (u82oZ)

228 "Thanks. I have thought about that."

Why entertain the idea of trusting someone from the NYTs?
Is there some incentive that's worth the risk? I mean, of course it's your call and none of my business, but why risk it?

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:37 AM (83lwH)

229 Hi there, Dr. Alice! Nice to see you here.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:37 AM (wyw4S)

230 And mentioned before my desire to make a Little Free Library, well this week acquired free material for it, can't beat that. Now just to figure out how to make it, waterproof it and do it.
Can't have one, but if it's nice, it will need a home.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 09:38 AM (Cxk7w)

231 Dan Smoot's Apprentice,
If the guy works for the NY Times and you've already been burned, I think you're really kidding yourself about chance of fair treatment.

Of the dozens of firsthand stories I've heard of "the reporter seemed honest, and understood my position while getting lots of info from me". - my favorite take on this was a Babylon 5 episode. I would presume this person is an active enemy of your deceased dad.

Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike at June 06, 2021 09:38 AM (C/fpg)

232 207 And then, immediately, npr falls down, in an article on vaccines:

==

I happened to look at the wiki list of covid vax available around the world
much of the 3rd world, it seems, is getting chinese made inactivated virus vaccines

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at June 06, 2021 09:39 AM (oEn12)

233 Tried to read Crybullies] but the typos and repastings kept distracting me. I can see the guy has something to say but it was a slog pulling it out.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at June 06, 2021 09:15 AM (7IHuq)

Thanks for the warning. Too bad the author didn't have Anachronda to proof his books. I have always liked your writing, but Anachronda's proofing makes your books a joy to read since it makes sure I don't get thrown out of the story by typos and other silly things.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at June 06, 2021 09:39 AM (1lKRm)

234 And mentioned before my desire to make a Little Free Library, well this week acquired free material for it, can't beat that. Now just to figure out how to make it, waterproof it and do it.
Can't have one, but if it's nice, it will need a home.
Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 09:38 AM (Cxk7w)
-------

There's a really nice one at the bottom of our street that a Girl Scout troop made. They put in magnets to keep the doors closed. The rain hasn't bothered it at all.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 09:40 AM (wyw4S)

235 Plot holes are saved for unmarked graves of lazy lying dirty apes.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at June 06, 2021 09:43 AM (VgIeo)

236 Whoever did that photo shoot is treating Kamala's stepdaughter like Sid treats his sister's toys in Toy Story. There's a real element of meanness to it.
And yet, she's a willing participant.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 09:43 AM (v16oJ)

237 Melbourne on a two week lockdown again. Australia is out of their minds.

Posted by: Just a side note at June 06, 2021 09:43 AM (2DOZq)

238 Hi Bluebell! Thank you. I dropped in for a minute but have to go check on my folks now. I'm headed to TN this week for my aunt's (second) memorial service.

Dr Mabuse - I have read the Mr. Moto novels and really enjoyed them. He's the hero detective of said books but it's also clear that his first priority is to investigate for Japan. Yes, they are political but written pre-war; I don't think they would have been publishable a decade later.

Posted by: Dr Alice at June 06, 2021 09:44 AM (JOMsB)

239 Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 09:19 AM (sd8p

I liked the first and second of that series. In the third he seems to be trying to pull the Mistborn series and Way of Kings series into the same universe and I wish he hadn't. Guess I need to get on the library waiting list for the fourth to see if it works out better than I thought.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at June 06, 2021 09:44 AM (1lKRm)

240 Anyone mention Del Arroz getting the apology and $ from Worldcon for defamation yet?

I just saw it this morning.

Posted by: mustbequantum at June 06, 2021 09:45 AM (MIKMs)

241 Good morning, OM, good morning, Horde,

My mom has really enjoyed Craig Johnson's "Longmire" books. I start a collection of "Longmire" short stories today.

Posted by: callsign claymore at June 06, 2021 09:46 AM (zav8e)

242 I think I'll give Lucifer's Hammer another try. I put it down after a couple of chapters a long time ago . I've been told to give it a chance as it takes a bit to set up the story.

Posted by: Just a side note at June 06, 2021 09:47 AM (2DOZq)

243 I mean, of course it's your call and none of my business, but why risk it?
Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:37 AM (83lwH)

I understand. And I appreciate the admonitions about trust. I'm not naive about the Left. The point is, I cannot stop him from writing what he writes and falsify as he wishes. Sherman outright lied, in part perhaps because he never engaged with me. I cannot stop him and so my best bet may be to educate him. If I shut him down, he's going to write it anyway.

Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:49 AM (H8QX8)

244 The Human Division was put on the Internet a chapter at a time, and readers paid to get the next chapter written.

This has been the path Lawrence Watt-Evans took with his latter books of the The Legends of Ethshar series. That is a nice fantasy world with many stories that could interest YAs. I recommend this series to those that like innovative fantasy.

He wrote The Spriggan Mirror, The Vondish Ambassador, and The Final Calling (renamed The Unwelcome Warlock) using a modified form of the Street Performer Protocol.

These books were not as good as the last novel he wrote in this universe: The Unwelcome Warlock. Recommend that book, as it is a strong finish to the Warlock saga.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:49 AM (u82oZ)

245 236 Whoever did that photo shoot is treating Kamala's stepdaughter like Sid treats his sister's toys in Toy Story. There's a real element of meanness to it.
And yet, she's a willing participant.
Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 09:43 AM (v16oJ)

I suspect Ella is more or less directing the shoot. She's posted similar pics for years and her shitty crochet pieces are early 70s tat, but destined to be marketed.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:50 AM (ONvIw)

246 Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 09:23 AM (d9FiS)

My friend inherited his grandfather's WW1 issued 1911. It's a hundred year old thing of beauty.

Posted by: Just a side note at June 06, 2021 09:50 AM (2DOZq)

247 I use Library systems: Overdrive/Libby and Hoopla, pretty much for audio books only. I belive Overdrive let's you recommend purchase of 2 books per month. It will tell you if you're past the limit.
I try to recommend at least one book a month, at least one book I've recommended has been purchased.

This week listened to collection of essays from Thomas Sowell in the 1980s, it was amazing that all of them were still very relevant today.

Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike at June 06, 2021 09:50 AM (C/fpg)

248 Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur

Good to see you posting. I enjoy your insights.

May every traffic light turn green for you.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:50 AM (u82oZ)

249 Chores.

Time to go.

Have a superb day, with a smile on your face.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:51 AM (u82oZ)

250 Anyone mention Del Arroz getting the apology and $ from Worldcon for defamation yet?

I just saw it this morning.
Posted by: mustbequantum at June 06, 2021 09:45 AM (MIKMs)

Did he? Score one for the good guys.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at June 06, 2021 09:52 AM (1lKRm)

251 Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:49 AM (H8QX

I understand your quandary. Good luck resolving it.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:54 AM (y7DUB)

252 Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 06, 2021 09:49 AM (u82oZ)

Inspector really likes those as well. I liked The Misenchanted Sword but don't think I read any others.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at June 06, 2021 09:55 AM (1lKRm)

253 A random quote from an NPR article, bolding is mine...

The bill, he tweeted shortly after 4:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. ET), cracks down on "illegal activity" undermining elections, echoing the false claims that elections in November were not secure.

We pay for this nonsense.

I found a number of articles around that make the same claim of certitude. Much like the lab leak theory was a "false claim".

Posted by: Dave in Fla at June 06, 2021 09:55 AM (5p7BC)

254 Okay guys. Off to score one for the good guys.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at June 06, 2021 09:55 AM (VgIeo)

255 Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 09:54 AM (y7DUB)

Thank you.

Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:56 AM (H8QX8)

256 98 ... "Were you aware that Foote wrote that in longhand? Don't know how it took him to finish it."

Foote wrote the Civil War volumes with a dip pen, like all his other books. Apparently it took him around 15 to 20 years to finish but I got the impression the use of longhand wasn't what slowed him down.

On one of the interviews he gave he mentions the specific pen nib he has always used.

Posted by: JTB at June 06, 2021 09:56 AM (7EjX1)

257 242 I think I'll give Lucifer's Hammer another try. I put it down after a couple of chapters a long time ago . I've been told to give it a chance as it takes a bit to set up the story.
Posted by: Just a side note at June 06, 2021 09:47 AM (2DOZq)

It's a good book, but maybe today's society is too different from the one back then in the book; important things then might seem like tedious history today.
I remember "give my children the lightning." Also that the sections having to do with the russian astronauts were pretty boring, I skimmed those parts.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 09:56 AM (xP36F)

258 NPR circa 1490....

Christopher Columbus keep repeating false claims that the earth is round.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 09:57 AM (DlG3S)

259 Good Sunday Morning Horde. I think we get a break from the rain here next week. Finally.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 09:59 AM (jvt6t)

260 258 NPR circa 1490....

Christopher Columbus keep repeating false claims that the earth is round.
Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 09:57 AM (DlG3S)

Yet the GOPe will not lay a glove on NPR or PBS.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 09:59 AM (ONvIw)

261 I think the quality of books has gone down drastically. And I don't just mean what is being written. I mean the physical books are just not well made any more.

Loose bindings, misprints, typos. Even the paper seems cheaply made. A pulp fiction novel from two decades ago was higher quality then a paper back from a mainline publisher today.

Posted by: Big V Caffeinated at June 06, 2021 10:00 AM (6Pqz7)

262 The point is, I cannot stop him from writing what he writes and falsify as he wishes.
Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:49 AM (H8QX

Keep in mind that his being able to say he saw your archives would give his lies more credibility.
He wouldn't be able to lie directly about what he saw in your archives though.
However, if he sees your archives, it may help him better craft his lies. It may help him know what lies not to tell, because you would be able to prove him wrong.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:00 AM (xP36F)

263 Your sister read Lampoon, Eris? I did, myself, but the magazine always seemed to be aimed more at horny guys.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:04 AM (2JVJo)

That's because it was written by a bunch of horny guys. I used to subscribe back in the day. Chris Miller's short stories were amazing.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:01 AM (5Z/rC)

264 I think I'll give Lucifer's Hammer another try. I put it down after a couple of chapters a long time ago . I've been told to give it a chance as it takes a bit to set up the story.
=====

Sometimes collaborations really work. Niven-Pournelle is one of those. Each is a great SF writer, but togther they really rocked. I think Footfall is the sequel (but I have to look it up).

Posted by: mustbequantum at June 06, 2021 10:01 AM (MIKMs)

265 260

That was a big light bulb moment for me regarding the GOP. Wait a second. You guys keep saying you will kill Obamacare, reform this and that but you cant even cut funding for PBS and NPR? Hell not even cut it all, you cant even slow down the rate of funding increase. I call bullshit.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:01 AM (DlG3S)

266 Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:01 AM (DlG3S)

We all understand that the GOPe as constituted today is nothing more than a part of the establishment, and they won't lift a finger to help their voters. They talk a good game, but then do nothing.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:04 AM (jvt6t)

267 250 Anyone mention Del Arroz getting the apology and $ from Worldcon for defamation yet?

I just saw it this morning.
Posted by: mustbequantum at June 06, 2021 09:45 AM (MIKMs)

Did he? Score one for the good guys.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at June 06, 2021 09:52 AM (1lKRm)

Saw this on social media earlier this week.

Worldcon paid Del Arroz $4000 and published an apology.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:04 AM (5Z/rC)

268 Dr. Alice, the Mr. Moto books are a fun, enjoyable read, and I was conscious of how well-written they are. You feel from the first page that you're you're in safe hands, and the author isn't going to insult you with a dumbed down narrative, or try to intimidate you with show-offish verbosity.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at June 06, 2021 10:04 AM (4/Sjm)

269 >>> 29
.....
MY DAD BUZZED THE POPE!!

Posted by: Muldoon

Kinky...

Posted by: Hedley Lamarr at June 06, 2021 10:05 AM (d5OIB)

270 Muldoon, I just twigged on that your Dad was on the same campaign as Bill Mauldin.

'Cause I'm oblivious.

Posted by: Kindltot at June 06, 2021 10:06 AM (u0j5n)

271 I suspect Ella is more or less directing the shoot. She's posted similar pics for years and her shitty crochet pieces are early 70s tat, but destined to be marketed.
Posted by: CN

if she's picking that style I am inclined to think "self-hating possibly abused" kid but maybe she's just mad at daddy

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at June 06, 2021 10:08 AM (oEn12)

272 Mrs. Muse and I watched an excellent "period" mystery on Amazon Prime video recently, set in Melbourne, Australia during the 1880s. I looked it up on Amazon and it is actually a very old book, advertised as "the best selling mystery of the nineteenth century"

My husband watched that , too. A welcome break from the unending WWII.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:08 AM (ONvIw)

273 Footfall wasn't the sequel to Lucifer's Hammer, but it was sort of the progenitor.

Niven & Pournelle pitched the idea of an alien-invasion novel which would commence with the aliens dropping a comet on the Earth to soften it up. Apparently the publisher said that part would be worth a novel all by itself.

So they wrote Hammer as a standalone, following the mold of 1970s disaster novels (huge cast at the beginning, some of them die, the rest gradually come together for the ending).

Later they wrote Footfall, which does incorporate a comet drop, but that section is mostly off-stage because they wrote that book already.

Posted by: Trimegistus at June 06, 2021 10:09 AM (QZxDR)

274 263 Your sister read Lampoon, Eris? I did, myself, but the magazine always seemed to be aimed more at horny guys.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:04 AM (2JVJo)
That's because it was written by a bunch of horny guys.
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:01 AM (5Z/rC)

I remember a separate book of cartoons with the National Lampoon name on it. It had lots of Trots and Bonny.
But the one I recall is where a guy is transported to a world just like this one except literally every object has breasts on it.
So he goes around constantly feeling the breasts on every object, and goes looking for the holy biggest breasts in the world.
He get there, but is told if he feels them up, he will have to return to the ordinary world. He can't help himself, and it's all gone.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:10 AM (xP36F)

275 Also available at Baen Books. I don't see a Baen e-book version there, but it is available on Kindle for $8.99.

If you log in, the buy buttons show up. The Baen interface has gotten truly sucky in the last few years.

Posted by: gingeroni at June 06, 2021 10:10 AM (X7FeU)

276 The Associated Press
@AP
A Democratic senator says he will not vote for an overhaul of U.S. election law, virtually guaranteeing the failure of a top Biden administration priority. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia also restated his opposition to changing the filibuster.

-
And there was much weeping and wailing and wearing of sack cloth and gnashing of teeth.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 10:11 AM (d9FiS)

277 Great quote too:

"The feminist movement died a millisecond after impact"

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 10:11 AM (83lwH)

278 But he said he may want to visit and see the documents. I said fine. I never dealt with Sherman, as I didn't have control of the papers at the time. My feeling is, the writer is going to write his book, and the more he invests in conversations with me and the truth, the harder it will be for him to lie. Or so it would seem.

Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:11 AM (H8QX

I think that he already knows the story he's going to write and his contacting you is just him going through the motions of "verification" so he can tell his editor "yeah, I talked to the guy."

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:11 AM (5Z/rC)

279 Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike at June 06, 2021 09:50 AM (C/fpg)

thanks

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at June 06, 2021 10:11 AM (oEn12)

280 I may have mentioned before that Nelson de Mille writes his books in longhand, and I know some of the people here do, too.

It just seems as though you like farming with a mule instead of a tractor. You like it, but it's soooo inefficient.

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:11 AM (AwPyG)

281 On my kindle, it seems like everyday there is an ad for The Presidents Daughter (please buy!!) by noted author Horndog Bill Clinton and the actual writer....something, something.

All it does is make me see in my mind's eye that harridan Chelsea Clinton. Gaaaack!!

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:12 AM (jvt6t)

282 "There are only two things you can start without a plan; a riot and a family, for everything else you need a plan."

Groucho Marx, planning. Always planning...

Posted by: BackwardsBoy - Psychos Rule! No, really. They're in charge now. at June 06, 2021 10:12 AM (HaL55)

283 @276

That law's passage would have really set off a few fireworks, and with this USSC, God alone knows what would have happened.

Basically, it retroactively approved all the cheating methods used by the dems. It was a CYA

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:13 AM (AwPyG)

284 Manchin has been a better Republican than 75% of Republicans so far in 2021.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:13 AM (DlG3S)

285 Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia also restated his opposition to changing the filibuster.

Is Manchin up for re-election next cycle ?

Posted by: LASue at June 06, 2021 10:13 AM (Ed8Zd)

286 if she's picking that style I am inclined to think "self-hating possibly abused" kid but maybe she's just mad at daddy
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at June 06, 2021 10:08 AM (oEn12)

I'm inclined to just say "bad taste" in retro style. There is a reason that some of the 70s styles have failed to revive. The bright green and yellow crochet bag and bra top are some of the worst examples of the era. Can't do Biba, do tat, I guess. Now she's doing the sad 70s mullet and the ubiquitous black leather/pleather coat, too. Just bad taste.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:14 AM (ONvIw)

287 I may have mentioned before that Nelson de Mille writes his books in longhand, and I know some of the people here do, too.

It just seems as though you like farming with a mule instead of a tractor. You like it, but it's soooo inefficient.
---
I dunno. It's certainly faster to type on a computer. But I think writing by hand can slow down the mind a bit and clarify one's thinking. Consider that most of the greatest writings (not just literature) that has stood the test of time (i.e, before the 20th century) was written by hand first.

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at June 06, 2021 10:15 AM (hQrcu)

288 But the one I recall is where a guy is transported to a world just like this one except literally every object has breasts on it.

So he goes around constantly feeling the breasts on every object, and goes looking for the holy biggest breasts in the world.

He get there, but is told if he feels them up, he will have to return to the ordinary world. He can't help himself, and it's all gone.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:10 AM (xP36F)

That's "Titland" and the cartoonist is Ed Subitsky. I remember it, too.

And when he is transported out of Titland after copping a feel from the Ultimate Breasts, he wakes up in his own bed, as if from a dream, and there's breast milk on his pillow.

Like I said NatLamp was written by horny guys.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:15 AM (5Z/rC)

289 codemonkeyz said this morning that one of the methods was to send a mail-in ballot to a known phantom address, and then when it was returned as undeliverable, fill in the ballot and drop it in a drop box.

Now we understand why having random "drop boxes" was so important.

And did I mention that the same company that printed the ballots also mailed them, filled them out, and dropped them off? Multitasking, FTW

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:16 AM (AwPyG)

290 Is hope not dead?

Ryan James Girdusky@RyanGirdusky
Holy cow... Republicans just flipped the mayorship of McAllen, Texas.This was not expected and shows Hispanics in South Texas may have shifted with the GOP even post Trump

Jewish Deplorable@TrumpJew2
Republicans just flipped a city in a county Biden won by 17% and Hillary won by 41%. 85% of the city is Hispanic

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 10:16 AM (d9FiS)

291 "Christopher Columbus keep repeating false claims that the earth is round."

Actually, at that time blah blah everyone blah blah blah (virtue signal) blah blah (Righteous Dude pose) blah (emoticon)

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 10:16 AM (83lwH)

292 LASue,
We need to met for lunch at a Jack Allen's this summer!!

Posted by: lin-duh at June 06, 2021 10:17 AM (UUBmN)

293 MP4, I didn't realize you used a dip pen. Good on ya! Although not as smooth as a good fountain pen, they can be a delight to use for writing or drawing. And the huge variety of inks available is staggering. And the cost of even the best nibs is miniscule. Keep the nibs clean and they will last for years. They are a bargain and a value.

Posted by: JTB at June 06, 2021 10:17 AM (7EjX1)

294 262 The point is, I cannot stop him from writing what he writes and falsify as he wishes.
Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:49 AM (H8QX

Keep in mind that his being able to say he saw your archives would give his lies more credibility.
He wouldn't be able to lie directly about what he saw in your archives though.
However, if he sees your archives, it may help him better craft his lies. It may help him know what lies not to tell, because you would be able to prove him wrong.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:00 AM (xP36F)

Smart stuff.

Posted by: m at June 06, 2021 10:17 AM (TZgEk)

295 I think that he already knows the story he's going to write and his contacting you is just him going through the motions of "verification" so he can tell his editor "yeah, I talked to the guy."
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:11 AM (5Z/rC)

Yes, the narrative has likely already been decided. I autopsied all of this in my book on Sherman.

Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 10:17 AM (H8QX8)

296 Like I said NatLamp was written by horny guys.
=====

Philip Roth?

Posted by: mustbequantum at June 06, 2021 10:18 AM (MIKMs)

297 They talk a good game, but then do nothing.
Posted by: Jak Sucio
---------------
And I just found numerical proof that a significant portion of the GOP base agrees with this assessment.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at June 06, 2021 10:19 AM (5p7BC)

298 "The Baen interface has gotten truly sucky in the last few years."

I'm assuming they survived the hit job? I caught up on it on Correia's before he went coward on me. I hope so, she seems like a Good Egg.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 10:19 AM (83lwH)

299 Texas border county shift in support towards Trump from 2016 to 2020 was a pretty big story totally ignored by the media. Especially Con., Inc. media.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:20 AM (DlG3S)

300 @261

I agree that size and quality of physical books is deteriorating, but there's a good reason. People aren't buying physical books as much, and it costs a lot more than a digital book (which essentially costs nothing)

So it's supply and demand, doing its thing

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:21 AM (AwPyG)

301 My polls show 82% of Republicans absolutely love NPR.

Posted by: Frank Luntz at June 06, 2021 10:21 AM (DlG3S)

302 I was at a high school graduation last week and the Seventies are back IN FORCE! Guys with shoulder-length hair, check. Stripper heels on girls, check. Deep cleavage and short skirts, check.

Only things missing are bell bottoms and leisure suits.

Posted by: Trimegistus at June 06, 2021 10:21 AM (QZxDR)

303 Holy cow... Republicans just flipped the mayorship of McAllen, Texas.This was not expected and shows Hispanics in South Texas may have shifted with the GOP even post Trump
Republicans just flipped a city in a county Biden won by 17% and Hillary won by 41%. 85% of the city is Hispanic
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 10:16 AM (d9FiS)

Well, my thinking since the BLM riots has been to recall that black people and hispanic people are, um, often at odds, and not often the best of friends.
And that all this black pandering would just make Republicans out of all these Mexican immigrants.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:22 AM (xP36F)

304 McAllen is because of all the illegals coming over the border, the Hispanics don't like the competition.

Posted by: lin-duh at June 06, 2021 10:22 AM (UUBmN)

305 I would like to thank All Hail Eris for filling in for me so wonderfully
while I was on the IR. But I have to clear up some of her
misinformation she spread in my absence: I had no "monkey gland
therapy", nor did I have blood transfusions from "virgin cabana boys".

Suuuure you didn't, OM. Welcome back!

Posted by: BackwardsBoy - Psychos Rule! No, really. They're in charge now. at June 06, 2021 10:23 AM (HaL55)

306 @302

High waisted jeans, too. Which I always thought were more flattering on girls than low waisted jeans.

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:23 AM (AwPyG)

307 Well, my thinking since the BLM riots has been to recall that black people and hispanic people are, um, often at odds, and not often the best of friends.
And that all this black pandering would just make Republicans out of all these Mexican immigrants.
Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:22 AM (xP36F)

Especially since hispanic people would feel just as frightned by the riots as white people.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:23 AM (xP36F)

308 I was at a high school graduation last week and the Seventies are back
IN FORCE! Guys with shoulder-length hair, check. Stripper heels on
girls, check. Deep cleavage and short skirts, check.

Only things missing are bell bottoms and leisure suits.
Then the smart play is to invest in companies that make oatmeal-colored tweed and boxy jackets with enormous shoulders. Always try to get ahead of the curve.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:23 AM (v16oJ)

309 My polls also show 72% of Republicans love Biden.

Posted by: Frank Luntz at June 06, 2021 10:24 AM (DlG3S)

310 My oldest would fit right into the 70's with his long, greasy looking hair....ugh!

Posted by: lin-duh at June 06, 2021 10:24 AM (UUBmN)

311 My polls also show 72% of Republicans love Biden.

Posted by: Frank Luntz
I wonder if McCarthy and Luntz are part of the "it's totally not gay for two guys to spoon" trend.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:25 AM (v16oJ)

312 @301

Fauci's emails show the NPR reporters begging him to say that Trump is interfering with his work in some way. Multiple times--its clear they already had the stories written.

And he did make a comment, and then had to immediately walk it back, remember?

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:25 AM (AwPyG)

313 Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:22 AM (xP36F)

I think there will be a seismic shift in 2022, but then what??McCarthy & Luntz messaging failure whie getting nothing done. Some ideas on reigning anything in? Some legislation waiting to be rolled out to gut the federal government?

Not likely. But they will cut their own throats to serve their CoC masters and corporate donors.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:25 AM (jvt6t)

314 Yet books I want forever, without fail, I want in real paper. Having some big corporation the soul proprietor of my books scares me.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 10:25 AM (Cxk7w)

315 310 My oldest would fit right into the 70's with his long, greasy looking hair....ugh!
Posted by: lin-duh at June 06, 2021 10:24 AM (UUBmN)

Twas a bugly period to be sure. Even the 60s mod was tolerable compared with the sloppy early 70s.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:25 AM (ONvIw)

316

Man, I'm out of junk masks... Anyone got a couple of extra larges?

Posted by: Johnny Dangerouslycontagious at June 06, 2021 10:25 AM (o6NKx)

317 Right now I am reading one of the Fred Lockley interview books. His interviews with Oregon pioneers done in the 30's were collected and published as "the Lockley Files" The book I am reading now is Conversations with Pioneer Men, and the
stories are fairly matter of fact and hair-raising. They run from
fairly brutal stories to touching ones about courting a wife and raising
up a family.

Fred Lockley was working for the Capitol Journal, a Portland paper that is now long closed, and traveled the state talking to the early pioneers.

I will say, there was no typical pioneer life, except maybe taking time out to go mine gold in California, Central Oregon or in Idaho, and then going back to whatever they were doing before.
It seems the pioneers put their labor to anything going from farming to logging to construction to saloon keeping, depending on what seemed to be a good idea. A couple interviewees mentioned that they got into teaching and were told they better be able to fight because some of the older boys in the school would try to beat them up like they did the previous teacher.

Posted by: Kindltot at June 06, 2021 10:25 AM (u0j5n)

318 302 I was at a high school graduation last week and the Seventies are back IN FORCE! Guys with shoulder-length hair, check. Stripper heels on girls, check. Deep cleavage and short skirts, check.

Only things missing are bell bottoms and leisure suits.
Posted by: Trimegistus at June 06, 2021 10:21 AM (QZxDR)

It won't be the 70s until they start listening to the AM radio.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:26 AM (5Z/rC)

319 HB1 was really the Dem's only hope for dodging blowback from their election cheating. I've been doing research this morning, you wouldn't believe the places that are getting on the "voter suppression" bandwagon as the Brennan Center is loudly proclaiming.

Places like New Hampshire.

HB1 would also fail at SCOTUS, since the supremacy of states rights to conduct their own elections was the rationale for dismissing Trump's lawsuits.

For good or for bad, the landscape for conducting state elections has now been set for at least 20 years. States can do whatever they want, nothing at the federal level can stop them.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at June 06, 2021 10:26 AM (5p7BC)

320 I was too young to notice but seeing footage of the 70s women looked great in that fashion. Lots or curves displayed.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:26 AM (DlG3S)

321 314 Yet books I want forever, without fail, I want in real paper. Having some big corporation the soul proprietor of my books scares me.
Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 10:25 AM (Cxk7w)

It sure does. I don't trust e-books not to be altered to suit the politics of the time.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:26 AM (ONvIw)

322 Props for the inclusion of the Boston Public Library.

If any of the Horde have the chance, I recommend doing tea there.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at June 06, 2021 10:26 AM (elNCO)

323 @321

This is why the house has a lot of bookshelves.

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:27 AM (AwPyG)

324 Twas a bugly period to be sure. Even the 60s mod was tolerable compared with the sloppy early 70s.
True. It's important to distinguish the early and late 70s. Polyester leisure suits with aircraft wing lapels were not the same as the holdover dregs of the 60s.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:27 AM (v16oJ)

325 One of the freshly graduated high schoolers explained to the old fart (me) that it's not that the girls in her class really liked long hair and long skirts and high heels, it's that by wearing them, they were showing they weren't associated with the evil ugly Angry Feminists Crowd.

Apparently you can't risk dying your hair a bright colour and cutting it short, or wearing all black, or you might get ungently teased that you want to move to Portland or California and start burning buildings.

Posted by: Dorothy Grant at June 06, 2021 10:28 AM (wrzAm)

326 That was a big light bulb moment for me regarding the GOP. Wait a second. You guys keep saying you will kill Obamacare, reform this and that but you cant even cut funding for PBS and NPR?
===========================
2 years. 2 f'ing years they had ALL the levers (except judicial.) And Paul Ryan did NOTHING. Then, the part that just steams my clams, 35? 38? GOPe Reps "retire", leaving their seats exposed. The fix against Trump was in as soon as Ben Rhodes was done sniffling on election night, 2016. All Trump had was E.Os. And, unlike Obambi, they were overturned the minute Valerie Jarrett started her 3rd term.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at June 06, 2021 10:28 AM (7Fj9P)

327 Kamala's step-daughter would be Gumby if she was green.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:28 AM (jvt6t)

328 Joe Manchin... he saw his state vote overwhelmingly for Trump in '16 and again in '20. Fear of losing his cushy gig grifting in DC would be my guess. The Mountaineers would vote his ass out in a heartbeat.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at June 06, 2021 10:28 AM (3H9h1)

329 Only things missing are bell bottoms and leisure suits.
Tube tops were God's gift to adolescent males.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:28 AM (v16oJ)

330 Never assume anything related to scotus. McCain Feingild was passed by the GOP on the assumption it would be struck down anyway so whatevs. And remember OCare was supposedly a slam dunk too.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:28 AM (DlG3S)

331 324: Not to mention men's quiana shirts with ghastly prints.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:28 AM (ONvIw)

332 "That was a big light bulb moment for me regarding the GOP."

For me (sadly) it took the contrast of Trump to wake me up. All these "complicated" issues "that we just don't have the votes for (but please send us money)" and then suddenly, Trump not only gets it done BUT MAKES IT LOOK EASY.

452 miles of border wall.

I'm embarrassed and ashamed that I fell for The Grift.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 10:29 AM (83lwH)

333 @319

You are more sanguine than I. Next you'll be telling me that forcing the public to buy federally-mandated health insurance is unconstitutional.

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:29 AM (AwPyG)

334 One of the freshly graduated high schoolers explained to the old fart
(me) that it's not that the girls in her class really liked long hair
and long skirts and high heels, it's that by wearing them, they were
showing they weren't associated with the evil ugly Angry Feminists
Crowd.

Apparently you can't risk dying your hair a bright colour and
cutting it short, or wearing all black, or you might get ungently teased
that you want to move to Portland or California and start burning
buildings.
There may be hope for the young'uns.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:29 AM (v16oJ)

335 331 324: Not to mention men's quiana shirts with ghastly prints.
Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:28 AM (ONvIw)

*looks for pooka shell necklace*

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:30 AM (jvt6t)

336 Gumby is cheerier than Ella, at least her "professional" persona.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:30 AM (ONvIw)

337 Not to mention men's quiana shirts with ghastly prints.
There was an unmet need for shirts that highlighted men's nipples.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:30 AM (v16oJ)

338 HB1 would also fail at SCOTUS, since the supremacy of states rights to conduct their own elections was the rationale for dismissing Trump's lawsuits.
============================
You're so cute!

Posted by: John Fucking Roberts, hiding his stolen Irish kiddies at June 06, 2021 10:30 AM (7Fj9P)

339 Qiana is the fabric of tomorrow, and hopefully it will stay that way.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at June 06, 2021 10:30 AM (fLVm1)

340 The Sunday Morning Book Thread thread is so bad for me, I'm going to have to give it not just a weekly budget, but a weekly time budget to get everything read. I still have ones from two months ago in the TBR stack...

And picked up another today.

(I regret nothing.)

Posted by: Dorothy Grant at June 06, 2021 10:31 AM (wrzAm)

341 I said Evil Ugly Angry Feminists Crowd open for Alice Cooper in the Pit in '77.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 10:32 AM (d9FiS)

342 339 Qiana is the fabric of tomorrow, and hopefully it will stay that way.
Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at June 06, 2021 10:30 AM (fLVm1)

It needs to stay dead with disco

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:32 AM (ONvIw)

343 We could pull all of our old clothes out of storage and start a retro clothing store called:

The Horde Thread Shed.

I know I have a lime green leisure suit here somewhere.....

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:32 AM (jvt6t)

344 HR1 not HB1

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:32 AM (DlG3S)

345 I don't mind Kamala's stepdaughter getting free publicity. It's no different from Billy Carter's brand of beer back in the old days.

And from a political standpoint it's POISON for Kamala. Sure, the affluent white women who publish fashion magazines are all attwitter about how stunning&brave Ella is.

But the black women Kamala depends on see . . . a fake black woman with a white husband and family. Not a good look for Kamala.

Posted by: Trimegistus at June 06, 2021 10:32 AM (QZxDR)

346 It won't be the 70s until they start listening to the AM radio.
Kewl. Perhaps this song will get played once more. - Bubble Puppy -
https://youtu.be/ldZYHHh0yr0

Posted by: BackwardsBoy - Psychos Rule! No, really. They're in charge now. at June 06, 2021 10:33 AM (HaL55)

347 Then the smart play is to invest in companies that make oatmeal-colored tweed and boxy jackets with enormous shoulders. Always try to get ahead of the curve.
Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:23 AM (v16oJ)
------

Go long on shoulder pads.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 10:33 AM (wyw4S)

348 like Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 08:37 AM (y7DUB)

I never got into Lawrence Durrell, but his brother Gerald Durrell did write fun books about collecting animals in South America and in Africa

The Drunken Forest, for example, in the Chaco in Paraguay

Posted by: Kindltot at June 06, 2021 10:33 AM (u0j5n)

349 @342

I'm old enough to remember the excitement around the fact that they'd invented fabric that was wholly synthetic.

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:34 AM (AwPyG)

350 "2 years they had ALL the levers (except judicial.) And Paul Ryan did NOTHING."

The workup was even more infuriating.

1) Give us control of the House majority and we will do x
2) Thanks but we can't do x without a Senate majority
3) Thanks again, but x won't happen unless we have the Presidency too.

4) What? Do x and risk our majority?

Always a Prevent Defense with these guys, all 4 Quarters. And then "shock" that we lose by a field goal Every Fricken Time.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 10:34 AM (83lwH)

351 I know I have a lime green leisure suit here somewhere.....
Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:32 AM (jvt6t)

----------

Oh, to have those Angel's Flight pants and Members Only jacket back...

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at June 06, 2021 10:34 AM (fLVm1)

352 Great. How can you I tell I'm still on my first cup of covfefe?

Posted by: BackwardsBoy - Psychos Rule! No, really. They're in charge now. at June 06, 2021 10:34 AM (HaL55)

353 Kamala could wear a KKK lapel Pin and she would still get 95% of the black woman vote.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:34 AM (DlG3S)

354 *shrug* I'm not going to get into discussion of how SCOTUS will just rule "it's a tax".

I find all of that discussion to be pointless.

If SCOTUS is now a stealth 6-3 liberal majority and in collusion with the uniparty to force us all to accept their hegemony and the end of elections, then there isn't much that any of us can do.

So take anything I say with a giant caveat of "if they are going to be consistent and fair". If you think that is naive, so be it.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at June 06, 2021 10:35 AM (5p7BC)

355 @345

I agree-the stepdaughter is not doing her any favors with all the publicity. And, as someone pointed out, the only young women who are "dressing ugly" are the hard core leftists.

Everybody else is going sexy/glam

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (AwPyG)

356 The Ontario Hockey League drafted a female goalie last night. Hooray for diversity.

Posted by: Jen the original at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (MZgxa)

357 Go long on shoulder pads.
Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 10:33 AM (wyw4S)

It won't really be the '70's again until Harvest Gold & Avcacado Green appliances return.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (jvt6t)

358 How can you I tell I'm still on my first cup of covfefe?
Posted by: BackwardsBoy

*****

You're quoting Karl instead of Groucho?

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (m45I2)

359 HB1 was really the Dem's only hope for dodging blowback from their election cheating.
===========================
I'm not dead yet. I'm feeling much better. I FEEL HAPPY!!

Posted by: HR1, from the cart of the dead at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (7Fj9P)

360 Go long on shoulder pads.
My wife dug an old Hawaiian print shirt out of somewhere in the back of her closet. It's a nice shirt, but she said she'd have to take out the shoulder pads to wear it again. Shoulder pads. In a Hawaiian shirt.

Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (v16oJ)

361 I'm old enough to remember the excitement around the fact that they'd invented fabric that was wholly synthetic.
=====

Thank you, North Face. Love from your local oil and gas distributors.

Posted by: mustbequantum at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (MIKMs)

362 There was overwhelming evidence Biden stole the election. Scotus said yeah no bruh. Even after PA told scotus LOLGF, they did nothing.

The 6-3 majority means nothing. It is fodder for the rubes.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:37 AM (DlG3S)

363 I'm old enough to remember the excitement around the fact that they'd invented fabric that was wholly synthetic.

-
Like Nancy Pelosi.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 10:37 AM (d9FiS)

364 I'm predicting that caudillo-style epaulettes and aviator sunglasses will be the Next Big Thing.

Be ready.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at June 06, 2021 10:38 AM (fLVm1)

365 Shoulder pads. In a Hawaiian shirt.
Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (v16oJ)
-------

They used to put them in T-shirts. Ask me how I know.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 10:38 AM (wyw4S)

366 Thank you, North Face. Love from your local oil and gas distributors.
Posted by: mustbequantum at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (MIKMs)

That's a world class burn by the oil companies right there.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:38 AM (jvt6t)

367 I'm not dead yet. I'm feeling much better. I FEEL HAPPY!!
Posted by: HR1, from the cart of the dead at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM

You're not fooling anyone, you know.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at June 06, 2021 10:39 AM (elNCO)

368 I'm predicting that caudillo-style epaulettes and aviator sunglasses will be the Next Big Thing.

Be ready.
Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at June 06, 2021 10:38 AM (fLVm1)
------

With lots and lots of medals on the chest.

Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 10:39 AM (wyw4S)

369
I agree-the stepdaughter is not doing her any favors with all the publicity. And, as someone pointed out, the only young women who are "dressing ugly" are the hard core leftists.

Everybody else is going sexy/glam
Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (AwPyG)

It does amaze me that Ivanka's brand was destroyed by the Trump election, but Ella will get one with Biden/Harris, and it doesn't matter (in fact it's a plus) that Ella's "designs" are quite sad.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 10:39 AM (ONvIw)

370 They used to put them in T-shirts. Ask me how I know.
Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 10:38 AM (wyw4S)

Didn't everyone look like middle linebackers in the 70's/80's? Big bulky shoulder pads in everything. Sad.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:39 AM (jvt6t)

371 It's interesting to watch--Kamala's husband is (like Loretta Lynch's husband) a fairly late-added prop to make it seem that she has a family.

But they're white. And Kamala's husband is an entertainment lawyer, which means he is probably the more powerful person. According to the gossip blinds, he's not acting like a married person, at all.

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:40 AM (AwPyG)

372 All Dems need is 1 seat in 2022 and HR1 along with every other AOC led idea will become reality. And Dominion is ready to help.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:40 AM (DlG3S)

373 356 The Ontario Hockey League drafted a female goalie last night. Hooray for diversity.
Posted by: Jen the original at June 06, 2021 10:36 AM (MZgxa)

--------

But is it a chick-girl, or a guy-girl?

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at June 06, 2021 10:40 AM (fLVm1)

374 You're quoting Karl instead of Groucho?
I wish that was all. Sheesh. Slept in like a boss this morning because I was so wound up from the great ass-kicking gig we played Friday night I couldn't get to sleep 'til nearly sunrise. Dragged ass all day yesterday.
"On the first day of our safari, we were up at the crack of dawn, breakfasted and back in bed by 7:30..."

Posted by: BackwardsBoy - Psychos Rule! No, really. They're in charge now. at June 06, 2021 10:40 AM (HaL55)

375 Given how many dicks have been in her mouth, would any man want to be really married to her?

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:41 AM (DlG3S)

376 324 Twas a bugly period to be sure. Even the 60s mod was tolerable compared with the sloppy early 70s.
True. It's important to distinguish the early and late 70s. Polyester leisure suits with aircraft wing lapels were not the same as the holdover dregs of the 60s.
Posted by: pep at June 06, 2021 10:27 AM (v16oJ)

I'm somewhat ashamed to say that in the mid-70's, I remember going to high school wearing old cutoffs, a tie dye t-shirt, and leather sandals. It took a lot of years for me to learn how to dress.

Posted by: Tom Servo at June 06, 2021 10:41 AM (bxPTJ)

377 "Having some big corporation the soul proprietor of my books scares me."

"What do you mean you have no record of The Once And Future King"

I'm sorry sir, there is no such book listed.

"Try T.H. White...."

Sir, again... there is no such person. If you continue to pursue this people you care about may be hurt

"What - I had the book IN MY HANDS - wait what do you mean hurt?"

Security. Code 11. Help desk. Stat. Sir please back away from the counter and place your hand behind your neck.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 10:42 AM (83lwH)

378 375 Given how many dicks have been in her mouth, would any man want to be really married to her?
Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:41 AM (DlG3S)

How many have been in his? Cali and all.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:42 AM (jvt6t)

379 But the black women Kamala depends on see . . . a fake black woman with a white husband and family. Not a good look for Kamala.
Posted by: Trimegistus at June 06, 2021 10:32 AM (QZxDR)

Lots of black families have relatives who died in Vietnam, and even earlier. Memorial Day is sacred, personal.

"Enjoy the long weekend" will NOT further endear her to black voters.

Posted by: BurtTC at June 06, 2021 10:42 AM (NIUz2)

380 Didn't everyone look like middle linebackers in the 70's/80's? Big bulky shoulder pads in everything. Sad.
Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:39 AM

That's why they needed the huge Aqua Net hair. Had to balance with the shoulder pads.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at June 06, 2021 10:42 AM (elNCO)

381 And Dominion is ready to help.
=================
So are we!!

Posted by: Google, Facebook, Twitter, SEIU thugs, Antifa, BLM, Soros appointed SoS at June 06, 2021 10:43 AM (7Fj9P)

382 379

This is hopium. Black voters will vote for a black candidate. Some stupid tweet will not change that.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:44 AM (DlG3S)

383 370 They used to put them in T-shirts. Ask me how I know.
Posted by: bluebell - NoVaMoMe 2021! at June 06, 2021 10:38 AM (wyw4S)
Didn't everyone look like middle linebackers in the 70's/80's? Big bulky shoulder pads in everything. Sad.
Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:39 AM (jvt6t)

No, as I recall from being a kid, shoulder pads on women looked nice.
Remember women were by and large thinner then, and looked better in anything.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:44 AM (xP36F)

384 The Ontario Hockey League drafted a female goalie last night. Hooray for diversity.
Posted by: Jen the original
+++
But is it a chick-girl, or a guy-girl?
Posted by: Cicero

*****

Not sure. But she has a face that could stop a...

...well...a hockey puck!

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 10:44 AM (m45I2)

385 Not sure. But she has a face that could stop a...

...well...a hockey puck!
Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 10:44 AM

So...we should check her out?

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at June 06, 2021 10:45 AM (elNCO)

386 I'm assuming they survived the hit job?
They've moved the "Baen's Bar" reader forum to a separate site and turned it over to the "readers". I haven't been on in years so I'm not really sure how it's working out.

Posted by: gingeroni at June 06, 2021 10:46 AM (X7FeU)

387 The opposing teams will suddenly be all-in on the diversity bandwagon. Put her in!

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:46 AM (AwPyG)

388 Even the 60s mod was tolerable compared with the sloppy early 70s.
======================
And just think: As early as the early '60's, high school kids wore jacket/tie and dresses to school. I look at pictures of my MiL/FiL from HS, and they look like adults.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at June 06, 2021 10:46 AM (7Fj9P)

389 The thing with dip pens is that you have to search a while to find paper that won't soak up the ink like a sponge and bleed through the other side.[. . .]
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at June 06, 2021 09:03 AM (2JVJo)

MPPP, I have had very good luck with these Kraft covered hardbound books, as long as I don't use a really wet pen or diluted ink. They are cheap and sturdy, and a proper size for actually using, unlike some of the larger format sketchpads. I use Estebrook pen points and fountain pens with Sheaffer ink.

(Amazon, EOOUT 3pcs Blank Notebook 5.6 x 8.2in Sketchbook)

https://tinyurl.com/k87z3v7c

Posted by: Kindltot at June 06, 2021 10:46 AM (u0j5n)

390 narf

Posted by: Kindltot at June 06, 2021 10:47 AM (u0j5n)

391 It won't be the 70s until they start listening to the AM radio.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:26 AM

Bring back the 8 track.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at June 06, 2021 10:48 AM (JUOKG)

392 "They used to put them in T-shirts. Ask me how I know.
Posted by: bluebell"

LOL. I think I may still have a couple of those T-shirts in a box of old clothes.

Posted by: Tuna at June 06, 2021 10:48 AM (gLRfa)

393 382 379

This is hopium. Black voters will vote for a black candidate. Some stupid tweet will not change that.
Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:44 AM (DlG3S)

But will they vote for an Indian (dot) candidate trying to pretend to be black? She wasn't exactly popular before she dropped out of the primaries.

Posted by: Bete at June 06, 2021 10:48 AM (Ojki1)

394 Backwards Boy!
Good for you! It was hell not playing, then losing your love, and now you're back in the saddle and kicking ass and picking up life again.

I think about you often. I lit a candle at St James awhile back.
Do you have a CD so I can hear your bass playing awesomeness?

Posted by: nurse ratched at June 06, 2021 10:49 AM (U2p+3)

395 The Ontario Hockey League drafted a female goalie last night. Hooray for diversity.
Posted by: Jen the original

-
Now, those are shoulders.

https://bit.ly/3cmJiqC

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 10:49 AM (d9FiS)

396 Not sure. But she has a face that could stop a...

...well...a hockey puck!
Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 10:44 AM

So...we should check her out?
Posted by: RedMindBlueState

She's a 1. Just stay away from the rough sex.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 10:51 AM (d9FiS)

397 I've seen pictures of my father's generation, with students in jacket & tie at school.

On the Gulf Coast. In May. Before air conditioning.

Not to put too fine a point on it, though they may have looked sharper I suspect they may have smelled worse.

Posted by: Trimegistus at June 06, 2021 10:52 AM (QZxDR)

398 But will they vote for an Indian (dot) candidate trying to pretend to be black? She wasn't exactly popular before she dropped out of the primaries.
Posted by: Bete at June 06, 2021 10:48 AM (Ojki1)

Well I'm not sure after the election that statistics on who voted for whom are entirely trustable.
I'm thinking one effect of the BLM riots is to keep black people in line.
They're far more at risk of suffering violence for having a dissenting opinion than white people.
I recall some black comics youtuber -- JustSomeGuy? -- who said you genuinely risked being beat up for liking comics if you were black in a black neighborhood.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 10:52 AM (xP36F)

399 I think that's the point of school uniforms. you impress upon the kids, "This is serious business."

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 10:53 AM (AwPyG)

400 Obama had a white mother and it made no diff to black voters. I recall a lot of people saying now way he will Motivate black voters because he went to a white school and was raised by a white grandmother and blah blah blah.

How did that work out?

Posted by: Joe XiDen at June 06, 2021 10:54 AM (DlG3S)

401 Now, those are shoulders.

https://bit.ly/3cmJiqC
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at June 06, 2021 10:49 AM (d9FiS)

Good grief, she looks like an extra in a Kanye West video.

Posted by: BurtTC at June 06, 2021 10:54 AM (NIUz2)

402 I've always wondered as a counterfactual, what would've happened if the Whites & SRs had joined forces... Could they have defeated the Bolsheviks?

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at June 06, 2021 10:54 AM (yFG1M)

403 MY DAD BUZZED THE POPE!!

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 08:13 AM (m45I2)

Very cool Muldoon!
Interestingly, the capture of Rome was the first time the city had fallen to an invading army in over 1590 years. An incredible historical moment.

Posted by: Diogenes at June 06, 2021 10:54 AM (axyOa)

404 Guess they will fund out how well a woman gets to be a male, even if she doesn't perscibe to the sex parts.

Posted by: Skip at June 06, 2021 10:55 AM (Cxk7w)

405 Back from the Farmer's market and eating a fresh bagel with lox and cream cheese. Mmmmm.

About Manchin and Sinema, both of their states rely heavily on fossil fuel revenues both for jobs but also state revenues. That Biden immediately went after the industries that made their states wealthy could not have sat well.
My guess is that hold this administration in contempt and won't lift a finger to help them.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 10:55 AM (sd8p8)

406 It doesn't matter. Blacks are just like whites, insofar as their votes don't mean shit.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at June 06, 2021 10:56 AM (yFG1M)

407 Ah that reminds me, if you are curious about why
Western Civ seems to get a headstart on most the world (ie why we
explored the Americas instead of the reverse) pick up "Guns Germs and
Steel" by Jared Diamond

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 09:11 AM (83lwH)

I dislike Diamond, he ignores elements like social structures and cultural inertia having influence over a culture's adoption of new technology, and in turn the adoption of underlying values and concepts of the world.
A far better book is Carlo Cipolla's Guns, Sails, and Empires: Technological Innovation and the Early Phases of European Expansion.

I cannot praise this book enough for its examination of cultural change and technological change, though I admit he is more of an historical economist than a cultural anthropologist.
(Diamond is an ornithologist and evolutionary biologist which may explain his glossing over cultural issues, his Collapse book also avoids cultural adaption in its Erlichist analysis)

Posted by: Kindltot at June 06, 2021 10:57 AM (u0j5n)

408 DEE-fense, DEE-fense - a limerick

A virgin goaltender named Mears
Had tremendous success, it appears
While undergoing training
She insisted on abstaining
She's stopped every puck the last four years.

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 10:57 AM (m45I2)

409 Didn't everyone look like middle linebackers in the 70's/80's?
Posted by: Jak Sucio at June 06, 2021 10:39 AM (jvt6t)

The 70s and 80s had very different clothing styles. The 70s, particularly the early 70, were very hippie-ish, and I didn't start seeing shoulder pads until way later, like close to 1980.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:58 AM (5Z/rC)

410 Not sure. But she has a face that could stop a...

...well...a hockey puck!
Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 10:44 AM

So...we should check her out?
Posted by: RedMindBlueState
***

Watch out for high sticking.

Posted by: Diogenes at June 06, 2021 10:59 AM (axyOa)

411 I think about you often. I lit a candle at St James awhile back.

Do you have a CD so I can hear your bass playing awesomeness?
Aww, that was sweet of you, nurse. Thank you. I have a CD around here somewhere of me from several years ago. I'll see if I can find it. In the meantime, here's a video of me on bass - Headphones on! - https://youtu.be/J_R7KdSVqLc

I played drums Friday night, first time in about 2 years. The band lineup was new but still consisted of long-time musical-type buds. Everybody was ready to play and we came out of the gate at full speed. Best gig I've played in years.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy - Psychos Rule! No, really. They're in charge now. at June 06, 2021 10:59 AM (HaL55)

412 Bring back the 8 track.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at June 06, 2021 10:48 AM (JUOKG)

Fun fact: 8-track was invented by whatsisface Lear, who also invented the Lear jet.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 11:00 AM (5Z/rC)

413 406 It doesn't matter. Blacks are just like whites, insofar as their votes don't mean shit.
Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at June 06, 2021 10:56 AM (yFG1M)

kind of what I was thinking. It's not really the issue that black voters vote for black candidates; actually its the fact that the vote "counters" will SAY that they voted for the far left black candidate, and no one will be allowed to say any different on threat of imprisonment.

related - now that the vote is getting close, the recall effort on Newsom looks to be falling apart. I don't know how anyone ever believed he could be ousted in a rigged state like California.

Posted by: Tom Servo at June 06, 2021 11:00 AM (bxPTJ)

414 I thought the womens 80s shoulder pads followed the huge hair

Posted by: will choose a nic later at June 06, 2021 11:00 AM (bTQ72)

415 Great limerick Muldoon. Works on many levels.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 11:01 AM (sd8p8)

416 Interestingly, the capture of Rome was the first time the city had fallen to an invading army in over 1590 years. An incredible historical moment.
Posted by: Diogenes at June 06, 2021 10:54 AM (axyOa)

---------

*ahem*

Posted by: Charles V at June 06, 2021 11:02 AM (fLVm1)

417 HOW TO TELL A FIREARM FROM A HAMMER NOOD

Posted by: Skip guy who says NOOD at June 06, 2021 11:02 AM (Cxk7w)

418 An incredible historical moment.
Posted by: Diogenes

******

You, (and others with an artillery background) would probably enjoy Dad's description of how they discovered two of the Germans' big 280 mm rail guns (The Anzio Express) disabled in the bombed out railroad yards around Rome.

Posted by: Muldoon at June 06, 2021 11:03 AM (m45I2)

419 About Manchin and Sinema, both of their states rely
heavily on fossil fuel revenues both for jobs but also state revenues.
That Biden immediately went after the industries that made their states
wealthy could not have sat well.

My guess is that hold this administration in contempt and won't lift a finger to help them.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 10:55 AM

manchin is extremely worried about his reelection chances in 2024. He only won by 3% in 2018 and that is danger close territory for an incumbent especially during a mid term election cycle. 2024 will have a huge draw and if Trump is on the ballot it's over for him and he knows it. He can't afford to pi$$ off any voters in WV.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at June 06, 2021 11:03 AM (JUOKG)

420 And it happens again......

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at June 06, 2021 11:04 AM (sd8p8)

421 The 70s and 80s had very different clothing styles. The 70s, particularly the early 70, were very hippie-ish, and I didn't start seeing shoulder pads until way later, like close to 1980.
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:58 AM (5Z/rC)

Yes! I recall shoulder pads were actually associated with the '80s, or at least that, during some '80s revival people said "and we'll see the return of shoulder pads."
Either shoulder pads have seared our subconscious for millennia to come, or it's a heartfelt subconscious longing, not sure which.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 11:04 AM (xP36F)

422 >>> 242 I think I'll give Lucifer's Hammer another try. I put it down after a couple of chapters a long time ago . I've been told to give it a chance as it takes a bit to set up the story.
Posted by: Just a side note at June 06, 2021 09:47 AM (2DOZq)

Larry & Jerry are hmm, adequate with characterization, but very good at exploding things. ... and yes, there's quite a lot of setup before the Earth-shattering kabooms happen, but they are well-done, and there's even more bad news after the kabooms.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at June 06, 2021 11:05 AM (d5OIB)

423 I wish they'd get the band back together, and go buzz this Pope.

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 11:05 AM (AwPyG)

424 I've always wondered as a counterfactual, what would've happened if the Whites & SRs had joined forces... Could they have defeated the Bolsheviks?
Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at June 06, 2021 10:54 AM (yFG1M)

They tried to but the White army was stuck on maintaining the old order long after it was obvious no fucking way that was happening. They probably could have defeated the Bolsheviks but that rapidly became a moot point.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 11:06 AM (y7DUB)

425 Interestingly, the capture of Rome was the first time the city had fallen to an invading army in over 1590 years. An incredible historical moment.
Posted by: Diogenes at June 06, 2021 10:54 AM (axyOa)

---------

*ahem*
Posted by: Charles V at June 06, 2021 11:02 AM (fLVm1)

Hey, what am I, chopped liver?

Posted by: Napoleon at June 06, 2021 11:07 AM (4/Sjm)

426 I dislike Diamond, he ignores elements like social structures and cultural inertia having influence over a culture's adoption of new technology, and in turn the adoption of underlying values and concepts of the world.

--------

Diamond had some valid points, I thought, but he didn't explain everything.

I read a book a while back (I can't remember the title, sorry) where the author made a strong case that the uniquely fragmented geo-political setting of Europe was the key factor in causing Western culture and technology to leapfrog ahead of China and other early sites of comparatively advanced civilizations. The size of the individual states, the competition between them, the overlay of Roman Catholicism, and the rise of Protestantism all contributed.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at June 06, 2021 11:10 AM (fLVm1)

427 The 70s, particularly the early 70, were very hippie-ish, and I didn't start seeing shoulder pads until way later, like close to 1980.
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 10:58 AM (5Z/rC)

The British invasion featured a lot of Edwardian styles back when bands wore suits. Then came our home grown hippies wearing jeans, tank tops, western gear and pretty much dressing like slobs.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 11:10 AM (y7DUB)

428 They tried to but the White army was stuck on maintaining the old order long after it was obvious no fucking way that was happening.

-------

Yeah, I pointed out a few years back that they remind me of our ConInc. cuck brigade, who'd rather be permanently destroyed than make common cause with common people.

In other words: a buncha maroons.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at June 06, 2021 11:10 AM (yFG1M)

429 *ahem*
Posted by: Charles V at June 06, 2021 11:02 AM (fLVm1)

Hey, what am I, chopped liver?
Posted by: Napoleon at June 06, 2021 11:07 AM (4/Sjm)

This is why I love this blog so much: erudite, edumacated trolling.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 11:11 AM (5Z/rC)

430 Yeah, I pointed out a few years back that they remind me of our ConInc. cuck brigade, who'd rather be permanently destroyed than make common cause with common people.

In other words: a buncha maroons.
Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at June 06, 2021 11:10 AM (yFG1M)

The parallels are disturbingly close.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 11:13 AM (y7DUB)

431 The British invasion featured a lot of Edwardian styles back when bands wore suits. Then came our home grown hippies wearing jeans, tank tops, western gear and pretty much dressing like slobs.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 11:10 AM (y7DUB)

Right. Many SF hippies in the Haight like to dress up like cowboys. You can see this in some of the photos from that era.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at June 06, 2021 11:13 AM (5Z/rC)

432 300 -- the quality of hardback books started slipping way back when. There was a time when all the pages of all backs were cut smooth and even. Pick up anything but the most expensive hardback these days and the front pages look like an accident in a wood chopper. OTOH, most publishers began using acid free paper for their hardbacks back in the mid-90s or so.

And as for artificial fabric, I, for one, wept tears of joy when "wash and wear" became common. When I worked for Howard Johnson, I had to iron every inch of that damn uniiform, using almost an entire can of spray starch per ironing. One wearing = one washing followed by one ironing.

Posted by: Captain Josepha Sabin, clinging bitterly to a deplorable life at June 06, 2021 11:14 AM (/7+9I)

433 I happened to look at the wiki list of covid vax available around the world
much of the 3rd world, it seems, is getting chinese made inactivated virus vaccines
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at June 06, 2021 09:39 AM (oEn12)

"inactivated". heh.

Posted by: Chairman Xi at June 06, 2021 11:18 AM (hKKqE)

434 @432

One of my friends worked at Bob's Big Boy, where all the waitresses had to wear their hair in a fake bun at the top of their heads, with the little white cloth "tiara"

Posted by: artemis at June 06, 2021 11:18 AM (AwPyG)

435 431 except Paul Revere and the Raiders

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 11:20 AM (ONvIw)

436 I understand. And I appreciate the admonitions about trust. I'm not naive about the Left. The point is, I cannot stop him from writing what he writes and falsify as he wishes. Sherman outright lied, in part perhaps because he never engaged with me. I cannot stop him and so my best bet may be to educate him. If I shut him down, he's going to write it anyway.
Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 09:49 AM (H8QX

Have you considered find an author you can trust, maybe one of the Horde, to write an authorized biography to debunk the lies published by the NYT?

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at June 06, 2021 11:22 AM (hKKqE)

437 Have you considered find an author you can trust, maybe one of the Horde, to write an authorized biography to debunk the lies published by the NYT?
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at June 06, 2021 11:22 AM (hKKqE)

Thank you. I wrote it a few years ago.

https://tinyurl.com/75vjc2sd

Posted by: Dan Smoot's Apprentice at June 06, 2021 11:26 AM (H8QX8)

438 430 Yeah, I pointed out a few years back that they remind me of our ConInc. cuck brigade, who'd rather be permanently destroyed than make common cause with common people.
In other words: a buncha maroons.
Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at June 06, 2021 11:10 AM (yFG1M)
The parallels are disturbingly close.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 11:13 AM (y7DUB)

In Heinlein's non-fiction "Take Back Your Government" he says (writing in 1949) that, in any city controlled by a "machine," one party will always be a stooge of the other, that the elections are fake grudge-matches put on for show, but the winners have already been decided.

Posted by: Stonn at June 06, 2021 11:26 AM (xP36F)

439 "writing in 1949"

1949? WTH. I thought one of the tenets of conservatism was to instill the lessons of history so we didn't get blindsided by them more than once.

Posted by: Hoyt's Turkish Troll Provocateur at June 06, 2021 11:52 AM (83lwH)

440 except Paul Revere and the Raiders
Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 11:20 AM (ONvIw)

They were primary a pop group with uniforms reflecting colonial times. Despite that sounding gimmicky I really liked them and their string of single hits because of how unpretentious they were.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at June 06, 2021 12:21 PM (y7DUB)

441 440 me too, but the costumes were imitative of the brit groups.

Posted by: CN at June 06, 2021 12:28 PM (ONvIw)

442

Calvinists were mass murdering library and Church burning bastards.

Female petrogeologist? You mean the one on the entire planet?

Fuck that shit.

Posted by: Johnny Dangerouslycontagious at June 06, 2021 12:35 PM (o6NKx)

443 #168, Sabrina Chase, please allow me to second your recommendation of Mark Salzberg's excellent travel/martial arts memoir "Iron & Silk" (not Silk & Steel, looking for that title on Amazon led me to some rather...strange looking books).

I would also recommend his memoir "Lost in Place: Growing Up Absurd in Suburbia" (1995). It describes how he first got interested in martial arts by watching "Kung Fu" on the TV. He was so enthralled by the series that he announced to his parents that he was going to be a wandering Zen monk when he grew up and so, obviously, he did not need to go to school anymore. They did not buy it but they were willing to pay for and drive him to kung fu lessons at a local dojo. Unfortunately, his teacher there, Sensei O'Keefe, was a drunk and a sadist. Salzberg looks back with a clear eye that sees both humor and horror.

Posted by: John F. MacMichael at June 06, 2021 01:17 PM (yWpl7)

444 Oops, nothing like offering a correction and making a mistake while doing so: the author's surname is
SalzMAN, not Salzberg as I wrote above. Sorry.

Posted by: John F. MacMichael at June 06, 2021 01:21 PM (yWpl7)

445 Re the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon. Obviously Watterson has bumped into the Modern Language Association.

Whenever any reference, intended or not, lateral or not, crops up, I provide a link to the 'The Sokal Affair'. It is surely the most telling example of just how far the social/language 'modernists' have their collective head up their ass.

Wiki, worth the short read if you do not know the story. And who do you suppose was pilloried?
tinyurl.com/282w99xm

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at June 06, 2021 01:25 PM (L47aO)

446 Nosegay - when you can smell the Pride parade the next town over.

Posted by: Cringe Biscuit at June 06, 2021 01:29 PM (WnJWI)

447 "Is that dude with the handful of flowers straight?"

"Nosegay."

Posted by: Anotheranon at June 06, 2021 03:46 PM (geoTH)

448 Teacher: *Your assignment - use 'Nosegay' in a sentence"

Me: "Sure, Jerry might think his Gaydar is the best but Walt, he just Nosegay."

Posted by: Cringe Biscuit at June 06, 2021 06:55 PM (Lozsj)

449 While almost all of Michael is hetero, he just loves the smell of perfume on men who walk by. You'd probably call him "Nosegay."

Posted by: Cringe Biscuit at June 06, 2021 06:56 PM (Lozsj)

Processing 0.07, elapsed 0.0909 seconds.
15 queries taking 0.029 seconds, 458 records returned.
Page size 264 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.