Sunday Morning Book Thread - 02-27-2022 ["Perfessor" Squirrel]

Good morning, Horde! Welcome to the prestigious, internationally acclaimed, stately, and illustrious Sunday Morning Book Thread! The place where all readers are welcome, regardless of whatever guilty pleasure we feel like reading. Here is where we can discuss, argue, bicker, quibble, consider, debate, confabulate, converse, and jaw about our latest fancy in reading material, even if it's nothing more than the instructions for assembling a full-scale, operational Lego Super Star Destroyer (not that I know anything about that). As always, pants are required, unless you are wearing these pants...in which case, it's best to keep your trusty flamethrower handy.

So relax, find yourself a warm kitty (or warm puppy--I won't judge) to curl up in your lap, and crack open a new book. What are YOU reading this fine morning?

PIC NOTE

The Philips Exeter Academy Library may be one of the most awesome high school libraries in the world. It can hold up to 250,000 volumes, though it currently only holds about 160,000. A casual glance at the outside of the library doesn't reveal just how neat it is on the inside. You should definitely check out the pics in the Wikipedia article. They reveal amazing details about the architecture involved in building this library. Remember, this is a high school library.

In Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, there's a running gag that all libraries everywhere are connected via "L-space." Librarians who have learned secret and mystical arts are able to move through space and time to all libraries. This is not too different from the idea of the TARDIS in Doctor Who, which is also able to move through all of time and space. Books do have that odd property in that we can take a mental journey through history and around the world just by opening a book. We can even explore the farthest corners of the universe or worlds that do not exist in our time and space. No other creature on earth has this ability.

The Philips Exeter Academy Library seems like it embraces this idea that libraries are often "bigger on the inside."

You can find a layout of the library here.

IT PAYS TO INCREASE YOUR WORD POWER

The Word Power segment has been a long-running feature of the Book Thread. Let's pause for a moment to consider the idea of "word power." Within this space it usually means presenting new vocabulary words, which is certainly one way of increasing your ability to communicate. However, increasing vocabulary is just ONE way of improving your word power. Another way to consider word power is that it's the effective use of rhetoric, or persuasion, to accomplish a goal. You don't need to use fancy, complicated words to do that. Sometimes simple explanations are the best means of persuasion. Consider the efforts that Ace and the COBs go to every day to populate this smart, military blog with content. Over the past couple of decades, they have been able to bring in thousands, even tens or hundreds of thousands of readers because they have mastered the art of using language effectively. The late, great Rush Limbaugh (RIP) was also a grandmaster of "word power," reaching an audience of tens of millions of people three hours a day, five days a week.

So let's look at one of the most important words in the English language, one of which should be familiar to all of us native English speakers:

Comment: Not all languages have the "indefinite article" as a part of speech. Russian, for instance, doesn't have definite or indefinite articles. You can often hear this when a native Russian speaker is speaking English. It's common for them to leave it out, though it may not be noticeable unless you looking for it. We tend to fill in the "gaps" when we listen.

This actually came up as a topic of conversation in last week's thread:

Incidentally, a guy on YouTube discusses why Latin has no articles. He said that languages with a developed case system, like Latin, do not need articles whereas languages with a simplified case system, like English, need articles. That makes no sense to me but appears to be true.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter 2022 at February 20, 2022 10:19 AM (FVME7)

This is most likely because English is considered a "low-context" language, while Latin is a "high context" language. It's a fascinating area of linguistics. The differences between high- and low-context languages means it can be difficult to communicate across cultures, even when you are supposedly speaking the same language.

+++++

WHO DIS

CLUE 1 - Loves cats, obviously
CLUE 2 - Wrote really strange short stories, often involving cosmic horror
CLUE 3 - Had specific views about Asians and Asian culture

+++++

(Full disclosure: This has been me for the past couple of years. Every time I think I'm making progress, I acquire more books.)

MORON RECOMMENDATIONS:

I read The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F Kennedy Jr. The section on how Fauci handled the AIDS crisis seemed a bit long, but one must understand that Fauci uses the same playbook in the COVID-19 pandemic: suppress all promising early treatments, make lucrative deals with Big Pharma to develop a vaccine, and silence all dissenters. In a just world Fauci would be on the witness stand facing charges of crimes against humanity, and Bill Gates would be next to him. Also of interest is the CIA and military involvement in our healthcare system. Much, much greater than I knew.
Posted by: Zoltan at February 20, 2022 09:11 AM (koc60)

Comment: I'm almost afraid to read this book. Just knowing what I already know about Fauci's evil machinations is bad enough. I'm not sure I could stomach knowing the full story. May he burn in Hell for all eternity, since it doesn't look like he will face real justice in this life.

+++++

I've been reading Thunder Road by Colin Holmes. Set in 1947, veteran Jefferson Sharp finds himself at loose ends when he returns to Fort Worth with an unfaithful wife and unemployed. He more or less accidentally falls into private investigation when he is hired to find a missing Air Force major he knew in the war and who has now gone missing after getting mixed up in some business over in Roswell, New Mexico. I've just started but so far, so good.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter 2022 at February 20, 2022 09:17 AM (FVME7)

Comment: From the official blurb, it sounds like it could be intriguing. The Roswell incident is a fascinating chapter in American history.

+++++

There's a detailed map of the fictional planet Chiron in the sci-fi novel "Voyage From Yesteryear" by James Hogan. A nice touch is that there is an interior sea that the humans that have colonized the planet labeled the "Medichironian". It's a wonderful book and definitely worth a read. It touches on some very big themes, like money, value, leadership, and what really motivates people.
Posted by: MichiCanuck at February 20, 2022 09:17 AM (VJkbf)

Comment: I tried finding an image of Chiron, but it doesn't seem to be readily available on the interwebs...I'd love to see it if you can send me a copy! *sigh* Never mind...found a hardcover copy of Voyage from Yesteryear on Amazon for less than $7. (see the meme above)

+++++

Hope I'm not too late.... I want to recommend an eerily prophetic (but not as depressing and nihilistic as 1984) novel called Eclipse of the Sun by Michael D. O'Brien, a Canadian Catholic author and artist. It was published in 1998 and depicts a "near future" Canada rapidly morphing into a police state. A lot of the story deals with Catholic issues such as Modernists vs Trads, mysticism, chastisement/end times prophecies, etc. But it also has chapters devoted to the manipulation of news, global elites, conspiracy theories, debates in Parliament, and other stuff that sounds like it could have happened yesterday. It even has characters that would have probably been Morons or Ettes if they were real. And it ends on a hopeful note.
Posted by: Secret Square at February 20, 2022 11:25 AM (wBTPf)

Comment: I remember reading C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength last year. It has a strong Catholic vibe to it. It also describes eerily prophetic events regarding how government will use healthcare for demonic purposes (literally). I may have to check this one out as well.

+-----+-----+-----+-----+

That's about all I have for this week. Thank you for all of your kind words regarding my debut Sunday Morning Book Thread. I hope I am able to continue doing this for the foreseeable future.

If you have any suggestions for improvement, reading recommendations, or writing projects that you'd like to see on the Sunday Morning Book Thread, you can send them to perfessor dot squirrel at-sign gmail dot com. Your feedback is always appreciated! You can also take a virtual tour of my library at:Perfesser Squirrel's Library

Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Hello, bibliophiliacs!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:00 AM (Dc2NZ)

2 hiya

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:00 AM (arJlL)

3 Tolle Lege

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2022 09:00 AM (2JoB8)

4 ZING!

Posted by: Biden's Dog at February 27, 2022 09:00 AM (AiLSR)

5 Hiya Eris !

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:00 AM (arJlL)

6 Morning, Horde...How goes it?

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:00 AM (K5n5d)

7 I would show those pants to a hospital corpsman, stat.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:01 AM (Dc2NZ)

8 Reading from Gutenberg Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia, novel taking place right after Jena battle
And have Show and Tell
Queen Luisa
https://youtu.be/AVWcQWc_SDw

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2022 09:02 AM (2JoB8)

9 No reading this week.

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 09:03 AM (yrol0)

10 Hot Coffee!!!...Bend the Spine!!!

Posted by: Qmark at February 27, 2022 09:03 AM (emnp2)

11 Philips Exeter Academy Library.

So, you're saying don't judge a building by its cover?

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 09:03 AM (7bRMQ)

12 Nice job, P Squirrel!

Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 09:03 AM (0IeYL)

13 Who dis is Clint Eastwood. That was easy.

Posted by: dantesed at February 27, 2022 09:04 AM (88xKn)

14 Nice Lieberry!

Those pants, they speak to me.

The who dis is the older brother from "Napoleon Dynamite".

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 27, 2022 09:04 AM (R/m4+)

15 at the moment I am reading A Brief History Of Time

I really want to know the answer to why is there anything

Posted by: DB at February 27, 2022 09:04 AM (geLO8)

16 "The White Guard", by Mikhail Bulgakov.

Posted by: occam's brassiere at February 27, 2022 09:04 AM (V8JPv)

17 I'm gonna guess Paul Linebarger, also known as Cordwainer Smith?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (c6xtn)

18 Your feedback is always appreciated! You can also take a virtual tour of my library at kugelblitz.libib.com.

Link no workee

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (arJlL)

19 The who dis guy has a sixhead.

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (arJlL)

20 Morning Perfessor!! Nice book thread!

Posted by: Jewells45 deplorablethug#FJB at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (nxdel)

21 Cordwainer Bird!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (Dc2NZ)

22 I'm gonna guess Paul Linebarger, also known as Cordwainer Smith?
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (c6xtn)
------
100 quatloos to you, my friend!

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:06 AM (K5n5d)

23
Link no workee
Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (arJlL)
----
I'll take a look at that.

Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 09:06 AM (0IeYL)

24 Good morning everyone.

My wife and I have been going through the stacks and pulling out books to pass along to the kids or donate.

I have the sadz.

Posted by: Tonypete at February 27, 2022 09:06 AM (Msys3)

25 I read the content, enough reading for today.

Posted by: tryhardneckbeard at February 27, 2022 09:07 AM (5/BkF)

26 Your feedback is always appreciated! You can also take a virtual tour of my library at kugelblitz.libib.com.

Link no workee
Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (arJlL)
---
Libib, in their infinite wisdom, "upgraded" their website this week, which broke my link. I've had to rename my website using their new interface:

https://www.libib.com/u/perfessorsquirrel

Sorry for the inconvenience

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:07 AM (K5n5d)

27 BOOKEN MORGEN HORDEN!
Started reading Peter Schweizer's new book Red-Handed, about China - Biden

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 09:07 AM (lCui1)

28 Morning, folk! I'm reading a big mystery novel, a la Agatha Christie (but I think he has some surprises in store), by Anthony Horowitz of Bond-continuation Trigger Mortis fame. Fascinating so far.

OrangeEnt, if you're here, I've had fun reading your 2 stories, and have gone over them. I'll contact you via email and will scan the scripts back to you next week.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:07 AM (c6xtn)

29 Fascinating story!

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

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:07 AM (Dc2NZ)

30
g'mornin', book-ish 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at February 27, 2022 09:07 AM (DUIap)

31 Link no workee
Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (arJlL)
----
I'll take a look at that.
Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 09:06 AM (0IeYL)
----
I didn't find out about the broken link until late last night. I figured it was too late to update the Book Thread at that point...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:08 AM (K5n5d)

32 Looks like the P S liberry site is having problemos

Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 09:09 AM (0IeYL)

33 OrangeEnt, if you're here, I've had fun reading your 2 stories, and have gone over them. I'll contact you via email and will scan the scripts back to you next week.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:07 AM (c6xtn)

Glad they were worth some time. I'll be looking for your comments.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 09:09 AM (7bRMQ)

34 Who 'Dis is Wally Cox, before taking his Underdog Energy Pill.

Posted by: davidt at February 27, 2022 09:10 AM (5m+OQ)

35 Thunder Road by Colin Holmes.

Looks goooo-ooood.

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:10 AM (arJlL)

36 I'm gonna guess Paul Linebarger, also known as Cordwainer Smith?
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (c6xtn)
------
100 quatloos to you, my friend!
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022

***
The "Asian culture" thing was the clue. I knew he was not Lovecraft, I've seen pics of that Easter Island statue face, and Lovecraft probably would not have been enamored of Asians.

I'm not surprised to see Linebarger with a cat. His early short story (as Cordwainer Smith), "The Game of Rat and Dragon," is a tremendous classic.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:10 AM (c6xtn)

37 Morning, 'rons and 'ronettes. No idea who dis.

I've decided to take a break from Hitleriana and am reading David Brian's Pulitzer: A Life. A very well-written bio in an echo of Pulitzer's own newspaper, The New York World - short, punchy chapters filled with incident and color. I'm at the point where reporter Nellie Bly has just finished her 'around the world in 80 days' stunt.

Well worth reading, if turn of the century journalism is in your wheelhouse.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at February 27, 2022 09:10 AM (2JVJo)

38 Good morning P'fessor, love the final self-portrait.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at February 27, 2022 09:11 AM (vnqom)

39 Great book thread, Perfesser.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:11 AM (Dc2NZ)

40 I downloaded a bunch of books this week. I don't know how many and I can't remember what they are.

Posted by: grammie winger at February 27, 2022 09:11 AM (45fpk)

41 Dayum!

Why you fool, its the educated reader who CAN be gulled. All our difficulty comes with the others. When did you meet a workman who believes the papers? He takes it for granted that theyre all propaganda and skips the leading articles. He buys his paper for the football results and the little paragraphs about girls falling out of windows and corpses found in Mayfair flats. He is our problem. We have to recondition him.

But the educated public, the people who read the high brow weeklies, don't need reconditioning. They're all right already. They'll believe anything.
C.S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 09:12 AM (yrol0)

42 Link no workee
Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:05 AM (arJlL)
----
I'll take a look at that.
Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 09:06 AM (0IeYL)
----

So, YOU'RE the squirrel !

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:12 AM (arJlL)

43 I went and bought "Thunder Road" upon reading the recommendation in last weeks Book Thread! Haven't read it yet ... but I will note again that just about every book I have purchased for pleasure reading in the last few years has been one that was mentioned in the Book Thread.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at February 27, 2022 09:13 AM (xnmPy)

44 Remember, this is a high school library.

Rather more than that. Phillips Exeter (in Exeter NH) and its sister school, Phillips Academy (in Andover MA) are prep schools for the very wealthy and the very gifted. Humphrey Bogart was a Phillips alum, as was GHWB.

Phillips is not exactly Trayvon Martin High.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at February 27, 2022 09:13 AM (2JVJo)

45
So, YOU'RE the squirrel !
Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:12 AM (arJlL)
---
More of a helper weasel

Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 09:13 AM (0IeYL)

46 I downloaded a bunch of books this week. I don't know how many and I can't remember what they are.
Posted by: grammie winger

Naked Bodybuilders in Chains ?

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:14 AM (arJlL)

47 I'm not surprised to see Linebarger with a cat. His early short story (as Cordwainer Smith), "The Game of Rat and Dragon," is a tremendous classic.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:10 AM (c6xtn)

As is "A Planet Named Shayol"

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 27, 2022 09:14 AM (PiwSw)

48 Another really well written and interesting book thread, Perfessor!

I apparently got shorted with my high school library. Pull out the carpet and shelves and it was indistinguishable from the cafeteria, no architectural flair whatsoever.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 09:14 AM (6mvRv)

49 Highly recommend "1913: An End and a Beginning" by Virginia Cowles (it is, alas, out of print). Thanks MP4! Explores the upper crust of London, Berlin, St Petersburg, Vienna, Rome, Paris, and New York on the eve of WWI. It really was a cultural high water mark but there was so much tension brewing beneath the surface.

But then, who could have foreseen that the Great Martian War was about to erupt?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijPeKgL22n8

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:15 AM (Dc2NZ)

50 I'm reading a big mystery novel, a la Agatha Christie (but I think he has some surprises in store), by Anthony Horowitz of Bond-continuation Trigger Mortis fame. Fascinating so far.

-
Which? I've read a number of his.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 09:15 AM (FVME7)

51 So, YOU'RE the squirrel !
Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:12 AM (arJlL)
---
More of a helper weasel
Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 09:13 AM (0IeYL)
---
Weasel's been a great help in formatting the content for the Book Thread. Us contributor morons don't have direct access to the blog engine, so we need some assistance from Weasel, CBD, Mis Hum, etc.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:16 AM (K5n5d)

52 I didn't need the Underdog theme song as an earworm this morning.

Off to Mass.

Posted by: Tonypete at February 27, 2022 09:16 AM (Msys3)

53 Michael O'Brien also wrote "Voyage to Alpha Centauri" about a massive, city-sized ship on a multi-year voyage, fleeing (or is it?) a soft-totalitarian USA. Good stuff.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 27, 2022 09:16 AM (PiwSw)

54 Fellow sci fi short story enthusiasts, two nice reads: "The Greatest Stories of Philip K. Dick" and Heinlein's "All You Zombies" compilation.

Full of fun tales of imagination from another time. I believe these are both under $7 on Amazon kindle.

Bonus suggestion: "101 Science Fiction Short Stories," a great variety of authors from Asimov, Dick, Bradbury, Herbert and some obscure ones.

Cheers.

Posted by: mot at February 27, 2022 09:17 AM (FlUFP)

55 For a high school, that's an impressive library. I think mine had a dedicated room, and not all that large IIRC.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at February 27, 2022 09:17 AM (BFigT)

56 Ukraines Vice PM Asks Elon Musk to Deliver Starlink Internet, Musk Gets It Going in 10 Hours

Try to get a fucking comcast person to house house in the next 7 days!

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 09:18 AM (yrol0)

57 As is "A Planet Named Shayol"
Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 27, 2022 09:14 AM (PiwSw)
---
Now THAT was a disturbing story...Very bizarre premise. Also wouldn't put past our so-called "Elites" to try something similar. Maybe that's the real purpose of the vaccines, to prepare us for becoming organ donors...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:18 AM (K5n5d)

58 I have a couple different regiments named White Russia
-----------------------------
Not me but my [former??] group had Red and White 1920's Russians to use with various WW1 types, I think for a fictional 1920's war.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 09:19 AM (UHVv4)

59 The Roswell incident is a fascinating chapter in American history.

If Roswell interests you, it's well worth reading Kal Korff's The Roswell UFO Crash: What They Don't Want You To Know. It is an excellent debunking book (it favors the 'weather balloon / Project Mogul' theory) and slams popular witness/ whistleblower Major Jesse Marcel as an utter fraud.

Another Roswell-connected book is A Right To Be Merry by Mother Mary Francis, who in 1948 was sent along with several other nuns to found the first Poor Clare convent in Roswell. A lovely, inspirational book.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at February 27, 2022 09:19 AM (2JVJo)

60 Yay Perfessor Squirrel.

Speaking of Moron Recommendations, I picked up two from last week at the lie-barry. One was The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock which the description reminded me of Ron Rash's fiction, which I've recommended frequently here. The blurbs on the back dust jacket compared Pollock to the usual primo suspects (Raymond Carver, Flannery O'Connor, Harry Crews) but, sure as shit, the last one was by Ron Rash. I've gotta clear the deck of some other books I'm reading (including the first reread of Proust; I'm less than 200 pages from the end but speed reading is definitely not appropriate) before I dig in, but dig in I shall.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 09:19 AM (y7DUB)

61 Here is an intriguing list of cosmic horror stories:

https://tinyurl.com/42unmufy

I've already added some to my library queue.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:20 AM (Dc2NZ)

62 Phillips is not exactly Trayvon Martin High.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at February 27, 2022 09:13 AM (2JVJo)

Lunch Menu:

Monday
Square Pizza
Salad with Italian Dressing
Apple Slices
Milk or Purple Drank

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 09:20 AM (yrol0)

63
Now I'm curious as to what Cambridge Ringe & Latin shcool's library is like.

This, too, is a "prestigious" school for young shitheads with wealthy parents in Massachusetts, next to Harvard University.

Posted by: Soothsayer is so devastated by the news from Ukraine at February 27, 2022 09:20 AM (saeD+)

64 I'm on another Perry Mason binge. Happens every time I watch one of the TV episodes based on a Gardner book; I want to see how different the original is from the adaptation.

While I wait for the library to dislodge the batch I ordered, I'm reading one I bought years ago: "The Case of the Curious Bride," from 1934. That's older than my dad.

I'm having fun seeing what is now out of date. Mason's phone is the kind with a separate earpiece. He wears a vest. Of course, smoking is rampant.

I got a kick out of the first newspaper article about the murder. It runs for 18 long paragraphs until it gets to the jump line. Type was smaller then, but from what I know about newspaper layout, it seems that the story likely took two full columns of the front page. What a dull layout!

And the article itself has no attribution; I guess readers were supposed to understand (or not care) that the reporter was regurgitating police statements. A reporter could just make up stories ...

Hmm, some things haven't changed.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 09:21 AM (Om/di)

65 I'm reading a big mystery novel, a la Agatha Christie (but I think he has some surprises in store), by Anthony Horowitz of Bond-continuation Trigger Mortis fame. Fascinating so far.
*
Which? I've read a number of his.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022

***
This is called The Magpie Murders. It purports to be a manuscript of a bestselling modern author named Alan Conway, featuring a German detective in 1950s Britain. But there is a frame story written by his editor who tells us that "this book changed my life." So we are waiting to see what she means, and how the ms. ties into what she has to say.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:21 AM (c6xtn)

66 I have no care how it gets to be a Thread but appreciate all who somehow make it happen.

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2022 09:22 AM (2JoB8)

67 Is Trigger Mortis a horse detective?? Is his secretary Buttermilk Vivat??

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 09:23 AM (UHVv4)

68 Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:15 AM (Dc2NZ)

Eris, I know you sent me a thank-you e-mail and I'm a lazy bastard for not responding. I am so glad you like the book and am happy that it's found a good home.

I've also got Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August on the shelf. I can't remember ever reading it, so am going through it slowly, though I prefer her pre-war European survey The Proud Tower, myself.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at February 27, 2022 09:23 AM (2JVJo)

69 This is most likely because English is considered a "low-context" language, while Latin is a "high context" language. It's a fascinating area of linguistics. The differences between high- and low-context languages means it can be difficult to communicate across cultures, even when you are supposedly speaking the same language."

I've seen an explanation of why English developed that way, and essentially it is that English is a combination of several different languages, rather than a wholly developed language of its own. (Romance, Germanic, and a lot of Norse) Languages that develop like this end up with a huge vocabulary, because they have multiple sources (a big reason English has so many synonyms) but the cases get dropped, because the different source languages can't really reconcile their different cases.

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 09:23 AM (evAgx)

70 Currently reading a sample of 'Crisis in Rome' by Plutarch. Interesting.

Posted by: dantesed at February 27, 2022 09:24 AM (88xKn)

71 Fellow sci fi short story enthusiasts, two nice reads: "The Greatest Stories of Philip K. Dick" and Heinlein's "All You Zombies" compilation. . . .

Posted by: mot at February 27, 2022

***
"All You Zombies" and "By His Bootstraps" are 2 of the only Heinlein short stories I have never understood completely. The second I get more than the first, but AYZ has always puzzled the hell out of me.

Dick is an author I've never liked that much. Some of his short stories are cool, though.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:25 AM (c6xtn)

72 I'm currently reading The List of 7 by Mark Frost, one of the co-creators of the Twin Peaks television series. It's a Sherlock Holmes / occult horror story, using Arthur Conan Doyle as the main protagonist. At the moment, Doyle and his companion (who inspires Doyle to create Holmes) are being chased through the basement of the British Museum by mummies. Pretty entertaining story, really, using elements of the Sherlock Holmes canon in creative ways.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:25 AM (K5n5d)

73 I've also got Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August on the shelf. I can't remember ever reading it, so am going through it slowly, though I prefer her pre-war European survey The Proud Tower, myself.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at February 27, 2022

***
Her The March of Folly is dynamite stuff too.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:26 AM (c6xtn)

74 This is called The Magpie Murders. It purports to be a manuscript of a bestselling modern author named Alan Conway, featuring a German detective in 1950s Britain. But there is a frame story written by his editor who tells us that "this book changed my life." So we are waiting to see what she means, and how the ms. ties into what she has to say.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

I read that and quite liked it. Hint: You misquoted the title. It becomes important later.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 09:27 AM (FVME7)

75 I've seen an explanation of why English developed that way, and essentially it is that English is a combination of several different languages, rather than a wholly developed language of its own. (Romance, Germanic, and a lot of Norse) Languages that develop like this end up with a huge vocabulary, because they have multiple sources (a big reason English has so many synonyms) but the cases get dropped, because the different source languages can't really reconcile their different cases.
Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022

***
I'm glad English dropped the cases. Whenever I've dipped into languages that do go in for that, like German and Latin, somebody always tells me, "Hey, you know a face can freeze that way."

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:28 AM (c6xtn)

76 SKIP!! thanks for the link to Mud and Soldiers...watch Golden Kamuy anime..Japanese soldiers looking for lost gold from the Russo-Japanese War..excellent stuff!!!

Posted by: Qmark at February 27, 2022 09:29 AM (emnp2)

77 Damn autocorrect!

For "dislodge," read "disgorge."

The peril of rushing to publish. Lesson: Proofread everything.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 09:29 AM (Om/di)

78 "All You Zombies" and "By His Bootstraps" are 2 of the only Heinlein short stories I have never understood completely. The second I get more than the first, but AYZ has always puzzled the hell out of me.

Dick is an author I've never liked that much. Some of his short stories are cool, though.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

Nice. AYZ is a trip. I need to read BHB, it's not in that particular compilation.

Posted by: mot at February 27, 2022 09:31 AM (FlUFP)

79 This is called The Magpie Murders. It purports to be a manuscript of a bestselling modern author named Alan Conway, featuring a German detective in 1950s Britain. . . .
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius
*
I read that and quite liked it. Hint: You misquoted the title. It becomes important later.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022

***
You're right; it's simply Magpie Murders.

I'm not a big big Christie fan. She was good with her plotting and twists, yes, but she could not compare to Ellery Queen or John Dickson Carr for sheer dazzlement. EQ was famous as well for presenting all the clues and facts to the reader (often in brilliantly sneaky ways), and when I try a new mystery author I always hope he/she will do the same. And Carr's solutions never depended on a single clue, but on a chain of little things -- something else I like to see.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:32 AM (c6xtn)

80 The other Moron recommended book I picked up was Sean McMeekin's Stalin's War which puts a lot of blame on the Georgian gimp for what the commie symps take Hilter solely to task. The book is *huge* with lots of maps embedded in the text (the lack of which is a continual gripe by me) plus the print is really large but it isn't self described as "large print" (maybe the publisher, Basic Books, does this as a standard practice). Anyway I can't wait to dig in on this even though I'm sure I'm aware of most of the facts.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 09:33 AM (y7DUB)

81 Wolfus Aurelius

I agree on Dick's novels. IMO, most sci-fi novels can't keep my attention. Short stories feel like good authors condense everything they do well into a smaller container.

Posted by: mot at February 27, 2022 09:34 AM (FlUFP)

82 I live in Exeter and it's an incredible library indeed.

Posted by: GuyFromNH at February 27, 2022 09:35 AM (Gs5TH)

83 I'm getting towards the end of the history of the French Foreign Legion. They got trounced at Dien Bien Phu, and now they're back in Algeria. Just around the corner is the attempted coup against De Gaulle. Some day, I may go back and read some of the source material, especially the biographies of some of the legionnaires. Everyone knows about Simon Murray's book, but there are others which sound interesting. One legionnaire was a prisoner both in a German concentration camp and in Hanoi. Talk about bad luck (or bad career choices).

Posted by: PabloD at February 27, 2022 09:35 AM (SGYg6)

84 Russia and Ukraine agree to talks without preconditions at a venue along the Ukraine-Belarussian border.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 09:36 AM (UHVv4)

85 I just got "All You Zombies" for my Kindle.

I bet I already have it in one of my many collections, but who the hell knows where it is?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:36 AM (Dc2NZ)

86 I've seen an explanation of why English developed that way, and essentially it is that English is a combination of several different languages, rather than a wholly developed language of its own. (Romance, Germanic, and a lot of Norse) Languages that develop like this end up with a huge vocabulary, because they have multiple sources (a big reason English has so many synonyms) but the cases get dropped, because the different source languages can't really reconcile their different cases.

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 09:23 AM (evAgx)
---
The Story of English did a great job explaining this. I have the companion volume, which is good.

Anyone remember when documentaries had *companion books* with more info?

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:36 AM (llXky)

87 I also own "Soldiers: A History of Men in Battle," which was a companion volume to that series, which was excellent.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:37 AM (llXky)

88 OK, folks, I'm going to settle on the couch and watch some movies. Hope you all have a lovely day.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at February 27, 2022 09:37 AM (2JVJo)

89
I live in Exeter and it's an incredible library indeed.
Posted by: GuyFromNH

I like saying Effing, NH instead of Epping.

Posted by: Soothsayer is so devastated by the news from Ukraine at February 27, 2022 09:38 AM (saeD+)

90 I dipped into an old favorite by an old friend: "Long Remember," by MacKinlay Kantor. Set in Gettysburg in early July, 1863, a copperhead--a slang term for a Northerner who was neutral or opposed to the war--stumbles onto an attractive Mrs. and a notable skirmish. Published in 1934, it was the first bestseller by the author of "Andersonville."

Posted by: Brett at February 27, 2022 09:38 AM (CEbHf)

91 Russia and Ukraine agree to talks without preconditions at a venue along the Ukraine-Belarussian border.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 09:36 AM (UHVv4)

The only precondition should be Joe and Co told to butt out. Let it be only between Ukraine and Russia.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 09:39 AM (7bRMQ)

92 Speaking of German, the whole "latin-x" thing actually is linguistic imperialism. German has a neuter case, but modern Romance languages do not, so the implicit message is that Germanic languages are morally superior to non-Germanic ones.

Hmm, who else thought that?

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:39 AM (llXky)

93 #84 From Al-Jazeera...

Ukraine's president says Kyiv has agreed to send a delegation for talks with Russian officials on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border.

"We have agreed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet with Russian [officials] without prior conditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, in the area of the Pripyat river," Zelenskyy said in a statement.

He did not give a precise time for the meeting, but said Lukashenko, a Putin ally, "has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's travel, talks and return."

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 09:39 AM (UHVv4)

94 At professor Squirrel

You solve the book acquisition problem when you have too many books you have not read by declaring many of the new or old books to be a part of your reference library. The way you describe your acquisition of a book with the map of Chiron is a perfect fit as a reference volume.

Posted by: Dread0 at February 27, 2022 09:40 AM (5qEJq)

95 I like Christie's use of language. She used words that have fallen out of common use that didn't need to be.

In "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," one character tells how papers on a desk were "disarranged." What a great word! Today's equivalent would most likely be "messed up," which is stupid; nobody says "messed down."

Off soapbox.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 09:40 AM (Om/di)

96 Now THAT was a disturbing story...Very bizarre premise. Also wouldn't put past our so-called "Elites" to try something similar. Maybe that's the real purpose of the vaccines, to prepare us for becoming organ donors...
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel

And becoming featured entrees in the Food Thread.

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:41 AM (arJlL)

97 Anyone remember when documentaries had *companion books* with more info?
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:36 AM (llXky)

Like Bronowski and Clark's books.

I have that "Story of English" book. Great stuff.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 09:41 AM (Dc2NZ)

98 Does anyone have a list of links to all the Book Threads? Or a way to make one?

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 09:41 AM (lCui1)

99 You solve the book acquisition problem when you have too many books you have not read by declaring many of the new or old books to be a part of your reference library. The way you describe your acquisition of a book with the map of Chiron is a perfect fit as a reference volume.
Posted by: Dread0 at February 27, 2022 09:40 AM (5qEJq)
---
I like the way you think!

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:41 AM (K5n5d)

100 I've almost finished reading the Real Anthony Fauci; it takes me a long time to get through because I have to put it down after a few paragraphs and either go cry or vent my anger. RFK Jr. backed up just about every sentence with footnoted documentation. As evil as I believed Fauci and Gates to be, there really is no end to the depth of their evil. I think the devil must wish he could be them.

Posted by: RondinellaMamma - Donald J. Trump is our duly elected president at February 27, 2022 09:42 AM (l0Cy4)

101 I'm glad English dropped the cases. Whenever I've dipped into languages that do go in for that, like German and Latin, somebody always tells me, "Hey, you know a face can freeze that way."

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:28 AM (c6xtn)
---
The hardest part of German is remembering the gender of each noun, which is not always obvious. This is the big point that gender =/= sex, but a while ago the wokescolds decided that the very word "sex" was unclean, so substituted "gender" but they meant "sex."

I used to be pretty good with German (gee, after six years, I'd hope so) but lack of use has made me unable to read papers I wrote in college. Very much a "Flowers for Algernon" vibe there.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:42 AM (llXky)

102 I have no care how it gets to be a Thread but appreciate all who somehow make it happen.
Posted by: Skip

Seconded !

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:43 AM (arJlL)

103 Morning All, thanks Perfessor, great job!

For all you beginning Moron writers out there (like me), I found Tuchman's Practicing History very useful and interesting.

Posted by: goatexchange at February 27, 2022 09:44 AM (APPN8)

104 "All You Zombies" and "By His Bootstraps" are 2 of the only Heinlein short stories I have never understood completely. The second I get more than the first, but AYZ has always puzzled the hell out of me.

Dick is an author I've never liked that much. Some of his short stories are cool, though.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:25 AM (c6xtn)

AYZ and BHB are two of my favorite short stories! I like them because I've always been fascinated by Time Travel stories, but both of those are built around the multiple Paradoxes that actual time travel can cause, because it violates causality. (In AYZ, a man ends up being both his own father and his own mother, which is wickedly perverse)

*If* you accept that Time Travel is possible, then the events as portrayed in the stories are logical. The paradox is that no, they are completely illogical, and this probably means that time travel into the past, for any being who is part of this universe, violates the fundamental rules that govern this universe. Too bad, since it's a fun idea.

Dick spent his writing life focused on the topic, how do you know that what you think is real is actually real?

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 09:44 AM (evAgx)

105 So, YOU'RE the squirrel !
Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:12 AM (arJlL)
---
More of a helper weasel
Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 09:13 AM (0IeYL)
---
Weasel's been a great help in formatting the content for the Book Thread. Us contributor morons don't have direct access to the blog engine, so we need some assistance from Weasel, CBD, Mis Hum, etc.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel

Good on them. And thank you !

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:45 AM (arJlL)

106 @98 --

The archive links should get you there. Yes, this site has an archive. It's in the side column.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 09:46 AM (Om/di)

107 Welsh does not have an indefinite article. But that's fine. The REALLY weird thing about Welsh is that it doesn't have a single word for yes or no. To answer a yes/no question, one must consider the type of question, the subject, and the verb tense. For example, "May I have bacon?" and "May he have bacon?" have different options.

German is hard only because of all the shit you have to memorize. Once you've memorized the tables of definite articles and adjective endings, and the tables of which prepositions take which cases, and the genders of all the nouns, and the past participles of all the verbs, you're set. Welsh is on another level entirely - it's a different way of structuring a language.

Posted by: Mrs. Peel at February 27, 2022 09:46 AM (8548M)

108 I'm currently reading The Traffickers , a Badge of Honor novel.

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:47 AM (arJlL)

109 Yesterday, I took the youngest daughter on a jaunt through downtown East Lansing. I used to do this all the time when I was her age. My mother read romance paperbacks which I could sell for a quarter apiece and then use the proceeds to buy a used paperback for me.

Anyhow, we started at SBS, and made several purchases based on current course texts. While higher ed sucks in general, I was pleased to see that Michigan State is requiring some excellent books. I picked up Storm of Steel, which several morons have recommended. Actually, I got it for my daughter, who has already read All Quiet on the Western Front, which is also required reading.

From there we went to Curious Books and my credit card got another hard workout. The proprietor told me last week that a professor of Asian history had decided to clear out is library so come back often.

This was no lie. Got some excellent values, perfect for my China book, and also snagged a hardcover copy of Downfall, about the end of WW II in the Pacific. I recall Morons liking this as well. (con't)

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:48 AM (llXky)

110 Thought about getting the Fauci ( May he burn in Hell for a eternity) but might be same way.

All threads use to be easily accessed from side bar but when the site blowed up that went away and haven't looked since.
Take it from comments that is harder now.

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2022 09:48 AM (2JoB8)

111 For all you beginning Moron writers out there (like me), I found Tuchman's Practicing History very useful and interesting.

Posted by: goatexchange at February 27, 2022 09:44 AM (APPN

Dang it, the local library system only has audio book or e-book for that and I have no hardware for either.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 09:48 AM (7bRMQ)

112 "Perfessor" Squirrel, this thread was really fun to read! Thank you!

Posted by: m at February 27, 2022 09:51 AM (rI4Wv)

113 Groaning under the weight of our purchases, my daughter and I pressed onward to Charlie Kang's, where we made a large takeout order. Lacking a Bag of Holding, we were now at maximum encumbrance, and had to reduced our movement rate by 1/3. As we staggered back to the car, I noted that rumors to the contrary, Campbell's Smoke Shop is still there.

Upon my return, I sorted the books into READ NOW and READ LATER piles, and - happily - found a book I'd misplaced some years ago.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:51 AM (llXky)

114 "Perfessor" Squirrel, this thread was really fun to read! Thank you!
Posted by: m at February 27, 2022 09:51 AM (rI4Wv)
---
You are quite welcome! It was fun to write!

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:52 AM (K5n5d)

115
Seconded !

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:43 AM (arJlL)
---
Thirded! The thread looks great and the content is superb.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:53 AM (llXky)

116 The archive links should get you there. Yes, this site has an archive. It's in the side column.
Posted by: Weak Geek

But it's got all the other threads too, she whined.

Thanks.

But it reminds me - Perfesser Squirrel and any other specialty thread writers - maybe consider always including a link to last week's thread, so eventually you have a one way linked list.

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 09:53 AM (lCui1)

117 Welsh is on another level entirely - it's a different way of structuring a language.

Posted by: Mrs. Peel at February 27, 2022 09:46 AM (8548M)
---
That's why Welsh speak English so differently. Yoda was a Welshman.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:54 AM (llXky)

118 But it reminds me - Perfesser Squirrel and any other specialty thread writers - maybe consider always including a link to last week's thread, so eventually you have a one way linked list.
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 09:53 AM (lCui1)
---
That's a great idea! I'll do that!

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 09:55 AM (K5n5d)

119 But it's got all the other threads too, she whined.
-------------
Using ctrl-f to search for 'book thread' and opening the threads in a new tab will save you alot of scrolling.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 09:55 AM (UHVv4)

120 I think my hunch that Putin is dying and he wants to go out with a bang looks more and more likely.

He's now threatening nuclear escalation in Ukraine.

He's gone barking mad.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at February 27, 2022 09:57 AM (SXj99)

121 One of the things I like about Thunder Road, incidentally, is that our hero and the other characters act like people in the '40s. He's always smoking and throwing back whiskey, for example.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 09:57 AM (FVME7)

122
Posted by: Dink at February 27, 2022 09:57 AM (pJT8o)

^
trash

Posted by: Soothsayer is so devastated by the news from Ukraine at February 27, 2022 09:58 AM (saeD+)

123 From the Washington Post about an hour ago:

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday put nuclear deterrent forces onto high alert, in response to sanctions and what he called "aggressive statements" from the West against Russia.

It's a major escalation of tensions with NATO after Western nations announced plans to restrict the Russian central bank from its foreign currency reserves and cut off certain Russian banks from the SWIFT payment system.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at February 27, 2022 09:59 AM (BFigT)

124 I'm glad English dropped the cases. Whenever I've dipped into languages that do go in for that, like German and Latin, somebody always tells me, "Hey, you know a face can freeze that way."

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:28 AM (c6xtn)

Yup, Latin and ancient Egyptian will give you pelosi face.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at February 27, 2022 09:59 AM (VwHCD)

125 I'm about halfway through The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott, the first book of The Raj Quartet and I'm finally familiar enough with most of the characters that when the narration jumps around in time I'm not spending an overly large amount of time wondering who the fuck they're talking about. A member of the book group, who usually won't read books that do that, told me she saw a tv adaptation that lowers her irritation faction. Anyway I think naturalfake and Anthony Burgess are correct that this is a bit too much of a monstrosity for Scott to be totally successful in pulling off, but it's not without its pleasures and I can use it for leverage in the future to get the group to submit to things I want to read.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 09:59 AM (y7DUB)

126 I've been binge reading the Iain Pears Art History Mysteries, my current treat being the Raphael Affair.

He's a great writer who focuses on art frauds, stolen paintings and statues and that sort of thing.

Set in Europe and mostly in Italy, the protagonist Jonathan Argyll, an English art history expert, teams up with the lovely Flavia di Stefano (obviously I've never seen her bc it's just a book but I'm quite certain she's beautiful lol ... what can I say, I'm very happy in my imagination) and her boss, an older Italian military man who now runs the stolen art recovery team for the government, to crack capers deadly and fascinating.

I never really thought about the seedy underbelly of the art fraud world, but this is fun.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:00 AM (6mvRv)

127 That's why Welsh speak English so differently. Yoda was a Welshman.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022

***
One of my fantasy characters, a bombastic wizard, speaks in an unholy mishmash of his own language and the one the main characters all speak. His has no articles, so he says things like 'Pass me cup, please." I also mixed in some malapropisms -- "That warms cackles of my heart" -- and Cajun-style constructions, so he is prone to say, "I got no talents, me. I got genius or nothing," or "We got troubles, yah." No Germanic Yoda-isms with the verb held to the end -- though if you write even that clearly, the reader will know what is being said.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:00 AM (c6xtn)

128 I think my hunch that Putin is dying and he wants to go out with a bang looks more and more likely.

He's now threatening nuclear escalation in Ukraine.

He's gone barking mad.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at February 27, 2022 09:57 AM

Something ain't right, that's for sure. The Russia from 10 years ago would have already rolled over Ukraine. This is looking more and more like the last gasp of a dying Empire, and that ain't good.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at February 27, 2022 10:00 AM (bVYXr)

129 Get raykon out of the book thread.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 10:00 AM (y7DUB)

130 We really need catchall threads before specialty threads, so that general news and blather can be hot-taked and sick-burned.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 10:01 AM (Dc2NZ)

131 We really need catchall threads before specialty threads, so that general news and blather can be hot-taked and sick-burned.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 10:01 AM (Dc2NZ)
----
Don't we already have an EMT on Sunday mornings?

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 10:03 AM (K5n5d)

132 We really need catchall threads before specialty threads, so that general news and blather can be hot-taked and sick-burned.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 10:01 AM (Dc2NZ)

The HotsTakes & SickBurns Open Thread? I like it.

Posted by: Count de Monet at February 27, 2022 10:03 AM (4I/2K)

133 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday put nuclear deterrent forces onto high alert, in response to sanctions and what he called "aggressive statements" from the West against Russia.

It's a major escalation of tensions with NATO after Western nations announced plans to restrict the Russian central bank from its foreign currency reserves and cut off certain Russian banks from the SWIFT payment system.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at February 27, 2022 09:59 AM (BFigT)

we've been wondering here what we can believe, since both sides are pumping out propaganda - but this looks to be a clear sign that Putin is losing the battle. This is a desperation move, because someone who is winning would try to de-escalate and consolidate.

If Putin's invasion fails, Putin is probably finished - one of his oligarchs will take him out. This is always the fate of dictators who start, and lose, wars.

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:03 AM (evAgx)

134 Great job, perfessor S.

And yeah, I keep telling myself I have plenty to read, yet, acquire new books.

I probably need to go to Random House detox center to see if my obsession can be improved, I mean, removed.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 10:04 AM (5pTK/)

135 I am also browsing through Wheelock's Latin.

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 10:04 AM (lCui1)

136 Something ain't right, that's for sure. The Russia from 10 years ago would have already rolled over Ukraine. This is looking more and more like the last gasp of a dying Empire, and that ain't good.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at February 27, 2022 10:00 AM (bVYXr)

This is about me, isn't it?

Posted by: America Under Joe at February 27, 2022 10:05 AM (7bRMQ)

137 Writing news: I'm trying not to comment on weekday threads here because I need to concentrate on finishing my book, which is going to be hell to edit. Based on prior estimates, I'm maybe halfway done, but who knows.

Mini review: I've been using Kenneth Scott Latourette's The Chinese: Their History and Culture is my benchmark as I move forward. I have the third edition, from 1960, previous editions being dated in 1934 and 1946. It's quite good, but limited by the total lack of archeology at that time. This was the leading edge of that professor's trove, and he underlined a lot of stuff, still a great find.

He writes with confidence and erudition, and has those wonderful asides that make old scholars so fun to read. There's a bit of cultural commentary that would be called racist today but only because people are stupid. Like his contemporaries, he treated "races" as "nations" and noted certain characteristics. Germans are efficient, French passionate, etc. There is not a trace of bigotry or white supremecy but instead admiration for the accomplishments of Chinese culture, which are considerable.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:05 AM (llXky)

138 Showing a local Ukrainian church mass - I see the priest faces away from the congregation

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 10:05 AM (lCui1)

139 But the educated public, the people who read the high brow weeklies, don't need reconditioning. They're all right already. They'll believe anything.
C.S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength
Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 09:12 AM (yrol0)

I think he's right. They love believing they are sophisticated and ignore their sophiste core. Oddly, if you refer to a French person as "sophisticated" they will be at least mildly insulted.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:06 AM (ONvIw)

140 I never really thought about the seedy underbelly of the art fraud world, but this is fun.
Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:00 AM (6mvRv)

It's a fun genre. The English tv series Lovejoy, with Ian McShane, was all about this, and it's still fun to watch today.

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:07 AM (evAgx)

141 If Putin is threatening to go nuclear, it's because he doesn't like the aid being given to Ukraine by third parties.

I'm willing to bet Putin is also gambling the western powers are unwilling to nuke Russia over Ukraine.

This is high stakes poker with the pot being millions of lives in the balance.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 10:07 AM (5pTK/)

142 One of the members of my writing group has never read Ellery Queen, and it's tough to find any of their works at public libraries now. Anything older than 1990 is hard to find, for that matter. So I thought I'd purchase a couple of paperbacks for him. The Siamese Twin Mystery from 1933 has not only a dazzling series of false solutions, but a built-in suspense element (a forest fire). And Cat of Many Tails, a pioneering serial-killer story (without gore) from 1949, is the richest novel EQ ever wrote, with superb characterization (including of Ellery himself) and language.

AbeBooks ought to have them.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:08 AM (c6xtn)

143 @139 --

I think that the idea is that the priest always faces the cross.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:08 AM (Om/di)

144 85 -- Eris,

If you're not sure which collection a sf or fantasy story is in, check out isfdb.org -- it's an online database devoted to sf and fantasy, searchable by author and title. Does a NICE job of listing magazine and book appearances of stories and novels, series listings, the works. I use that sucker a lot.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at February 27, 2022 10:09 AM (JzDjf)

145 Just to make things more confusing, in Latin some nouns have different meanings depending on which gender they are. For example, tempus masculine means the weather while tempus neuter means time.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:10 AM (FVME7)

146 "The archive links should get you there."

The comments won't open for me in archived threads.

Posted by: Brett at February 27, 2022 10:10 AM (CEbHf)

147 Thank you for the 'All You Zombies' recommendation.
I downloaded a pdf and read it.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at February 27, 2022 10:10 AM (vnqom)

148 Just to make things more confusing, in Latin some nouns have different meanings depending on which gender they are. For example, tempus masculine means the weather while tempus neuter means time.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:10 AM (FVME7)
-------------

Eh, it's all Greek to me.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 10:11 AM (5pTK/)

149 Showing a local Ukrainian church mass - I see the priest faces away from the congregation
-----------------
So did R.C. priests before Vatican II, facing the altar and crucifix, and as leading the congregants.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 10:11 AM (UHVv4)

150 I'm now also reading Valerie Hansen's The Open Empire: A History of China to 1800. This is the 2nd edition from 2015, and it provides a lot more archeological detail and some nice maps.

However, it is a creature of its time, with lots of hand-wringing about the status of women and I find it oddly funny because it's more bigoted in its way than Latourette ever was. It takes a seriously narrow mind to assume that your culture's current values, which date back barely 40 years, are superior to one that goes back 3,000 years.

Yet the author regularly hectors the ancient Chinese about the things that don't meet her cultural expectations. Unintentional parody.

I'm plowing through it, but so far haven't found anything useful. What I am getting is confirmation that I'm pretty grounded in the history - just like the delightful discovery (upon consulting a book of Chinese philosophy) I managed to catch all the references to war by both Confucius and Lao Tzu all on my own.

A lot of what I'm trying to do is validate my research and ensure I don't leave some obvious gaps or make stupid mistakes.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:11 AM (llXky)

151 143 @139 --

I think that the idea is that the priest always faces the cross.
Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:08 AM (Om/di)

A combination of that and the Orthodox idea that in a mass, the Presence of God is represented by the Altar. The Priest addresses God on behalf of his congregation, who stand behind him.

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:12 AM (evAgx)

152 Eris I have wanted that for years, but as soon as a new thread is up the old might as well be erased.

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2022 10:12 AM (2JoB8)

153 Here's a puzzler. In 1974-75 or so, I read a short story in Fantasy and Science Fiction about a character who clearly is Superman as he ages and loses some of his powers, and as the world passes him by. The lead character's name is never given, but from context you know who it has to be. The trouble is, I do not remember the author or the title. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:12 AM (c6xtn)

154 IIRC, the MSU library had a lot of Chinese history books.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:12 AM (ONvIw)

155 Don't we already have an EMT on Sunday mornings?
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 10:03 AM (K5n5d)

Yes, but people don't seem to use it.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 10:12 AM (Dc2NZ)

156 A lot of what I'm trying to do is validate my research and ensure I don't leave some obvious gaps or make stupid mistakes.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:11 AM (llXky)
-----------------

Never bothered me.

Posted by: Michael Bellisiles at February 27, 2022 10:13 AM (5pTK/)

157 Well, to remain on topic, think of the books that will/are being written about this period in our history. Optimistically there's a lot of material for not only nonfiction but fiction, movies, etc.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at February 27, 2022 10:13 AM (BFigT)

158 Currently reading Salt by Mark Kurlansky. It was recommended here a while back. So far, so good. Interesting how much value was placed on salt by ancient cultures and how each had their own way of mining it or harvesting.

Posted by: RetsgtRN at February 27, 2022 10:13 AM (5uNrs)

159 Kiev is starting to look like Baghdad or Kabul.

In addition to the obvious human and animal tragedy, it's a real shame bc that was a seriously beautiful city. Win or lose it's going to take a very long time to clear and rebuild.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:13 AM (6mvRv)

160 So did R.C. priests before Vatican II, facing the altar and crucifix, and as leading the congregants.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 10:11 AM (UHVv4)
---
Some still do. At my old parish the new priest faces the altar even though he does the new order of Mass.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:14 AM (llXky)

161 Russian doesn't have an indefinite article but it does have gendered pronouns, h8er!

Posted by: San Franpsycho at February 27, 2022 10:14 AM (EZebt)

162 Yes, but people don't seem to use it.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 10:12 AM (Dc2NZ)

It's cause of all the nooditity in fresh threads. No one wants to comment on stale threads.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 10:14 AM (7bRMQ)

163 I am currently reading Magpie Murders and I am enjoying it quite a bit, I grabbed it off the table on the street book swap back in the fall. Incidentally Cambridge Rindge and Latin school is a public high school in Cambridge, Mass. I was in my twenties and went to a basketball game there to see Patrick Ewing play one of his last high school basketball games. Another superlative job on the book thread, Perfessor, thank you.

Posted by: Debby Doberman Schultz at February 27, 2022 10:15 AM (a4EWo)

164 IIRC, the MSU library had a lot of Chinese history books.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:12 AM (ONvIw)
---
But then I wouldn't own them!

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:15 AM (llXky)

165 Kiev is starting to look like Baghdad or Kabul.

In addition to the obvious human and animal tragedy, it's a real shame bc that was a seriously beautiful city. Win or lose it's going to take a very long time to clear and rebuild.
Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022

***
Are the radio and TV idiots still pronouncing it "Keev"? No doubt these are same dimwits who pronounce the name of the French film festival city as "Can."

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:15 AM (c6xtn)

166 tempus, temporis, tempori
fidelis , fidelis, fideli

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 10:15 AM (V13WU)

167 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday put nuclear deterrent forces onto high alert, in response to sanctions and what he called "aggressive statements" from the West against Russia.

-
If Putin nukes anywhere we will have entered suddenly death overtime.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:15 AM (FVME7)

168 Yes, but people don't seem to use it.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 10:12 AM (Dc2NZ)

We did get the Chargy Hole thing sorted out...

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 27, 2022 10:16 AM (PiwSw)

169 Can the war talk wait until noon?

Geez.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:16 AM (llXky)

170 But then I wouldn't own them!
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:15 AM (llXky

I see. So this is collecting as much as research.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:16 AM (ONvIw)

171 Does Biden open with, THE STATE OF THE UNION IS STRONG, on Tuesday?

Posted by: Last Days of the Republic at February 27, 2022 10:16 AM (FGgyZ)

172 Der See is the lake; die See is the sea. I don't think German has any other words like that.

Posted by: Mrs. Peel at February 27, 2022 10:17 AM (8548M)

173 tempus, temporis, tempori
fidelis , fidelis, fideli
Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022

***
Nuko, nukest, nukem

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:17 AM (c6xtn)

174 bellus, belli, bello

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 10:17 AM (V13WU)

175 "That Hideous Strength" is the third book in "The Space Trilogy." "Out of the Silent Planet" and "Perelandra" are the first and second books, respectively.

Posted by: No one of any consequence at February 27, 2022 10:17 AM (lKAqb)

176 "German is hard only because of all the shit you have to memorize. Once you've memorized the tables of definite articles and adjective endings, and the tables of which prepositions take which cases, and the genders of all the nouns, and the past participles of all the verbs, you're set."

Mrs. Peel.

I gave up on German when I realized there were 16 different ways to say 'the'. Admittedly, some of them are repeats, but you still had to know which to use when and I decided that was just insane.

Posted by: who knew at February 27, 2022 10:18 AM (4I7VG)

177 Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:19 AM (Om/di)

178 Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter.
Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:19 AM (Om/di)
--------------------

Eh, he only needs to reassure the right people. The Junta doesn't care about the average American.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 10:19 AM (5pTK/)

179 Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter.
Posted by: Weak Geek

Why?
They are just going to continue selling the 'big lie'.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at February 27, 2022 10:20 AM (vnqom)

180 The comments won't open for me in archived threads.
Posted by: Brett at February 27, 2022 10:10 AM (CEbHf)

It's a pain to execute, but where you see the archived posting pointing to a minx.cc link for the old comments, substitute 'acecomments.mu.nu' for 'minx.cc' in the link text.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent, STEM Guy at February 27, 2022 10:20 AM (ZSK0i)

181 172 Der See is the lake; die See is the sea. I don't think German has any other words like that.
Posted by: Mrs. Peel at February 27, 2022 10:17 AM (8548M)

Oh, bunches. Band, for one
Die Band == a collection of musicians
Der Band == volume as in a multi-volume book set
Das Band == ribbon, or tape

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 27, 2022 10:20 AM (PiwSw)

182 I see. So this is collecting as much as research.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:16 AM (ONvIw)
---
Yes. It's a topic that interests me and if I want to go back and check a source late on a Saturday night, it is nice to have it right there on the shelf.

My parents had very different attitudes towards books, which no doubt contributed to their divorce. My father has been steadily building a library over many decades because he likes having favorites at his fingertips.

My mother is more of the "read it, toss it" school, with very few books in the house. That gets expensive, so she got a seat on the local library board so that she can have taxpayers subsidize her mystery novel habit.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:21 AM (llXky)

183 The Battalion reported Feb. 11 that university President M. Katherine Banks ordered the publication to stop printing physical copies of the paper at the end of the 2022 spring semester.

According to the student publication, the outlet would then be transitioned to operate under a newly anticipated Department of Journalism, effectively blurring the line on whether or not the group would retain its resources and independence as a student organization status.

Dammit people, 1984 is not a manual!!

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:21 AM (yrol0)

184 177 Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter.
Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:19 AM (Om/di

Some people enjoy writing lies and fictions. This guy gets paid for it.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:21 AM (ONvIw)

185 Some still do. At my old parish the new priest faces the altar even though he does the new order of Mass.
-----------------
That sounds like a good sign.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 10:21 AM (UHVv4)

186 When will Ry'leth rise out of the Chesapeake Bay?

Oh wait it has and restored norms...

Posted by: Anna Puma at February 27, 2022 10:21 AM (oheji)

187 Oh, bunches. Band, for one
Die Band == a collection of musicians
Der Band == volume as in a multi-volume book set
Das Band == ribbon, or tape

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 27, 2022 10:20 AM (PiwSw)

Der Fuhrer == the leader, has nothing to do with H.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 10:22 AM (7bRMQ)

188 Before the "General Instruction" of 1970, all RC priests faced the altar "ad orientum" and the Mass was a recreation of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary.

The G.I. changed the Mass into a Lutheran "table of the Lord" thing.

Posted by: No one of any consequence at February 27, 2022 10:22 AM (lKAqb)

189 "Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter."

"How do I spell truintrnazlmprushr? Is it one Z or two?"

Posted by: PabloD at February 27, 2022 10:22 AM (SGYg6)

190 Awesome book thread! With any luck my post will not go "poof" and vanish again this week. I've been lurking quite a while and thank you all for expanding my literary horizons.

I'm currently reading Death in Holy Orders by PD James. Thank you to whomever recommended it. Also thanks to whomever recommended Charles Todd. I've burned through quite a few of their stories the last few months. I seem to really enjoy British murder mysteries lately.

After that, I plan on going back to my "to read" pile and finish Jordan Peterson's 7 Rules for Life. Also, considering that Lent begins on Wednesday, I might try again to get through Why Do Catholics Do That? by Kevin Orlin Johnson.

As to avoiding moonbat bookstores and the evil Amazon, I have an account with Alibris which supports my reading addiction. My local library offers the Overdrive app, so I'm able to download quite a few books on my kindle. Still, I really wish there was a local place worthy of support.

Posted by: KatieFloyd at February 27, 2022 10:22 AM (vYX/A)

191 Upon my return, I sorted the books into READ NOW and READ LATER piles, and - happily - found a book I'd misplaced some years ago.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 09:51 AM (llXky)

That sounds like the perfect end to a perfect day.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at February 27, 2022 10:22 AM (/+bwe)

192 184 177 Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter.
Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:19 AM (Om/di

I feel sorrier for the alchemist who is responsible for making him semi-coherent for the event.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 27, 2022 10:22 AM (PiwSw)

193 I saw 'Death on the Nile' this week in theaters, so went back and read the original novel by Agatha Christie. Wew lad.

The movie kept the core of the plot: who killed whom. But it basically re-wrote all the other characters, adding in old, fat lesbians and of course muh diversity black jazz singer. It also goes out of its way to insult Poirot.

The book is pretty good and honestly Poirot comes off as being very empathetic and strongly moral and Christian. Though I must admit that many of the secondary characters are not distinct enough in name or description to differentiate. I guess the movie did that better.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:23 AM (eeRB6)

194 I gave up on German when I realized there were 16 different ways to say 'the'. Admittedly, some of them are repeats, but you still had to know which to use when and I decided that was just insane.

Posted by: who knew at February 27, 2022 10:18 AM (4I7VG)
---
If you know the gender of the noun, the rest is easy because it relates to grammar. German was a huge help to me in identifying cases/diagramming sentences because structurally the languages are so close.

English just bent the rules a lot and I've found from experience that you can kind of bluff your way through conversational German by leaving out articles entirely. They appreciate the terseness.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:24 AM (llXky)

195 Mark did you see the previous film version of Death on the Nile? I loved that film!

(so I don't need to watch this one)

Posted by: Black Orchid at February 27, 2022 10:24 AM (j9HX3)

196 When will Ry'leth rise out of the Chesapeake Bay?

Oh wait it has and restored norms...
Posted by: Anna Puma at February 27, 2022 10:21 AM (oheji)

lol

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (eeRB6)

197 Over under on Biden suspending habeas corpus on Tuesday?

Posted by: Last Days of the Republic at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (FGgyZ)

198 Yesterday my DIL recommended a book of short stories by Tolkien called Tales from the Perilous Realm. Turns out the library has an illustrated copy on the shelf so will be able to grab it right away.
The other exciting fact.....my DIL is a Tolkien nerd.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (Y+l9t)

199 That sounds like the perfect end to a perfect day.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at February 27, 2022 10:22 AM (/+bwe)
---
It was. One of my SBS purchases was a book about how MSU got into the Big Ten - and how Michigan tried to stop it. I'm saving that for football season.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (llXky)

200 I do not feel sorry for the opportunists and boot lickers who have rallied under the banner of Bidet.

I despise them.

Posted by: Anna Puma at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (oheji)

201 " 'acecomments.mu.nu' for 'minx.cc' in the link text."

Thanks for the tip, Blond agent.

Posted by: Brett at February 27, 2022 10:26 AM (CEbHf)

202 Watched Diary of Anne Frank again last night. Can't bare to watch anything about these fvcking Russians for a few days.

Posted by: dartist at February 27, 2022 10:26 AM (+ya+t)

203 Mark did you see the previous film version of Death on the Nile? I loved that film!

(so I don't need to watch this one)
Posted by: Black Orchid at February 27, 2022 10:24 AM (j9HX3)

I did! It was much more faithful.

I will say the new movie is well directed and with good camera work. Branagh is both a good director and a good actor. But...man, the CURRENT DAY of the movie jarred me.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:26 AM (eeRB6)

204 The best line I read about the Novus Ordo Mass is that it took Coca Cola only a few months to realize that nobody wanted New Coke and go back to the old "classic" taste.

The Catholic Church still hasn't learned that in over 50 years.

Posted by: No one of any consequence at February 27, 2022 10:26 AM (lKAqb)

205 "Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday put nuclear deterrent forces onto high alert, in response to sanctions and what he called "aggressive statements" from the West against Russia."

Could this be in response to something somebody stupid has said that is more stupid than usual?

Is there still a private hotline between the White House and the Kremlin?

Posted by: davidt at February 27, 2022 10:26 AM (5m+OQ)

206 Latin did have articles, and modern Italian still uses them today.

But it didn't actually need them, as it is an inflected language where the function of the word (Subject, Object, Indirect Object etc) determines the form the ending of the word takes. Each word had five of these cases, as they were called, doubled to ten to account for plural forms.

I had to do three years of compulsory Latin at school. Did an extra four to sit the O and A Level exams.

Crede mihi, experto.

Posted by: bobo at February 27, 2022 10:27 AM (KLH2c)

207 BTW, very good thread , thanks . I am positively thrilled that the pants feature is still intact.

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 10:27 AM (V13WU)

208 I do not feel sorry for the opportunists and boot lickers who have rallied under the banner of Bidet.

I despise them.
Posted by: Anna Puma at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (oheji)
---------------

Well, if you're talking about Kristol, Goldberg and French, that's okay, because they've long despised the people they supposedly champion.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 10:27 AM (5pTK/)

209 Anyone read the Stuart Woods series of books? My mom's retirement home library has all of his books in large print. She's been reading mostly women authors as I've been picking them out for her.

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at February 27, 2022 10:28 AM (z7t7+)

210 Does Biden open with, THE STATE OF THE UNION IS STRONG, on Tuesday?
Posted by: Last Days of the Republic

https://bit.ly/3IEhVWY

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:28 AM (FVME7)

211 I found a copy of Bruce Catton's "Picture History of the Civil War" at the library book sale for the righteous sum of one (1) US dollar. I don't plan to read it cover-to-cover but use it as a companion while I slog my way through Foote. If I ever manage to get back to it, that is. Reading Foote is like going to the gym. It feels good when you start but if you ever stop, even for a few days, it's really tough to find the motivation to restart.

Posted by: Oddbob at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (nfrXX)

212 The book is pretty good and honestly Poirot comes off as being very empathetic and strongly moral and Christian. Though I must admit that many of the secondary characters are not distinct enough in name or description to differentiate. I guess the movie did that better.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:23 AM (eeRB6)

I prefer the books to the movies. When the 1970s Death on the Nile came out, I did see it with friends. Loved the scenery, and the all-star cast. They deleted a few characters, but didn't add characters to suit political tastes.

The latest Miss Marple series was pretty brutal in its alteration of the book, even tossing Marple into stories she was not in, and adding gay themes.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (ONvIw)

213 197 Over under on Biden suspending habeas corpus on Tuesday?
Posted by: Last Days of the Republic at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (FGgyZ)

What's the over/under on how many times he shits his pants?

Posted by: Roy at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (Ti+Tv)

214 BTW, very good thread , thanks . I am positively thrilled that the pants feature is still intact.

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 10:27 AM (V13WU)

You ain't kiddin'. Imagine what you'd see on those people if the pants came off!!!!!?????

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (7bRMQ)

215 Joey probably picks up the Hot Line phone thinking he can get ice cream.

Posted by: Anna Puma at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (oheji)

216 Other books this week include me working my way through the Travis McGee corpus. I got lucky in an auction and picked up the whole set in paperback (some of them well 'loved). I've finished the first three so far and I'm about to start 'A Quick Red Fox'.

Again, pretty good. The writing is top notch. McGee himself can be kind of a judgmental prick and some of the books, especially the second 'Nightmare in Pink', are practically stroke books. For better or worse.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (eeRB6)

217 193 I saw 'Death on the Nile' this week in theaters, so went back and read the original novel by Agatha Christie. Wew lad.

This is a film I would never see, because the Peter Ustinov version is just fine with me, and I know that no current version would ever treat the story properly. (I rate Ustinov as the 2nd best Poirot, after Suchet, who got a lot more practice with the role)

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:30 AM (evAgx)

218 Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:19 AM (Om/di)

The rebuttal should be a blast. "Everything he said is bullshit".

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at February 27, 2022 10:30 AM (VwHCD)

219 Is there still a private hotline between the White House and the Kremlin?
Posted by: davidt at February 27, 2022 10:26 AM (5m+OQ)

How else does Hunter order his Russian hookers? Red light is ON!

Posted by: Roy at February 27, 2022 10:30 AM (Ti+Tv)

220 The G.I. changed the Mass into a Lutheran "table of the Lord" thing.

Posted by: No one of any consequence at February 27, 2022 10:22 AM (lKAqb)
---
I notice that the priest still faces a crucifix - usually there is one on the altar facing him. So some of the forms are still there.

Honestly, I find some of the 'trad' stuff a bit overdone. The truth is that even within the tradition of orthodox (note the case) Christianity, there was considerable variation, and I think one should be cautious about confusing rigid adherence to ritual with faithful witness.

Obviously, one can go to far. Driving home from Mass this morning I caught a Methodist worship service and I had to change the station. Just too much.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:30 AM (llXky)

221 I had to do three years of compulsory Latin at school. Did an extra four to sit the O and A Level exams.

==

I need a chart of how this relates to US system, A levels are what, University ?

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 10:30 AM (V13WU)

222 Over under on Biden suspending habeas corpus on Tuesday?
Posted by: Last Days of the Republic at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (FGgyZ)

What's the over/under on how many times he shits his pants?

Posted by: Roy at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (Ti+Tv)

Daily or weekly?

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at February 27, 2022 10:31 AM (VwHCD)

223 Is there still a private hotline between the White House and the Kremlin?
Posted by: davidt

Yes; but, even Putin can't understand the drivel coming from the other end.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at February 27, 2022 10:31 AM (vnqom)

224 I prefer the books to the movies. When the 1970s Death on the Nile came out, I did see it with friends. Loved the scenery, and the all-star cast. They deleted a few characters, but didn't add characters to suit political tastes.

The latest Miss Marple series was pretty brutal in its alteration of the book, even tossing Marple into stories she was not in, and adding gay themes.
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (ONvIw)

Ugh, thanks for the warning. I haven't gotten into the Marple books yet, but I'll be sure to avoid anything made before, oh, 2000 just to be safe.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (eeRB6)

225 You ain't kiddin'. Imagine what you'd see on those people if the pants came off!!!!!?????
Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (7bRMQ)
---
Another reason to keep the ol' flamethrower handy!

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (K5n5d)

226 You know, a thought just occurred to me about credentialism and journalists.

Maybe it'd be good to insist that a journalist not be allowed to quote or offer support for an expert opinion unless he has a basic degree in the subject matter of the expert opinion.

Raise the bar for blue check marks, IOW, and level the playing field for all unqualified, uncredentialled commentators (like me, on the topic of free speech policy).

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (TjMft)

227 222 Over under on Biden suspending habeas corpus on Tuesday?
Posted by: Last Days of the Republic at February 27, 2022 10:25 AM (FGgyZ)

What's the over/under on how many times he shits his pants?

Posted by: Roy at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (Ti+Tv)

Daily or weekly?
Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at February 27, 2022 10:31 AM (VwHCD)

Let's just go with "during the SOTU speech".

Posted by: Roy at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (Ti+Tv)

228 Anyone wonder if that protector of all that is holy and righteous in our government, Milley, has called his counterpart in the Kremlin yet?

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (5pTK/)

229 Ich bin ein Berliner.

Mmm. Berliners.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (UHVv4)

230 I found a copy of Bruce Catton's "Picture History of the Civil War" at the library book sale for the righteous sum of one (1) US dollar. I don't plan to read it cover-to-cover but use it as a companion while I slog my way through Foote. If I ever manage to get back to it, that is. Reading Foote is like going to the gym. It feels good when you start but if you ever stop, even for a few days, it's really tough to find the motivation to restart.

Posted by: Oddbob at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (nfrXX)
---
Catton is great. Having read his history of the Army of the Potomac and the Centennial History, I can't find the motivation to read anyone else.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (llXky)

231 Actually, English may be viewed as the most successful Creole--there are others such as Swahili and Kituba in Africa. The study of pidgins and Creoles is quite interesting; as are reasons why some pidgins develop into independent and enduring languages. US Spanglish is an example of current pidgen--my favorite phrase is Hasta la byebye.

Posted by: sharon at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (GWFS2)

232 Joey probably picks up the Hot Line phone thinking he can get ice cream.

Posted by: Anna Puma at February 27, 2022 10:29 AM (oheji)

If it's a red phone, he probably thinks he's calling Batman.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (7bRMQ)

233 Rice University is relocating a statue of its founder and namesake, William Marsh Rice, from its campus' Academic Quadrangle over concerns that the historical figure was a slave owner.

The Houston university's decision to move the Founder's Memorial to a more discreet location accompanies plans to conduct a competition for a new piece of artwork to commemorate the integration of the university while making the quad "more welcoming" to students and visitors, according to the Board of Regents' statement.

Who did I quote just today about the smartest people in the room being fucking idiots???

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:33 AM (yrol0)

234 John Malkovich did the Hercules Poirot role in a recent film. Old friend, Inspector, retires and asshole replacement starts looking into Poirot's past. Cannot find any records of him being a Belgian policeman.

We find out that Poirot was an RC priest and when the Germans came, (The Great War) he herded all his flock into the church for sanctuary and the Germans blew up the church.

So, yes. Poirot was sympathetic.

Posted by: No one of any consequence at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (lKAqb)

235 Mark did you see the previous film version of Death on the Nile? I loved that film!

-
Jessica Fletcher plays a drunken libertine author.

I quite liked the movie version of Murder Under the Sun with Maggie Smith, Roddy McDowell, Peter Ustinov at al. Lots of good snark.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (FVME7)

236 This is a film I would never see, because the Peter Ustinov version is just fine with me, and I know that no current version would ever treat the story properly. (I rate Ustinov as the 2nd best Poirot, after Suchet, who got a lot more practice with the role)

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:30 AM (evAgx)
---
Older adaptations respected the source material. Modern one hold it contempt, and it shows.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (llXky)

237
This is a film I would never see, because the Peter Ustinov version is just fine with me, and I know that no current version would ever treat the story properly. (I rate Ustinov as the 2nd best Poirot, after Suchet, who got a lot more practice with the role)
Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:30 AM (evAgx)

I agree. It was well done and reasonably true to the book.
One of the reasons I watched Christie stories is the costuming and sets. Poirot and the Beresfords get the best treatment, especially on TV. The old Partners in Crime series was a feast for the eyes.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (ONvIw)

238 US Spanglish is an example of current pidgen--my favorite phrase is Hasta la byebye.
Posted by: sharon at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (GWFS2)

Judges would have also accepted adios mutha fuckers!

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (yrol0)

239 Marple syrup on Belgian waffles??

Unheard of!!

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (UHVv4)

240 'English is considered a "low-context" language, while Latin is a "high context" language'

English is stateless! Like HTML.

Posted by: yara at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (hBsVD)

241 Didn't anybody read a book this week?

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (Y+l9t)

242 This is a film I would never see, because the Peter Ustinov version is just fine with me, and I know that no current version would ever treat the story properly. (I rate Ustinov as the 2nd best Poirot, after Suchet, who got a lot more practice with the role)
Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:30 AM (evAgx)

Sounds wise. Suchet did a wonderful job, playing Poirot as a person and not a bag of quirks.

Will say, for those contemplating the movie, Gal Godot is luminous and far more likable than the character in the book, who comes off as entitled snob as written.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:35 AM (eeRB6)

243 Let's just go with "during the SOTU speech".
----
Look for the fans blowing on his ass.

Posted by: dartist at February 27, 2022 10:35 AM (+ya+t)

244 I'd like to know a couple things ...

1 - How did you teach the squirrel to read ?
2 - How did you teach the squirrel to pose ?

Impressive. Most impressive.

Posted by: Stayin' Alive at February 27, 2022 10:35 AM (+RMAp)

245 Currently reviewing a number of ebooks I've collected about the fall of Burma and General Stilwell's role in the whole affair. Three of the authors unfairly trash Stilwell while two others take time out to detail events leading up to the Walkout.

One of the authors running Stilwell down is historian Max Hastings which caught me off guard and found surprising in a number of ways. Chiang commissioned Stilwell to lead Chinese armies in Burma. Unknown to Stilwell Chiang had only done so to stroke FDR for more lend lease. Stilwell's orders were relayed via Lashio. The unnamed commander at Lashio was the gatekeeper who decided which of those orders were passed on to Chiang. Chiang would almost always countermand Stilwell's order and then pass those orders to his three generals (Tu, Kan and Lo). Of course all hell broke. Long story short - all three Chinese generals abandoned their commands. The fifth and sixth armies disintegrated. Lo commandeered two trains for his handpicked crew of eighty - causing a head-on collision of one of them.

Posted by: 13times at February 27, 2022 10:35 AM (juPYy)

246 241 Didn't anybody read a book this week?
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (Y+l9t)

REEDING BE RAYCEST

Posted by: BL (really dont) M and Pantifa at February 27, 2022 10:35 AM (yrol0)

247 Joey probably picks up the Hot Line phone thinking he can get ice cream.

Posted by: Anna Puma

That should be the Cold Line.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:35 AM (FVME7)

248 One of the reasons I watched Christie stories is the costuming and sets. Poirot and the Beresfords get the best treatment, especially on TV. The old Partners in Crime series was a feast for the eyes.
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (ONvIw)
-------------

My wife and I love the Art Deco sets.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 10:36 AM (5pTK/)

249 US Spanglish is an example of current pidgen--my favorite phrase is Hasta la byebye.
Posted by: sharon at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (GWFS2)

LOL! In the Rio Grande valley, it's always weird to hear Spanish spoken in a Texas country drawl. I remember in town there used to be a restaurant run by two Chinese sisters, and they would yell back and forth at each other in half English, half Chinese phrases - one of the strangest (and funniest) things I've heard!

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:36 AM (evAgx)

250 Since book talk is mostly nonexistent today

Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:19 AM (Om/di)

Why? They're getting paid large to make that buffoonish retard look coherent.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 10:36 AM (y7DUB)

251 Actually, English may be viewed as the most successful Creole--there are others such as Swahili and Kituba in Africa. The study of pidgins and Creoles is quite interesting; as are reasons why some pidgins develop into independent and enduring languages. US Spanglish is an example of current pidgen--my favorite phrase is Hasta la byebye.
Posted by: sharon at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (GWFS2)
---
Agreed. There are a number of creole languages spoken in the United States alone. The most famous might be "French Creole," but it's certainly not the only one. I think Native Hawaiians speak some form of creole/pidgin language. Folks in rural Appalachian regions do as well.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 10:36 AM (K5n5d)

252 Again, pretty good. The writing is top notch. McGee himself can be kind of a judgmental prick and some of the books, especially the second 'Nightmare in Pink', are practically stroke books. For better or worse.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022

***
John D., I've read, wrote the first 4 very swiftly (though not fast for him), finishing the 2nd through 4th even before book 1 was published. He wanted to be sure he had a series character he could live with. Once he was settled on that, the books became richer. No. 5, A Deadly Shade of Gold, is 2x the length of the previous ones, and Nos. 6 and 7, Bright Orange for the Shroud and Darker Than Amber, are both excellent adventures. The 7th was adapted into a 1970 film with Rod Taylor.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:36 AM (c6xtn)

253 The linguistics sites say that English derives from 29% Latin, 29% French, 26% German, and 6% Greek, so just those four comprise 90% of our language.

Out of the remaining 10%, four percent derived from proper nouns, and the other 6% is everything else, presumably Ebonics, political double speak, media lies and whatever language Joe Biden is trying to speak.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:37 AM (6mvRv)

254 As to reading, I finished "Night and Day" by Virginia Woolf. I kept thinking I was done and what to my wondering eyes did appear but another chapter. It was getting irritating, but when I finally got to the end I was OK with it. Started two adventure books, Papillon and The Scarlet Pimpernel. They're both starting out really strong. Also finished Uncle Boris in the Yukon and Other Shaggy Dog stories by Daniel Pinkwater. Very funny book but less about Uncle Boris than I expected. All dog lovers should read this book and not just them (I don't consider myself a dog lover but loved the book).

Posted by: who knew at February 27, 2022 10:37 AM (4I7VG)

255 Stateless Englishscript Object Notation.

{'Your comment': 'Noted'}

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 10:37 AM (TjMft)

256 John Malkovich did the Hercules Poirot role in a recent film. Old friend, Inspector, retires and asshole replacement starts looking into Poirot's past. Cannot find any records of him being a Belgian policeman.

We find out that Poirot was an RC priest and when the Germans came, (The Great War) he herded all his flock into the church for sanctuary and the Germans blew up the church.

So, yes. Poirot was sympathetic.
Posted by: No one of any consequence at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (lKAqb)

See, that kind of revisionism bugs me. Christie mentions Poirot's backstory several times, about how he beat feat for England when the Germans invaded. The latest movie has him fighting heroically in 1914, being grievously wounded (and it has the Belgian's using poison gas in 1914...wew again).

They just can't leave things alone, as written.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:38 AM (eeRB6)

257 250 Since book talk is mostly nonexistent today

Got to feel sorry for Biden's SOTU speechwriter.

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:19 AM (Om/di)
Why? They're getting paid large to make that buffoonish retard look coherent.
Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 10:36 AM (y7DUB)

It will be about how ungrateful the peasants (you) are for your extra cup of gruel and less than one lashing each month!

Posted by: BL (really dont) M and Pantifa at February 27, 2022 10:38 AM (yrol0)

258
We find out that Poirot was an RC priest and when the Germans came, (The Great War) he herded all his flock into the church for sanctuary and the Germans blew up the church.

So, yes. Poirot was sympathetic.
Posted by: No one of any consequence at February 27, 2022 10:34 AM (lKAqb)

A priest? I call BS. He was a Belgian policeman.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:38 AM (ONvIw)

259 The best book is Lonesome Dove. Nobody who has read it, doesn"t like it. I am sick of these retarded dumb phones

Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 10:38 AM (4raSk)

260 0ff sox

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:38 AM (yrol0)

261 One of the reasons I watched Christie stories is the costuming and sets. Poirot and the Beresfords get the best treatment, especially on TV. The old Partners in Crime series was a feast for the eyes.
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022

***
Which is why I think a new limited-run Ellery Queen series could be mounted as a period piece. Of course, today's producers would probably misinterpret his name and make him gay or something. The A & E adaptations of the Nero Wolfes were faithful and extremely well done -- but that was 20 years ago.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:38 AM (c6xtn)

262 The linguistics sites say that English derives from 29% Latin, 29% French, 26% German, and 6% Greek, so just those four comprise 90% of our language.

Out of the remaining 10%, four percent derived from proper nouns, and the other 6% is everything else, presumably Ebonics, political double speak, media lies and whatever language Joe Biden is trying to speak.
Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:37 AM (6mvRv)

So these linguistic sites are just ignoring the Viking/Norse influence and the Danelaw?

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:39 AM (eeRB6)

263 Actually did finish a book this week.
Ryk Brown continued the 'Iron Viking' universe and I've been reading them. E.#7 finished and on to Ep.#8 Celestia: CV-02 (The frontiers Saga)

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at February 27, 2022 10:39 AM (vnqom)

264 Only one time have I found David Suchet adaption lacking compared to the original movie: Murder on the Orient Express.

I was really looking forward to the Suchet version, but, unfortunately, it fell short.

Albert Finney still rules the role in that particular film.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 10:40 AM (5pTK/)

265 Another book series I finished this week was John Christopher's The Tripods. It's written for younger readers (main protagonist is around 13-15 years old through the series), but it holds up well as a classic alien invasion story. Very much influenced by H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds.

I especially like how the aliens infiltrate our world by using our media against us through subliminal programming techniques. Very creepy and effective.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 10:40 AM (K5n5d)

266 Andover > Exeter

Posted by: Forheremenaremen at February 27, 2022 10:41 AM (sh0fq)

267 John D., I've read, wrote the first 4 very swiftly (though not fast for him), finishing the 2nd through 4th even before book 1 was published. He wanted to be sure he had a series character he could live with. Once he was settled on that, the books became richer. No. 5, A Deadly Shade of Gold, is 2x the length of the previous ones, and Nos. 6 and 7, Bright Orange for the Shroud and Darker Than Amber, are both excellent adventures. The 7th was adapted into a 1970 film with Rod Taylor.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:36 AM (c6xtn)

Something to look forward to, then. The prose is very strong, I'll say that for the first 4.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:41 AM (eeRB6)

268 Anybody who liked the 1970s Poirot adaptations would love 1974's The Last of Sheila, one of the greatest puzzle-films ever made. There is the sense of the puzzle for its own sake, a false solution followed by a true, and other nods to the great 'tec tradition.

Written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, of all people.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:42 AM (c6xtn)

269 After whiskey galore, I may make smithereens of the percentages of English origin.

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 10:42 AM (TjMft)

270 Watched Diary of Anne Frank again last night.

-
Spoiler alert! The Germans did it.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:43 AM (FVME7)

271 Only one time have I found David Suchet adaption lacking compared to the original movie: Murder on the Orient Express.

I was really looking forward to the Suchet version, but, unfortunately, it fell short.

Albert Finney still rules the role in that particular film.
Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022

***
Probably my least favorite murder mystery, novel or film, of all time. The films, I admit, have made it a little more believable, but it's still a wild solution.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:44 AM (c6xtn)

272 According to the student publication, the outlet would then be transitioned to operate under a newly anticipated Department of Journalism, effectively blurring the line on whether or not the group would retain its resources and independence as a student organization status.

Dammit people, 1984 is not a manual!!
Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:21 AM (yrol0)

You left out the part about the students and the paper winning against the university.

https://www.campusreform.org/article?id=19046

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent, STEM Guy at February 27, 2022 10:44 AM (ZSK0i)

273 The Houston university's decision to move the Founder's Memorial to a more discreet location accompanies plans to conduct a competition for a new piece of artwork to commemorate the integration of the university while making the quad "more welcoming" to students and visitors, according to the Board of Regents' statement.

Who did I quote just today about the smartest people in the room being fucking idiots???

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:33 AM (yrol0)
---
The Alumni Association may have something to say about that.

During 2020, I got an alumni bulletin that a student-led committee was being formed to discuss changing the name of James Madison College at MSU to something more 'woke'.

It was not mentioned at all in the next alumni bulletin.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:44 AM (llXky)

274 Sorry for the non sequitur.

Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 10:44 AM (4raSk)

275
Something to look forward to, then. The prose is very strong, I'll say that for the first 4.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022

***
Everything by John d. MacDonald is worth reading at least twice. He was called the John O'Hara of crime fiction for very good reason.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:45 AM (c6xtn)

276 The best book is Lonesome Dove.

-
I don't go in much for poultry pornography.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:45 AM (FVME7)

277 This week I finished off the 6 book Levon Cade collection I got on kindle. By Chuck Dixon, who is more famous for Batman and other comic books, has written quite a few of these books and they're well done adventure vigilante stuff. Think of them as Jack Reacher without being such a huge marty stu, and with a daughter he is trying to keep safe and out of his troubles.

Also finished Desert Mage by P.M.F Johnson. This is the second of his books I have read, and they are pretty good. Basically Johnson takes a Louis L'Amour story and places it into a unique and creative fantasy world, then stirs in some other elements.

And then I read a short tough western by Jonas Ward called The Name's Buchanan. It was okay, not enormously creative or fresh. Apparently this turned into a pretty long series of books about the character, by various writers. Buchanan is the usual taller stronger tougher guy that all the women fall for but this is a bit different in that Buchanan really gets the tar beat out of him repeatedly.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 10:45 AM (KZzsI)

278 (back from walking dog...)
Regarding my high school library - while it wasn't a patch on the featured library today - it was a pretty nice establishment. In the main school building, which was built in the late 1930s, in classic California Spanish Colonial Revival. The library was on the second floor, a long room with a high ceiling, and tall windows on one long side looking out on the quad. Lined on all four walls with head-high solid wooden bookcases. The monumental wooden check-out desk was in the middle of one short wall. The fiction section was in an l-shaped portion to the right of the desk - I think the heavy-duty art books were in the l-shape on the left. All the rest was fiction. Two dozen heavy wooden tables with matching chairs filled the middle of the room. I remember it very well, as I spent hours there. I think I read every fiction book there was on the shelves, and all the WWII materiel as well.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at February 27, 2022 10:46 AM (xnmPy)

279 Probably my least favorite murder mystery, novel or film, of all time. The films, I admit, have made it a little more believable, but it's still a wild solution.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:44 AM (c6xtn)

Agatha Christie loved 'trick' endings. For example, 'Ten Little Indians', 'Death on the Nile' has one too, albeit one that is believably motivated. But I don't think Christie ever repeated a trick. Someone else who knows her corpus better can correct me if she did start repeating herself.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:47 AM (eeRB6)

280 I'm reading The Expanse series of books by S.A. Correy. It's an intriguing look at what life might be like when humans populate the Solar System.

Posted by: RebeccaH at February 27, 2022 10:47 AM (JI6AV)

281 The linguistics sites say that English derives from 29% Latin, 29% French, 26% German, and 6% Greek, so just those four comprise 90% of our language.

Out of the remaining 10%, four percent derived from proper nouns, and the other 6% is everything else, presumably Ebonics, political double speak, media lies and whatever language Joe Biden is trying to speak.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:37 AM (6mvRv)
---
The 100 most commonly-used words in English are Germanic in origin, as is our basic grammar.

Tolkien proved that one could write modern English quite capably while almost entirely avoiding Romance-origin words.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:47 AM (llXky)

282 @262 - They are lumping them together with the Germanics.

They seem discreet to me too (though Dutch and German are somewhat similar) but this appears to be a common way of classifying them.

This is what the Dutch get for using a made up elf language.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:47 AM (6mvRv)

283 My wife's patois is kinda comprehensible, but, the Jamaicans shortened just about everything and changed the pronunciation. It's a bunch of English sounds cobbled together, like a Sid Cesar routine.

Posted by: Jamaica Queens at February 27, 2022 10:48 AM (b+v9B)

284 The link to PS's liberry is fixed.

Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 10:48 AM (0IeYL)

285 You left out the part about the students and the paper winning against the university.

https://www.campusreform.org/article?id=19046
Posted by: Additional Blond Agent, STEM Guy at February 27, 2022 10:44 AM (ZSK0i)

I was trying to find a story that matched my earlier CLL quote.

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:48 AM (yrol0)

286 Probably my least favorite murder mystery, novel or film, of all time. The films, I admit, have made it a little more believable, but it's still a wild solution.

I liked the Suchet version but yeah. Christie did a lot of experimental stuff in her writing, things nobody else had ever done, and the idea of EVERYONE being guilty out of the cast of strange characters was a fresh one. Some of her other innovations worked better (and have become standards) but this one wasn't as effective.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 10:48 AM (KZzsI)

287 >>> 96 Now THAT was a disturbing story...Very bizarre premise. Also wouldn't put past our so-called "Elites" to try something similar. Maybe that's the real purpose of the vaccines, to prepare us for becoming organ donors...
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel

And becoming featured entrees in the Food Thread.
Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 09:41 AM (arJlL)

What, is Cannibal Bob going to do a guest post???

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at February 27, 2022 10:48 AM (llON8)

288 he linguistics sites say that English derives from 29% Latin, 29% French, 26% German, and 6% Greek,

==

French is descended from Latin. So Engrish is 58% latin, the rest is Germanic and Greek, no ?

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 10:49 AM (V13WU)

289 CSL NOT CLL

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:49 AM (yrol0)

290 +1 for Chuck Dixon's Levon Cade books. I like them better than the Reacher series (partly because Chuck Dixon is a lazy, stoner Brit who can't be bothered to do the research for his Ex-Military characters).

The first book, Levon's Trade, is really good and he does some stuff in there that I was honestly shocked by...and it had consequences that ran for the rest of the series.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:50 AM (eeRB6)

291 After whiskey galore, I may make smithereens of the percentages of English origin.

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 10:42 AM (TjMft)
---
While TDY in Germany, I got drunk one night while on a castle tour and ended up talking to the tour guide entirely in German. He remarked that the more I drank, the better my German became.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:50 AM (llXky)

292 Language Math!

Posted by: davidt at February 27, 2022 10:50 AM (5m+OQ)

293 The Houston of "Urban Cowboy* is long gone. The irony is Urban Cowboy was playing on a time long passed

Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 10:50 AM (4raSk)

294 Probably my least favorite murder mystery, novel or film, of all time. The films, I admit, have made it a little more believable, but it's still a wild solution.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 10:44 AM (c6xtn)

Princeton's McCarter turned it into a comedy.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 10:50 AM (ONvIw)

295 Hastings contends that Stilwell should have collected at least two brigades and led them out of Burma instead of a ragtag band of 112 refugees. The problem was Stilwell could not contact ordinary troops since they had no radios, they had also split into bands of three or four people and were fleeing the oncoming enemy troops.

The biggest problem was that Stilwell never really had a command. No one disputes the fact that Chiang blocked Stilwell at every turn. So why would the three authors - incliding Max Hastings - try to hang a fiction on Stilwell's shoulders? Are they simply lazy? Mendacious? Or a little of both? (typing this on my paperwhite ..bleh)

Posted by: 13times at February 27, 2022 10:50 AM (juPYy)

296 The squirrel is paging nervously through "The Deplorable Gourmet" checking to see if there are any squirrel recipes.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (HabA/)

297 293 The Houston of "Urban Cowboy* is long gone. The irony is Urban Cowboy was playing on a time long passed
Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 10:50 AM (4raSk)

PS That was Pasadena. Not Houston.

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (yrol0)

298 He remarked that the more I drank, the better my German became.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:50 AM (llXky)

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (lCui1)

299 231 Actually, English may be viewed as the most successful Creole--there are others such as Swahili and Kituba in Africa. The study of pidgins and Creoles is quite interesting; as are reasons why some pidgins develop into independent and enduring languages. US Spanglish is an example of current pidgen--my favorite phrase is Hasta la byebye.
Posted by: sharon at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (GWFS2)
---
I wonder if memes will be the new Pidgin?

Judging by the foreign films I've seen, "Okay" is the most universal borrowed Americanism.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (Dc2NZ)

300 In Vino Germanitas

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (TjMft)

301 I'm making a change to my reading regimen and doing some escapism with Mary Stewart. I just finished the Crystal Cave and am now into The Hallowed Hills. Some Arthurian Legend fun while I consider what needs to go into the Go Bag.

Posted by: Diogenes at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (axyOa)

302 296 The squirrel is paging nervously through "The Deplorable Gourmet" checking to see if there are any squirrel recipes.
Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (HabA/)

For all you know it may be a cannibalistic squirrel!

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 27, 2022 10:52 AM (yrol0)

303 I was reading "Hadrian The Seventh" but got a little bored so started reading "The Sampo", which is the basis for one of my favorite Russo-Finnish MST3Ks, "The Day The Earth Froze".

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 10:52 AM (vrz2I)

304 partly because Chuck Dixon is a lazy, stoner Brit

Lee Child I know you meant. And yeah, he gets a lot of details wrong and is sloppy but very confident. As I read most of the Reacher books it amazed me how many different versions there were of his origin story and how he left the military. It literally changed every time he told it.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 10:52 AM (KZzsI)

305 No knock on our own Hadrian mind you.

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 10:52 AM (vrz2I)

306 My wife's patois is kinda comprehensible, but, the Jamaicans shortened just about everything and changed the pronunciation. It's a bunch of English sounds cobbled together, like a Sid Cesar routine.
Posted by: Jamaica Queens

A funny bit in Uncharted (spoiler alert) is that one of the bad guys is Scottish and when he gets fired up no one can understand a word he says.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:53 AM (FVME7)

307 French is descended from Latin. So Engrish is 58% latin, the rest is Germanic and Greek, no ?

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 10:49 AM (V13WU)
---
It also depends on how you count words. For example, the scientific lexicon is entirely Greek and Latin, but how often do people use it?

The true test is in spoken words, and there English's Germanic origin is very clear.

It's funny how we have different words for animals (from Anglo-Saxon) than the meat (usually Norman French).

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:53 AM (llXky)

308 Spoiler alert! The Germans did it.
-----
I know. Rolling over a country makes me wonder what they're really doing to those people.

Posted by: dartist at February 27, 2022 10:53 AM (+ya+t)

309 partly because Chuck Dixon is a lazy, stoner Brit

Lee Child I know you meant. And yeah, he gets a lot of details wrong and is sloppy but very confident. As I read most of the Reacher books it amazed me how many different versions there were of his origin story and how he left the military. It literally changed every time he told it.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 10:52 AM (KZzsI)

Doh. That was meant to be 'isnt', not 'is' Stupid typos

Chuck does his research, Lee Child is a lazy writer.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:53 AM (eeRB6)

310 The squirrel is paging nervously through "The Deplorable Gourmet" checking to see if there are any squirrel recipes.
Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (HabA/)

His look of disgust is clear as nothing there calls for nuts in the recipe.

Posted by: Diogenes at February 27, 2022 10:54 AM (axyOa)

311 @281 - I studied German for a few years and later worked in Munich off and on for four years in my first job.

I was struck by two things about their language:

1. How many traditional English nouns come directly from German; and

2. How many modern German nouns have been appropriated from English.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:54 AM (6mvRv)

312 Comment: I remember reading C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength last year. It has a strong Catholic vibe to it. It also describes eerily prophetic events regarding how government will use healthcare for demonic purposes (literally). I may have to check this one out as well.
-----------

Lewis wrote That Hideous Strength as a fictional fleshing out of his book The Abolition of Man. I read both together for my book club last year. Abolition is very worth the read.

Thank you for the great book thread Perfessor, and I compliment you on your excellent taste in cookbooks!

Posted by: bluebell at February 27, 2022 10:54 AM (wyw4S)

313 A funny bit in Uncharted (spoiler alert) is that one of the bad guys is Scottish and when he gets fired up no one can understand a word he says.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 10:53 AM (FVME7)
---
Jeremy Clarkson (of Top Gear fame) has a series on Amazon that's a hoot: Clarkson's Farm. He has a worker whose English is completely impenetrable due to his accent. It's quite amusing.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:55 AM (llXky)

314 all right, with that embarrassing bit of mis-typing, off to forage for breakfast.

Thank you, Perfesser Squirrel. I miss Oregon Muse still and I'm grateful for you stepping up. I don't often get to comment on the thread but I love reading it later in the week...but it does add to my library each week...

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022 10:55 AM (eeRB6)

315 I've got a library suggestion for you. You might look at the Toronto reference library, which is kind of a cool place. Not huge or grandiose, but comfortable and functional. It "filled in" as a NYC library in the Bruce Willis movie "RED".

Posted by: MichiCanuck at February 27, 2022 10:56 AM (NIpNN)

316 Yesterday I finished "Borges on Writing," which was more-or-less a transcript of talks he had with Columbian University grad students in 1971. It begins with the short story "The End of the Duel," which is followed by Borges' talks on fiction and poetry. For fiction, the translator Mr. Di Giovanni read the story and Borges did a running commentary. He explained how he transformed a names-lost-to-history anecdote to a story about characters with names and motives in a proper setting.

I liked that he despised one of his oldest, most popular stories that a student admired. He was self-effacing rather than speaking as if admirers had poor taste. He also gave credit to other writers about "an old literary trick" he used as a way to impossible stories plausible.

I followed it up with some of his short stories from a "greatest hits" book.

Next up: El libro de buen amor.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at February 27, 2022 10:56 AM (/+bwe)

317 A huge percentage of English comes from French, but it doesn't come from Latin per se, there were other reasons.

Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 10:57 AM (4raSk)

318 I happened to watch an Agatha Christie movie last night on Netflix. Have no idea what the title was. The best part was the setting which felt very time period authentic. The cars especially were beautiful. The giant Victorian house was dark and spooky. Now I remember, title was The Crooked House.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (Y+l9t)

319 The squirrel is paging nervously through "The Deplorable Gourmet" checking to see if there are any squirrel recipes.
Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 10:51 AM (HabA/)
----------

We actually had one submitted. It was a real recipe but very funny. We couldn't include everything and I figured that had limited applicability so I used another recipe submitted by the same person instead, also funny.

When I say limited applicability, I mean the first line was "de-fuzz and de-gut two squirrels." I didn't think many of us were up to that and the ones who were probably had plenty of squirrel recipes already.

Posted by: bluebell at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (wyw4S)

320 303 I was reading "Hadrian The Seventh" but got a little bored so started reading "The Sampo", which is the basis for one of my favorite Russo-Finnish MST3Ks, "The Day The Earth Froze".

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 10:52 AM (vrz2I)

LOL mine too! I think my favorite line of all is when the film shows some girls dancing around a maypole, and they say "Well this is a Riot in Finland."

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (evAgx)

321 This is it. I decided to immerse myself in Latin.

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (V13WU)

322 Lewis wrote the space trilogy because he read a bunch of sci fi and noticed that they were largely written as tracts to convince people of secular humanism and darwinism. He thought "why couldn't science fiction be written with a Christian worldview?" and wrote Out of the Silent Planet.

Which is amazingly hard sci fi, unexpectedly so. I figured he'd go light on the science and heavier on the philosophy but its really quite good.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (KZzsI)

323 94 I gave up on German when I realized there were 16 different ways to say 'the'. Admittedly, some of them are repeats, but you still had to know which to use when and I decided that was just insane.

Posted by: who knew at February 27, 2022 10:18 AM (4I7VG)

I used "d' " a lot when I lived there.

Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (Fs5vw)

324 Houston has become Gomorrah West. When God starts hurling flaming boulders we'll have no one to blame but ourselves.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (6mvRv)

325 I think a new limited-run Ellery Queen series could be mounted as a period piece. Of course, today's producers would probably misinterpret his name and make him gay or something.

Would you keep Djuana?

Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022 10:59 AM (Om/di)

326 I did read a book this week! Specifically, For Your Eyes Only, the collection of James Bond short stories by Fleming. They're pretty good. Some observations:

-- Fleming really hated Germans. Nearly every story has a villainous Kraut, either a crook or working for the Russians or both. One story has a vicious American millionaire as the bad guy . . . but he had a GERMAN FATHER!

-- At least one story, "The Quantum of Solace," is not a spy story at all. It's about a failed marriage. The only James Bond connection is that Bond is sitting in a room with a guy, who tells him the story.

-- We do get some glimpses of what 007 does that doesn't involve shooting people. In a couple of stories he's been sent in basically as a kind of espionage auditor, to make sure a local office is doing their job properly.

-- Everybody has this idea that Bond is some kind of ultra-refined upper class Englishman, but the stories don't bear that out. I read him as more upper-middle class than Fleming's own lower-upper class. He isn't so much a snob about things as a man with his own particular tastes.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 10:59 AM (QZxDR)

327 Had neighbors from Scotland and couldn't understand a word they said. They got such a kick out of fvcking with me it was fun. Good people.

Posted by: dartist at February 27, 2022 10:59 AM (+ya+t)

328 Don't forget the poor Gauls and their language too close to Latin to survive Caesar.

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 10:59 AM (TjMft)

329 A huge percentage of English comes from French, but it doesn't come from Latin per se, there were other reasons.

Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 10:57 AM (4raSk)
---
Tolkien's point (which is entirely valid) is that you can communicate freely in English using entirely Germanic-origin words. Some are archaic by today's standards, but they do the job.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 10:59 AM (llXky)

330 I liked that he despised one of his oldest, most popular stories that a student admired. He was self-effacing rather than speaking as if admirers had poor taste. He also gave credit to other writers about "an old literary trick" he used as a way to impossible stories plausible.

That sounds intriguing. I'm always cautious to read anything on how to write because I do not want to damage the way I approach it. But at the same time, I like to learn things that help me do things better.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:00 AM (KZzsI)

331 Took me a while to get thru Foote, like over a year. Still worth the effort, though.

Posted by: BignJames at February 27, 2022 11:00 AM (AwYPR)

332 Lewis wrote That Hideous Strength as a fictional fleshing out of his book The Abolition of Man.

To be honest I wouldn't be surprised to find a talking disembodied head in one of Fauci's labs.

Posted by: 18-1 at February 27, 2022 11:00 AM (ESjRY)

333
Didn't we all decide Dutch was superior to German?

Posted by: Soothsayer, the #1 most trusted name in news at February 27, 2022 11:01 AM (w3eVT)

334 We actually had one submitted. It was a real recipe but very funny. We couldn't include everything and I figured that had limited applicability so I used another recipe submitted by the same person instead, also funny.

When I say limited applicability, I mean the first line was "de-fuzz and de-gut two squirrels." I didn't think many of us were up to that and the ones who were probably had plenty of squirrel recipes already.
Posted by: bluebell at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (wyw4S)
---
It's obvious that The Deplorable Gourmet is a labor of love. You and Weasel did a fantastic job capturing the heart and soul (and stomachs) of the Moron Horde!

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 27, 2022 11:01 AM (K5n5d)

335 If not for MST3K I may have never read the Kalevala, which is odd because I have always loved Greek and Norse mythology.

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 11:02 AM (vrz2I)

336 Agatha Christie loved 'trick' endings. For example, 'Ten Little Indians', 'Death on the Nile' has one too, albeit one that is believably motivated. But I don't think Christie ever repeated a trick. Someone else who knows her corpus better can correct me if she did start repeating herself.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards (Logan Tiberius 2012-2021) at February 27, 2022

***
A "trick" ending when ingenious and well-concealed (while playing fair with the reader) is the central pillar of the classic detective story. As John Dickson Carr called it, it's the thunderbolt ending.

I'm not that familiar with AC's corpus, no. But I would have no problem if, in using an earlier trick, she rang in a new change. The Queen cousins did that many times over the years.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 11:02 AM (c6xtn)

337 From the section "Rome" from the book 1913:

By mid-day the famous tea rooms of Doney and Giacosa on either side of the street were crowded with males exuding an air of infinite leisure -- 'super lounge-lizards', wrote Acton, 'button-holed, brilliantined, and bespatted, all their goods in the shop window, they spilled on to the pavement to inspect each passing ankle and compare notes in a voice loud enough to be overheard...It was from these unemployed Narcissi that Mussolini was to draw his most rabid supporters...The prime attraction was the uniform, the right to cut a dashing figure without entailing risks.'

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (Dc2NZ)

338 317 A huge percentage of English comes from French, but it doesn't come from Latin per se, there were other reasons.
Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 10:57 AM (4raSk)

Norman reasons. a quirk of Norman French was that French G's were Norman W's. Guillame became William, Guard become Ward, (Warden), Guerre became War.

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (evAgx)

339 This is what the Dutch get for using a made up elf language.

Posted by: Blacksheep at February 27, 2022 10:47 AM (6mvRv)

Dutch isn't a language, it's a throat condition.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (6ESYR)

340 Everybody has this idea that Bond is some kind of ultra-refined upper class Englishman, but the stories don't bear that out. I read him as more upper-middle class than Fleming's own lower-upper class. He isn't so much a snob about things as a man with his own particular tastes.

That's why I liked Timothy Dalton best as James Bond, he brought that across best of all of them without losing the feel of being skilled and sophisticated. I actually like the short stories best for learning who Bond is; they're focused more on him and the job, rather than some grand scheme he's facing.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (KZzsI)

341 Christie did borrow from herself. The short story The Plymouth Express was somewhat recast and served up as a novel, The Mystery of the Blue Train.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (ONvIw)

342 Why is the Urban Cowboy's moustache all brown and scuzzy??

Because he's lookin' for love in all the wrong places.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (UHVv4)

343 @73: at one point i read everything Tuchman had written. Loved Guns of August, and Stillwell and the American Experience in China and March of Folly. Proud Tower and A Distant Mirror didn't do much for me, though the Great Courses on the Late Middle Ages cited it as a major influence in how Americans thought about the LMA.

Posted by: yara at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (hBsVD)

344 I wonder how Chiron relates to Chthon. Obviously, both are greek in origin. Chthon relates to the earth and that which is below or in the Earth. It's also the title of a Pier's Anthony book that I did not enjoy. Pretty heavy S&M weirdness.

Posted by: banana Dream at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (6TLQp)

345 335 If not for MST3K I may have never read the Kalevala, which is odd because I have always loved Greek and Norse mythology.
Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 11:02 AM (vrz2I)

SAMPO!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 11:04 AM (Dc2NZ)

346 Thank you, Perfessor! Basically we just corrected the spelling of Worcestershire and took out the f-bombs. The rest was all Horde.

Posted by: bluebell at February 27, 2022 11:04 AM (wyw4S)

347 I saw a YouTube clip which made me thankful that my ancestors' native language, Czech is not mine. It's by an American woman living in Prague. Her family was Czech and she grew up speaking the language. However, Czech has a formal and informal means of address. Most languages do, but in Czech, it's not just a matter of the pronouns and verbs changing - the entire damn sentence is different. You call beer something different if you're speaking formally, for instance. It's like growing up with two different native tongues. Because this American girl grew up speaking Czech with her family, she naturally knows only informal Czech. She said she has to keep apologizing in Prague for addressing strangers informally. When she was at some sort of business conference, some woman told her "if you're going to live in this country, you need to learn our language properly." I think I would hit that bitch over the head with a Pilsener mug. Czech is so hard to learn and so few foreigners learn it, that you'd think they'd be happy to hear an American using it, even informally.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:04 AM (HabA/)

348 Snobs are lower-middle class

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:04 AM (TjMft)

349 There's a noteworthy style note about word origins in English: the Germanic words sound more profound and meaningful, while the Latin ones still sound a bit affected.

Churchill understood that. When you read his best-known speeches very few of the words are Latin roots. "We shall fight them on the beaches" could have been said by Harold Godwinson.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 11:05 AM (QZxDR)

350 I think a new limited-run Ellery Queen series could be mounted as a period piece. Of course, today's producers would probably misinterpret his name and make him gay or something.

Would you keep Djuana?
Posted by: Weak Geek at February 27, 2022

***
Djuna the houseboy they had in the early stories? Why not? In at least 2 of the novels he provides a good sounding board for Ellery's musings.

Alexis Denisof would make a great Ellery, and I know we can find an actor to match David Wayne's Inspector Queen from the 1975-76 TV series.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 11:05 AM (c6xtn)

351 "SAMPO!
Posted by: All Hail Eris"

It really is weird and wonderous thing.

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 11:05 AM (vrz2I)

352 348 Snobs are lower-middle class
Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:04 AM (TjMft

Not always. I wouldn't consider Gates to be lower-middle class, and he clearly sees nearly everyone as inferior.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:05 AM (ONvIw)

353 I actually like the short stories best for learning who Bond is; they're focused more on him and the job, rather than some grand scheme he's facing.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022

***
Yes; the short story "The Living Daylights" is one of Fleming's best works.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 11:06 AM (c6xtn)

354 Having money doesn't make u U

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:07 AM (TjMft)

355 Proud Tower and A Distant Mirror didn't do much for me, though the Great Courses on the Late Middle Ages cited it as a major influence in how Americans thought about the LMA.

Posted by: yara at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (hBsVD)
---
A Distant Mirror started well, but bogged down as she got into discussing society and her mid-20th Century American prejudices came out.

Again, this is like one of the books on China I'm reading, also written by a woman.

It's funny how academics try to lecture us on not "othering" people, but feminists are the absolute worst, unable to understand why generations of women should prefer a social arrangement they personally dislike. Clearly *they* are smarter than all those women put together.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:08 AM (llXky)

356 Donna&&&&&&V
-----
Get recipes from grandmas!

Posted by: dartist at February 27, 2022 11:08 AM (+ya+t)

357 Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (KZzsI)

Sean Connery forever.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:08 AM (ONvIw)

358 When I say limited applicability, I mean the first line was "de-fuzz and de-gut two squirrels." I didn't think many of us were up to that and the ones who were probably had plenty of squirrel recipes already.

Posted by: bluebell at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (wyw4S)
---

My mother's living room window is a portal to a suburban Disney eden, complete with frolicking turkeys, deer, and squirrels. I joked that we'd have a feast come the Hard Times. Mom knows how to prepare squirrel. I should probably take notes. Doesn't one use corn meal?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 11:08 AM (Dc2NZ)

359 Not always. I wouldn't consider Gates to be lower-middle class, and he clearly sees nearly everyone as inferior.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:05 AM (ONvIw)
---
Gates is a sociopath. It's kind of obvious at this point.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:08 AM (llXky)

360 320 303 I was reading "Hadrian The Seventh" but got a little bored so started reading "The Sampo", which is the basis for one of my favorite Russo-Finnish MST3Ks, "The Day The Earth Froze".

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 10:52 AM (vrz2I)

LOL mine too! I think my favorite line of all is when the film shows some girls dancing around a maypole, and they say "Well this is a Riot in Finland."
Posted by: Tom Servo at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (evAgx)

The Adventures of Fjord Fairlaine...

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 27, 2022 11:09 AM (PiwSw)

361
A funny bit in Uncharted (spoiler alert) is that one of the bad guys is Scottish and when he gets fired up no one can understand a word he says.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022

***
"Aboot an hour agao, th' bridge controls sta'ted goin' crazy. But'ons bein' pushed, levers shiftin' by themsel', instr'ment readin's changin'!"

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 11:09 AM (c6xtn)

362 When I tried to find Levon Cade books at the library, the only Chuck Dixon books that came up we're comic books.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at February 27, 2022 11:09 AM (Y+l9t)

363 Mom knows how to prepare squirrel. I should probably take notes. Doesn't one use corn meal?
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 11:08 AM (Dc2NZ)
--------

I'll send you the recipe!

Posted by: bluebell at February 27, 2022 11:10 AM (wyw4S)

364 "I'll send you the recipe!
Posted by: bluebell"

May I suggest posting it on the food thread?

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 11:11 AM (vrz2I)

365 Former Miss Ukraine takes up arms and joins the fight against the Russians!

https://bit.ly/3BZMt3i

Reminds me of that famous photo of the cute Spanish Civil War girl who was cute despite being a commie rat bastard.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:11 AM (FVME7)

366 "Snobs are lower-middle class"

That's pretty true. One of the hallmarks of the old upper class (they don't really exist any more) was that they did whatever they goddamn pleased. The Marquess of Queensbury hung around with prize-fighters. They didn't have to worry about "keeping up appearances" because nobody can take a nobleman's status away from him.

The real snobs are the ones trying to get into the club, past the velvet ropes, into the elite circles. They worry about doing everything right and they're viciously quick to jump on others because stepping on heads seems like a quick way to climb.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 11:11 AM (QZxDR)

367
It's funny how academics try to lecture us on not "othering" people, but feminists are the absolute worst, unable to understand why generations of women should prefer a social arrangement they personally dislike. Clearly *they* are smarter than all those women put together.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:08 AM (llXky)

Yeah, academics often have an agenda.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:11 AM (ONvIw)

368 Just don't post it here.

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 11:11 AM (vrz2I)

369 My wife's patois is kinda comprehensible, but, the Jamaicans shortened just about everything and changed the pronunciation. It's a bunch of English sounds cobbled together, like a Sid Cesar routine.
Posted by: Jamaica Queens at February 27, 2022 10:48 AM (b+v9B)

Everyting gwarn be iree...

Posted by: Joe Black at February 27, 2022 11:12 AM (R/m4+)

370
306 My wife's patois is kinda comprehensible, but, the Jamaicans shortened just about everything and changed the pronunciation. It's a bunch of English sounds cobbled together, like a Sid Cesar routine.
Posted by: Jamaica Queens

I think they used a lot of the Caribbean dialect for the Belter's language in The Expanse series.

Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 11:12 AM (Fs5vw)

371 For fiction, the translator Mr. Di Giovanni read the story and Borges did a running commentary. He explained how he transformed a names-lost-to-history anecdote to a story about characters with names and motives in a proper setting.

I liked that he despised one of his oldest, most popular stories that a student admired. He was self-effacing rather than speaking as if admirers had poor taste. He also gave credit to other writers about "an old literary trick" he used as a way to impossible stories plausible. . . .

Posted by: NaughtyPine at February 27, 2022

***
I suspect that might have been his story "The Garden of Forking Paths," which has a crime element and appeared first in English in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine just after WWII.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 11:13 AM (c6xtn)

372 Snobs are lower-middle class

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:04 AM (TjMft)
---
No, they're upper middle class who want to be upper class but can't quite get there.

They deeply resent people with less education who make more money, particularly tradespeople. One thing I've noticed about my neighborhood is that the tradespeople who work on the house seem surprised that I treat them as equals, engage with them and express great interest (and admiration) in their work.

The current meltdown among the "keyboard class" is because they spent $250,000 for a masters degree that no one respects and earns them nothing.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:14 AM (llXky)

373 Pratchett's L-Space does actually exist, however in a spherical world, it is called www.worldcat.org

And you don't have to dodge treacherous kickstool-crabs

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 11:15 AM (xhaym)

374 Story of my life. There's a fork in the road and all I have is soup.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:16 AM (FVME7)

375 The difference between lower-middle and upper-middle is in de nigration

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:17 AM (TjMft)

376 Gates is a sociopath. It's kind of obvious at this point.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:08 AM (llXky)

I doubt if he started that way. When people hire or attract a group who make them feel "never wrong", sycophants who insulate them from their stupidity, it's easier to go off the moral and ethical rails.

Fame and fortune often prevents help and consequences. Michael Jackson is a good case. An untalented, not famous man would have been locked up in a psych ward for Jackson's behavior during Jackson's time.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:17 AM (ONvIw)

377 Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:03 AM (KZzsI)

Just last night I was listening to a podcast, "The Rest is History" featuring British historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. (They're highly entertaining and listening to them is addictive.) They did a show on James Bond.

They noted that Bond, seen as the ultimate Englishman, actually is not English by blood - his father was Scottish, his mother was Swiss. So it makes sense that Bond has been portrayed by non-Englishmen like Connery and Pierce Brosnan. They also said its' not a concidence that Bond became popular after the British Empire was gone. Like the Beatles, Bond made Britishness seem fun, not really threatening or scary. A cold-blooded English assassin (which is basically what Bond is) would not have achieved world-wide popularity when the sun still didn't set on the British Empire.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:17 AM (HabA/)

378 Thank you, Perfessor! Basically we just corrected the spelling of Worcestershire and took out the f-bombs. The rest was all Horde.
Posted by: bluebell at February 27, 2022 11:04 AM (wyw4S)
------------

Removed all the f bombs? Probably cut about 10K words right there.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 11:18 AM (5pTK/)

379 There are so many examples of French in this language, it is almost not worth mentioning. But then again,. What fun would that be? Forget regiment, battalion, ompany etc, most of our military terms come from French. Forget the food terms like steak and thousands of others.

I like the exotic terms. Often we use the French for extremes, the Germanic for the standard. For example, "stop" comes from German U guess. Arrest comes from French. We have the word hungry.. But the word "Famished" comes from French I could give tons of other examples

One I always liked was curfew. It is from the French couvre feu, meaning putting out the fire.

Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 11:18 AM (4raSk)

380 Story of my life. There's a fork in the road and all I have is soup.
----
No chopsticks in the house?

Posted by: dartist at February 27, 2022 11:18 AM (+ya+t)

381 When I tried to find Levon Cade books at the library, the only Chuck Dixon books that came up we're comic books.

Mr Dixon is very unashamedly and openly conservative which has basically gotten him all but banned by DC and Marvel. Libraries probably aren't fond of him. You might be able to get them to pick up some of his books though, he's written a bunch of them, all sorts of genres including western and horror.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:19 AM (KZzsI)

382 That's pretty true. One of the hallmarks of the old upper class (they don't really exist any more) was that they did whatever they goddamn pleased. The Marquess of Queensbury hung around with prize-fighters. They didn't have to worry about "keeping up appearances" because nobody can take a nobleman's status away from him.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 11:11 AM (QZxDR)
---
My sainted grandmother explained to me that class was about how you carried yourself, not how much money you had. She said she knew plenty of very rich people who were also low class. She didn't grow up wealthy, but family lore said they were once nobility and she was raised (and raised me) to act that way, and true nobility respect everyone, especially the ones who know something they don't.

The classic example is the lord of the manner chatting with his tenant farmers about soil conditions, drainage and so on. Evelyn Waugh's wife was a Herbert, which was a Catholic recusant family (see also Brideshead), and her hobby was raising cows.

She loved getting dirty, going to the county fairs, etc. Prissy poseurs would never do that because they were afraid they'd be seen as "common."

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:19 AM (llXky)

383 Btw, sous vide is French, just saying.

Posted by: Quint at February 27, 2022 11:20 AM (4raSk)

384 Former Miss Ukraine takes up arms and joins the fight against the Russians!

https://bit.ly/3BZMt3i

Reminds me of that famous photo of the cute Spanish Civil War girl who was cute despite being a commie rat bastard.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:11 AM (FVME7)

These fools still think it's a game.

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:20 AM (V13WU)

385 Shockingly the snake island thing and the youpron banning Russians was all lies. Totally made up propaganda for the American rubes.

Posted by: Joe XiDen - I miss Delta Variant at February 27, 2022 11:21 AM (3vQN0)

386 A cold-blooded English assassin (which is basically what Bond is) would not have achieved world-wide popularity when the sun still didn't set on the British Empire.

That is a good point. If Britain was still considered the big man on the block controlling things, the idea of James Bond becomes intimidating rather than entertaining.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (KZzsI)

387 I read Luna City X...but XI isn't out yet so I'm stuck...

Posted by: lin-duh at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (UUBmN)

388 Sous vide that comment!

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (TjMft)

389 David Hogg
@davidhogg111
Imagine if instead of just posting stuff on social media about Ukraine people worked to find Russian soldiers on social media (if they're on there) and worked encourage defection + surrender + sabotage.
Here's an outdated OSS manual for a rough idea:
. . . .
-Match with them on Tinder and other dating apps
-Find them on Russian social media
-Post as a "Russian soldier" on Russian social media about how stupid the war is.
-More
Im just trying to think of things more impactful than just posting hashtags.

-
Whatever you do, don't touch a firearm!

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (FVME7)

390 As to reading, I finished "Night and Day" by Virginia Woolf. I kept thinking I was done and what to my wondering eyes did appear but another chapter. It was getting irritating, but when I finally got to the end I was OK with it.

Do you consider that a good entry book for readers unfamiliar with her writing? Because I really hated To the Lighthouse but people whose opinions I respect sing her praises.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (y7DUB)

391 Like the Beatles, Bond made Britishness seem fun, not really threatening or scary. A cold-blooded English assassin (which is basically what Bond is) would not have achieved world-wide popularity when the sun still didn't set on the British Empire.
Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022

***
His literary ancestors like Richard Hannay of Thirty-Nine Steps were intrepid, but not the assassin types, no. There was also the fact that Bond's adventures displayed and celebrated luxury at a time (the 1950s) when Britain was still going through the postwar austerity that spawned the "kitchen-sink" drama like Look Back in Anger. Bond traveled and enjoyed a lot of things that the average Briton, and American, couldn't have.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (c6xtn)

392 These fools still think it's a game.
Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:20 AM (V13WU)

I don't think they do. They're seeing the destruction first hand. And unlike Americans, they, or their parents, remember life under the Soviet Russians and will fight a return.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (ONvIw)

393 Crap, should have been "lord of the manor."

Anyway, Ace has talked about how modern gentry liberals try to do the same thing, choosing to be wilfully ignorant of things to demonstrate their supposed superiority.

Firearms is a classic example. I may be crossing the threads, but the monumental and incurable ignorance of liberals on both how firearms operate and what the existing laws are is a huge example of affectation.

"Oh, I don't know about that, it's so icky and beneath me. Let's talk about Canadian Women Poets instead."

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:23 AM (llXky)

394 These fools still think it's a game."

I don't think any Ukrainian thinks it's a game.

I've been struck by the bravery of the Ukrainians. Can you imagine the pajama boys of Brooklyn and San Fran fighting for freedom? Why fight when you believe your country is evil and oppressive?

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:23 AM (HabA/)

395 Whatever you do, don't touch a firearm!
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (FVME7)
--------------

Someone needs to suggest to Hogg that going to Ukraine and actually fighting would be useful and he could set an example by volunteering.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 11:24 AM (5pTK/)

396 There is a Jimmy Dore YouTube video that explains a lot of the backstory of Ukraine. The shit nobody on Fox or cnn will dare mention.

Essentially Ukraine is not the innocent country they would have you believe. Pretty good stuff.

Posted by: Joe XiDen - I miss Delta Variant at February 27, 2022 11:24 AM (3vQN0)

397 I suspect that might have been his story "The Garden of Forking Paths," which has a crime element and appeared first in English in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine just after WWII.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 11:13 AM

"The End of the Duel" it was.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at February 27, 2022 11:24 AM (/+bwe)

398 Whatever you do, don't touch a firearm!

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:22 AM (FVME7)

Sounds a lot like F@gg knows a lot about how Tinder works....

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 11:25 AM (7bRMQ)

399 She said she knew plenty of very rich people who were also low class.

-
Did the name Snoop Dog come up?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:25 AM (FVME7)

400 These fools still think it's a game.
Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:20 AM (V13WU)

Don't underestimate Slavic women. They'll cut you and laugh while you bleed out.

Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 11:25 AM (Fs5vw)

401 Perfessor, thanks for the most excellent book thread! And thanks to the cobs who keep everything going.

Perf, this might be up your alley: Artist uses AI to perfectly fake 70s science fiction pulp covers artwork and titles.

https: //tinyurl. com/2rth57u6

Or just search: pulp site: cdm. link

Posted by: Ex-CopyEditor at February 27, 2022 11:25 AM (FlzJ+)

402 "Shockingly the snake island thing and the youpron banning Russians was all lies"

Tried to convince #2 son last night that Snake island was probably propaganda. He'd rather believe the internet than me.

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 11:25 AM (vrz2I)

403 by the way, i saw a photo of what I considered to be darn good improvised defensive position in Ukraine. It appeared to be tires stacked in a somewhat interlocked position.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 11:26 AM (5pTK/)

404 Firearms is a classic example. I may be crossing the threads, but the monumental and incurable ignorance of liberals on both how firearms operate and what the existing laws are is a huge example of affectation.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:23 AM (llXky)

Firearms certainly, but also food production. Mike Bloomberg illustrated this with his stupid put the seed in the hole denigration of farming. During a big 1980s farmers protest, some people in NYC were so disconnected with agriculture I remember hearing " Who needs these farmers, I can get all the food I want at Gristedes". Blisteringly stupid

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:27 AM (ONvIw)

405 I think its still too early to know what is a lie and what is truth. We may never know with some of this stuff.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:27 AM (KZzsI)

406 No country is perfectly innocent and blameless. That doesn't mean it's impossible to say that one is being worse than another. Save the "thoughtful thoughts about Ukraine" for when Putin's dead.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 11:27 AM (QZxDR)

407 Don't underestimate Slavic women. They'll cut you and laugh while you bleed out.

Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 11:25 AM (Fs5vw)

Don't I know it!

Posted by: Billy Joel at February 27, 2022 11:29 AM (7bRMQ)

408 Here's the commie rat bastard now.

https://bit.ly/3hEu1Ux

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:29 AM (FVME7)

409 Shockingly the snake island thing and the youpron banning Russians was all lies"

Tried to convince #2 son last night that Snake island was probably propaganda. He'd rather believe the internet than me.
Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 11:25 AM (vrz2I)

was debunk over and over; or to use Trump's ethos, would he rather be with retarded twitter fools , or with smart people ?

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:29 AM (V13WU)

410 Farmers...

Any idea why TX brought its gold back home?

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:29 AM (TjMft)

411 Great post, Perfessor!

I haven't read any books this week, but Larry Correia went after his son's high school English teacher in his blog for deconstructing 'The Great Gatsby' for an entire trimester from various social justice perspectives.

https://tinyurl.com/yc4fmfvd

He has a new book coming out soon.

Posted by: KT at February 27, 2022 11:29 AM (0ghg2)

412 OK, if anyone is really interested in English philology, you should listen to the first 100 episodes of The History of English Podcast

https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/episodes/

All of you are sort of right. But most of you are missing stuff.

(one of my great loves was linguistics, and I couldn't justify getting into it in college)

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 11:29 AM (xhaym)

413 Hebrew doesn't have an indefinite article. It has a preposition to mark direct objects, but only direct objects that are marked with a deductive article.

It's not really an inflected language, but the pronominal objects of prepositions are declined.

(I don't know why I bother posting. No one will read this.)

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 11:30 AM (rMa9a)

414
Have you noticed that pro-Ukraine side's strategy is to basically "cancel" Russia?

Posted by: Soothsayer, the #1 most trusted name in news at February 27, 2022 11:30 AM (w3eVT)

415 I've been struck by the bravery of the Ukrainians. Can you imagine the pajama boys of Brooklyn and San Fran fighting for freedom? Why fight when you believe your country is evil and oppressive?

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:23 AM (HabA/)
---
The homily today was interesting. The priest actually went there, talking about people doing virtue signalling online but taking no practical action.

He mentioned that once (and just once!) he met a person who claimed to care about the environment and actually lived that way, sacrificing personal comfort to conform with his principles.

So much easier to virtue signal online.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:31 AM (llXky)

416 The questions I want to confront anyone who advocates US Military involvement, beyond supplying munitions, are:

Why are you more concerned about Ukraine borders than our own?

Why are we funding Putins war through buying oil from Russia?

The deflection from answering those questions would probably be epic.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 11:31 AM (5pTK/)

417 Hebrew doesn't sound right when I hear it spoken. I mean, it sounds the way its supposed to, I just always imagined it being more lyrical and pretty.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:31 AM (KZzsI)

418 (I don't know why I bother posting. No one will read this.)

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 11:30 AM (rMa9a)

I've been told that just because no one comments on your post, it doesn't mean no one read it.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 11:32 AM (7bRMQ)

419 Lee Also:

Check out the difference between Insular and Continental Celtic.
Semitic influence in the former?

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:32 AM (TjMft)

420 Did you guys know that Korean is a "language isolate" ? Interesting , no ?

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:32 AM (V13WU)

421 I've been struck by the bravery of the Ukrainians. Can you imagine the pajama boys of Brooklyn and San Fran fighting for freedom? Why fight when you believe your country is evil and oppressive?

DC *is* evil and oppressive.

And any Ukrainian who is fighting has been suckered into fighting to defend DC's meglomania and, specific to Ukraine, money laundering. We should pity them.

Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 11:33 AM (kOpft)

422 405 I think its still too early to know what is a lie and what is truth. We may never know with some of this stuff.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:27 AM (KZzsI)
---
This is why I am tuning it all out. It's just noise. At some point the facts on the ground will be clear, but not until then.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:33 AM (llXky)

423 Have you noticed that pro-Ukraine side's strategy is to basically "cancel" Russia?

===

Kiev - Kyev

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:33 AM (V13WU)

424
So much easier to virtue signal online.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:31 AM (llXk

Yes it is, or verbally at brunches or parties.

I've been struck by the bravery of the Ukrainians. Can you imagine the pajama boys of Brooklyn and San Fran fighting for freedom? Why fight when you believe your country is evil and oppressive?

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:23 AM (HabA/)

Some of them join antifa and fight against their country. I'm pretty surprised that "nazi" didn't work for Putin.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:34 AM (ONvIw)

425 Read Robert Greene's 48 Rules of Power.

Quick and interesting read, recommended.

Also read his Rules of Mastery, which is lesser well known but in my opinion is a better reference book. Wish I had that book when I was in college.

Posted by: squeakywheel at February 27, 2022 11:34 AM (pMv+f)

426 Kiev - Kyev

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:33 AM (V13WU)
---
I like the older Chinese books because they use the proper names. Peking instead of Beijing, etc.

Pinyin is literally a Communist plot.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:35 AM (llXky)

427 Didn't we all decide Dutch was superior to German?

Posted by: Soothsayer, the #1 most trusted name in news at February 27, 2022 11:01 AM (w3eVT)

If you like phlegm, yes.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 11:36 AM (xhaym)

428 413 Hebrew doesn't have an indefinite article. It has a preposition to mark direct objects, but only direct objects that are marked with a deductive article.

It's not really an inflected language, but the pronominal objects of prepositions are declined.

(I don't know why I bother posting. No one will read this.)
Posted by: Lee Also

All Greek to me

Posted by: 7man at February 27, 2022 11:36 AM (6+jtc)

429 Despising the current Admin doesn't mean you have to slobber Vlad's knob.

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 11:36 AM (QZxDR)

430 @426 When I was a kid, it was Peiping. Just saying.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at February 27, 2022 11:36 AM (videA)

431 Reply to
Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at February 27, 2022
Wolfus Aurelius at February 27, 2022 09:26 AM (c6xtn)

It didn't get the best reviewers, but I've always loved her "A Distant Mirror." Nothing the Black Death chapters for a good read.

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 11:36 AM (rMa9a)

432 Have you noticed that pro-Ukraine side's strategy is to basically "cancel" Russia?

Because its being run by the same people who are trying to cancel Joe Rogan and everything else. They only really have one tool: social shaming mean girls stuff.

I'm not Pro-Russia or Pro-Ukraine. Both governments are nasty and corrupt. The only shame here is that the people doing the fighting are dying for evil governments.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:37 AM (KZzsI)

433 One of the early Reacher books, I forget which one but its in the first four or so, Reacher is a very different character. He goes on about he how he is in great shape cause he had spent a while digging pools in FL for money. In another early one he is much more arrogant and confrontational than he usually is. And considering Child (brilliantly I think for longevity of the character as one of the common problems of long term series is that the main character gets too old realistically to do what he does) purposely does not write them in chronological order.it's not like Reacher matures as he will act like later Reacher when he is still in the Army and younger than when he was out of the Army. Still great books though.

Posted by: azjaeger at February 27, 2022 11:37 AM (3/XaG)

434 heh, I know wa gwan and me soon come. After that, its French

Posted by: Jamaica Queens at February 27, 2022 11:37 AM (b+v9B)

435 Lin-duh! I'm writing Luna City 11 as fast as I can ... but I have projects stacked on top of projects so it's slow going.
But I can promise another murder mystery and the return of the 1920s-30s chief of police, Chief McGill.
Plus what happened when the wandering romance novelist took a picture at the dunking booth on the 4th of July celebration on Town Square... as a reference for the cover of her next book.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at February 27, 2022 11:37 AM (xnmPy)

436 Why are the talking heads, even on FOX, saying Republicans are siding with putin? Who the fuck is saying that?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (Irn0L)

437 Korean : Japanese :: Basque : Georgian

(possibly)

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (TjMft)

438 Have you noticed that pro-Ukraine side's strategy is to basically "cancel" Russia?

Yup, that and emphasize all the reasons we should empathize with Ukraine, while ignoring Russia's clearly stated motivation and goals in favor of pretending it's a mystery so we should all assume the worst imaginable situation (just like covid) - stuff like that is clarifying for anyone willing to see it.

Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (kOpft)

439 I've also got Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August on the shelf.

I loved Distant Mirror enough to want to buy it some day for research, haven't read anything else by her.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (KZzsI)

440 Anyone read the Stuart Woods series of books? My mom's retirement home library has all of his books in large print. She's been reading mostly women authors as I've been picking them out for her.
Posted by: Anti doesn't matter

I've read ALL of them. Good stories, interesting characters.

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (arJlL)

441
And any Ukrainian who is fighting has been suckered into fighting to defend DC's meglomania and, specific to Ukraine, money laundering. We should pity them.
Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 11:33 AM (kOpft)

Maybe they're fighting out of a love of their country, warts and all.

Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (Fs5vw)

442 When I was a kid, it was Peiping. Just saying.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at February 27, 2022 11:36 AM (videA)
---
Yes, but that was because the name was actually changed, not the translation.

The stupidity of Pinyin is that you can't translate Mandarin with writing because its a tonal language. That's why they use characters rather than a phonetic alphabet.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:39 AM (llXky)

443 Hiya Donna of the Ampersands !

Fancy meetin' you here !

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 11:39 AM (arJlL)

444 Yeah, there's corruption in the Ukrainian government. There is corruption in the Russian government. And in our government - does that mean we would deserve to be invaded?

You know, just because leftists are praising the Ukraine now doesn't mean that Putin is automatically a good guy. He's not. And this invasion is pure bullshit.

The Ukrainians suffered horrors in the 20th century - starved under Stalin, and then crushed by Nazi tanks when Hitler invaded the USSR. They're on a very bad piece of real estate.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:39 AM (HabA/)

445 "It's not really an inflected language, but the pronominal objects of prepositions are declined.
(I don't know why I bother posting. No one will read this.)
Posted by: Lee Also"

Read it? Yes? Understand it? Well uhh, yeah sure maybe.

Posted by: fd at February 27, 2022 11:40 AM (vrz2I)

446 436 Why are the talking heads, even on FOX, saying Republicans are siding with putin? Who the fuck is saying that?
Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (Irn0L)

I haven't heard any GOP saying it. I've read some people here essentially saying it.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:40 AM (ONvIw)

447 Deserted Island. I'll give you the Bible and a dictionary.

What two other books?

Posted by: TC at February 27, 2022 11:40 AM (C8km4)

448 Still great books though.

I enjoy the Reacher books for the same reason I enjoy comic books: they're a fun escape and you can just let your brain go and cheer on the big guy who cannot lose.

And I think ultimately, that's why the books are written the way they are. I don't think Child even cares about continuity or pattern, he just comes up with an idea and plugs his big guy into it then writes. And he's made a kajillion dollars in the process, so good for him.

Honestly the TV show actually rounds out the character and gives him more personality and depth than the books do, which is a definite reversal.

I just finished the Reacher TV series and while I enjoyed it, there were some pretty gaping flaws. Thankfully they avoided the woke traps.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:41 AM (KZzsI)

449 For clarity: Peking means "northern capital." When the Kuomintang moved the capital to Nanking, that no longer applied, so it became Peiping.

When the Chi-Coms got in, they moved it back, and Peking was once again appropriate.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:41 AM (llXky)

450 Hi, JT!

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:41 AM (HabA/)

451 I like the older Chinese books because they use the proper names. Peking instead of Beijing, etc.

Pinyin is literally a Communist plot.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:35 AM (llXky)

I prefer Pinyin to Wade-Giles and Yale as it is much closer to actual pronunciation.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 11:42 AM (Dc2NZ)

452 Trumps fault. giggles

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 11:42 AM (r4qXR)

453 I haven't heard any GOP saying it. I've read some people here essentially saying it.
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:40 AM (ONvIw)

Yeah I ignore the people here who are saying it, but I have not heard any certified national republican saying any such thing

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:42 AM (Irn0L)

454 To Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 09:59 AM

Regarding "The Jewel in the Crown": I read it along time ago. I read it because I got sucked into the series on PBS and missed the last half of the episodes and wanted to know what happened.

Not to spoil out for you, but I was angry after finishing it. The author never gets back to a lot of the characters. They just drop off the radar. The last time I was that disappointed was when I finished Sartre's "Roads to Freedom" trilogy. Give me a beginning, middle, end, and some kind of resolution. Please!

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 11:43 AM (rMa9a)

455 For all the Ukraine supporters, you realize a lot of them are the descendants of Nazi symps who killed Sefton's ancestors, no? It's more complicated than black and white.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 11:43 AM (y7DUB)

456 444 Yeah, there's corruption in the Ukrainian government. There is corruption in the Russian government. And in our government - does that mean we would deserve to be invaded?

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:39 AM (HabA/)

The left would have supported an invasion of Trump led American.

Yes, our govt and oligarchs are very corrupt. If we want to punish the 2020 election corruption, or the Russia hoax, we need look no farther than our own pols.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:43 AM (ONvIw)

457 Why are the talking heads, even on FOX, saying Republicans are siding with putin? Who the fuck is saying that?
Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (Irn0L)

Hee Hee!

Posted by: The Lincoln Bulwark at February 27, 2022 11:44 AM (7bRMQ)

458 How many embedded reporters does Faux News (original fake news) have?

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 11:44 AM (r4qXR)

459 finally watching Bills/Chiefs. Much better game from the Bills than I thought. I requested a naval architecture book from the Queens county main library. I would have been easier to go there myself and get it than via inter libary loan.

Posted by: Jamaica Queens at February 27, 2022 11:44 AM (b+v9B)

460 446 436 Why are the talking heads, even on FOX, saying Republicans are siding with putin? Who the fuck is saying that?
Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (Irn0L)

I know math is not looked upon well on the thread

but it's if you don't agree with Brandon = Putin cheerleader

Posted by: REDACTED at February 27, 2022 11:44 AM (us2H3)

461 I haven't heard any GOP saying it. I've read some people here essentially saying it.
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:40 AM (ONvIw)

Yep.

You know, it's both possible to think we should not send troops to the Ukraine and to have sympathy for the Ukrainians.

Trump gave the Ukraine weapons. That seems to have been forgotten by both leftists and some conservatives.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:44 AM (HabA/)

462 I'm gonna guess Paul Linebarger, also known as Cordwainer Smith?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

That was going to be my bet. "Scanners Live In Vain" was great. As were all his stories, TBH.

Posted by: Sharkman at February 27, 2022 11:45 AM (0g2Ck)

463 I haven't heard any GOP saying it. I've read some people here essentially saying it.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:40 AM (ONvIw)
---
Peter Hitchens has a good article on how the West has basically backed Putin into a corner with stupid strategic moves and that instead of incorporating Russia into the international framework, we keep treating them like Soviets, which they aren't.

I really don't want to talk about it, but the "defensive" weapons Ukraine was getting would have been able to shut down Russian air traffic all the way to Moscow.

Ask yourself if we'd allow a much more hostile Mexico to have that capability and then ask why Russia should be different. No western nation is being asked to allow a non-allied power to have that kind of control over their airspace. None would tolerate it.

Oh and for the last five years we've been screaming that Putin runs Trump and we need to wage war against him for his illegal coup. So there's that.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:45 AM (llXky)

464 @413 --

You would lose that bet.

Posted by: No one at February 27, 2022 11:45 AM (Om/di)

465 The Poles didn't always treat the Ashkenazis well. Doesn't mean they deserved the Ashcan Nazis

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:45 AM (TjMft)

466 138 Showing a local Ukrainian church mass - I see the priest faces away from the congregation

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 10:05 AM (lCui1)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

He's not facing away from the congregation. He's facing the same direction as the congregation. Both are facing "liturgical east" towards God.

Posted by: Peter (My friends call me Pete) Zah at February 27, 2022 11:46 AM (a4vvV)

467 The stupidity of Pinyin is that you can't translate Mandarin with writing because its a tonal language.

Native American languages are tongue-damaging monstrosities, with all these glottal stops, almost clicks and gutteral sounds. That's why everyone went with Gernimo because his real name is extremely difficult for non-Apache to pronounce. Pixie won't even let me use the characters required to attempt to approximate the sounds.

Its not an insult to change some words over to a version more pronounceable or memorable to another culture. It IS an insult to insist upon another "more pure and accurate" version which in the end, isn't because it cannot capture the proper and accurate version.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:46 AM (KZzsI)

468 455 For all the Ukraine supporters, you realize a lot of them are the descendants of Nazi symps who killed Sefton's ancestors, no? It's more complicated than black and white.
Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 11:43 AM (y7DUB)

Oh for God's sake, can we give the generational guilt a funeral already. My recent ancestors died at Nazi hands, and I don't see the Russian Invasion as payback. Russians killed plenty of Jews too over the course of their history.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:46 AM (ONvIw)

469 Cordwainer Bird!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes

Didn't Harlan "I'm An Asshole, But Man, Can I Write" Ellison (RIP) write a story under that pseudonym, as an homage to Cordwainer Smith?

I seem to recall that he did.

Posted by: Sharkman at February 27, 2022 11:46 AM (0g2Ck)

470 This business of linguistic articles creates translation problems all over the place. We fill in articles in Latin, and the Greek ones can mean different things in context. My favorite is the supposed snideness of Pilate, asking "What is Truth?" like smart-assed junior faculty. He may have only been asking "So -- what is this truth?" Lots of supposition there.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at February 27, 2022 11:46 AM (videA)

471 Hi, JT!
Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 11:47 AM (arJlL)

472 Trump taught Putin that you can just make stuff up and then repeat, then pivot. Trumps fault.

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 11:47 AM (5C/hL)

473 Peter Hitchens has a good article on how the West has basically backed Putin into a corner with stupid strategic moves and that instead of incorporating Russia into the international framework, we keep treating them like Soviets, which they aren't

This is getting a bit far afield from books, but that's also partly the fault of the Russians. Russians are kind of paranoid and insular, they really don't trust anyone and want everything their way (their internet, their facebook, their everything) so that it can't be taken away or controlled by anyone else.

So they are... difficult to include in an international community, and resist anything that feels like a loss of their sovereignty and control.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:48 AM (KZzsI)

474 Thanks for another great Book Thread!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 11:48 AM (Dc2NZ)

475 Deserted Island. I'll give you the Bible and a dictionary.

What two other books?
Posted by: TC

Flora of Deserted Islands and Fauna of Deserted Islands.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:48 AM (FVME7)

476 Is there a link exposing the Snake Island "massacre" as a lie?

Posted by: megthered at February 27, 2022 11:49 AM (TRsea)

477 Great book thread, 3 more books downloaded!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at February 27, 2022 11:49 AM (vnqom)

478 Not to spoil out for you, but I was angry after finishing it. The author never gets back to a lot of the characters. They just drop off the radar. The last time I was that disappointed was when I finished Sartre's "Roads to Freedom" trilogy. Give me a beginning, middle, end, and some kind of resolution. Please!
Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 11:43 AM (rMa9a)

I'm not surprised and expect to feel likewise. It's difficult to keep a work of that length coherent and still interesting. The most successful one that comes to mind was Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 11:49 AM (y7DUB)

479 For all the Ukraine supporters, you realize a lot of them are the descendants of Nazi symps who killed Sefton's ancestors, no? It's more complicated than black and white.
Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 11:43 AM (y7DUB)

To your point. Saw pics online (bbc) of brave defenders of Kiev and patriots of Ukraine, ready to do battle with the Russians. Sitting under pictures of Bogdan Khmelnytskii. May they soon join him.

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:50 AM (V13WU)

480 Deserted Island. I'll give you the Bible and a dictionary.

What two other books?

Posted by: TC

Don't need the dictionary since I have the Bible. So I would trade that for the Collected Works of the Early Church Fathers, which runs about 10K pages.

The two other books would be . . . nothing. I've got what I need, and to choose two would be unfair to the billion books I'd want to name.

Posted by: Sharkman at February 27, 2022 11:50 AM (0g2Ck)

481 229 Ich bin ein Berliner.

Mmm. Berliners.
Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM (UHVv4)

Bavarians rock!!!

Posted by: Diogenes at February 27, 2022 11:50 AM (axyOa)

482 Yeah, there's corruption in the Ukrainian government. There is corruption in the Russian government. And in our government - does that mean we would deserve to be invaded?

You know, just because leftists are praising the Ukraine now doesn't mean that Putin is automatically a good guy. He's not. And this invasion is pure bullshit.

I'm sorry Donna, but you're incorrect. Russia is engaging in (pre-emptive) self defense, the same way we did when we blockaded Cuba, and claimed we were doing when we invaded Iraq. They've tried diplomacy on the issue for a very long time and NATO's consistent response has been "Fuck you, we do what we want and you can't do anything about it." So they are taking the last option they have left and doing something about it.

As to what we deserve, well, DC conspired this the ChiComs to attack the entire world with a biological weapon (which killed Russians among others), so a nuclear response against "us" is already justified, much less invasion, or whatever.

Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 11:50 AM (kOpft)

483 The 2024 Dem primary will be one for the books.

Posted by: I Mean at February 27, 2022 11:51 AM (rfC2s)

484 More suited to the Food Thread or maybe the First World Problems Thread but since I will be out of the house for both of those...

I was just making breakfast and was this ] [ close to losing my sh*t tearing the kitchen apart looking for baking soda because I know we bought a new box just last week. Turns out it was right under my nose but I couldn't see it because it's Kroger's store brand instead of HEB's store brand and the box is the "wrong" color.

Posted by: Oddbob at February 27, 2022 11:51 AM (nfrXX)

485 To your point. Saw pics online (bbc) of brave defenders of Kiev and patriots of Ukraine, ready to do battle with the Russians. Sitting under pictures of Bogdan Khmelnytskii. May they soon join him.

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism'

Were those the dudes carrying the plywood AK-47s? That's a pretty revealing pic that's been going around online.

Posted by: Sharkman at February 27, 2022 11:51 AM (0g2Ck)

486 see eye a, foggy bottom and their corporate sponsors need an enemy

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:51 AM (V13WU)

487 455 For all the Ukraine supporters, you realize a lot of them are the descendants of Nazi symps who killed Sefton's ancestors, no? It's more complicated than black and white.
Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 11:43 AM (y7DUB)

You do realize that the current president of the Ukraine is Jewish?

Yes, there were Ukrainian Nazi collaborators. After the horrors of Stalinism, many Ukrainians welcomed the Nazis as liberators - how much worse could Hitler be, they thought. They soon found out. Nazi tanks rolled right over Ukrainian villages. As for the collaborators - there were anti-Semitic shits all over Europe.

As noted above, the Ukrainians now have a Jewish president - who is showing more balls than any Western leader has.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:51 AM (HabA/)

488 (I don't know why I bother posting. No one will read this.)

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 11:30 AM (rMa9a)

I've been told that just because no one comments on your post, it doesn't mean no one read it.
Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 11:32 AM (7bRMQ)
----
Don't feel bad, I write whole posts that no one reads!!

Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 11:51 AM (0IeYL)

489 Anyone bringing up Nazi atrocities against the Jews in WW2, and there were many, in reference to this unprovoked invasion by russia into Ukraine is way off base. One has nothing to do with the other. And also, while we can argue we, The West, should have had a more hands off approach to the independent Ukraine over the years ( and I tend to agree with that even if ultimately it would make no difference to a fascist like putin ) again the does not, in an way or manner excuse this outrageous invasion by putin.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (Irn0L)

490 Putin is a ruthless fucker but he is not dumb

he wants Ukraine intact

he is not going to all this trouble to rule over a wasteland

and when he meets with Zelenski, he will explain to him

"this is gonna happen, one way or another"

"I've got plenty of dial left"

and I think Zelenski will believe him

Posted by: REDACTED at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (us2H3)

491 I know math is not looked upon well on the thread

but it's if you don't agree with Brandon = Putin cheerleader
Posted by: REDACTED

March in step behind Fearless Leader Brandon or you're worse than Hitler!

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (FVME7)

492 The classic example is the lord of the manner chatting with his tenant farmers about soil conditions, drainage and so on. Evelyn Waugh's wife was a Herbert, which was a Catholic recusant family (see also Brideshead), and her hobby was raising cows.
She loved getting dirty, going to the county fairs, etc. Prissy poseurs would never do that because they were afraid they'd be seen as "common."
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:19 AM (llXky)

Chris Williamson ( a English podcaster ) calls it "tall poppy syndrome" in the UK where if you go off the norm and stand out you get dogged, since conformity is very important.
I also once listened to a German and a Colombian talk about the US, and one of them mentioned that at home if you painted your garage purple you would have to justify it to your neighbors, and in the US you just say "I like purple" and everyone just shrugs and maybe winces.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (xhaym)

493 Thanks for another great Book Thread!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes

?

Thank YOU !

Posted by: JT at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (arJlL)

494 I prefer Pinyin to Wade-Giles and Yale as it is much closer to actual pronunciation.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 11:42 AM (Dc2NZ)
---
Maybe, but you still can't make anything out of it. How do you say "Qing"? I mention that because the author of my newer book says at the beginning that both are pretty useless in terms of speaking actual Mandarin.

What it did do is allow the Chi-coms to completely remake all their maps AND recast all of their history for foreign audiences.

In order to "fact check" the Chi-com version, you now need to reverse engineer the new name with the old name, and the old place. It's a serious pain in the ass, which is why they did it.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (llXky)

495 Trump taught Putin that you can just make stuff up and then repeat, then pivot. Trumps fault.

Posted by: FinkelMeir

I'll bite. What specific thing did Trump just make up and repeat that was utterly false?

Posted by: Sharkman at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (0g2Ck)

496 I think liberals are closer to libertarians than to republicans.

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (5C/hL)

497 Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 11:50 AM (kOpft)

I must have missed the positioning of US offensive nuclear missiles on Ukrainian soil?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (Irn0L)

498 Putin invading Ukraine is absolutely wrong and a violation of several long-standing principles, rules, and treaties involving sovereignty of states.

When we invaded Kuwait, we did so to push an aggressor nation out, not to invade Kuwait. Russia has several motivations and reasoning behind sending troops into a neighboring country but none of them are justified.

There are good reasons for Putin to not like things in Ukraine and want them changed, but none justify invasion. Nations are free to do whatever they wish within their own borders, as long as it does not immediately and materially harm their neighbors.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (KZzsI)

499 (I don't know why I bother posting. No one will read this.)

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 11:30 AM (rMa9a)

I used to worry about that, but then I shrugged and commented anyway. BTW I understood maybe half of what your post was regarding Hebrew. But don't let that concern you. I am not all that bright.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Hi, I'm Folksy Torgo at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (x8Wzq)

500
To your point. Saw pics online (bbc) of brave defenders of Kiev and patriots of Ukraine, ready to do battle with the Russians. Sitting under pictures of Bogdan Khmelnytskii. May they soon join him.
Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:50 AM (V13WU)

There were pics of brave American fighters sitting under pics of slavers Washington and Jefferson, May they soon join them?

I know you think Zelensky is a fig leaf for naziism, but making everything about our past is absurd

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (ONvIw)

501 Captain Hate
I'm not completely familiar with Woolf (which is why I was reading Night and Day). I heard A Room of One's Own read on Wisconsin Public Radio's Chapter a Day and enjoyed it, but that could have been the reader. So I picked up her collected novels for the Kindle. I've only read 2 so far and if I was going to recommend one it would be the first I read: The Voyage Out.

Posted by: who knew at February 27, 2022 11:54 AM (4I7VG)

502 Don't feel bad, I write whole posts that no one reads!!

Posted by: Weasel at February 27, 2022 11:51 AM (0IeYL)

I see a bull dropping a load here......

Posted by: OrangeEnt at February 27, 2022 11:54 AM (7bRMQ)

503 Sharkman

Hoax virus. 16 cases soon to be n none.

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 11:54 AM (5C/hL)

504 FinkelMeir

I'll bite. What specific thing did Trump just make up and repeat that was utterly false?
Posted by: Sharkman at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (0g2Ck)

Ignore it, it is a low paid troll

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:54 AM (Irn0L)

505 Cordwainer Smith!

Posted by: Jim S. at February 27, 2022 11:54 AM (ynUnH)

506 There are good reasons for Putin to not like things in Ukraine and want them changed, but none justify invasion. Nations are free to do whatever they wish within their own borders, as long as it does not immediately and materially harm their neighbors.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (KZzsI)

He usually just poisons leaders he doesn't like

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:54 AM (ONvIw)

507
Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (5C/hL)

did IQs just drop suddenly whilst I was at the store?

Posted by: AltonJackson at February 27, 2022 11:55 AM (DUIap)

508 Oh for God's sake, can we give the generational guilt a funeral already. My recent ancestors died at Nazi hands, and I don't see the Russian Invasion as payback. Russians killed plenty of Jews too over the course of their history.
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:46 AM (ONvIw)

Argue with JJ about it. I've argued that an occupied country has no autonomy but that has fallen on deaf ears. Some memories are hard to let go of but in the current case equating Russia with the Soviet Union plays into the State Department's hands. And Soros.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 11:55 AM (y7DUB)

509 There are good reasons for Putin to not like things in Ukraine and want them changed, but none justify invasion. Nations are free to do whatever they wish within their own borders, as long as it does not immediately and materially harm their neighbors.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (KZzsI)

I agree 100%

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:55 AM (Irn0L)

510
Democrats are shaming and conning the Republicans into taking point on shilling for another unnecessary war. It's working.

Posted by: Soothsayer, the #1 most trusted name in news at February 27, 2022 11:55 AM (w3eVT)

511 Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (Irn0L)

Agreed. It's possible to think both that Biden is an idiot and Putin is a ruthless invader. One does not cancel out the other.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&&V at February 27, 2022 11:55 AM (HabA/)

512 Is there a link exposing the Snake Island "massacre" as a lie?
Posted by: megthered at February 27, 2022 11:49 AM (TRsea)

Danger Island > Snake Island

Posted by: Zombie Jan-Michael Vincent, Still Drunk at February 27, 2022 11:56 AM (R/m4+)

513 489 Anyone bringing up Nazi atrocities against the Jews in WW2, and there were many, in reference to this unprovoked invasion by russia into Ukraine is way off base. One has nothing to do with the other. And also, while we can argue we, The West, should have had a more hands off approach to the independent Ukraine over the years ( and I tend to agree with that even if ultimately it would make no difference to a fascist like putin ) again the does not, in an way or manner excuse this outrageous invasion by putin.
Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (Irn0L)

Yep. It's time to stop looking at everything through a distorted WWII lens

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:56 AM (ONvIw)

514 Reminds me of what William Munny said in Unforgiven, we've all got it coming.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 11:56 AM (FVME7)

515 A lot of Germans are descendants of Nazi symps, too. Should we have let Stalin take the whole place over?

Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (QZxDR)

516 Putin, Trump, lots of others that worship money are not true Christians. Biden, and 7 of the 9 justices are Catholic, and true Christians. giggles.

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (5C/hL)

517 And this invasion is pure bullshit.

Right. Putin should want a western-aligned government right on his doorstep. You know, maybe the idea of expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization beyond the North Atlantic to include Eastern European countries ordinary Americans don't want to be tripwire for a general war was not such a hot idea? We've maintained an adversarial role with Russia for more than 20 years now and are apparently shocked that he treats us and our allies like adversaries.

At any rate, the moral outrage from the West is delicious. The same pols who think our borders are meaningless think Ukraine's is sacred. The same pols who adore doing business with totalitarian state China, which has actual camps, occupies an invaded neighbor, Tibet, and is crushing all opposition in Hong Kong, find Russia beyond the pale.

Americans have simply been brainwashed into accepting two decades of foreign policy - not just in Europe - that is wrongheaded and achieves nothing for this country. Dems and Republicans alike have been no better at foreign policy than they have at domestic policy during this period.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (KFhLj)

518 You do realize that the current president of the Ukraine is Jewish?

How convenient. Did you know that Barack Obama is black ?

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (V13WU)

519 Yep. It's time to stop looking at everything through a distorted WWII lens
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:56 AM (ONvIw)

but it was our finest hour !!

Posted by: Winston at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (us2H3)

520 He's facing the same direction as the congregation.

I'm not RC. For the benefit of other non-RC's, there has been a generation-long liturgical war among RC's over Big Church's change of orientation on this one thing. It is modern spirituality to face the crowd.

Churches have been demolished (by the bishops), congregations dissolved and forcibly recombined into others, and many have stalked off from their religion. Splitters, you may say, but it is a source of continual wonderment how important a "small detail" can be.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (videA)

521 And good job on the book thread, Perfessor.

I am currently reading Master and Commander. It's going slowly as I learn the jargon, but I am really picking up steam as I reach the middle of the book. (I am one of the few kids in my HS lit class who liked books like "A Clockwork Orange" because I loved learning the jargon as I read - didn't look words u in the glossary very often - hated the movie)

Mrs. Mahon bought me the entire O'Brian set a couple months ago. I was giddy.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Hi, I'm Folksy Torgo at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (x8Wzq)

522 Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (ONvIw)

your poor husband...

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:58 AM (V13WU)

523 this finkelmeir character is now just plain weird.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 11:58 AM (5pTK/)

524 Should we have let Stalin take the whole place over?
Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (QZxDR)

Well all you bastards know how I feel

Posted by: G Patton at February 27, 2022 11:58 AM (Irn0L)

525 Ukrainians remember very well what happened at Babi Yar. That might be one of the reasons they're fighting this invasion instead of giving up.

Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 11:58 AM (Fs5vw)

526 this unprovoked invasion by russia into Ukraine is way off base.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (Irn0L)
---
Oh, it was provoked over many years.

The problem is it wasn't provoked by Ukraine, it was provoked by our leaders, who told Ukraine "don't worry, we'll defend you when the time comes."

But they never meant to do it.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (llXky)

527
I expect to see a really, really stupid "Resolution" passed by the Senate tomorrow.

The Resolution will be worded specifically to embarrass the Republican party more than Putin, but the Republican Idiots will all vote for it,.

Posted by: Soothsayer, the #1 most trusted name in news at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (w3eVT)

528 Funny how everyone on the Left is suddenly PRO GUN, in Ukraine.

Posted by: Romeo13 at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (oHd/0)

529 A lot of Germans are descendants of Nazi symps, too. Should we have let Stalin take the whole place over?
Posted by: Trimegistus at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (QZxDR)

Lotta Nazis running around Argentina, even though they are well into their early 100s.

When does Putin invade?

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (R/m4+)

530 I have never read anything by JJ championing the death of "descendants" of those who persecuted the Jews. And going back to the 17th century is an outrage and shows that not only one side is capable of prejudice and strong unyielding hate.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (ONvIw)

531 Hitchens is right.

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (V13WU)

532 SO

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (Irn0L)

533 Smells like troll up in heah

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (TjMft)

534 Well, time to wander.

Later!

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (5pTK/)) at February 27, 2022 12:00 PM (5pTK/)

535 Nood

Posted by: Cosda at February 27, 2022 12:00 PM (aypKI)

536 For the record, Humphrey Bogart was kicked out of Andover - didn't graduate.

And yes Forheremenaremen - Andover > Exeter.

Posted by: 496 at February 27, 2022 12:00 PM (VJsqe)

537 Lewis wrote the space trilogy because he read a bunch of sci fi and noticed that they were largely written as tracts to convince people of secular humanism and darwinism.[ . . . ]
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 10:58 AM (KZzsI)

The roots of Science Fiction is in Technocracy, it was philosophy like Progressivism that looked for using scientific leadership and knowledege to steward society. And that always means getting rid of the old stuff.
Some writer said that SciFi was analogous to the Bolshevik revolution utterly collapsing, leaving only a school of art devoted to tractors, steel workers and farmers.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 12:01 PM (xhaym)

538 The Resolution will be worded specifically to embarrass the Republican party more than Putin, but the Republican Idiots will all vote for it,.

Posted by: Soothsayer, the #1 most trusted name in news at February 27, 2022 11:59 AM (w3eVT)

Not possible. imo.

Posted by: BignJames at February 27, 2022 12:01 PM (AwYPR)

539 Not my doing but
Nood

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2022 12:01 PM (2JoB8)

540 Babi Yar - when Ukrainians betrayed their Jewish neighbors to the Nazis, had them rounded up and executed at Babi Yar. I hope they remember well.

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 12:02 PM (V13WU)

541 Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (llXky)

Pinyin was made for native speakers, not foreigners, so the assignment of a particular sound to QING versus CH'ING or whatever isn't really an issue.

Me, personally, I like it better. Just an opinion.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at February 27, 2022 12:02 PM (Dc2NZ)

542 522 Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (ONvIw)

your poor husband...
Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:58 AM (V13WU)

He agrees with me.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 12:02 PM (ONvIw)

543 Half dozen good points and everyone pivots to the next thread.

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 12:03 PM (C4beb)

544 English may be viewed as the most successful Creole--there are others such as Swahili and Kituba in Africa.
Posted by: sharon at February 27, 2022 10:32 AM

"English beats up other languages in dark alleys, then rifles through their pockets for loose grammars and spare vocabulary"

I enjoy "Yeshivish" -- an interesting blend of English, Yiddish, and Hebrew (the Hebrew with an Ashkenazi/Yiddish/American pronunciation.)

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 12:03 PM (rMa9a)

545 Yep. It's time to stop looking at everything through a distorted WWII lens
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:56 AM (ONvIw)

Bingo. But we just can't collectively do it. There's a war going on !!! Why ain't we in it ???

Those previous two sentences describe the Cold War crowd - and that crowd has an intersection, although not a perfect 100% match, with the Boomer mentality. No disrespect to Boomers here that disagree - however, own it. As a generation, this is a Boomer thing. No different than brand loyalty, back the local ball team, and all that other similar shit.

It's OK to acknowledge the stereo-type. As a generation, the stereotype that Gen-X doesn't give a rat's ass about anything is true. We're cynical, in the collective sense, and we give no allegiance to anything.

We need more cynicism right now.

Posted by: Stayin' Alive at February 27, 2022 12:03 PM (+RMAp)

546 Wonder why

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 12:03 PM (TjMft)

547 To everyone I'm arguing with over Ukraine: you aren't my enemy. For all I know I'm being played by deep state shitheads. I just think it's dumb to overreact to something quickly in an area characterized by long standing factional animosity. And with nukes.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 12:04 PM (y7DUB)

548 I must have missed the positioning of US offensive nuclear missiles on Ukrainian soil?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (Irn0L)

There's a comment upthread about the specific problem of allowing air "defense" systems in Ukraine that can affect Russian air space.

There is also, for example, the problem of the CIA trained and funded Azov Battalion, a bunch of neo nazis spoiling for a fight with Russians. Any number of people may claim that's a purely defensive move, but there's no reason for the Russians to believe that.

Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 12:05 PM (kOpft)

549 It's going slowly as I learn the jargon, but I am really picking up steam as I reach the middle of the book.

It is a barrier but one that O'Brian does well to help overcome by having Steven there to perpetually be confused by sea terms. And ultimately, it doesn't matter if you know the difference between a Jib and a Forestaysail. Its fun and interesting when you do, but its not important to the story.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 12:05 PM (KZzsI)

550 The experts think Putin has really come unglued. Right out of Trumps playbook. This invasion is Trumps fault. giggles.

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 12:05 PM (C4beb)

551 Any idea why TX brought its gold back home?

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:29 AM (TjMft)

They couldn't trust it to stay in the vault if they didn't have it under their thumb. Gold standards are a huge temptation for banks and governments.

"Money is just trust, and Gold is Gold, unless it is plated Tungsten, or an IOU we won't let you inspect"

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 12:06 PM (xhaym)

552 Posted by: FinkelMeir

MSNBC is all over why it's Trump's fault.

MSNBC
@MSNBC
Sarah Kendzior: "Trump was installed as the president of the United States in order to weaken the alliances that were preventing Putin from achieving his goals. Alliances like NATO, our relationship with our European partners...with Ukraine."

https://bit.ly/3hp6k25

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Proprietor of the Outrage Outlet at February 27, 2022 12:06 PM (FVME7)

553 When we invaded Kuwait, we did so to push an aggressor nation out, not to invade Kuwait. Russia has several motivations and reasoning behind sending troops into a neighboring country but none of them are justified.

Dude, 2003.

Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 12:06 PM (kOpft)

554 Tungsten in cheek

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 12:06 PM (TjMft)

555 522 Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (ONvIw)

your poor husband...
Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 11:58 AM (V13WU)

My poor husband has friends who are "descendants" of people who persecuted his ancestors. When kid2 started kindergarten, she stood at the bus stop with a child whose great grandfather was a Nazi. The grandmother, who burst into tears at seeing the two girls holding hands, was comforted by my "poor husband" who reminded her "you were just a little child, none of it was your fault". My husband would despise you.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 12:07 PM (ONvIw)

556 540 Babi Yar - when Ukrainians betrayed their Jewish neighbors to the Nazis, had them rounded up and executed at Babi Yar. I hope they remember well.
Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 12:02 PM (V13WU)

There were a lot of non-Jewish Ukrainians that died there too. The guide we had in Kiev lost his grandparents there.

Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 12:07 PM (Fs5vw)

557 This troll is even stupider than the usual batch.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 12:07 PM (KZzsI)

558 BTW I'll take the Tungsten off yer hands!

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 12:08 PM (TjMft)

559 And so is anyone who thinks Putin is invading Ukraine because of Nazi atrocities 80 years ago.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 12:08 PM (KZzsI)

560 Hey, didn't the good guys guarantee Ukrainian security if they gave up their nukes? Lesson to be learned, never give up your nukes.

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 12:09 PM (C4beb)

561 There were a lot of non-Jewish Ukrainians that died there too. The guide we had in Kiev lost his grandparents there.
Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 12:07 PM (Fs5vw)

It's too important to some to keep hatred alive and burning in the descendants on both sides. The innocent must be punished for the sins of the grandparents and those who died centuries before.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 12:10 PM (ONvIw)

562 Why are the talking heads, even on FOX, saying Republicans are siding with putin? Who the fuck is saying that?
Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:38 AM (Irn0L)

Well, some Republicans are siding with the Dems as well, so that is not really a good metric

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 12:10 PM (xhaym)

563 It's time to stop looking at everything through a distorted WWII lens

Yeah, if we do that we won't be able to use our Cold War monocle, The Cold War's been over for a couple of decades, but we should probably keep fighting it for 50 years or so. Just to be safe.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at February 27, 2022 12:10 PM (KFhLj)

564 Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at February 27, 2022 11:57 AM (KFhLj)

'But it's righteous when *we* do it'

Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 12:11 PM (kOpft)

565
There is also, for example, the problem of the CIA trained and funded Azov Battalion, a bunch of neo nazis spoiling for a fight with Russians. Any number of people may claim that's a purely defensive move, but there's no reason for the Russians to believe that.
Posted by: Methos at February 27, 2022 12:05 PM (kOpft)

CIA and FBI sponsor a lot of useful extremists with which to tar opponents.

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 12:12 PM (ONvIw)

566 My poor husband has friends who are "descendants" of people who persecuted his ancestors.
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 12:07 PM (ONvIw)

No - you are wrong. If you're on the "good list" - then you can air your racial or ethnic grievance about how Group A fucked over Group B forever !!! Hence, the Jews can hate the Irish for how they didn't enter into WW II, or the Blacks can hate the Whites for how they ended up in America.

It's all a matter of which group has the better story to tell, and who's listening, and how you call balls and strikes. Even though, in the case of slavery, all the original players are dead. And here, none of the talkers were ever in a camp. But it makes 'em feel good to flex their victim-hood - even though they'll start a thread now and then about the awful the other victims are to trade on assumed victim-hood.

Posted by: Stayin' Alive at February 27, 2022 12:12 PM (+RMAp)

567 373 Pratchett's L-Space does actually exist, however in a spherical world, it is called www.worldcat.org

And you don't have to dodge treacherous kickstool-crabs

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 11:15 AM (xhaym)

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

But remember to be nice to the librarian.

Posted by: Peter (My friends call me Pete) Zah at February 27, 2022 12:12 PM (a4vvV)

568 It is a barrier but one that O'Brian does well to help overcome by having Steven there to perpetually be confused by sea terms. And ultimately, it doesn't matter if you know the difference between a Jib and a Forestaysail. Its fun and interesting when you do, but its not important to the story.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 12:05 PM (KZzsI)

I am learning that, and am not getting bogged down by it. I am following the action very well, and it's a fun read. I really admire O'Brian's abilities with dialogue and inner thoughts, which work seamlessly. I will read the whole collection, but will interrupt with my usual non-fiction biographies and histories. Aside from Lord of the Rings, I never read a series all at once.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Hi, I'm Folksy Torgo at February 27, 2022 12:12 PM (x8Wzq)

569 Don't feel bad, I write whole posts that no one reads!!
Posted by: Weasel

Fact Check: Mostly False

Posted by: Oddbob at February 27, 2022 12:12 PM (nfrXX)

570
Fact Check: Mostly False
Posted by: Oddbob at February 27, 2022 12:12 PM (nfrXX)

yep, I read Weasel's gun threads even though I rarely post there

Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 12:13 PM (ONvIw)

571 Check out the difference between Insular and Continental Celtic.
Semitic influence in the former?
Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 11:32 AM (TjMft)

I have no idea. But I used to joke with my dad (Irish American): "Of course our family is Jewish -- we've got Dunleaveys and Cohans throughout!"

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 12:14 PM (rMa9a)

572 Hence, the Jews can hate the Irish for how they didn't enter into WW II

Monsignor O'Flaherty, call your office

Posted by: random artsnark at February 27, 2022 12:15 PM (TjMft)

573 It is a barrier but one that O'Brian does well to help overcome by having Steven there to perpetually be confused by sea terms. And ultimately, it doesn't matter if you know the difference between a Jib and a Forestaysail. Its fun and interesting when you do, but its not important to the story.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 12:05 PM (KZzsI)

I am learning that, and am not getting bogged down by it. I am following the action very well, and it's a fun read. I really admire O'Brian's abilities with dialogue and inner thoughts, which work seamlessly. I will read the whole collection, but will interrupt with my usual non-fiction biographies and histories. Aside from Lord of the Rings, I never read a series all at once.
Posted by: Pug Mahon, Hi, I'm Folksy Torgo at February 27, 2022 12:12 PM (x8Wzq)

The entire series serves as a wonderful exposition of the friendshp between Aubrey and Maturin, two very different people united in their service in different ways to their country and shared love of music.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 12:16 PM (y7DUB)

574 yep, I read Weasel's gun threads even though I rarely post there
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 12:13 PM (ONvIw)

Read it faithfully, but never comment. Don't wanna illuminate my general ignorance about firearms (aside from the few I own). But I learn a helluva lot.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Hi, I'm Folksy Torgo at February 27, 2022 12:16 PM (x8Wzq)

575 I find irrational that people trust agencies that are telling us that J6 was the worst assault on our capital ever, that Trump colluded with Putin to win in 2016, that Kyle Rittenhouse went to Milwaukee to kill black people, to provide true and impartial info on Ukraine conflict. Not only trust them, but parrot their lies and use their arguments. Isn't it enough that their pols are treating anyone who is willing to say that "wait a minute, what is going on ? " , or people who are unwilling to support their little adventures, as a Russian agent and a traitor ?

Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 12:16 PM (V13WU)

576 The imf ranked Ukraine the 7th most corrupt country. But muhDemocracy!!

Posted by: Joe XiDen - I miss Delta Variant at February 27, 2022 12:17 PM (3vQN0)

577 I see the AI detected "Ukraine" and targeted us with a rent-a-troll again.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 12:17 PM (xhaym)

578 I think Putin is pulling a Trump when he says the Ukrainians are Nazis. Just like Trump said Lyin Ted Cruz. Hmmm, we know Trump is the real liar, so that must mean Putin is the real Nazi. giggles.

Posted by: FinkelMeir at February 27, 2022 12:18 PM (bsqhs)

579 I literally believe nothing the msm (including Fox) says about Ukraine. Other than the fact a country exists called Ukraine I dont believe any of it.

Posted by: Joe XiDen - I miss Delta Variant at February 27, 2022 12:18 PM (3vQN0)

580 The entire series serves as a wonderful exposition of the friendshp between Aubrey and Maturin, two very different people united in their service in different ways to their country and shared love of music.
Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 12:16 PM (y7DUB)

Which was ably depicted in the movie. Ultimately it's the characters that make this whole story work. And it's brilliantly done.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Hi, I'm Folksy Torgo at February 27, 2022 12:19 PM (x8Wzq)

581 It's too important to some to keep hatred alive and burning in the descendants on both sides. The innocent must be punished for the sins of the grandparents and those who died centuries before.
Posted by: CN The First at February 27, 2022 12:10 PM (ONvIw

It's just a wild guess here, but I'm thinking you've never been in a country that's been physically torn apart by war. People remember for a reason. History actually does repeat itself.

I

Posted by: Pork Chops & Bacons at February 27, 2022 12:20 PM (Fs5vw)

582 Shockingly the snake island thing and the youpron banning Russians was all lies. Totally made up propaganda for the American rubes.

Posted by: Joe XiDen - I miss Delta Variant at February 27, 2022 11:21 AM (3vQN0)

Opens drawer, searches vainly for shocked face.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at February 27, 2022 12:22 PM (P3gRi)

583 574 My last comment on a gun thread asked about whether pistols were an appropriate wedding gift. So, we paid for pistols. The happy couple chose their own.

Posted by: CN at February 27, 2022 12:22 PM (ONvIw)

584 Which was ably depicted in the movie. Ultimately it's the characters that make this whole story work.

Yeah, whoever did the movie understood the core of the books: this is the story of two friends, and the other stuff is just the setting. It made for a terrific, personal framework for some pretty epic, sweeping tales that span the globe.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 12:23 PM (KZzsI)

585 Yeah, whoever did the movie understood the core of the books: this is the story of two friends, and the other stuff is just the setting. It made for a terrific, personal framework for some pretty epic, sweeping tales that span the globe.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 12:23 PM (KZzsI)

And it is why it is in my personal Top Ten list of best films.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Hi, I'm Folksy Torgo at February 27, 2022 12:26 PM (x8Wzq)

586 Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 12:16 PM (V13WU)

Mods, mods! Russian bot!!

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at February 27, 2022 12:26 PM (KFhLj)

587 581 During a war. No. But I've been to Israel, Serbia, and most of Eastern Europe.
Being one of those who lost ancestors and parents' relatives on both sides, to the Nazis, I have decided not to perpetuate hate everlasting. It doesn't help anything

Posted by: CN at February 27, 2022 12:27 PM (ONvIw)

588 Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 27, 2022 11:52 AM (Irn0L)

I would agree and add that I would be happy to lose the blood feuds of my ancestors, since that was the greatest promise of America.

I don't want to get that promise lost among interlocking claims of atrocities in the past to justify the atrocities we are planning to commit on each other now.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 12:29 PM (xhaym)

589 (r4qXR)

raykon snuck in again

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at February 27, 2022 12:32 PM (P3gRi)

590 There are good reasons for Putin to not like things in Ukraine and want them changed, but none justify invasion. Nations are free to do whatever they wish within their own borders, as long as it does not immediately and materially harm their neighbors.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 11:53 AM (KZzsI)

It is claimed the standard for civilized behavior is "your fight to swing your fist ends at my nose" but to be honest if you wait that long you are going to get cold-cocked.
I am not saying you are wrong, but I will point out that for one, there are more elements spinning than who does what on their own land, and for the second is that the Russians are seeing more threat to the results of not invading.
They might be thugs who are looking to blood their army, but this is a massive departure from what they have been doing for the last 20 years or so.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 12:39 PM (xhaym)

591 "your right to swing your fist"

Posted by: Kindltot at February 27, 2022 12:40 PM (xhaym)

592
The Philips Exeter Academy is 241 years old and has a
$2 billion endowment. It better have a nice library.

Posted by: Raspail at February 27, 2022 12:42 PM (Men5k)

593 "I read The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F Kennedy Jr..."

Internet has the rest of the Kennedy's wanting RFK Jr. committed ... or ponded.

Posted by: Raspail at February 27, 2022 12:48 PM (Men5k)

594 480 Deserted Island. I'll give you the Bible and a dictionary.

What two other books?

Posted by: TC

The Collected Works of William Shakespeare, for one.

Posted by: Wethal at February 27, 2022 01:06 PM (ZzVCK)

595 Yeah, whoever did the movie understood the core of the books: this is the story of two friends, and the other stuff is just the setting. It made for a terrific, personal framework for some pretty epic, sweeping tales that span the globe.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 27, 2022 12:23 PM (KZzsI)

And it is why it is in my personal Top Ten list of best films.
Posted by: Pug Mahon, Hi, I'm Folksy Torgo at February 27, 2022 12:26 PM (x8Wzq)

Casting Russell Crowe as Aubrey was inspired. Throughout the rest of the books his mental image stayed in place.

Posted by: Captain Hate won't forget Michael Byrd Murdered Ashli Babbitt at February 27, 2022 01:09 PM (y7DUB)

596 Ordered "Passion of Command" by Col. McCoy last night from Marineshop dot net.

Came highly recommended - watching the mailbox.

If you feel so moved, buy it as well, but not from Bezos. Buy it from Marines above.

Posted by: Java Joe at February 27, 2022 01:24 PM (VsPm9)

597 Any cookbooks left? Would like to buy one.

Posted by: Java Joe at February 27, 2022 01:27 PM (VsPm9)

598 Any cookbooks left? Would like to buy one.

Pretty sure they're printed on demand. Hit the link at the top right sidebar.

Posted by: Oddbob at February 27, 2022 01:30 PM (nfrXX)

599 at the moment I am reading A Brief History Of Time

I really want to know the answer to why is there anything
Posted by: DB at February 27, 2022 09:04 AM (geLO

You won't find it there.

Either everything formed from random atoms banging around that somehow coalesced, and life is meaningless.

OR, there is an unmoved prime-mover and he has a plan; but we have free will to reject him. And, His son (the Lamb of God) sacrificed himself out of his love for the Father's creatures to save them from sin).

One answer is nihilistic and the other is not.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 27, 2022 01:32 PM (pJWtt)

600 Either everything formed from random atoms banging around that somehow coalesced, and life is meaningless.

OR, there is an unmoved prime-mover and he has a plan; but we have free will to reject him. And, His son (the Lamb of God) sacrificed himself out of his love for the Father's creatures to save them from sin).

One answer is nihilistic and the other is not.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at February 27, 2022 01:32 PM (pJWtt)

Typical - pick A or B. There is no C.

Posted by: Stayin' Alive at February 27, 2022 01:47 PM (+RMAp)

601 Hell of a day, so ended up joining late.
Saw a couple comments about the value of short stories from the great SciFi authors, and had to throw in a mention about the pulp magazines.
Before Kindles, Nooks, etc. pulp magazines were the best way to get the early look at author's short stories before they issued a compendium.
I actually had subscription to both Galaxy and Analog.
Great investments at the time, and really wish I had preserved them.
I remember reading the short story version of Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" before it ever came out as a novel.
-SLV

Posted by: Shy Lurking Voter at February 27, 2022 02:42 PM (DkHo+)

602 @413: (I don't know why I bother posting. No one will read this.)

Not true!

Posted by: yara at February 27, 2022 03:37 PM (hBsVD)

603 it's late and probably nobody will read this, but... is there a list of Moron Authors?

i've read ALH, and MP4 and one of Wolfus and Christopher Taylor and most of Sgt Mom's corpus. but i don't really know where to find any others.

and as long as i'm here @600: it's a bit more complicated than that but it's a good start. I would swear I read a book on IVP in late 70's which started w/ questions like that and went to the end. but nobody else remembers it and i can't find it.

Posted by: yara at February 27, 2022 03:50 PM (hBsVD)

604 603 it's late and probably nobody will read this, but... is there a list of Moron Authors?

===

There is an incomplete list on bookhorde.org under the menu Lists

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at February 27, 2022 04:38 PM (lCui1)

605 "601 Hell of a day, so ended up joining late.
Saw a couple comments about the value of short stories from the great SciFi authors, and had to throw in a mention about the pulp magazines.
Before Kindles, Nooks, etc. pulp magazines were the best way to get the early look at author's short stories before they issued a compendium.
I actually had subscription to both Galaxy and Analog.
Great investments at the time, and really wish I had preserved them.
I remember reading the short story version of Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" before it ever came out as a novel.
-SLV"

Most of the old SF mags are available for free. For the period from about 1939 (John Campbell took over Astounding) through the 1980s (when the genre mostly went totally off the rails IMHO and so I didn't care to look anymore) about 80% or so of the issues of Astounding/Analog. Galaxy, Worlds of If Science Fiction, the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and others (e.g. Amazing Stories and the Shaver Mystery) are available on the Internet Archive for free download as pdf files and other formats. It can take a bit of searching to find them (I'm naff at using its search engine), but they are there.

Posted by: Pope John the 20th at February 27, 2022 05:58 PM (xi3bI)

606 575 I find irrational that people trust agencies that are telling us that J6 was the worst assault on our capital ever, that Trump colluded with Putin to win in 2016, that Kyle Rittenhouse went to Milwaukee to kill black people, to provide true and impartial info on Ukraine conflict. Not only trust them, but parrot their lies and use their arguments. Isn't it enough that their pols are treating anyone who is willing to say that "wait a minute, what is going on ? " , or people who are unwilling to support their little adventures, as a Russian agent and a traitor ?
Posted by: runner, dissent is the highest form of patriotism at February 27, 2022 12:16 PM (V13WU)

This is why I can't read the "news." I have no idea what is true any more.

Posted by: Lee Also at February 27, 2022 06:50 PM (rMa9a)

607 I was reffing all day and couldn't post, so I'l copy this and repost it next week, but I'm an Exeter alum and can share more about the library, which is as amazing as the pic suggests.

Posted by: Otto Zilch at February 27, 2022 09:32 PM (U2esv)

608 I just read of Mice and Men today. I had no idea it was so short.

Extremely efficiently written, and welll set and established for its themes and for Steinbeck's socialistic worldview.

Anyone know of any other works of such renown and brevity?

Posted by: .87c at February 27, 2022 11:47 PM (MJMIU)

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