Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (Eat It, Bitch McConnell) Reverses Insubordinate Malicious Compliance from Woke Air Force Official

"Malicious compliance" is a noted pathology in the workplace and in the military (where I think the term originated). The term describes the tactic used by insubordinate or just malevolent underlings who deliberately pervert the plain meaning of an order either because they don't like the order or just want to harm the organization that pays them, but don't want to risk open insubordination. They give the order a twisted "interpretation" in order to make the organization look bad and to create a backlash against the order and the person giving the order.

A "former intel officer" posted advice in how to engage in illegal insubordination against the duly-elected chief executive, instructing military personnel to violate the Commander-in-Chief's orders while "leaving no trace."

She calls malicious compliance "strategic interpretation."

All of these tactics are just cause for firing.

The Air Force just did this with respect to Trump's order to end DEI cult teachings in the government. The Air Force engaged in malicious compliance to embarrass Trump and force him to keep DEI by claiming that the order meant that the Air Force could no longer teach about the Tuskegee Airmen.

Ron DeSantis noted that that's what insubordinate officials did in Florida when he instructed schools to stop teaching kindergarteners about sex and "gender." The officials began banning classics like Little Women, claiming that that's how they read the order.

Then they immediately called a reporter to tell them about their own decision to ban Little Women, shrieking, "Look at this outrage! Ron DeSantis forced me to censor Little Women! Won't someone think of the children!"

Pete Hegseth has now reversed this malicious compliance insubordination.

But that's not enough. The people involved need to be fired. We only have four years of Trump, and we cannot have every single order subverted, undermined, and twisted by hardcore partisan staffers in government -- especially in our military.

Firings, and maybe mass-firings, are necessary.

This is the Air Force indulging in political theatrics.

We’ve seen this “passive aggressive” performative nonsense in Florida where activists claim complying with anti-woke curriculum standards requires them to exclude basic history that everyone knows should be taught.

It’s… https://t.co/bufdQCuSze
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 26, 2025

Amen! We’re all over it Senator. This will not stand. https://t.co/Hii282f1d8
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 26, 2025

This has been immediately reversed. Thank you @SenKatieBritt. https://t.co/bmoJ4obPNL pic.twitter.com/fXCP3lisLN
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 27, 2025

A former worker with the Army Corps of Engineers talks about how lazy bureaucrats use their "work"-from-home benefits to completely blow off work, not even bothering to sign into the office's computers when "working" from home:

MUST WATCH: Former federal employee spills all the secrets about the incompetence and waste in the federal government pic.twitter.com/3RrHeABNWk
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 27, 2025

Meanwhile, Politico is sad about DC bureaucrats who might be forced to come into work after a three year holiday.

Obviously, they weren't at all sad about people, such as coal miners, who "resisted" "reskilling" from their old stupid jobs.

Politico on DC jobs // anyone else pic.twitter.com/wx5YP7f7vr
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) January 27, 2025

Posted by: Ace at 03:39 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Woohoo

Posted by: Lizzy at January 27, 2025 03:39 PM (Hkcdp)

2 Nearly first

Every week is Kick Arse Week for January 2025

Posted by: ChristyBlinkyTheGreat at January 27, 2025 03:40 PM (gi+MR)

3 First?!?

Posted by: Grayman27 at January 27, 2025 03:40 PM (pgwxJ)

4 Drat.

Posted by: Grayman27 at January 27, 2025 03:40 PM (pgwxJ)

5 o, will Trump make the Commies in China pay reparations for the bioweapon that escaped?

Millions got sick and died from this and the Commies need to pay up !!!

That Rotting Corpse kept the information from us and is a War Criminal. Biden should be tried, convicted and imprisoned in GITMO. Him and Dr. Megale Fauci needs to be punished accordingly.

Biden is Hitler and Fauci is Mengele via the Covid Virus !

Posted by: Buster Hymand at January 27, 2025 03:41 PM (1MSOJ)

6 Why should we feel sad for bureaucrats having to work in the office?

At least they didn’t lose their job during or after Covid, nor lose their homes or businesses in a hurricane, flood or wildfire.

MSM and DC are tone deaf narcissists.

Posted by: Lizzy at January 27, 2025 03:41 PM (Hkcdp)

7 I cannot fight today because my fake Vagina hurts today !!

Posted by: Buster Hymand at January 27, 2025 03:42 PM (1MSOJ)

8 A "former intel officer" posted advice in how to engage in illegal insubordination against the duly-elected chief executive. She calls malicious compliance "strategic interpretation."

=======

It's obvious that Trump is testing the limits of his powers to fire bureaucrats. He's already fired more unelected bureaucrats in the first week of his second term than he did in the whole of his first (probably, maybe, I dunno, I'm not a calculator). The pace is, at least, noticeable.

I suspect that there are ways bureaucrats can get fired that make them unhireable again in government. A do not rehire list.

It'd be a shame if that got used vociferously.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 03:42 PM (GBKbO)

9 Yeah, these people are shit.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 27, 2025 03:42 PM (bss/y)

10 Hail Trump.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at January 27, 2025 03:43 PM (aD39U)

11 Reading Little Women is malicious compliance.

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 03:43 PM (Wg6v7)

12 You could probably fire every agency staffer working remotely and barely notice. I mean, much like the Park Service putting cones out to block your parking to view Mt Rushmore, they might try to make you notice, but we all know it's BS

Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 03:43 PM (jGJov)

13 bzzzt
Posted by: m at January 27, 2025 03:42 PM (VnUSN)

Yeah. Rolled snake eyes there.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (bss/y)

14 "I am terrified" says Federal worker upon being told she has to return to the office.

"Thank heaven above I have a job" says ordinary Americans hoping to pay for food, after paying taxes for Federal workers.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (LtnBk)

15 I can't imagine one of those Olde-Timey jobs where they expect you to show up and work.

What is this 2019?

Posted by: garrett at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (snN/i)

16 12 You could probably fire every agency staffer working remotely and barely notice. I mean, much like the Park Service putting cones out to block your parking to view Mt Rushmore, they might try to make you notice, but we all know it's BS
Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 03:43 PM (jGJov)

=======

If one is classified as non-essential during a government shutdown, one is not essential to the running of government.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (GBKbO)

17 11 Reading Little Women is malicious compliance.
Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 03:43 PM (Wg6v7)

Pretty much any of the Regency romances. Girls like them though.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (bss/y)

18
An impromptu drumhead court martial or two for the brave resisters will nip this horseshit in the bud.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (xG4kz)

19 I can see the IRS being like "we can't get refunds processed this year because of layoffs or being told to return to the office."

Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (jGJov)

20 Fired?

As in from a cannon or a trebuchet?

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 03:45 PM (9J7i5)

21 Masturbating over a technicality is not compliance. Comply or find a new line of "work".

Posted by: ... at January 27, 2025 03:45 PM (dD69i)

22 But that's not enough. The people involved need to be fired. We only have four years of Trump, and we cannot have every single order subverted, undermined, and twisted by hardcore partisan staffers in government -- especially in our military.

==

Absolutely.

Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 03:45 PM (g47mK)

23 Directly out of the field sabotage manual.

Guess she didn't read the part about "Don't blab about it on an open channel"?

Posted by: NJ Class Traitor at January 27, 2025 03:45 PM (jo3dZ)

24 Firings, and maybe mass-firings, are necessary.

From a mass driver.

Posted by: Or at least a trebuchet at January 27, 2025 03:45 PM (URPBf)

25 Resistance II is just beginning. Trump and/or his surrogates need to start collecting scalps.

By the truckload.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (Q4IgG)

26 I am sure that there are many ambitious Colonels ready to move up.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (aD39U)

27
Advice givers like Lucy Yates are fomenting insubordination and should be given the full treatment reserved for traitors.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (xG4kz)

28 19 I can see the IRS being like "we can't get refunds processed this year because of layoffs or being told to return to the office."
Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (jGJov)

=======

"Okay. Tell me who's the logjam, and then tell that knumbskull they can either get it sorted or be fired for cause and potentially prosecuted for criminal conduct. Seriously...after the last three months, do you doubt that we will do this?"
-Trump's Secretary of Treasury, hopefully

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (GBKbO)

29 Mike Lee is arguing for bringing back letters of marque and reprisal, for use against drug cartels.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (W5ArC)

30 This sounds like the ESS project I'm working on.

If I told you how long it takes and how many people need to be informed, consulted with and get approvals for a single f**king IP address, your head would spin.

This chick needs to be reassigned to whatever constitutes outer Siberia in our military.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (XV/Pl)

31 Whichever jerkoff in the officer ranks of the Air Force came up with this stupidity should be reduced in rank to toilet cleaner first class and sent to clean toilets at the nastiest AF base on Earth.

Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (6v8aM)

32 Ron DeSantis noted that that's what insubordinate officials did in Florida when he instructed schools to stop teaching kindergarteners about sex and "gender." The officials began banning classics like Little Women, claiming that that's how they read the order.

==

Ron was First in successfully taking on the deep state.

Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (g47mK)

33 O’Keefe has an undercover video of a Biden Covid response team member explaining how bureaucrats can undermine RFK jr should he get approved. Malicious compliance in the form of doing an endless study instead of taking action, or lying about certain actions being not possible.

DOGE can’t act fast enough in clearing out the deadwood in DC.

Posted by: Lizzy at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (Hkcdp)

34 I like how Hegseth didn't engage in partisan bickering but just fixed the problem. Promises made; promises kept.

Posted by: m at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (VnUSN)

35
My only criticism is our SecDef isn't using the word summarily. I prefer that over "immediately," in this instance.

Summarily just sounds so...cold.

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (5x091)

36 She calls malicious compliance "strategic interpretation."
_____________________

Fire or court martial the bitch, as appropriate.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (YqDXo)

37 Let them all do this, then fire them all.

Court martial where possible.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (N1DT3)

38 We're gonna need a lot more helicopters for all the free rides that will be upcoming.

Posted by: Tex Lovera at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (wtvvX)

39 Are those the vaccinated airmen?

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (63Dwl)

40 Firings, and maybe mass-firings, are necessary.

That's like the ban-hammer here. Have they considered placing notes in their Permanent Record as a less harsh, and final, step?

Posted by: Duncanthrax at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (a3Q+t)

41 Former Fed chick is cute.

Ginger AND glasses.

Me likey.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (77rzZ)

42 17 11 Reading Little Women is malicious compliance.
Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 03:43 PM (Wg6v7)

Pretty much any of the Regency romances. Girls like them though.
----------------
I hated Tom Swift books, too.

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 03:48 PM (Wg6v7)

43 I worked from home as both a Fed and a contractor. As a Fed, you could do it once every 2 weeks (pre-Covid). As a contractor, they asked me to wfh because they didn't have enough office space.

Regardless, it was always my assumption that they were tracking me, and making sure something was going on when it was supposed to be. You'd think this would be required. I think, though, that it varies from department to department. I was DoD.

Posted by: Archimedes at January 27, 2025 03:48 PM (xCA6C)

44 32 Ron was First in successfully taking on the deep state.
Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 03:47 PM (g47mK)

=======

What's going on in FL right now is showing the limits of Ron:

He called a special session. The FL legislature gaveled it in, and then immediately gaveled it out. They then gaveled in their own special session to do things their own way.

Ron DeSantis is awesome because he's backed by a very strong state legislature. Without that, most of what he did would have been impossible.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 03:48 PM (GBKbO)

45 1 Woohoo
Posted by: Lizzy at January 27, 2025 03:39 PM (Hkcdp)

How about Lizzy!

Posted by: m at January 27, 2025 03:48 PM (VnUSN)

46 Gee, I guess that random federal worker quoted in the Politico article puts paid to the concept of the "best and brightest" valiantly sacrificing to work in government.

Posted by: Octochicken at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (oCS0o)

47 29 Mike Lee is arguing for bringing back letters of marque and reprisal, for use against drug cartels.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (W5ArC)

I like the idea. For the pirates in the Middle East and Africa regions as well.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (bss/y)

48 30 This sounds like the ESS project I'm working on.

If I told you how long it takes and how many people need to be informed, consulted with and get approvals for a single f**king IP address, your head would spin.

This chick needs to be reassigned to whatever constitutes outer Siberia in our military.
Posted by: Thomas Bender at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (XV/Pl)

"Resist from within" is stated and admitted insubordination...firing should be the immediate action. Pursuing further action under the UCMJ (if she is military vs civilian) should be the next step afterwards.

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (exHjb)

49 19 I can see the IRS being like "we can't get refunds processed this year because of layoffs or being told to return to the office."
Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 03:44 PM (jGJov)
__________________

The funny thing is that your paychecks are being held up for the same reason. Maybe you'll get paid in six months or so. Then again, maybe not.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (YqDXo)

50 No wonder Tensor censored this one, she almost has crotchless panties.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (9J7i5)

51 I'm at the point where I think we should disband our entire armed forces, fire everyone, and start over. Not joking. I don't think this is a situation where you analyze it in terms of whether the rot is too deep. The deep is the rot. The entire smelly structure is nothing but rot.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (iFTx/)

52
Umm, that "former federal employee" might be a man, bro.

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (5x091)

53 Whichever jerkoff in the officer ranks of the Air Force came up with this stupidity should be reduced in rank to toilet cleaner first class and sent to clean toilets at the nastiest AF base on Earth.

If what I read earlier today turns out to be correct, i.e. the recently hired 87k IRS agents are to be reassigned to border duty, many will quit, sparing Trump of the need to fire them. I suspect that's a tool he will use frequently.

Posted by: Archimedes at January 27, 2025 03:50 PM (xCA6C)

54 Then they immediately called a reporter to tell them about their own decision to ban Little Women, shrieking, "Look at this outrage! Ron DeSantis forced me to censor Little Women! Won't someone think of the children!"

I've noticed a spate of click bait articles along this line with Trump, DeSantis or similar leaders where the FNM will claim they did something terrible and when you dig into it, you find it is some lefty bureaucrat banning whatever...in paragraph 10 of course so as to make LIVs think Trump/etc are actually doing it

Posted by: 18-1 at January 27, 2025 03:50 PM (t0Rmr)

55
Former Fed chick is cute.

Ginger AND glasses.

Me likey.
Posted by: Bulg

Dood?

It's a man.

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 03:50 PM (5x091)

56 former worker with the Army Corps of Engineers talks about how lazy bureaucrats use their "work"-from-home benefits to completely blow off work, not even bothering to sign into the office's computers when "working" from home
---
I'll bet a cup of coffee that someone who would do this wasn't getting much of anything done even when they were in the office.

Posted by: NJ Class Traitor at January 27, 2025 03:50 PM (jo3dZ)

57 For every job that is destroyed in DC, a multiplier effect of useful jobs will bloom in the actual economy.

I'm betting the multiplier is at least 5 to 1.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (N1DT3)

58 @51 you pretty much can make that argument about every state and federal government agencies

Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (6v8aM)

59 I see MSM articles already saying they are working on impeaching Trump for.... being Trump?

Posted by: Romeo13 at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (QAkQ3)

60 Wow..
It's almost as if we were sabotaging ourselves in the name of...?

What a year this will be

Posted by: melodicmetal1 at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (R7Q/z)

61 What I read there: "More Trump".

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (krQz2)

62 50 No wonder Tensor censored this one, she almost has crotchless panties.
Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (9J7i5)

*perks up*

Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (bss/y)

63 Sometimes I wish I could go back and time and have become a gov employee right before covid.

They did very well in that time period.

Shit, I knew a court officer who "worked from home" for over a year during the pandemic.

As in, he got paid to literally do nothing for a year.

What a deal.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (uCjyK)

64 The solution: set a deadline by which your orders must be carried out. Make it a tight deadline, too.

If they're not, fire everyone responsible.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (YqDXo)

65
This hasn't been a good couple of weeks for our dear Bulg, has it?

Dood, don't you get sick of spending every day in The Barrel?

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (5x091)

66 Fuck you, Margaret.

Posted by: andycanuck (5LoD7) at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (5LoD7)

67 The Left accused Sarah Palin of banning Harry Potter, which was a fake and made up story, and then just a dozen years later began doing just that.

Posted by: ... at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (dD69i)

68 There must be firing of Officers who are perpetuating this "slow walk" of President Trumps EO's.

Secretary Hegseth should look at promoting the service men and women who EARNED it into the positions left void by the massive firings I hope happen.

Posted by: Scuba_Dude at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (qoLdL)

69 Adam Kinzinger is crying on X. I started to call him a former flying gas station attendant, but didn't. I'm tiptoeing around over there in case my cover is blown by Elon's woke management.👀

Posted by: Jane D'oh at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (4tmpE)

70 Are the history lessons at the academy? I don't remember learning history in AF basic training.

Posted by: Eddie Baby at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (s19xO)

71 55
Former Fed chick is cute.

Ginger AND glasses.

Me likey.
Posted by: Bulg

Dood?

It's a man.
Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 03:50 PM (5x091)

Who apparently, in a job that can't be fired, didn't make it out of the probationary period...so I'm gonna guess catastrophically problematic or worthless employee, more than the stated coworkers...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (exHjb)

72 Today I signed an order reversing Trump's ban on the Tuscaloosa Air Men.

These guys they played there and they could really air it out guys like Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler even down to the present day and I will not stand for their history to be destroyed.

Not on my watch, fat.

Posted by: Joe Biden at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (Owqig)

73 I see MSM articles already saying they are working on impeaching Trump for.... being Trump?

Posted by: Romeo13 at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (QAkQ3)
________________

With a Republican Congress? Good thinking.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (YqDXo)

74 Dood?

It's a man.
Posted by: Soothsayer

I don't see an Adam's apple.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 03:53 PM (77rzZ)

75 Fuck you, Margaret.
Posted by: andycanuck (5LoD7) at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (5LoD7)

He said "I really don't care Margaret" but what I heard was "oh fuck off Karen".

Posted by: ... at January 27, 2025 03:53 PM (dD69i)

76
Fire for Effect

You may interpret that as you wish.

Posted by: haffhowershower at January 27, 2025 03:53 PM (5EpAz)

77 I'd ban Little Women for the simple reason that it's boring.

The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at January 27, 2025 03:53 PM (XV/Pl)

78 This was obviously a White Supremacist in the Air Force using the scrapping of DEI as an opportunity to advance White Supremacy. Hegseth needs to root out these White Supremacists and fire them.

Posted by: Dave G at January 27, 2025 03:53 PM (9VmW6)

79 Resistance II is just beginning. Trump and/or his surrogates need to start collecting scalps.

By the truckload.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (Q4IgG)

This, and nothing but this. Send a message for the next 10 generations.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (VwHCD)

80
Speaking of CBS fake "news," why didn't VP Vance remind margaret that CBS EDITED, and thereby illegally campaigned for, their fake "interview" with harris?

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (5x091)

81 51 I'm at the point where I think we should disband our entire armed forces, fire everyone, and start over. Not joking. I don't think this is a situation where you analyze it in terms of whether the rot is too deep. The deep is the rot. The entire smelly structure is nothing but rot.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (iFTx/)

No more Officers just because you have a college Degree. Every Officer should have to serve as Enlisted for 4 years... to see what it is like.

College used to be a requirement so certain education levels were maintained, but now you are not educated in College, but indoctrinated.

Posted by: Romeo13 at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (QAkQ3)

82 What does this have to do with boners?

Posted by: wth at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (v0R5T)

83 Who is Lisa Yates and why is her name familiar?
Also cancel any security clearances dhe may have.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (t88zN)

84 (Eat It, Bitch McConnell)

Did you know the blue whale's anus can dilate to a diameter of 3.5 feet when defecating?

That makes it the next biggest *sshole on the planet, second only to McConnell.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (a3Q+t)

85 I am absolutely certain that I saw this list of tactics given by a Soviet communist official to the American Communist party in the 40's or 50's. I cannot find it now. Anyone? Maybe someone from the SMBT crew?

Posted by: Candidus at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (PhOuQ)

86 This BS has been going on with DEI for a few years now. "Because of you racists, we can't discuss slavery!" I went to school decades before DEI was ever invented and I learned about slavery. Now either get your grifter ass with the program or get out.

Posted by: Wally at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (VVPHp)

87 >>I don't see an Adam's apple.
Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 03:53 PM (77rzZ)

The Baby's Arm is holding it.

Posted by: garrett at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (snN/i)

88 Today I signed an order reversing Trump's ban on the Tuscaloosa Air Men.

These guys they played there and they could really air it out guys like Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler even down to the present day and I will not stand for their history to be destroyed.

Not on my watch, fat.

Posted by: Joe Biden at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (Owqig)

This will not ever get old.

Posted by: Oprah at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (i24o9)

89 Resistance II is just beginning. Trump and/or his surrogates need to start collecting scalps.

By the truckload.

Good. I want them to self-identify early on, so we can minimize the damage they can do.

Posted by: Archimedes at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (xCA6C)

90 The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Thomas Bender

Barbara Tuchman.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (77rzZ)

91 I guess drag shows on bases will be out next.

Get at it, Pete.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (4tmpE)

92 What do you mean, Beth dies??

Posted by: joey tribbiani at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (5LoD7)

93 Whoopi's incompetent and got a waist.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (L/fGl)

94 I find the Brontes particularly tiresome. And Rand would have been better of writing her message on a post-it instead of eight phone books.

So it's basically Jane Austen and pray for rain.

Posted by: ... at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (dD69i)

95 That kind of crap in the military. could get people killed.

Posted by: javems at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (8I4hW)

96 Georgia is entirely controlled by far-left democrats with Rs after their names:

Fom NTB:

GOP-controlled Georgia General Assembly opens session with prayer led by trans pastor

https://tinyurl.com/trnygopga

Posted by: banana Dream at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (Y6IkP)

97 Yeasta Yates..

Posted by: I'm Gumby Damn It! at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (jQ+5q)

98 73 I see MSM articles already saying they are working on impeaching Trump for.... being Trump?

Posted by: Romeo13 at January 27, 2025 03:51 PM (QAkQ3)
________________

With a Republican Congress? Good thinking.
Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 03:52 PM (YqDXo)

With some of the 'Republicans' currently in office? Yeah, let's just say I don't trust em.

Posted by: Romeo13 at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (QAkQ3)

99 Wasn't "don't say gay" malicious phony compliance?

Posted by: ... at January 27, 2025 03:56 PM (dD69i)

100 If space aliens landed on Earth tomorrow and their one big question was "Why did Donald Trump win the '24 election?" someone should just show them the Margaret Brennan interview. They'd all roll their big alien eyes and nod knowingly.

Posted by: ballistic at January 27, 2025 03:56 PM (R6GhA)

101 77 I'd ban Little Women for the simple reason that it's boring.

The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
-------------
I would add Flannery O'Connor, just for the kink alone.

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 03:56 PM (Wg6v7)

102 Did you know the blue whale's anus can dilate to a diameter of 3.5 feet when defecating?

That makes it the next biggest *sshole on the planet, second only to McConnell.

The other difference is that the whale doesn't have John Thune crawling up his rear vent.

Posted by: Archimedes at January 27, 2025 03:56 PM (xCA6C)

103 Andre Norton wrote some damn good sci-fi.

I think she may or may not have gone woke later on.

Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025 03:56 PM (fV+MH)

104 The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Thomas Bender

Barbara Tuchman.
Posted by: Bulg

Agatha Christie, Margaret Mitchell

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 03:56 PM (L/fGl)

105 No wonder Tensor censored this one, she almost has crotchless panties.
Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM

Is that like almost assless chaps?

Posted by: Duncanthrax at January 27, 2025 03:57 PM (a3Q+t)

106 Strategic Interpretation has been the left's m.o. for a long time.

Word games are their stock in trade.

Posted by: davidt at January 27, 2025 03:57 PM (i0F8b)

107 Do these feckers know they work for us? I swear these people need a clue delivered by their family and friends to tell them to stop this crap. They are not heros in their own story, they are the bad guys thwarting the will of the people, who are also their employers.

Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 27, 2025 03:57 PM (fs1hN)

108 Make all the three star and four star generals pass their service's basic PT.

Failure means a reduction in grade to one star and being put on an improvement program for one year. If they still fail, reduction to E-1, forfeiture of pension, separation from service under "Other than Honorable."

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 03:57 PM (9J7i5)

109 @83 Sally Yates was acting AG at the end of
Barky's term . She refused to enact a Trump directive and was fired.

Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 03:58 PM (6v8aM)

110 What's going on in FL right now is showing the limits of Ron:

He called a special session. The FL legislature gaveled it in, and then immediately gaveled it out. They then gaveled in their own special session to do things their own way.

Ron DeSantis is awesome because he's backed by a very strong state legislature. Without that, most of what he did would have been impossible.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 03:48 PM (GBKbO)

Why are they rebuking Ron, and presenting their own bill and calling it "TRUMP Act" ? hmmmm... or maybe he just kicked them into action, and does not care how the Immigration bill gets passed, as long as it has what he wants. But that is inside baseball stuff.

Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 03:58 PM (g47mK)

111 53

A smart IRS hire would recognize assignment to border duty as a career enhancement.

Just like DOJ AUSAs from all over the country VOLUNTEERED to go on TDY to D.C. to prosecute the J6ers. You think THAT didn't further their careers within DOJ under Biden?

Posted by: mnw at January 27, 2025 03:58 PM (NLIak)

112 83 Who is Lisa Yates and why is her name familiar?
Also cancel any security clearances dhe may have.
Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at January 27, 2025 03:54 PM (t88zN)

You mean Sally Yates. Dies she still have clearance?

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 03:58 PM (OA79/)

113 90 The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Thomas Bender

Barbara Tuchman.
Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (77rzZ)

JK Rowling made fantasy an accessibly gateway with her (yes derivative) books, so also valuable for her 1 good series...

Agatha Christie helped set the tone in mystery writing...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 03:58 PM (exHjb)

114 Then they immediately called a reporter to tell them about their own decision to ban Little Women, shrieking, "Look at this outrage! Ron DeSantis forced me to censor Little Women! Won't someone think of the children!"
______

Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece. It's trite, boring, not particularly well-written, I never cared about any of the characters, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 03:58 PM (iFTx/)

115 Why should we feel sad for bureaucrats having to work in the office?
......

Yeah, those chairs aren't going to hold themselves down.

Posted by: wth at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (v0R5T)

116 The correct response to someone engaging in this malicious compliance, if you cannot fire them, is to reassign them to a task force.
That meets in the basement, in-office, every day, no personal electronics, using a keystroke-monitored government computer for work purposes only. Produce a report on some ridiculously unimportant topic, due on but not before Jan 19, 2029.

Posted by: Candidus at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (PhOuQ)

117 In 2020 (from Jan - Jun) I was working for DoD... from home, as directed as a result of covid. Laptop, VPN and my Internet connection. Had to send an email to the boss man prior to 9AM... the latest you could report to work in the before times.

The only issue was, and is... what was I doing from the time I sent that email until I sent the "I'm off your clock" email at whatever time.

We had daily "team meetings" via conference calls at a specific time. Yet... you'd hear dogs barking, airplanes, traffic noise, etc. from some of the callers. So, obviously they weren't "working" at that moment, or likely had been prior.

It's really all just based on trust, thinking the employees will be ethical and, you know, do their job.

So, if all these people are not doing their job, and yet the bureaucracy rolls on... why do we need them anyway?

Posted by: Martini Farmer at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (Q4IgG)

118 They need to find a horse head in their bed when they wake up.

Posted by: Eeyore at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (1bNHn)

119 Aetius and Duncanthrax

Her panties are basically black lace trim and nothing else.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (9J7i5)

120 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece. It's trite, boring, not particularly well-written, I never cared about any of the characters, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you were not its target demographic.

Posted by: Archimedes at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (xCA6C)

121 99 Wasn't "don't say gay" malicious phony compliance?
Posted by: ... at January 27, 2025 03:56 PM (dD69i)

No that was just straight up lies and propaganda. Removing To Kill a Mockingbird from the library instead of books with illustrations of underage boys sucking dick was the malicious compliance. Which wasn't really malicious compliance but more like sabotage.

Posted by: Either way they're disingenuous asshole groomers at January 27, 2025 04:00 PM (URPBf)

122 According to that lady's '80/20 rule', combined with my limited knowledge of math, the US govt has 147,500 productive employees

most recent count of USGovt employees is 2.95 million

Posted by: Don Black at January 27, 2025 04:00 PM (AOsQT)

123 The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Thomas Bender

What am I, chopped liver?

Posted by: Jacqueline Susann at January 27, 2025 04:00 PM (a3Q+t)

124 @113

>>JK Rowling made fantasy an accessibly gateway with her (yes derivative) books, so also valuable for her 1 good series...

Maybe my observation was too narrow.

Of course there are women that are worth reading, just not a lot of them.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at January 27, 2025 04:00 PM (XV/Pl)

125 PS - And Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is a must read...it's been repeatedly stolen from...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:01 PM (exHjb)

126 I think Service Academy Woman Lisa Yates may have left just a teeny weeny "trace".

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:01 PM (PiwSw)

127 Well, we're gonna need a shitload of $50,000 conference tables...

Posted by: Federal workers returning to offices at January 27, 2025 04:01 PM (xesY+)

128 The correct response to someone engaging in this malicious compliance, if you cannot fire them, is to reassign them to a task force.
That meets in the basement, in-office, every day, no personal electronics, using a keystroke-monitored government computer for work purposes only. Produce a report on some ridiculously unimportant topic, due on but not before Jan 19, 2029.

Posted by: Candidus at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (PhOuQ)
__________________

Make it a series of reports on ridiculously unimportant topics, due once a week. Work their asses off.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 04:01 PM (YqDXo)

129 >>Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece.

Now take a swing at Ethan Frome. Edith Wharton sucks balls.

Posted by: garrett at January 27, 2025 04:01 PM (snN/i)

130 50 No wonder Tensor censored this one, she almost has crotchless panties.
Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 03:49 PM (9J7i5)

You forgot the picture. We must judge for ourselves the validity of you claims

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 04:01 PM (OA79/)

131 But that's not enough. The people involved need to be fired.

And the people that promoted them. And the people that promoted them....

Posted by: weft cut-loop at January 27, 2025 04:01 PM (mlg/3)

132 How little are these women?
I feel like they're maybe making a misrepresentation here, because they're not really little people.
Like that liar Dinklage, who is faking it.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 27, 2025 04:02 PM (CzMNg)

133 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece. It's trite, boring, not particularly well-written, I never cared about any of the characters, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you were not its target demographic.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (xCA6C)
_______

Definitely not. But there are books/movies/etc I like or at least can recognize as quality even though I'm not the target demo.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:02 PM (iFTx/)

134 110 Why are they rebuking Ron, and presenting their own bill and calling it "TRUMP Act" ? hmmmm... or maybe he just kicked them into action, and does not care how the Immigration bill gets passed, as long as it has what he wants. But that is inside baseball stuff.
Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 03:58 PM (g47mK)

=======

The effect will be "DeSantis signs pro-Trump legislation" and he'll get all the credit because the nuts and bolts of what happens don't matter to narrative.

But give DeSantis an equivalent of the makeup of Congress as his state legislature? He gets a lot less done. Think he gets a bill through to take Disney's ownership of their land away from them with a McConnell equivalent in charge of the legislature?

No. FL is the portrait of a red state that works because the people are electing actual Republicans in the legislature to enact policy not Democrats in elephant's clothing to lie to them and create generational wealth for their cronies. A governor could support or delay that. DeSantis is supporting and deserves a lot of credit. He's also doing some stuff on his own (like the firing of government lawyers who refused to prosecute criminals), but FL's success is a story of many people with DeSantis as the head man.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:02 PM (GBKbO)

135 Moving from Mar a lago back to DC must have gotten PDT's ankles cold because he's putting the whole boot in.

Posted by: DaveA at January 27, 2025 04:02 PM (FhXTo)

136 Remove several Generals and the Colonels will get the message.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at January 27, 2025 04:02 PM (JVCkA)

137 According to that lady's '80/20 rule'
_________________

Pareto's rule.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 04:02 PM (YqDXo)

138 You don't like Little Women? How about you try Big Women, big boy?

Posted by: Trigglypuff at January 27, 2025 04:03 PM (fs1hN)

139 I am so happy I retired when we did. Sleeping at the desk, drinking coffee, using the shitter for hours and surfing pron all day became such a drag in the end. Now I can spend the rest of my days bragging how I am a retired federal employee and how much the people need to respect me for my service. Hahahaha...I crack myself up. "Service"....hahahaha. Here, pull my finger! Hahahaha!

Posted by: Bob Milquetoast, Retired Fed and democrat voter at January 27, 2025 04:03 PM (1a7X7)

140 >>Definitely not. But there are books/movies/etc I like or at least can recognize as quality even though I'm not the target demo.

I have very little interest in Smart Military Blogging.

Yet, here I am.

Posted by: garrett at January 27, 2025 04:03 PM (snN/i)

141 >>>No that was just straight up lies and propaganda. Removing To Kill a Mockingbird from the library instead of books with illustrations of underage boys sucking dick was the malicious compliance. Which wasn't really malicious compliance but more like sabotage.

well malicious compliance IS sabotage, but a cowardly sabotage where you're creating the legal defense "but I thought this is what you wanted me to do..."

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:03 PM (KRtlO)

142 120 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece. It's trite, boring, not particularly well-written, I never cared about any of the characters, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade

You just don't like Katherine Hepburn.

Posted by: Tom Servo at January 27, 2025 04:03 PM (wyMQY)

143 105 Is that like almost assless chaps?

ass or assless, there is no almost

Posted by: fashion yoda at January 27, 2025 04:03 PM (oY6Yp)

144 Now take a swing at Ethan Frome. Edith Wharton sucks balls.
---------------
C'mon Garret, sledding is totes fun. This explains how painful most Roundhead writers are.

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 04:03 PM (Wg6v7)

145 If PDT were to say "heads will roll", I expect we will see actual heads rolling.

Posted by: fd at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (vFG9F)

146 We must judge for ourselves the validity of you claims
Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 04:01 PM

True. Very few commenters have the gravitas to be trusted implicitly, as I do.

Posted by: That Guy who shouts "En fuego!" at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (a3Q+t)

147 This is how the bureaucracy reacts when they get orders they do not care for. The only way to root this out is to find the people who are behind this and leading and root them out. No other device will work, it just oozes out the sides of your fist otherwise.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (2VST1)

148 Kaboom

@disclosetv 2m
JUST IN - CDC orders all public health officials in the United States to stop working with the WHO, effective immediately.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (mlg/3)

149 133 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece. It's trite, boring, not particularly well-written, I never cared about any of the characters, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade

It is terrible...or at least it was when my mom tried to make me read it when I was a tween. I doubt it's better now. Of course, so is Dicken's Great Expectations, so I'm an equal opportunity disliker for these awful, boring, long books...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (exHjb)

150 The person who ordered the removal should be easy to find.

Posted by: steevy at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (KQk9m)

151
Just reading, Border Patrol agents were fired upon by Cartel on the Mexican side of the border. This was around Fronton, TX.

Border Patrol returned fire, but no one was hit on either side, Bill Melugin reports.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (w6EFb)

152
Heads Will Roll

by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auzfTPp4moA

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (KRtlO)

153 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece.

I have never read it, my mom loved it. I suppose at some point I should read some of that era and type of book, it just sounds really boring to me.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:05 PM (2VST1)

154 JUST IN - CDC orders all public health officials in the United States to stop working with the WHO, effective immediately.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (mlg/3)
---
Who's Next?

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:05 PM (krQz2)

155 We're going to need a Department of Ridiculously Unimportant Topics to make up assignments to our new task forces.

I'm not doing that shit.

Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025 04:05 PM (fV+MH)

156 George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:05 PM (PiwSw)

157 This should amuse people tremendously.

Trump is not the first US official to make a play for Greenland. Seward proposed it after buying Alaska. Taft made a play. So did Truman.

The kicker is, if Denmark finally says yes, because of Taft's interest there is a nifty little piece of English law that recognizes Denmark has to offer Greenland to England first.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 04:05 PM (9J7i5)

158 It is terrible...or at least it was when my mom tried to make me read it when I was a tween. I doubt it's better now. Of course, so is Dicken's Great Expectations, so I'm an equal opportunity disliker for these awful, boring, long books...
---------------
Don't read Dickens, just get an autobook and listen. You can get a shit ton of chores while it bangs on.

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (Wg6v7)

159 Slow the process down the way indicated in that memo, and I'm going to notice very quickly that every step you take, every move you make, you're seeking my approval and in writing. If I have to instruct you to this level of detail....then what the hell do I need YOU for?

This stuff can only work in a government position; which would include "private" companies whose bread-and-butter are government contracts. It would only fly for about three or four days in a truly private company.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (bufu1)

160 147 This is how the bureaucracy reacts when they get orders they do not care for. The only way to root this out is to find the people who are behind this and leading and root them out. No other device will work, it just oozes out the sides of your fist otherwise.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (2VST1)

Lead them out the door with their box of shit. Or if they are work from home, revoke all the access at about three in the morning so when they wake up at 9 all the communications and computing are dead.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (OA79/)

161 >>>Now take a swing at Ethan Frome. Edith Wharton sucks balls.
---------------
C'mon Garret, sledding is totes fun. This explains how painful most Roundhead writers are.

I picked that book to read in like 9th grade based just on how short it was. I couldn't finish it and had to do Cliff's Notes.

I know you're all shocked to hear that. But it was so boring.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (KRtlO)

162 "JK Rowling made fantasy an accessibly gateway with her (yes derivative) books, so also valuable for her 1 good series.."

Father Daniel Reehil said that the Harry Potter series was a potential "gateway" to demonic possession...and I'm guessing that he would know.

Posted by: Ju at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (aTmM/)

163 Firings, and maybe mass-firings *out of a cannon*, are necessary.

FIFY, Ace!

Posted by: pookysgirl is pretty sure we have cannons somewhere at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (Wt5PA)

164 108 Make all the three star and four star generals pass their service's basic PT.

Failure means a reduction in grade to one star and being put on an improvement program for one year. If they still fail, reduction to E-1, forfeiture of pension, separation from service under "Other than Honorable."
Posted by: Anna Puma
----

Too much time, effort and money wasted on questionable resources. They may retire now or face inquiry while on leave from command.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (NuNXv)

165 by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auzfTPp4moA
Posted by: ace"

My new theme song for the day!

Posted by: fd at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (vFG9F)

166 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible.
______

Exactly!

Posted by: How to Make an American Quilt at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (fs1hN)

167 Vance saying "and I wouldn't t want that for my kids OR ANY OTHER AMERICANS KIDS" crushed it.

Lefties care about themselves and could not care less about how it effects you and your family.

Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (wBaIH)

168 The donks are all in on Big Egg.

Rep. Eric Swalwell@RepSwalwell
A morning scramble, to start his first full week as president, is not the focus on eggs we were promised.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (L/fGl)

169 161 I picked that book to read in like 9th grade based just on how short it was. I couldn't finish it and had to do Cliff's Notes.

I know you're all shocked to hear that. But it was so boring.
Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (KRtlO)

========

Finish The Lord of the Rings?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (GBKbO)

170 41
‘ Former Fed chick is cute.

Ginger AND glasses.’

I don’t know. She has big schnozz going on. But I like what she said.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (jbnUc)

171 one of the best books I read in high school, chosen again for length, was Heart of Darkness. Really good. No problem finishing that one.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (KRtlO)

172 Never read Little Women or Ethan Fromm

.
Has Death come for the Archbishop yet?

Posted by: Lizzy at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (Hkcdp)

173 Not just firings need to happen.

IMPRISONINGS need to happen.

People only learn when they have cruelties done upon them.

Posted by: XTC at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (sm6Pk)

174 A lot of the classics aren't really fun reading or even necessarily well written. I spent a summer after college reading a bunch of classics, because I felt like my education was lacking there. It cured me of any desire to continue. Now that we don't even have a common culture, knowing them isn't even worthwhile for the allusions because no one alive has the education to make them anymore. (Almost no one anway.)

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (CzMNg)

175 Moving from Mar a lago back to DC must have gotten PDT's ankles cold because he's putting the whole boot in.

Posted by: DaveA at January 27, 2025 04:02 PM (FhXTo)

Seriously, it has to suck moving to a smaller house in a shit neighborhood.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (VwHCD)

176 104 The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Thomas Bender

Barbara Tuchman.
Posted by: Bulg

Agatha Christie, Margaret Mitchell
Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 03:56 PM (L/fGl)

DC Fontana.

Posted by: Tom Servo at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (wyMQY)

177 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece. It's trite, boring, not particularly well-written, I never cared about any of the characters, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade

It is terrible...or at least it was when my mom tried to make me read it when I was a tween. I doubt it's better now. Of course, so is Dicken's Great Expectations, so I'm an equal opportunity disliker for these awful, boring, long books...
Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:04 PM (exHjb)
____

I'm not a fan of Dickens either. Highly overrated. To some degree I think certain older authors and works are products of their time. So I can't really judge them at the time they were written. So it may be that works like Little Women and Great Expectations were much better at the time. But that doesn't explain why so many people are still fawning over them now.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (iFTx/)

178 The worst-written book that I recall was Uncle Tom's Cabin.

It was appallingly badly written. I recall the Stowe was unaware that "thou" was the nominative familiar pronoun, and "thee" was the objective familiar pronoun.

She repeatedly wrote crap such as "Thee must do X." Apparently the abolitionists were nitwits.

I grated my teeth every time I read something like that.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (YqDXo)

179 Try reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. You can tell that woman lived a screwed up life with no relationships with nen

Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (6v8aM)

180 Edith Wharton sucks balls.
---
What's her number?

Posted by: Lord Byron at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (krQz2)

181 >>I picked that book to read in like 9th grade based just on how short it was. I couldn't finish it and had to do Cliff's Notes.

>I know you're all shocked to hear that.

Fact Check : TRUE

Posted by: Dr James Mortimer at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (snN/i)

182 Firings, and maybe mass-firings, are necessary.

Preferably with canons.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (4tmpE)

183 >>>Finish The Lord of the Rings?

you had to go there

no i am stuck with Frodo and Sam. I hate these chapters. I might skip them and just go straight to Shelob.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (KRtlO)

184 You can request clarification of an order, especially such as this when it comes down. In fact, you could say you’re obligated to advise the CO of any potential negative consequences of that order. That’s why you do of your loyalty it to our country and the service.

Deliberately and maliciously carrying out an order or conspiring with others to do so is punishable under the UCMJ. I suspect some of these people will be FAFO.

Posted by: Marcus T at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (Pu/zx)

185 Don't read Dickens, just get an autobook and listen. You can get a shit ton of chores while it bangs on.

He got paid by the word, literally. Plus, at the time, long writing was appreciated by people who had little else to use for entertainment over the winter, for example.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (2VST1)

186 Little Women?

Posted by: Joe Biden(sniffer) at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (i0F8b)

187 Margaret Thatcher>>Margaret Dumont>>Margaret Hamilton>>Margaret Rutherford>>>>>>>>>Margaret Brennan

Posted by: Got Them Pegged at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (G5+As)

188 183 >>>Finish The Lord of the Rings?

you had to go there

no i am stuck with Frodo and Sam. I hate these chapters. I might skip them and just go straight to Shelob.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (KRtlO)

======

So, Two Towers, then.

I'm nearing the end of The Silmarillion. I look forward to your attempt!

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:09 PM (GBKbO)

189 Don't read Dickens, just get an autobook and listen. You can get a shit ton of chores while it bangs on.
Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 04:06 PM (Wg6v7)

That's how you read Tolkien - battle sounds, different voices, singing...it's all necessary and improves the book wildly. Reading it is also (gonna say it) - boring. But getting the experience of the page less so...

Having just finished Two Towers with my last kids (so this is my 3rd time through), the movie really is smarter than the book with interspersing the plots vs going one and then the other...keeps it more exciting...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:09 PM (exHjb)

190 A lot of the classics aren't really fun reading or even necessarily well written. I spent a summer after college reading a bunch of classics, because I felt like my education was lacking there. It cured me of any desire to continue. Now that we don't even have a common culture, knowing them isn't even worthwhile for the allusions because no one alive has the education to make them anymore. (Almost no one anway.)

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (CzMNg)

What a phony.

Posted by: Holden Caufield at January 27, 2025 04:09 PM (i24o9)

191 But that doesn't explain why so many people are still fawning over them now.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (iFTx/)
__________________

It's probably like Das Kapital. Only about five people in human history have actually read the damned thing, which is the epitome of long-winded Teutonic tediousness.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 04:09 PM (YqDXo)

192 SEND NUDES

https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Te9HSUq9L_E

Posted by: WARPAINT at January 27, 2025 04:09 PM (snN/i)

193
I'm not a fan of Dickens either. Highly overrated. To some degree I think certain older authors and works are products of their time. So I can't really judge them at the time they were written. So it may be that works like Little Women and Great Expectations were much better at the time. But that doesn't explain why so many people are still fawning over them now.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (iFTx/)

A lot of Dickenson books were serial stories in publications that paid by the word. Sort explains a lot. It could have taken twelve months to read something that is now a book.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 04:10 PM (OA79/)

194 I know you're all shocked to hear that. But it was so boring.
Posted by: ace
----------------
Yeah, I had a great English teacher and he made it passable due to daily reviews of each chapter. But, yeah, it sucks donkey dicks. Typical high brow Roundhead product.

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 04:10 PM (Wg6v7)

195 BTW a few people have been advised they could be punished under Article 92.

Posted by: Marcus T at January 27, 2025 04:10 PM (Pu/zx)

196 177 I'm not a fan of Dickens either. Highly overrated. To some degree I think certain older authors and works are products of their time. So I can't really judge them at the time they were written. So it may be that works like Little Women and Great Expectations were much better at the time. But that doesn't explain why so many people are still fawning over them now.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (iFTx/)

=======

I've read a few Dickens.

I've thoroughly enjoyed them. Genuinely fun to read.

To each his own.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:10 PM (GBKbO)

197 Ethan Fromme. From the moment I picked up that book till the moment I laid it down, I confused with laughter.

Someday I intend on reading it.

Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov at January 27, 2025 04:10 PM (wBaIH)

198 >>> 157 This should amuse people tremendously.

Trump is not the first US official to make a play for Greenland. Seward proposed it after buying Alaska. Taft made a play. So did Truman.

The kicker is, if Denmark finally says yes, because of Taft's interest there is a nifty little piece of English law that recognizes Denmark has to offer Greenland to England first.
Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 04:05 PM (9J7i5)

How does that work? That little fag Starmer is all tough when he's threatening his own subjects; I would expect Donny Two Scoops to have him in tears in less than 5 minutes.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (NtUSo)

199 Hopefully Hegseth and his lieutenants are setting up communications channels for MAGA people to report this kind of crap without fear of retaliation.

Posted by: Bigsmith at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (1Au9i)

200 The worst of the classics (again that I sorta recall) was one of the Russians (I don't remember which), whose novel starts out with 200 pages of Russian genealogy.

I came away with the impression that there was a shitload of Russians who were all kinda related to each other, before I gave up on the book.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (YqDXo)

201 Firings, and maybe mass-firings, are necessary.

Preferably with canons.
Posted by: Jane D'oh

There's a whole body of law about that.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (77rzZ)

202 >>>So, Two Towers, then.

I finished the gimli/aragorn/legolas chapters in two nights. In fairness to myself.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (KRtlO)

203 183 >>>Finish The Lord of the Rings?

you had to go there

no i am stuck with Frodo and Sam. I hate these chapters. I might skip them and just go straight to Shelob.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (KRtlO)

Audiobook, Ace, Audiobook. As mentioned, it's almost like watching the movie if you get the audiobook on. They are well, well done...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (exHjb)

204 171 one of the best books I read in high school, chosen again for length, was Heart of Darkness. Really good. No problem finishing that one.
Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (KRtlO

Loved it. My teacher was like why you wanna read that?

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (OA79/)

205 I'd ban Little Women for the simple reason that it's boring.

The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Thomas Bender at January 27, 2025 03:53 PM (XV/Pl)

Lois McMaster Bujold is pretty good.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (n7h9X)

206
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you were not its target demographic.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 27, 2025 03:59 PM (xCA6C)

LOL. It's a fine book, which many young women thoroughly enjoyed.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (MQJVv)

207 A lot of Dickenson books were serial stories in publications that paid by the word. Sort explains a lot. It could have taken twelve months to read something that is now a book.
-----------
This is true. Further, the reader of the sweat shop would read it to the workers for entertainment while they worked. Like I say, it is intended to be consumed via the ear not the eye.

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (Wg6v7)

208 Denmark sold us the US Virgin Islands during WWI. So there is a precedent

Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (6v8aM)

209 202 >>>So, Two Towers, then.

I finished the gimli/aragorn/legolas chapters in two nights. In fairness to myself.
Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:11 PM (KRtlO)

=======

20 pages a day, man. Just 20 pages a day, every day. At bedtime, maybe.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (GBKbO)

210 I just started "The Art of the Deal." If you've not read it, it explains a lot about how PDT operates.

Good read so far.

Posted by: nurse ratched at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (W2Pud)

211 55
Former Fed chick is cute.

Ginger AND glasses.

Me likey.
Posted by: Bulg

Dood?

It's a man.
Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators

Pssst- she is not a man. She is a real female.

Posted by: Piper at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (p4NUW)

212 My dad was so annoyed at being forced to read Ivanhoe for his English class in 12th grade that he dropped out of school and joined the Air Force. Eventually he read it, though.

I read it in school and wrote a paper and it was okay although the language is pretty old. Reading it more recently I didn't like it at all, its a complete deconstruction of knights and chivalry.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (2VST1)

213 I generally like Dickens, but he can be a slog at times.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (77rzZ)

214 well malicious compliance IS sabotage, but a cowardly sabotage where you're creating the legal defense "but I thought this is what you wanted me to do..."
Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:03 PM (KRtlO)

Yeah that's fair enough. I suppose my intended meaning/main point was that it wasn't even close enough to the actual mandate to be considered compliance, however malicious.

Posted by: Subsets of sabotage at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (URPBf)

215 Thackeray should be re-written as if Ernest Hemmingway wrote Vanity Fair.

I'll take Dashiell Hammett also.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (krQz2)

216 Blam-a-lam

Libs of TikTok
@libsoftiktok
BREAKING: Acting Attorney General James McHenry just fired more than a dozen Justice Department officials who assisted former Special Counsel Jack Smith in his political witch hunt targeting Trump over Jan 6th.

McHenry says that the officials could not be trusted in “faithfully implementing the president’s agenda.”

Posted by: weft cut-loop at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (mlg/3)

217 The key to reading LotR is to just skip all the songs and poems.

Sorry Mr Tolkien.

Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (fV+MH)

218 >>.Audiobook, Ace, Audiobook. As mentioned, it's almost like watching the movie if you get the audiobook on. They are well, well done...

i have that but I don't want to "cheat"

but cheating is better than not finishing.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (KRtlO)

219 217 The key to reading LotR is to just skip all the songs and poems.

Sorry Mr Tolkien.
Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (fV+MH)

=======

I genuinely enjoy his songs and poetry. They're well written.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (GBKbO)

220 I'd ban Little Women for the simple reason that it's boring.

The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Thomas Bender at January 27, 2025 03:53 PM (XV/Pl)

Anne McCaffrey

Posted by: banana Dream at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (Y6IkP)

221 The donks are all in on Big Egg, Part Deux.

Newsweek@Newsweek
Despite Trump's promise to bring down the cost of everyday goods, egg prices are still rising.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (L/fGl)

222 Finish The Lord of the Rings?

you had to go there

no i am stuck with Frodo and Sam. I hate these chapters. I might skip them and just go straight to Shelob.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:08 PM (KRtlO)

======

So, Two Towers, then.

I'm nearing the end of The Silmarillion. I look forward to your attempt!
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:09 PM (GBKbO)
_______

LoTR is brilliant and obviously highly influential. But it's also kinda wordy and could be 20% shorter, easily. At times JRR takes 100 words to say what could be said in 25. That's also true of modern fantasy. Some of these books are like 1,000 pages!

I have this debate with my brothers over length of books. They like the very long books. I don't. My book is about 300 pages. I'm assured by them that's too short and won't be take seriously. I'm like "how many fucking pages do you need to tell a good story?"

Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (iFTx/)

223 Former Fed chick is cute.

Ginger AND glasses.

Me likey.
Posted by: Bulg
---
She rounds up to one.

Posted by: That Guy at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (krQz2)

224 218 >>.Audiobook, Ace, Audiobook. As mentioned, it's almost like watching the movie if you get the audiobook on. They are well, well done...

i have that but I don't want to "cheat"

but cheating is better than not finishing.
Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (KRtlO)

======

Audiobooks aren't cheating.

I read most of Speaker for the Dead that way on a drive to Atlanta and back.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (GBKbO)

225 Pssst- she is not a man. She is a real female.
Posted by: Piper

Thank you, Piper.

I swear, some people here see a tranny behind every tree.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (77rzZ)

226 Been out all day. Have any of PDJT appointees pissed off anyone in their downstream chain of command today?

Oh. - Good. LOL

Posted by: Tonypete at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (WXNFJ)

227 Isn't Politico laying off people? Maybe they should look around a bit before they opine on others losing their jobs?

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (tT6L1)

228 Denmark sold us the US Virgin Islands during WWI. So there is a precedent

==

ok, let's give them 25M adjusted for inflation (over 616M) and call it a day

Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (g47mK)

229 I'm not a fan of Dickens either. Highly overrated. To some degree I think certain older authors and works are products of their time. So I can't really judge them at the time they were written. So it may be that works like Little Women and Great Expectations were much better at the time. But that doesn't explain why so many people are still fawning over them now.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (iFTx/)

A lot of Dickenson books were serial stories in publications that paid by the word. Sort explains a lot. It could have taken twelve months to read something that is now a book.
Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 04:10 PM (OA79/)

I was amused how in Great Expectations I think it was everybody you met in chapter 4 somehow turns out to be important in chapter 204.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (n7h9X)

230 222 I have this debate with my brothers over length of books. They like the very long books. I don't. My book is about 300 pages. I'm assured by them that's too short and won't be take seriously. I'm like "how many fucking pages do you need to tell a good story?"
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (iFTx/)

=======

"How much time you have...in your life?"
-19th Century Russian Novelists

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (GBKbO)

231 Good weed can make LotR more palatable.

Posted by: davidt at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (i0F8b)

232 Who's Next?
Posted by: Axeman

One of my favorite albums.

Posted by: Tonypete at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (WXNFJ)

233 Start firing these little bitches.

Let them whine and complain and sue, and put them in J6-style legal hell. Punish them with our own malicious compliance, while they learn to code, or read the instructions to operate the fry machine or latte maker.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (ufFY8)

234 I swear, some people here see a tranny behind every tree.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (77rzZ)

*glances askance at hash*

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (i24o9)

235 I've read a few Dickens.

I've thoroughly enjoyed them. Genuinely fun to read.

To each his own.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:10 PM (GBKbO)

I like Dickens as well - his plots are long and convoluted, and often preposterous, but he's one of the best creators of characters you can find. And the characters are where all the fun is.

Posted by: Tom Servo at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (wyMQY)

236 Preferably with canons.
Posted by: Jane D'oh

That is how us Catholics do it but you may want to use cannon for that.

Posted by: Tonypete at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (WXNFJ)

237 You know what's cheating? Just reading Page 1 for a photo-op.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, giving LeBron the stinkeye at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (PiwSw)

238 Vlad the Impaler says you dont have to impale them all, but a few

Posted by: susan harms at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (Kkd7F)

239 Audiobooks aren't cheating.

I read most of Speaker for the Dead that way on a drive to Atlanta and back.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (GBKbO)

They are good on hikes. I listened to Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire that way.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (n7h9X)

240 Anne McCaffrey wrote romance novels tarted up in fantasy and/or science fiction clothing.

Go read her novel The Mark of Merlin.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (9J7i5)

241 A Finnish Lord of the Rings just sounds fishy.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (krQz2)

242 190 A lot of the classics aren't really fun reading or even necessarily well written. I spent a summer after college reading a bunch of classics, because I felt like my education was lacking there. It cured me of any desire to continue. Now that we don't even have a common culture, knowing them isn't even worthwhile for the allusions because no one alive has the education to make them anymore. (Almost no one anway.)

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (CzMNg)

I actually disagree. Folks just aren't choosy with their classics. And teachers don't know the books well enough to pick the best and then what's needed to support the best (like if you want fantasy, it's Tolkien and Lewis for classics, but you have to read Beowulf b/c it's so stolen and such a basis and the 1st known of the subject matter)...

I still love Poe. I love Orwell. I mentioned Jackson's short story and Christie's mysteries.

The Enemy of the People (Ibsen), another play written like it was done yesterday...amazing book.

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (exHjb)

243 I found The Silmarillion to be an unreadable mess with the density of a neutron star.

Posted by: ballistic at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (R6GhA)

244 I have this debate with my brothers over length of books. They like the very long books. I don't. My book is about 300 pages. I'm assured by them that's too short and won't be take seriously. I'm like "how many fucking pages do you need to tell a good story?"
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (iFTx/)

=======

"How much time you have...in your life?"
-19th Century Russian Novelists
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (GBKbO)
______

I really like Dostoevsky. Brothers K is genius. But way too long.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (iFTx/)

245 Upon retirement, I started reading the classics. The stuff that I was supposed to read in my youth. "Huckleberry Finn" is great. "Great Expectations" was disappointing. Mr. Pip was an idiot. I love "Catcher in the Rye," which is generally so misunderstood.

"The Agony and the Ecstasy" is great as is "Ben Hur."

Currently reading "Frankenstein" and loving it.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (JVCkA)

246 ‘ Former Fed chick is cute.

Ginger AND glasses.’

I don’t know. She has big schnozz going on. But I like what she said.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM (jbnUc)

Schnozz ain't a problem unless you have a ticklish belly button.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (VwHCD)

247 Rep. Eric Swalwell@RepSwalwell
A morning scramble, to start his first full week as president, is not the focus on eggs we were promised.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 04:07 PM

Him fucking that chicken isn't going to make more eggs.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (aD39U)

248 Moving from Mar a lago back to DC must have gotten PDT's ankles cold because he's putting the whole boot in.

Posted by: DaveA at January 27, 2025 04:02 PM (FhXTo)

Seriously, it has to suck moving to a smaller house in a shit neighborhood.
Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division
.......

previously occupied by losers.

Posted by: wth at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (v0R5T)

249 Still think that if Greenland goes independent we should offer them Free Association. We take care of defense and they give us favored nation status for economic things

Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (6v8aM)

250 133 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece. It's trite, boring, not particularly well-written, I never cared about any of the characters, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade

I liked it, but I was 10 when I read it. I also liked The Last Unicorn back then.

Posted by: Piper at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (p4NUW)

251 I swear, some people here see a tranny behind every tree.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (77rzZ)

Says someone named "Bulg"

Posted by: Seems kinda sus at January 27, 2025 04:17 PM (URPBf)

252 Love the Hardy Boys. True "littchrature."

Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:17 PM (Y4VCL)

253 232 Who's Next?
Posted by: Axeman

One of my favorite albums.
Posted by: Tonypete at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (WXNFJ)

When I want to go home, I'm going mobile.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:17 PM (PiwSw)

254 So, I've been seeing a little trend of people on X saying, "I got fired from my fed job. I was the DEI officer in charge of..." doing something ridiculous like "making the penguins gay".

And I've wondered what the point was beyond an easy little laugh.

It seems like it's to ridicule the idea of firing DEI officers because they're so unimportant. But the actual hit seems to be DEI officers themselves, making very light fun of their jobs and painting them as ridiculous.

It's just a curious thought I had on a flash in the pan social media thing.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:17 PM (GBKbO)

255 >>> Ron DeSantis noted that that's what insubordinate officials did in Florida when he instructed schools to stop teaching kindergarteners about sex and "gender." The officials began banning classics like Little Women, claiming that that's how they read the order.

You are fired for being obtuse.
Or you can take an appropriate reduction in duties and pay and just wash trash cans. But too stupid to not fuck that up too.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at January 27, 2025 04:17 PM (/lPRQ)

256
LoTR is brilliant and obviously highly influential. But it's also kinda wordy and could be 20% shorter, easily. At times JRR takes 100 words to say what could be said in 25. That's also true of modern fantasy. Some of these books are like 1,000 pages!

I have this debate with my brothers over length of books. They like the very long books. I don't. My book is about 300 pages. I'm assured by them that's too short and won't be take seriously. I'm like "how many fucking pages do you need to tell a good story?"
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (iFTx/)

This, 1000% Tolkien did need an editor and Lewis needed some more depth...the two should have written together the perfect book...too bad their friendship and perspectives wouldn't see eye to eye that way...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:17 PM (exHjb)

257 A lot of the classics aren't really fun reading or even necessarily well written.

I have found that, yes. Over the last ten years or so I have made an effort to read one or two really classic major books from the past each year. Many of them do not hold up all that well, some have such overused plots by later writers that they are not as fresh as they might be these days. Some are written in a style so dated and difficult to read that they don't hold up. Some are evergreen, though. Most of them are still quite good.

Some authors I think are heavily overrated, like Hemingway.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (2VST1)

258 222 LoTR is brilliant and obviously highly influential. But it's also kinda wordy and could be 20% shorter, easily. At times JRR takes 100 words to say what could be said in 25. That's also true of modern fantasy. Some of these books are like 1,000 pages!

I have this debate with my brothers over length of books. They like the very long books. I don't. My book is about 300 pages. I'm assured by them that's too short and won't be take seriously. I'm like "how many fucking pages do you need to tell a good story?"
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (iFTx/)

You only need 1000 pages if you're trying to write about the depths of Russian misery.

Posted by: XTC at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (sm6Pk)

259 C'mon...

Everyone knows you open to page 100 for the photo op.

Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (fV+MH)

260 Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy is da bomb.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (aD39U)

261 244 I really like Dostoevsky. Brothers K is genius. But way too long.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (iFTx/)

======

Love 'em too! Brothers Karamazov is...amazing.

I wouldn't want to cut a word.

Tolstoy was writing a sequel when he died. If I remember correctly, the youngest brother was to become an anarchist who tried to assassinate the tsar.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (GBKbO)

262 Anne McCaffrey wrote romance novels tarted up in fantasy and/or science fiction clothing.

Go read her novel The Mark of Merlin.
Posted by: Anna Puma at January 27, 2025 04:15 PM (9J7i5)

There was a lot of mushy stuff going on but I am pretty good at zoning out when I read those parts. I mostly remember the dragon/war/science fiction parts.

Posted by: banana Dream at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (Y6IkP)

263 I found The Silmarillion to be an unreadable mess with the density of a neutron star.
Posted by: ballistic at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM

--

At many points it reads like the Bible.

Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (Y4VCL)

264 Afuera

@Breaking911 1m
The DEA raided an "invitation-only Tren de Aragua party" in Adams County, Colorado Sunday before the thugs could finish their Coronas. 49 people were arrested.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (mlg/3)

265 It took me a long time to understand Lizzy Bennett. Hollywood portrays her as beautiful and witty. Yes, she is beautiful. But she was a nasty, unkind, proud, and prejudiced girl at the beginning. Darcy appears cold, only because he is shy.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (JVCkA)

266 178 It was appallingly badly written. I recall the Stowe was unaware that "thou" was the nominative familiar pronoun, and "thee" was the objective familiar pronoun.

She repeatedly wrote crap such as "Thee must do X." Apparently the abolitionists were nitwits.

*whistles innocently*

Posted by: t'pau at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (oY6Yp)

267 I swear, some people here see a tranny behind every tree.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (77rzZ)
---
I see dead names.

Posted by: Cole Sear at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (krQz2)

268 And here's another woman writer who stood the test of time, IMO. L.M. Montgomery who wrote the "Anne of Green Gables" series. I didn't read those books until I was in college and still thoroughly enjoyed them.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (MQJVv)

269 257 Some authors I think are heavily overrated, like Hemingway.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (2VST1)

So. F***ing. BORING.

The Old Man and the Sea is like 140 pages.

And it felt like it took 7 lifetimes to read.

Posted by: XTC at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (sm6Pk)

270 one of the best books I read in high school, chosen again for length, was Heart of Darkness. Really good. No problem finishing that one.
Posted by: ace

That explains all the Cruelty

Posted by: Miklos now understands at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (xesY+)

271 Secretary Hegseth should visit a different military facility once every two weeks or so to perform an unannounced snap inspection. I don't know how getting to and into a base or building unannounced can be accomplished given the hostility to him, everywhere. He should try. I am confident that at first he would be very disappointed by what he would find, everywhere. Then he'd unleash hell on the base/installation commander and many others.

A few unannounced snap inspections and every facility would tighten-up due to fear of commanders for their careers.

I think it could work out for the good.

Posted by: Gref at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (aBgBM)

272 And it's only going to get darker for some gov't workers.

Posted by: ripley 7542 at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (Uy/WF)

273 Good weed can make LotR more palatable.

Posted by: davidt at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (i0F8b)

Didn't work in my case, I still wanted to fire a .357 through the book when I was done. Great story, but moved soooo sloowww.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (VwHCD)

274 Agree on Hemingway.

Don't get it.

Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (fV+MH)

275 263 I found The Silmarillion to be an unreadable mess with the density of a neutron star.
Posted by: ballistic at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM

--

At many points it reads like the Bible.

a whole lot of begetting going on?

Posted by: anachronda at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (oY6Yp)

276 263 I found The Silmarillion to be an unreadable mess with the density of a neutron star.
Posted by: ballistic at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM

--

At many points it reads like the Bible.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (Y4VCL)

======

It's a legendarium, not a novel. It's always going to be a...different read.

Lots of beauty in it, though.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (GBKbO)

277 >>That's also true of modern fantasy. Some of these books are like 1,000 pages!

When they publish works 5-10 volumes deep, over 1/3 of the overall length is consumed with exposition that is intended for readers who didn't get on the train at Book 1.

It's retarded.

Posted by: garrett at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (snN/i)

278 I read it in school and wrote a paper and it was okay although the language is pretty old. Reading it more recently I didn't like it at all, its a complete deconstruction of knights and chivalry.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:12 PM (2VST1)

Ivanhoe is the book that made Robin Hood a famous character. He was kind of a bit part in it, but everyone latched onto it.

Posted by: Tom Servo at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (wyMQY)

279 Sunday book thread, continued...

Posted by: one hour sober at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (Y1sOo)

280 "Good weed can make LotR more palatable."

Oh, suck it. No, seriously, suck it.

Posted by: Old Toby at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (VVPHp)

281 A morning scramble, to start his first full week as president, is not the focus on eggs we were promised.

I do not get the Democrat fixation on eggs LOL. I guess they figure it makes them feel more "of the people" or something. "See, I'm just like you I relate to (checks notes) eggs, just like you my fellow ordinary common pyrsyn!"

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (2VST1)

282 I liked it, but I was 10 when I read it. I also liked The Last Unicorn back then.
--------------
My favorite at 10 was The Mad Scientist Club. Fucking great book. At 12 I literally found a porn book in the gutter and was consumed by it.

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (Wg6v7)

283 Would love to be the investigating officer going after the source of the Tuskegee thing. Deliberate indeed. So is silent insubordination. UCMJ time.

Posted by: Diogenes at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (W/lyH)

284 That's how you read Tolkien - battle sounds, different voices, singing...it's all necessary and improves the book wildly. Reading it is also (gonna say it) - boring. But getting the experience of the page less so...

Having just finished Two Towers with my last kids (so this is my 3rd time through), the movie really is smarter than the book with interspersing the plots vs going one and then the other...keeps it more exciting...
Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:09 PM (exHjb)

You... You don't hear the different voices and songs when you read it in your head?

...Next your going to tell me that you don't see the scenes when described.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (N1DT3)

285 I really like Dostoevsky. Brothers K is genius. But way too long.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM (iFTx/)

We did Russian Lit last year, so finally got through that...it's better than Dickens, but I won't repeat the experience (spouse loved it). I preferred other Russian authors...

Tolstoy was actually good when he was short...The Death of Ivan Ilyich is quite good...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (exHjb)

286 Depressing data point: LotR is almost 100 years old.

Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (Y4VCL)

287 LoTR is brilliant and obviously highly influential. But it's also kinda wordy and could be 20% shorter, easily. At times JRR takes 100 words to say what could be said in 25. That's also true of modern fantasy. Some of these books are like 1,000 pages!

I have this debate with my brothers over length of books. They like the very long books. I don't. My book is about 300 pages. I'm assured by them that's too short and won't be take seriously. I'm like "how many fucking pages do you need to tell a good story?"
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (iFTx/)

That's part of the world building. And people in the past did used to read / recite poems and stories, sing for entertainment before they had iphones.

But if you want a shorter LOTR-ish world that isn't a DnD xerox, Patricia's Riddle Master of Hed trilogy are pretty short and great.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (n7h9X)

288 >>I really like Dostoevsky. Brothers K is genius. But way too long.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM

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

My favorite novel. I reread it every few years...It gets shorter each time. LoL.

Posted by: Bigsmith at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (1Au9i)

289 Little Women should be excluded because it's terrible. I never understood how it ever got published, let alone considered some kind of masterpiece. It's trite, boring, not particularly well-written, I never cared about any of the characters, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade
*
I liked it, but I was 10 when I read it. I also liked The Last Unicorn back then.
Posted by: Piper at January 27, 2025

***
I admit I've never read LW. But the adaptations to film, if they are following the story even approximately, grab me every time. And I'm a guy.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (J2vNu)

290 The left has their marching orders: Flood the information zone about the important issue of the day: the price of eggs!

That's it? The left is so lost all they can talk about is eggs? Seriously stupid to even bring it up, because it's very easy to point to the timeline where the inflation started.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (tT6L1)

291 Heart of Darkness (and its issue, King Leopold’s Ghost) is nothing but anti-European propaganda.

Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (FC8SQ)

292 I got about two pages into Silmarillion.

Peace. out.

Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (fV+MH)

293 I swear, some people here see a tranny behind every tree.

Posted by: Bulg
......

Must be the waist high knotholes.

Posted by: wth at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (v0R5T)

294 It's a legendarium, not a novel. It's always going to be a...different read.

Lots of beauty in it, though.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (GBKbO)

For people who enjoy mythology (guilty), it's a really good read.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (N1DT3)

295 241 A Finnish Lord of the Rings just sounds fishy.

salmiak > lembas

Posted by: anachronda at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (oY6Yp)

296 I found The Silmarillion to be an unreadable mess with the density of a neutron star.

Its not a story, its notes. You can't expect it to flow or read comfortably.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (2VST1)

297 294 It's a legendarium, not a novel. It's always going to be a...different read.

Lots of beauty in it, though.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (GBKbO)

For people who enjoy mythology (guilty), it's a really good read.
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:21 PM (N1DT3)

======

Gondolin just fell. I'm nearing the end!

I think I'm going to try the Lost Tales at some point in the near future.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (GBKbO)

298 Anna Karenina > War and Peace

Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (guRzq)

299 Some authors I think are heavily overrated, like Hemingway.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (2VST1)
---
A lot like Henway.

Posted by: Cole Sear at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (krQz2)

300 what is the holdup with confirming Gabbard/RFK/Kash/Bondi?

Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (V6W16)

301 Agree on Hemingway.

Don't get it.
Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025

***
An awful lot of his stuff is dull, I admit. But anybody who wants to write needs to read at least a little of his work. Some of the short stories at least. For Whom the Bell Tolls is a powerful book, and the ending will stay with you forever . . . but it sags pretty badly in the middle. When they finally set out to "blow the bridge," though, it moves nicely.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (J2vNu)

302 Oh, suck it. No, seriously, suck it.
Posted by: Old Toby at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (VVPHp)

Isn't that part of the process of doing weed?

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (MQJVv)

303 Audiobook, Ace, Audiobook.

-
I stand before you, a complete f*cking idiot. I've been on an Eric Ambler kick lately and decide to read Cause For Alarm next. I like to do the WhisperSync thing so I searched for it on Audible and got it. I thought. But it wasn't Cause For Alarm by Eric Ambler. It was Cause For Alarm by Erica Spindler. Damn tricky authoresses!

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (L/fGl)

304 298 Anna Karenina > War and Peace
Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (guRzq)

=====

I'd agree.

Anna Karenina's more focused and tragic while War and Peace is so ambitious but executed so well at the same time while not having the same kind of punch.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (GBKbO)

305 I have like 90 tabs opened on my phone from looking up uncommon/archaic terms, mostly for land features, used by tolkein.

These include (checks phone) rill, brake, writhren, besom, eyot, wold, draggled. I accidentally closed like 30 more. One of them was this alternate word for "hell coals," or something, the hot coals underneath a fire. Can't remember that one.

Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (KRtlO)

306 >>Isn't that part of the process of doing weed?
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (MQJVv)

No. You can just pay for it, too.

Posted by: garrett at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (snN/i)

307 You... You don't hear the different voices and songs when you read it in your head?

...Next your going to tell me that you don't see the scenes when described.
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:20 PM (N1DT3)

Yeah, my kids say this makes me some type of minority...I should get special preference.

This is why I like plot-focused and rapid books...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (exHjb)

308 90 The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand.
Posted by: Thomas Bender

Barbara Tuchman.
Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 03:55 PM (77rzZ)

Nancy Mitford.

And E.E. Somerville and Martin Ross's "Irish R.M." stories.

Posted by: Zombie Robbo the Llama Butcher at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (LxER7)

309 When they publish works 5-10 volumes deep, over 1/3 of the overall length is consumed with exposition that is intended for readers who didn't get on the train at Book 1.

It's retarded.

Posted by: garrett

This is about me, isn't it?

Posted by: George R. R. Martin, hack extraordinaire at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (OUMaO)

310 253 232 Who's Next?
Posted by: Axeman

One of my favorite albums.
Posted by: Tonypete at January 27, 2025 04:14 PM (WXNFJ)

When I want to go home, I'm going mobile.
Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:17 PM (PiwSw)

Love ain't for keeping.

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (ufFY8)

311 We did Russian Lit last year, so finally got through that...it's better than Dickens, but I won't repeat the experience (spouse loved it). I preferred other Russian authors...

Not a writer but a translator -- Constance Garnett translated over 70 Russian novels into English, including works by Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev, Chekhov, and Pushkin. I would wager many of us have her translations on our shelves.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (PiwSw)

312 Heart of Darkness (and its issue, King Leopold’s Ghost) is nothing but anti-European propaganda.
Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at January 27, 2025

***
I kept waiting . . . and waiting . . . for Conrad to come to the point and TELL us what "the horror" was. He wouldn't, or couldn't, do it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (J2vNu)

313 It's a legendarium, not a novel. It's always going to be a...different read.

Lots of beauty in it, though.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (GBKbO)

It's like reading Bullfinch's Mythology on Greek and Roman Myths, or equivalent on Norse mythology. Its more a history book than a narrative and the parts with plots are digested to be short.

Yeah I did that when I was ten or eleven.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (n7h9X)

314 305 I have like 90 tabs opened on my phone from looking up uncommon/archaic terms, mostly for land features, used by tolkein.

These include (checks phone) rill, brake, writhren, besom, eyot, wold, draggled. I accidentally closed like 30 more. One of them was this alternate word for "hell coals," or something, the hot coals underneath a fire. Can't remember that one.
Posted by: ace at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (KRtlO)

=======

I feel like this is a way to read that's just designed to slow the process down. Use context clues and move on!

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (GBKbO)

315 So. F***ing. BORING.

The Old Man and the Sea is like 140 pages.

And it felt like it took 7 lifetimes to read.
Posted by: XTC at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (sm6Pk)

One of my favorite books. I guess I'm too much a fisherman

Posted by: Hatari somewhere on Ventura Highway at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (NtVYv)

316 But if you want a shorter LOTR-ish world that isn't a DnD xerox, Patricia's Riddle Master of Hed trilogy are pretty short and great.

Seconded, great series. Very interesting setting and approach, kind of obscure these days. Would make great long form series on HBO, for example.

Seriously stupid to even bring it up, because it's very easy to point to the timeline where the inflation started.

I was too young to be paying attention back then, but didn't they try the same thing with Reagan? Look at how the inflation isn't any better, its been a month!

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (2VST1)

317 I think I'm going to try the Lost Tales at some point in the near future.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (GBKbO)

I don't have all of those, but the ones I read were good.

It's (they are?) a different beast than the more complete stories.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (N1DT3)

318 "Politico is sad about DC bureaucrats who might be forced to come into work after a three-year holiday."

But what about the transit systems who don't have enough revenue without workers? what about the poor immigrant hot dog vender who has no one to sell to?

Two can play this game Politico assholes.

Posted by: El Mariachi at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (nLFEI)

319 300 what is the holdup with confirming Gabbard/RFK/Kash/Bondi?
Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (V6W16)

The Deep State hates all of them.

Posted by: Tom Servo at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (wyMQY)

320 wait, the blogmaster admits to doing actual research?

not that there's anything wrong with that.....

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (tT6L1)

321 317
I don't have all of those, but the ones I read were good.

It's (they are?) a different beast than the more complete stories.
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (N1DT3)

======

I remember buying the first one in paperback when I was about 17. I'm not sure I ever started it because I'm not sure if I ever finished The Silmarillion in high school.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:26 PM (GBKbO)

322 Love 'em too! Brothers Karamazov is...amazing.

I wouldn't want to cut a word.

Tolstoy was writing a sequel when he died. If I remember correctly, the youngest brother was to become an anarchist who tried to assassinate the tsar.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (GBKbO)

*Dostoyevskyy

Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 04:26 PM (g47mK)

323 "A classic is something that everybody wants to have read, and nobody wants to read." -Mark Twain

Posted by: mikeski at January 27, 2025 04:26 PM (Cjet/)

324 "Gigantic Rat's Nest": Taibbi Hints FBI Communications With COVID Scientists Will Be Exposed
https://shorturl.at/dBgB9
ZeroHedge
Why would the Eff.Bee.EYE have been talking to woofloo scientits, and why would those conversations need to be secret?

Economic Black Hole: Here Are 25 Signs That The U.S. Economy Is Dying After 4 Years Of "Bidenomics"
https://shorturl.at/XkwjY
The Most Important News
Since we no longer have DOOM! posts here.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at January 27, 2025 04:26 PM (NtUSo)

325 322 *Dostoyevskyy
Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 04:26 PM (g47mK)

=======

They're different people?

Russians all look the same to me.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:26 PM (GBKbO)

326 I kept waiting . . . and waiting . . . for Conrad to come to the point and TELL us what "the horror" was. He wouldn't, or couldn't, do it.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (J2vNu)

It was the Urban Sombrero.

Posted by: Tom Servo at January 27, 2025 04:26 PM (wyMQY)

327 The Silmarillion is the Old Testament of Tolkien's world.

Posted by: The guy that moves pianos for a living at January 27, 2025 04:27 PM (wa0T/)

328 When they publish works 5-10 volumes deep, over 1/3 of the overall length is consumed with exposition that is intended for readers who didn't get on the train at Book 1.

It's retarded.

Posted by: garrett

This is about me, isn't it?
Posted by: George R. R. Martin, hack extraordinaire at January 27, 2025 04:24 PM (OUMaO)

A lot of modern SF authors have the bit in their teeth and are out of the controls of an editor. Wheel O Time is another where a fat book progresses the story not at all.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:27 PM (n7h9X)

329 I was too young to be paying attention back then, but didn't they try the same thing with Reagan? Look at how the inflation isn't any better, its been a month!
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (2VST1)
--------------

I was too young to really notice inflation myself. However, I do remember 15% ARM mortgages.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at January 27, 2025 04:27 PM (tT6L1)

330 (Hegseth) should . . . perform an unannounced snap inspection. I don't know how getting to and into a base or building unannounced can be accomplished given the hostility to him, everywhere. . . . .

Posted by: Gref

After he presents his ID at the main gate, shakes hands all around, and collects names of all the MAs on duty - then and only then, instruct all to TELL ABSOLUTELY NO ONE I AM ABOARD the base.

Proceed to Base Commander's office. Kick door in.

Posted by: Tonypete at January 27, 2025 04:27 PM (WXNFJ)

331 For Whom the Bell Tolls is a powerful book, and the ending will stay with you forever . . . but it sags pretty badly in the middle. When they finally set out to "blow the bridge," though, it moves nicely.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (J2vNu)

I barely remember it. It was tedious. The only reason people read it us because it’s part of the Boomer freshman year of college literary canon, along with slop like Catcher in the Rye and Slaughterhouse V.

Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at January 27, 2025 04:27 PM (FC8SQ)

332 263 I found The Silmarillion to be an unreadable mess with the density of a neutron star.
Posted by: ballistic at January 27, 2025 04:16 PM

--

At many points it reads like the Bible.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (Y4VCL)

======

It's a legendarium, not a novel. It's always going to be a...different read.

Lots of beauty in it, though.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (GBKbO

---

Got a lot from reading The History of Middle Earth series. And yeah, if Sil is nutso now you should consider the drafts JRRT had going on

And while Sil wasn't ever edited for publication (was compiled posthumously by his son), it doesn't detract from its approachability.

Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:27 PM (Y4VCL)

333 @thackerpd
5h

1) I exposed Center for Countering Digital Hate for trying to "Kill Musk's Twitter." We learn today that the British government has been funding them with taxpayer money.

Why is England funding a political front group to attack an American company?

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at January 27, 2025 04:27 PM (NuNXv)

334 Not a writer but a translator -- Constance Garnett translated over 70 Russian novels into English, including works by Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev, Chekhov, and Pushkin. I would wager many of us have her translations on our shelves.
Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes

War and Peace has A LOT of French in it. The opening several paragraphs (Pages?) are in French, translated into Russian in footnotes.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:28 PM (77rzZ)

335 It was appallingly badly written. I recall the Stowe was unaware that "thou" was the nominative familiar pronoun, and "thee" was the objective familiar pronoun.

-
Maybe she just didn't want to objectify women.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 04:28 PM (L/fGl)

336 Now Michener, that dude can droll on for days. I did like the book Poland though

Posted by: Hatari somewhere on Ventura Highway at January 27, 2025 04:28 PM (NtVYv)

337 > 300 what is the holdup with confirming Gabbard/RFK/Kash/Bondi?
Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (V6W16)

They're up this week. I think they'll come after the Secretary-level appointments are done.

Scott Bessent is up for confirmation as SecTreas today.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at January 27, 2025 04:28 PM (W5ArC)

338 what is the holdup with confirming Gabbard/RFK/Kash/Bondi?
Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (V6W16)
---
They would have access to the DoJ before the DoJ can shred everything.

Also, they don't *ever* want Patel in at the FIB. They say he's not qualified. But I believe the real reason is: He's smarter than they are.

Trump wouldn't know half of what he knows about Crossfire Hurricane and the FIB if Kash hadn't caught on and started setting traps for the swamp dwellers.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:28 PM (krQz2)

339 337 > 300 what is the holdup with confirming Gabbard/RFK/Kash/Bondi?
Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (V6W16)

They're up this week. I think they'll come after the Secretary-level appointments are done.

Scott Bessent is up for confirmation as SecTreas today.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at January 27, 2025 04:28 PM (W5ArC)

========

Garland didn't get appointed until March of 2021. Late March.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:29 PM (GBKbO)

340 "Passive aggressive" is also a term which originated in the military, too, i believe.

Private Bailey does such a half-assed job mowing the lawn or painting the barracks that Sarge will think twice before asking him again..

Posted by: Pete in Texas at January 27, 2025 04:29 PM (p9rFX)

341 anais nin had some interesting stories . . .

Posted by: Kindltot at January 27, 2025 04:29 PM (D7oie)

342
I have this debate with my brothers over length of books. They like the very long books. I don't. My book is about 300 pages. I'm assured by them that's too short and won't be take seriously. I'm like "how many fucking pages do you need to tell a good story?"
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025

***
Everything else being equal, I'd buy yours over a 1000-page doorstop any day.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:29 PM (J2vNu)

343 The Silmarillion has 2 1/2 complete stories in it. And a lot of background filler.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at January 27, 2025 04:29 PM (aD39U)

344 I remember buying the first one in paperback when I was about 17. I'm not sure I ever started it because I'm not sure if I ever finished The Silmarillion in high school.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:26 PM (GBKbO)

I had the fun of never even being aware of Tolkien till college.

As a result, reading the Silmarillion felt like light reading compared to some of the works in my Lit classes.

(Give me Silmarillion over Paradise Lost any day.)

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (N1DT3)

345 I think I'm going to try the Lost Tales at some point in the near future.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (GBKbO)

I don't have all of those, but the ones I read were good.

It's (they are?) a different beast than the more complete stories.
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (N1DT3)

The early ones bring out old notes and compare the changes in the story in the writing process. Some of the later ones do have a complete story in them - "Children of Hurin" I burned out before digging up copies of the older out of print ones.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (n7h9X)

346 LoTR is brilliant and obviously highly influential. But it's also kinda wordy and could be 20% shorter, easily. At times JRR takes 100 words to say what could be said in 25. That's also true of modern fantasy. Some of these books are like 1,000 pages!

Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (iFTx/)

Wordy is an understatement. God forbid the hobbit kicks a stone, because then we have to read about how the stone rolls down the path. Oh, don't forget the dirt, now we read about how the dirt felt having the stone roll over it, and the little dust clouds get described with every word in the english language. And ohh looky, the stone hit a leaf that was laying on the path. Well now, we have to hear about the leaf, and how the parent tree felt about losing that poor leaf, and how the rock crushed it, and how the crunch was heard 18 villages away by some weird animal. Oh, don't forget about the sun. How did the rays of the sun light up the whole leaf massacre, and so on.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (VwHCD)

347 My "Venusian Trilogy" is well regarded amongst those in the know. A message of intergalactic brotherhood and understanding. I was brought to Earth From Venus in 1955, taking the place of a nine year old girl who perished in an automobile accident. The first volume has been the most popular-"From Venus I Came".

Posted by: Omnec Onec at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (G5+As)

348 rill, brake, writhren, besom, eyot, wold,

Are they sorted by "Get off my *"

Posted by: DaveA at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (FhXTo)

349 Not a writer but a translator -- Constance Garnett translated over 70 Russian novels into English, including works by Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev, Chekhov, and Pushkin. I would wager many of us have her translations on our shelves.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes
---
I have the much poorer translation War and Peas on my shelf.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (krQz2)

350 Since I'm on Russian Lit, another one with huge historical import that is very readable is One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn). Not as good as the Tolstoy novella I posted, but considering its release in history and its subject matter, kinda eye opening it was ever let out to see the light of day...and another relatively easy read for Russian Lit...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (exHjb)

351 When it comes to fiction, which I generally dislike, I prefer short stories or novellas to full-length novels. Think Jeeves and Wooster, or Glencannon, or the Jungle Books.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (77rzZ)

352 I’m teaching Lord of the Flies to 7th graders. What could go wrong?

Posted by: Euro at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (LxqBJ)

353 It was appallingly badly written. I recall the Stowe was unaware that "thou" was the nominative familiar pronoun, and "thee" was the objective familiar pronoun.

-
Maybe she just didn't want to objectify women.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025

***
"Thou art beautiful, my love . . . there is no flaw in thee." How difficult is that?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (J2vNu)

354 @Cernovich

These "malicious compliance" techniques are right out of the COINTELPRO manual on disrupting political movements. You'll also note that similar methods are employed by bad faith interlopers who cozied up to MAGA.

Especially the "Raise Endless Questions" part.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (NuNXv)

355 I think I'm going to try the Lost Tales at some point in the near future.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:22 PM (GBKbO)

I don't have all of those, but the ones I read were good.

It's (they are?) a different beast than the more complete stories.
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at January 27, 2025 04:25 PM (N1DT3)

---

You have to be a SERIOUS JRRT scholar to go through all of that and get anything out of it.

And I appreciate Christopher's work in compiling it all, but man that guy can go on.

I have all volumes on Kindle, which is about the best way I can get through them. I got a lot out of Morgoth's ring...

Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (Y4VCL)

356 352 I’m teaching Lord of the Flies to 7th graders. What could go wrong?
Posted by: Euro at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (LxqBJ)

========

"He's not holding the conch!"
-Jack

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (GBKbO)

357 300 what is the holdup with confirming Gabbard/RFK/Kash/Bondi?
Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything at January 27, 2025 04:23 PM (V6W16)

They're up this week. I think they'll come after the Secretary-level appointments are done.

Scott Bessent is up for confirmation as SecTreas today.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at January 27, 2025 04:28 PM (W5ArC)

The delay was some procedural trick by the Dems - claiming some form wasn't filled out on time.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (n7h9X)

358 > Garland didn't get appointed until March of 2021. Late March.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:29 PM (GBKbO)

Vote on Bessent is scheduled for 5:30 ET.

Prospective SecTrans Duffy is being voted on to move out of committee today.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (W5ArC)

359 FYI you can get MusicFab and download your audible library, save it to your computer before they decide to edit the books.

Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (FCrpy)

360 The Old Man and the Sea is like 140 pages.

And it felt like it took 7 lifetimes to read.
Posted by: XTC at January 27, 2025 04:19 PM (sm6Pk)

Stop with the fish jokes.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (ufFY8)

361 352 I’m teaching Lord of the Flies to 7th graders. What could go wrong?
Posted by: Euro at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (LxqBJ)

If you want an anti-Lord of the Flies, try Tunnel in the Sky, by Robert Heinlein.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (PiwSw)

362 Yes, I’m bringing a conch shell to class

Posted by: Euro at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (LxqBJ)

363 I’m teaching Lord of the Flies to 7th graders. What could go wrong?
Posted by: Euro at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (LxqBJ)

========

"He's not holding the conch!"
-Jack
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (GBKbO)

That's a good one. Violent and short. All boys should read that one.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (n7h9X)

364 There is research that comparing audiobooks with reading.
Comprehension and retention? Stick with books.

Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (g47mK)

365
Are we at the fake "anonymous White House source says" hoax phase, yet?

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (5x091)

366 I saw Hegseth as the type who would fire the malicious compliance types, not tacitly concede that Trump's order actually encompassed banning the Tuskagee Airmen story, and then thanking the newspaper for bringing it to his attention.

Posted by: Ordinary American at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (ZlOcj)

367 355 You have to be a SERIOUS JRRT scholar to go through all of that and get anything out of it.

And I appreciate Christopher's work in compiling it all, but man that guy can go on.

I have all volumes on Kindle, which is about the best way I can get through them. I got a lot out of Morgoth's ring...
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (Y4VCL)

========

I saw Morgoth's Ring as the title to one of the volumes, and it fascinated me. Morgoth didn't have a ring. What was this about?

The explanation is interesting.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (GBKbO)

368 Who knew the Brits had doomsday subs?

I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS: UK navy mistook farting whale for phantom Russians trying to track their nuclear subs.

The UK’s Royal Navy launched a frantic search for phantom Russians off the coast after picking up two mysterious sounds in the ocean — only to conclude that the noises came from a gassy whale, an official told The Sun.

Naval officials feared one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s drone subs had dropped a listening device onto the ocean floor between two islands in Scotland and let rip on an investigation.

The two toots were detected about 100 miles from where the UK’s doomsday subs are based.

“We have been analyzing the sounds and now believe it was a marine mammal. A whale,” the official told the British newspaper.

The sound, first described by analysts as a man-made noise, had never before been picked up on the sensors — leading the navy to confuse Das Boof for Das Boot, according to the report.

https://is.gd/xn9Tn3

Posted by: Archimedes at January 27, 2025 04:33 PM (xCA6C)

369 Billy Budd is dense and hard to read and in the end is no Moby Dick. I was happy to see him hang.

Fight me!

Posted by: Grump928(C) at January 27, 2025 04:33 PM (aD39U)

370 *that compares

Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 04:33 PM (g47mK)

371 I’m teaching Lord of the Flies to 7th graders. What could go wrong?

sucks to your ass-mar

Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 04:33 PM (jGJov)

372 363 I’m teaching Lord of the Flies to 7th graders. What could go wrong?
Posted by: Euro at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (LxqBJ)

========

"He's not holding the conch!"
-Jack
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (GBKbO)

That's a good one. Violent and short. All boys should read that one.
Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (n7h9X)

======

Anti-western claptrap, to be honest. Tense and well-written, but all about how we're a child race who needs someone bigger to come along and get us to stop all of our childish fighting.

It's the "serious literature" version of Arthur C. Clarke.

It rubs me the wrong way.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (GBKbO)

373 If I see that eggs have not come down in price significantly the next time I go to the store, I will be weeping. And I want my vote back. It's been a week.

Posted by: washrivergal at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (C53IZ)

374
You People do know that's coming, right?

Fake "anonymous White House source says" bullshit, on-the-daily.

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (5x091)

375 >>> Wordy is an understatement. God forbid the hobbit kicks a stone, because then we have to read about how the stone rolls down the path. Oh, don't forget the dirt, now we read about how the dirt felt having the stone roll over it, and the little dust clouds get described with every word in the english language. And ohh looky, the stone hit a leaf that was laying on the path. Well now, we have to hear about the leaf, and how the parent tree felt about losing that poor leaf, and how the rock crushed it, and how the crunch was heard 18 villages away by some weird animal. Oh, don't forget about the sun. How did the rays of the sun light up the whole leaf massacre, and so on.
Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (VwHCD)

And the wind blew down from the mountains in the east [50 pages later] and ... where was I? ... oh yeah the plot!

Posted by: Robert Jordan at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (Y6IkP)

376
I am sure that there are many ambitious Colonels ready to move up.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (aD39U)

Unfortunately, everyone above O-4 is a political creature, with a military-specialist lawyer's number in their Outlook contacts.

Still, putting them through the JAG wringer should have an effect.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (y9nCu)

377 374
You People do know that's coming, right?

Fake "anonymous White House source says" bullshit, on-the-daily.
Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (5x091)

=======

Word is that Trump's campaign manager, the nice old lady, has so clamped down on direct access to Trump which, combined with the purge of the previous leakers like Pence, has created an airtight ship.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:35 PM (GBKbO)

378 These kids can’t grasp anything not on the screen in hand. So kids, you’re marooned…what do you do? Oh, I just call dad and have him send a jet for me

Posted by: Euro at January 27, 2025 04:35 PM (LxqBJ)

379 Wordy is an understatement. God forbid the hobbit kicks a stone, because then we have to read about how the stone rolls down the path. Oh, don't forget the dirt, now we read about how the dirt felt having the stone roll over it, and the little dust clouds get described with every word in the english language. And ohh looky, the stone hit a leaf that was laying on the path. Well now, we have to hear about the leaf, and how the parent tree felt about losing that poor leaf, and how the rock crushed it, and how the crunch was heard 18 villages away by some weird animal. Oh, don't forget about the sun. How did the rays of the sun light up the whole leaf massacre, and so on.
Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (VwHCD)

This is a different LOTR. I'm used to the "Gandalf came back 17 years later" one in this universe.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:35 PM (n7h9X)

380 373 If I see that eggs have not come down in price significantly the next time I go to the store, I will be weeping. And I want my vote back. It's been a week.
Posted by: washrivergal at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (C53IZ)

#metoo.

*facepalm*

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:35 PM (PiwSw)

381 I have this debate with my brothers over length of books. They like the very long books. I don't. My book is about 300 pages. I'm assured by them that's too short and won't be take seriously. I'm like "how many fucking pages do you need to tell a good story?"
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 27, 2025 04:13 PM (iFTx/)

I think it depends what you're trying to do with your story.

For me, "Wearing the Cat" was an update of the old-style picaresque novel, which by its nature was going to be fairly lengthy. (about 900 pages). I believe it works well and I'm about 97-98% satisfied with the end result.(Some days I'm 100% satisfied 😀

On the other hand, there are folks who want to tell a longer story but artificially break it into a "series". It's certainly a smart business move, but a lot of these storewide would be much better as a single longer book and cut out the deadwood.

I can swing either way - short well written novel or a long well-written novel. Not much on series though. LOTR and Waugh's "Sword of Honor" Trilogy have proved their merit though.

Posted by: naturalfake at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (iJfKG)

382 Where is Vivek Ramaswamy ?

Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (g47mK)

383 These kids can’t grasp anything not on the screen in hand. So kids, you’re marooned…what do you do? Oh, I just call dad and have him send a jet for me

Zoomers would resort to cannibalism in 5 minutes if they thought it would bring their wifi back

Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (jGJov)

384 >>> You People do know that's coming, right?

Fake "anonymous White House source says" bullshit, on-the-daily.

Most certainly fake bullshit is all they'll have because I think Trump's new admin has much better discipline.

Posted by: banana Dream at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (Y6IkP)

385 We decide what is news.
- Legacy Media

Fox News@FoxNews
ABC, CBS, NBC spent over 46 minutes covering Trump Jan. 6 pardons, 3 minutes on Biden pardoning his family

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (L/fGl)

386
Billy Budd is dense and hard to read and in the end is no Moby Dick. I was happy to see him hang.

Fight me!
Posted by: Grump928

Tread carefully, my friend. Next you'll be shit-talking Bartleby.

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (5x091)

387 382 Where is Vivek Ramaswamy ?
Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (g47mK)

======

Kicked out of DOGE for pissing off everyone and talking about running for governor of Ohio.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (GBKbO)

388 My best memories of LoTR are the big action scenes -- when the hobbits leave the Shire and are tracked by the Ringwraiths (?), the shattering of the Fellowship at the end of Book I, the scene where Gandalf sends his super-fast horse Shadowfax (?) galloping with one of the other hobbits aboard, and the final climax at Mount Doom. And the changes in the Shire when they at last get back.

Bored of the Rings, now, I remember almost all of that!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (J2vNu)

389 355 You have to be a SERIOUS JRRT scholar to go through all of that and get anything out of it.

And I appreciate Christopher's work in compiling it all, but man that guy can go on.

I have all volumes on Kindle, which is about the best way I can get through them. I got a lot out of Morgoth's ring...
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:31 PM (Y4VCL)

========

I saw Morgoth's Ring as the title to one of the volumes, and it fascinated me. Morgoth didn't have a ring. What was this about?

The explanation is interesting.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (GBKbO)

--/

It's about 590 pages. Da duh dum.

Best way I can describe it is that all of Arda is basically Morgoth's Ring. It's not so much a physical object as it is Morgoth putting himself into the entirety of the world.

In other words, it's not an actual ring. It's the mountains, the oceans, the air, and all of it.

Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (Y4VCL)

390 Eggses.

Posted by: Gollum at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (i0F8b)

391 And the wind blew down from the mountains in the east [50 pages later] and ... where was I? ... oh yeah the plot!
Posted by: Robert Jordan at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (Y6IkP)

I named one of the middle books just before I gave up as "Rand al Thor's Breakfast" because that's all that seemed to be going on.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (n7h9X)

392 This chick needs to be reassigned to whatever constitutes outer Siberia in our military.
Posted by: Thomas Bender at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (XV/Pl)

Ft Greely, AK

Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (g8Ew8)

393 You People do know that's coming, right?

Fake "anonymous White House source says" bullshit, on-the-daily.
Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (5x091)
---
If Trump is not being productive enough of Nazi rhetoric?

Yeah, the supply will exceed the demand.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (krQz2)

394
Word is that Trump's campaign manager, the nice old lady, has so clamped down on direct access to Trump which, combined with the purge of the previous leakers like Pence, has created an airtight ship.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

Susie don't fuck around.

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (5x091)

395 389 It's about 590 pages. Da duh dum.

Best way I can describe it is that all of Arda is basically Morgoth's Ring. It's not so much a physical object as it is Morgoth putting himself into the entirety of the world.

In other words, it's not an actual ring. It's the mountains, the oceans, the air, and all of it.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (Y4VCL)

========

It's Tolkien showing the fallen nature of the world.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (GBKbO)

396
Suzie?

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (5x091)

397 383 These kids can’t grasp anything not on the screen in hand. So kids, you’re marooned…what do you do? Oh, I just call dad and have him send a jet for me

Zoomers would resort to cannibalism in 5 minutes if they thought it would bring their wifi back
Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (jGJov)

"Does anybody know if Stacey is gluten-free?"

Posted by: I have allergies you know at January 27, 2025 04:38 PM (PiwSw)

398 The Cottage of Lost Play is a pretty good poem.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at January 27, 2025 04:38 PM (ufFY8)

399 It is very crucial that the new administration stay on top of these insubordinate acts and take full, immediate disciplinary action against the perpetrators. This Lisa Yates should be dismissed from the service, pronto!

Please keep us updated on these actions and the deserved repercussions. We don't need anymore Vindmans in our midsts to betray the country!

Posted by: Tracy at January 27, 2025 04:38 PM (0klyx)

400 Lord of the Flies

Lady Of the Zippers by Kumswalla

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle for festive little hats at January 27, 2025 04:38 PM (r87wJ)

401 Some authors I think are heavily overrated, like Hemingway.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at January 27, 2025 04:18 PM (2VST1)

So. F***ing. BORING.
The Old Man and the Sea is like 140 pages.
And it felt like it took 7 lifetimes to read.
Posted by: XTC

To meet college lit requirements I took "Women and Literature".
Greatly Negative - no hot chicks in class.
Biggest Positive - Every book we had to read was better than Old Man and the Sea.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at January 27, 2025 04:38 PM (/lPRQ)

402 1 I’m teaching Lord of the Flies to 7th graders. What could go wrong?

sucks to your ass-mar
Posted by: brak at January 27, 2025

***
Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky is the flip side of that, much more entertaining, and more positive as well.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:38 PM (J2vNu)

403 How much hobbit gay shit can we cover here?

Posted by: Pudinhead at January 27, 2025 04:39 PM (Wg6v7)

404 My best memories of LoTR are the big action scenes -- when the hobbits leave the Shire and are tracked by the Ringwraiths (?), the shattering of the Fellowship at the end of Book I, the scene where Gandalf sends his super-fast horse Shadowfax (?) galloping with one of the other hobbits aboard, and the final climax at Mount Doom. And the changes in the Shire when they at last get back.

Bored of the Rings, now, I remember almost all of that!
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (J2vNu)

The voluptuous Elf Maiden trying to seduce the Ring from Frito is the funniest thing I read in a long time...

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:39 PM (n7h9X)

405 Anti-western claptrap, to be honest. Tense and well-written, but all about how we're a child race who needs someone bigger to come along and get us to stop all of our childish fighting.

It's the "serious literature" version of Arthur C. Clarke.

It rubs me the wrong way.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025

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

Agree 100%. I understand it is based on a similar situation that actually happened to some boys in a Christian school, but in reality they rallied to the challenge and acquitted themselves admirably without any violence or perversion. Of course, that wouldn't do as the basis of a modern novel.

Posted by: Bigsmith at January 27, 2025 04:39 PM (1Au9i)

406 Suzie?
Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (5x091)
---
She's on the up.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:39 PM (krQz2)

407 246

‘ Schnozz ain't a problem unless you have a ticklish belly button.’

I don’t. She’s just the girl for me.
Ha-ha-ha HA-ha!

Posted by: Woody Woodpecker at January 27, 2025 04:39 PM (jbnUc)

408 And the wind blew down from the mountains in the east [50 pages later] and ... where was I? ... oh yeah the plot!

Posted by: Robert Jordan at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (Y6IkP)

lol yup. I could have ground wheat with a stone and learned to bake bread faster than it took him to describe a hobbit taking a piece of elven bread out of a pouch, because you know, we have to know what the pouch was made from, and what animal dies to get the leather, and then do 50 pages on the land of the pouch animal.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:39 PM (VwHCD)

409 You People do know that's coming, right?

-
The trains will run on time?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 04:40 PM (L/fGl)

410 380 373 If I see that eggs have not come down in price significantly the next time I go to the store, I will be weeping. And I want my vote back. It's been a week.
Posted by: washrivergal at January 27, 2025 04:34 PM (C53IZ)

#metoo.

*facepalm*

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:35 PM (PiwSw)

++++

It was supposed to be a joke.

Posted by: washrivergal at January 27, 2025 04:40 PM (C53IZ)

411 397… yeppers, gluten free, lactose intolerant, and alpha-gal all were mentioned

Posted by: Euro at January 27, 2025 04:40 PM (LxqBJ)

412 It was supposed to be a joke.
Posted by: washrivergal at January 27, 2025 04:40 PM (C53IZ)

Hence the facepalm.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:41 PM (PiwSw)

413 How much hobbit gay shit can we cover here?
Posted by: Pudinhead

*snort*

Never got the appeal of that fantasy shit.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:41 PM (77rzZ)

414 @396 Susie Wiles White House chief of staff. Daughter of Pat Summerall

Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 04:42 PM (6v8aM)

415 Vance picked Tucker Carlson's son as his deputy press secretary.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at January 27, 2025 04:42 PM (NQtI0)

416 >>> 387 382 Where is Vivek Ramaswamy ?
Posted by: runner at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (g47mK)

======

Kicked out of DOGE for pissing off everyone and talking about running for governor of Ohio.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (GBKbO)

He's going to give state's evidence against Elon Hitler!!!

Posted by: Sources Say at January 27, 2025 04:42 PM (NtUSo)

417 If I were to teach English (yeah, right), I'd require:

Red Sky at Morning, Bradford

Sweet Thursday, Steinbeck

At last one Heinlein like The Door Into Summer

And maybe Watership Down. All riveting stories, some funny, some suspenseful, some both. They'd at least get the kids to *read*.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:42 PM (J2vNu)

418 Ft Greely, AK
Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM

*nods*

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at January 27, 2025 04:42 PM (qMcCI)

419 How much hobbit gay shit can we cover here?

Posted by: Pudinhead
---
Nobody mentioned the hospital scene from Return of the King that I know of.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:43 PM (krQz2)

420 >>> You People do know that's coming, right?

Fake "anonymous White House source says" bullshit, on-the-daily.

Most certainly fake bullshit is all they'll have because I think Trump's new admin has much better discipline.
Posted by: banana Dream at January 27, 2025 04:36 PM (Y6IkP)

Nobody reads newspapers or watches the MSM anymore. It's not important and the continual outburst of decisive action is impossible for the MSM picking at one thing at a time for a week or month to keep up with. On YT you can have a person get into detail on one aspect and stick with it.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:43 PM (n7h9X)

421 Hence the facepalm.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:41 PM (PiwSw)

++++

Ok. I am sorry for the misunderstanding.

Posted by: washrivergal at January 27, 2025 04:43 PM (C53IZ)

422 366 I saw Hegseth as the type who would fire the malicious compliance types, not tacitly concede that Trump's order actually encompassed banning the Tuskagee Airmen story, and then thanking the newspaper for bringing it to his attention.
Posted by: Ordinary American at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (ZlOcj)

I'm thinking there is more to it than that. Not that I have a reason to support it.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 04:43 PM (OA79/)

423 Interesting. The newspaper at Ft Cavosos has said that the "former intelligence officer" is not the Yates that was featured in an article by that paper.
Could be some asshole pulled her name to hide behind.

Posted by: Diogenes at January 27, 2025 04:43 PM (W/lyH)

424 If I were to teach English (yeah, right), I'd require:

Red Sky at Morning, Bradford

Sweet Thursday, Steinbeck

At last one Heinlein like The Door Into Summer

And maybe Watership Down. All riveting stories, some funny, some suspenseful, some both. They'd at least get the kids to *read*.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

No Shakespeare, Milton, Dickens, or Kipling?

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (77rzZ)

425 What is the status of DOGE? Are they working at it as we speak?

Posted by: Ordinary American at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (ZlOcj)

426 Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 04:42 PM (6v8aM)

I think she sounds like a tough lady and excellent in that role for the White House.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (MQJVv)

427 Suzie?
Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (5x091)

There goes his Susie, in the band's limousine.
That's the way it goes at these rock and roll shows.

Posted by: Blue Oyster Cult at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (ufFY8)

428 How much hobbit gay shit can we cover here?

Posted by: Pudinhead
---
Nobody mentioned the hospital scene from Return of the King that I know of.
Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:43 PM (krQz2)

The movies gave a nice line from there to Grima Wormtongue. It fit there too interestingly.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (n7h9X)

429 No more Syphillus Airmen?

Posted by: Boss Moss at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (OS4gH)

430 It was supposed to be a joke.
Posted by: washrivergal at January 27, 2025 04:40 PM (C53IZ)
-------------

Problem is, parody and real life are the singularity.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (tT6L1)

431 For those wondering, here is the Senate schedule - currently considering Scott Bessent, of South Carolina, to be Secretary of the Treasury. So, I'm assuming eventually his vote to confirm is tonight...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:45 PM (exHjb)

432 I have read some long books that I wished were longer, but then again, I have read some short stories that I wish were even shorter.

Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 27, 2025 04:45 PM (lTGtQ)

433 425 What is the status of DOGE? Are they working at it as we speak?
Posted by: Ordinary American at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (ZlOcj)

=======

Their recommendations have led to the cancelling of half a billion dollars in contracts so far. Apparently.

But, again, it's an advisory body. They have no authority themselves. They research and present recommendations. Trump can act. They can present evidence to Congress (which has set up subcommittees to liaise) and proposals for legislation.

They also have an end date in 2026 in their founding document.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:45 PM (GBKbO)

434 How much hobbit gay shit can we cover here?

Posted by: Pudinhead
---
Nobody mentioned the hospital scene from Return of the King that I know of.
Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:43 PM

"Share the load...."

- Sam Gamgee

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at January 27, 2025 04:45 PM (qMcCI)

435 336 Now Michener, that dude can droll on for days. I did like the book Poland though
Posted by: Hatari

A Catholic bigot. "Hawaii" was unreadable.

Posted by: Auspex at January 27, 2025 04:46 PM (j4U/Z)

436
There goes his Susie, in the band's limousine.
That's the way it goes at these rock and roll shows.
Posted by: Blue Oyster Cult at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (ufFY

---
Well if that is your Marshall Plan.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:46 PM (krQz2)

437 "Problem is, parody and real life are the singularity.
Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing "

Yes, at some point SouthPark and reality merged.

Horrifyingly.

Posted by: eleven at January 27, 2025 04:46 PM (fV+MH)

438 366 I saw Hegseth as the type who would fire the malicious compliance types, not tacitly concede that Trump's order actually encompassed banning the Tuskagee Airmen story, and then thanking the newspaper for bringing it to his attention.
Posted by: Ordinary American at January 27, 2025 04:32 PM (ZlOcj)

I'm thinking there is more to it than that. Not that I have a reason to support it.
Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at January 27, 2025 04:43 PM (OA79/)

he didn't concede anything. He knew it was malicious compliance and nothing about the Airmen.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:46 PM (n7h9X)

439 Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce The Rotting Corpse Formally Known as China Flu Joe Biden............

Let's give a big hand for Joe and a short goodbye to this big MoFo !!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Buster Hymand at January 27, 2025 04:47 PM (FDlb9)

440 The British were hobbitses. The French were elves.

Posted by: Boss Moss at January 27, 2025 04:47 PM (OS4gH)

441 I'm curious who Hegseth brought along with him to serve in an advisory and assistant role. You just know there are some clever, bone-breaking operators watching his back both figuratively and literally.

Posted by: Orson at January 27, 2025 04:47 PM (dIske)

442 Hemingway was and is hit and miss. Some of his short stories are great , ie The Short Happy Life of Frances Macomber as are some of his novels. The Old Man and the Sea for a novella to me was a slog

Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 27, 2025 04:47 PM (6v8aM)

443 Now Michener, that dude can droll on for days. I did like the book Poland though
Posted by: Hatari

A Catholic bigot. "Hawaii" was unreadable.
Posted by: Auspex

Plus, from what I've heard, he spends way too much time on dinosaurs.

Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025 04:47 PM (77rzZ)

444 Hegseth is mean and makes my pussy Hurt !!!!!!!

Posted by: Buster Hymand at January 27, 2025 04:48 PM (FDlb9)

445 Agree 100%. I understand it is based on a similar situation that actually happened to some boys in a Christian school, but in reality they rallied to the challenge and acquitted themselves admirably without any violence or perversion. Of course, that wouldn't do as the basis of a modern novel.
Posted by: Bigsmith at January 27, 2025 04:39 PM (1Au9i)

Ah, sorry, there’s no way to compare bourgeoisie white people to actual cannibals and come to the conclusion that the cannibals are more civilized and that the only solution is Full Communism if we told the truth. So instead it’s anti-white demoralization propaganda with a bunch of oikophobia and some generalized ressentiment of successful, athletic people because Chad is a girlfriend-stealing asshole who has never sat at a Parisian cafe chain-smoking and contemplating his ennui.

Posted by: Every Twentieth Century Novelist at January 27, 2025 04:48 PM (FC8SQ)

446 440 The British were hobbitses. The French were elves.
Posted by: Boss Moss at January 27, 2025 04:47 PM (OS4gH)

======

Considering Tolkien's general apathy towards the French language and the people who spoke it, including his frustration that the King Arthur myths were more French than English, that seems...like a doubtful read.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:49 PM (GBKbO)

447
Problem is, parody and real life are the singularity.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at January 27, 2025 04:44 PM (tT6L1)

++++
You got that right.

Posted by: washrivergal at January 27, 2025 04:49 PM (C53IZ)

448 First Lady Melania Trump’s Official White House Portrait
---
Definitely better than Bill Clinton in a blue dress.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:49 PM (krQz2)

449
I'll say it: the movie "RedTails" sucked.

Posted by: Auspex at January 27, 2025 04:49 PM (j4U/Z)

450 If I were to teach English (yeah, right), I'd require:

Red Sky at Morning, Bradford

Sweet Thursday, Steinbeck

At last one Heinlein like The Door Into Summer

And maybe Watership Down. All riveting stories, some funny, some suspenseful, some both. They'd at least get the kids to *read*.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius
*
No Shakespeare, Milton, Dickens, or Kipling?
Posted by: Bulg at January 27, 2025

***
Maybe some Kipling, short stories like "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" or his werewolf-in-India story (can't recall the title). Maybe some of his poetry. It would depend on how long the class would run. Mister Spokeshave, maybe one or two of the sonnets. The point would be to show the kids that reading can be *entertaining,* not a slog.

I'm presuming kids of IQ 100+, of course.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 27, 2025 04:49 PM (J2vNu)

451 Anti-western claptrap, to be honest. Tense and well-written, but all about how we're a child race who needs someone bigger to come along and get us to stop all of our childish fighting.

It's the "serious literature" version of Arthur C. Clarke.

It rubs me the wrong way.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025

I had an older brother, it is entirely realistic to me.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 27, 2025 04:50 PM (n7h9X)

452 Best thing Hemingway ever wrote:

My mojito in La Bodeguita
My daiquiri in El Floridita

Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 27, 2025 04:50 PM (3iXxH)

453 Why didn"t they call it Blacktails?

Posted by: Boss Moss at January 27, 2025 04:51 PM (OS4gH)

454 eport: 23-Year-Old OnlyFans Model Falls To Death From Balcony While Performing Threesome

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at January 27, 2025 04:51 PM (NuNXv)

455 Nood. Moar winning.

Posted by: Zombie Robbo the Llama Butcher at January 27, 2025 04:51 PM (LxER7)

456 Nood.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 27, 2025 04:51 PM (PiwSw)

457
This chick needs to be reassigned to whatever constitutes outer Siberia in our military.
Posted by: Thomas Bender at January 27, 2025 03:46 PM (XV/Pl)

Ft Greely, AK
Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons at January 27, 2025 04:37 PM (g8Ew

Greely's about 100 mi from Fairbanks, just barely close enough for a weekend trip to civilization.

Thule AFB on the other hand...

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at January 27, 2025 04:51 PM (y9nCu)

458 BREAKING: "DOJ stops federal legal aid support for immigrants"

https://www.nbcwashington.com /investigations/doj-stops-federal -legal-aid-support-for-immigrants/3826349/

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:51 PM (exHjb)

459

noood

Posted by: Soothsayer likes gladiators at January 27, 2025 04:52 PM (5x091)

460 eport: 23-Year-Old OnlyFans Model Falls To Death From Balcony While Performing Threesome

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at January 27, 2025 04:51 PM (NuNXv)

So..natural causes.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:52 PM (VwHCD)

461 The court language for England was French.

Posted by: Boss Moss at January 27, 2025 04:52 PM (OS4gH)

462 8 of the 33 hostages in the first phase are dead
34 of the remaining hostages are dead

Posted by: Ben Had at January 27, 2025 04:52 PM (bBNPJ)

463 Corporate establishment democrats are discrediting themselves by whining shame! shame! Over desatan's actions. Saying to democrat party our corporate donor masters wont allow us to do anything but whine shame! Democrat party will soon demand direct action or replace these corporate stooges.

Posted by: raimondo at January 27, 2025 04:52 PM (wBxeJ)

464 Oi! Book nerds. Noodles.

Posted by: NZFrank with an M2 at January 27, 2025 04:53 PM (bgJ0E)

465 PS - Ignore the liberal slant of the article...it's just my locals had it 1st (or the more in depth part that nothing really means nothing)...

Posted by: Nova Local at January 27, 2025 04:53 PM (exHjb)

466 461 The court language for England was French.
Posted by: Boss Moss at January 27, 2025 04:52 PM (OS4gH)

=======

And Tolkien hated the French influence on English history and language.

He started his legendarium because he felt like England had no myths of its own.

Trust me, this idea that Tolkien idolized the French and made them his elves is silly nonsense that's extremely far from the truth.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 27, 2025 04:54 PM (GBKbO)

467 The ACLU runs obnoxious commercials on TV begging for dollars and one of their rants is that schools are banning books and they show classic books not the grooming sexualized books aimed at children. Also, voting rights are being denied to people of color...not really but in states that require voter ID, etc. of course they are as dishonest as they can be.

Posted by: Cheri at January 27, 2025 04:54 PM (oiNtH)

468 eport: 23-Year-Old OnlyFans Model Falls To Death From Balcony While Performing Threesome

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at January 27, 2025 04:51 PM (NuNXv)
---
She did too much fucking around that she found out a whole lot.

Posted by: Axeman at January 27, 2025 04:54 PM (krQz2)

469 Opium is a helluva drug.

The Hill@thehill
"Blue Alert: Why Democrats are poised to win in 2028 and 2032"

Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 27, 2025 04:55 PM (L/fGl)

470 It's Trump-mas - a season of joy and celebration as we -make our lists of hoped-for gifts. Here's what I want for Trumpmas.

First on my list:
- a 50% tax on remittances that go to foreign countries.
-SecDef fires that asswipe with the tipsheet for malicious compliance and claws back the pension.
-audit the DoD and the Federal Reserve.
- a snitch line for illegals and those who employ them
- a snitch line for employees who know that DEI regs are being continued under another form.
-Audit NGO's that profit from bringing illegals here.
-fire the assholes who persecuted the J6 folks.

Don't get me started!

Posted by: vivi at January 27, 2025 04:56 PM (qj69p)

471 Wordy is an understatement. God forbid the hobbit kicks a stone, because then we have to read about how the stone rolls down the path. Oh, don't forget the dirt, now we read about how the dirt felt having the stone roll over it, and the little dust clouds get described with every word in the english language. And ohh looky, the stone hit a leaf that was laying on the path. Well now, we have to hear about the leaf, and how the parent tree felt about losing that poor leaf, and how the rock crushed it, and how the crunch was heard 18 villages away by some weird animal. Oh, don't forget about the sun. How did the rays of the sun light up the whole leaf massacre, and so on.
Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at January 27, 2025 04:30 PM (VwHCD)

Perhaps one should read shorter, simpler tomes like Debbie Does Dallas.

Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons at January 27, 2025 05:04 PM (g8Ew8)

472 "77 The only women worth reading are Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Mary Shelley and Ayn Rand."

You missed Flannery O'Connor.

Posted by: Martin Tell at January 27, 2025 05:15 PM (CabXE)

473 Posted by: Martin Tell at January 27, 2025 05:15 PM (CabXE)

Yes; Wonderful writer. I also like George Eliot, but some men loathe her writing.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 27, 2025 05:19 PM (MQJVv)

474 A "former intel officer" posted advice in how to engage in illegal insubordination against the duly-elected chief executive, instructing military personnel to violate the Commander-in-Chief's orders while "leaving no trace."

I do not think he/she/it knows the meaning of "leaving no trace". LOL.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at January 27, 2025 07:55 PM (ynpvh)

475 In the military, we have Court Martials and dishonorable discharges. Let's start using those.

Posted by: Augusto Perez at January 27, 2025 08:24 PM (oSUmt)

476 you are clearly a reprehensible and malicious person.

Posted by: decent human being at January 27, 2025 08:42 PM (S9O5o)

477 During WWII, the OSS published a manual on sabotage, to be distributed in occupied countries. Much of it describes physical sabotage (sand in the gas tank, and so on); but the final section describes how to bureaucratically sabotage the enemy, and it reads very much like the steps outlined by the "service women". This slow sabotage by footdragging and obfuscation has been going on since the days of Ur of the Chaldees, and the only way to deal with it is to remove the saboteurs from any position of influence.

Posted by: Nemo at January 27, 2025 09:33 PM (S6ArX)

478 “Send in the Einzatz Gruppen .. . . don't bother they're on extended 3WHH lunch break.”

Posted by: Ray at January 28, 2025 10:51 AM (5wLuE)

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