April 29, 2012
— Open Blogger Good morning, morons and moronettes. I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of that falling bear pic lauraw posted earlier this week. So here it is again:
"Don't tase me, bro!"
I swear I crack up every time I look at it. That bear looks like it's being bounced around on a trampoline, like this is some modern version of bear baiting.
The artist formerly known as Sgt. Mom on 'Sgt. Stryker's Daily Brief' blog is a fine writer, and she likes to write historical fiction about the American Frontier. Here are some examples:
To Truckee's Trail.
Daughter of Texas
Deep in the Heart
She also has a couple of collections of her Sgt. Mom columns which are also available in Kindle editions.
What am I reading? Book 2 of the dragon tattoo series. I learned this week that Stieg Larsson died in 2004 and they found the manuscripts for the Millennium series only afterwards. There's supposedly a fourth manuscript that the family isn't releasing until they feel they can get a large enough buttload of kroners for it. I'm skeptical about this, but what do I know?
Also, according to Wikipedia, Larsson was a rat bastard commie. I mean, he wasn't just a fashionably Marxist academic, but was actually affiliated with or a member of Swedish rat bastard commie organizations. I didn't know this, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. When he died, his live-in girlfriend produced a will (eventually invalidated by a Swedish court) that left all of his money and possessions to one of the Swedish rat bastard commie organizations.
So that's all I got.
As always, book thread tips may be sent to aoshqbookthread@gmail.com
So what has everyone else been reading this week? Something good, I hope.
Posted by: Open Blogger at
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Posted by: Libra at April 29, 2012 07:08 AM (kd8U8)
Stieg Larsson was an ass, but the books are pretty good. I was actually surprised to find out his politics since it doesn't come through in the books. Mildly socialist, yes, but then he was Swedish so it was sort of expected; raving Leftist clot-brain, no, he left that part out of the books.
Posted by: John W. at April 29, 2012 07:10 AM (K7KaF)
Posted by: JDTAY at April 29, 2012 07:12 AM (sFP59)
Still pretty good, though, especially if you've seen the play recently, as I have. Of course, if you're one of the philistines who doesn't appreciate Moby Dick, it's probably not for you.
Posted by: pep at April 29, 2012 07:14 AM (6TB1Z)
Is there anyone in Sweden who is not a rat bastard commie? Don't count the Swedish Bikini Team either as they were really Americans.
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 07:14 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: phoenixgirl at April 29, 2012 07:16 AM (Ho2rs)
Posted by: Fox 2! at April 29, 2012 07:17 AM (RJOgX)
This week I read Tricked by Kevin Hearne. This is the fourth book in the Iron Druid Chronicles and, seriously, I love these like I love chocolate. Like I love stompy boots. Like I love tasting sweet sweet lib tears. The first three books are Hounded, Hexed and Hammered and this book is the segue into the next story arc. What I enjoy about them is that while the books are quick, fun reads, there's a lot going on underneath the surface. Ultimately, the books are about choices and dealing with the consequences and how even doing the right thing can lead to really sucky results. There's a very interesting discussion about the consequences and responsibility behind helping family members achieve immortality. Also, I want an Oberon of my very own. Very very highly recommended if you enjoy urban fantasy though this is pretty much completely romance (though not some PGish rated sex) free. Also the vampires in this are utter badasses who do not sparkle.
Next I read The Games by Ted Dosmatka. This is set in the near future where the Olympic Games now contain an event wherein each country enters a genetically modified competitor which competes to the death in round robin matches. The only rule is that no human DNA is allowed. The plot of this is that a supercomputer was allowed to program the creature and once it's born, the team that is overseeing it has no idea what it is or what it can do. It's good but it fell a little flat for me. I think some of it is that it has the standard Evil Old Man who only cares about winning, the Noble Scientist and his sidekick, the Obligatory Love Interest who is brilliant and beautiful and The Insane Computer Guy. All of that is just spiffy by me but it felt like much of the character work was left by the way side since you can simply go "oh that's the Bad Guy" and fill in the blanks. I did enjoy it, don't get me wrong, but it was right on that cusp between good pulp fiction and a better work and, to me, fell a bit short. I think some of my opinion of it suffers because I ended up stacking it on top of Fragment by Warren Fahy which is a much better work in the xeno/cryptozoology genre.
Oh and I re-read The Andromeda Strain because I realized I hadn't read it in ages and it's just as good as I remembered. God, I miss Crichton.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 07:17 AM (Gk3SS)
If you have wi-fi available at home get the standard $79 model. If you don't have wi-fi get the $139 3G model.
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 07:18 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: waelse1 at April 29, 2012 07:18 AM (BMaei)
Posted by: phoenixgirl at April 29, 2012 07:18 AM (Ho2rs)
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 07:18 AM (Gk3SS)
Posted by: phoenixgirl at April 29, 2012 07:20 AM (Ho2rs)
Unfortunately for Ace, I had to get it from Barnes ampersand Noble, because I have a Nook.
So far, I like the book a lot. The plot and circumstances develop, and although I usually don't care for stories with "Magic" in them, this is done differently.
Posted by: jwb7605 at April 29, 2012 07:22 AM (Qxe/p)
Posted by: Hydrocarbon Liberation Front at April 29, 2012 07:22 AM (NVu2l)
Posted by: Dave C at April 29, 2012 07:24 AM (LTCu7)
Just started reading Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" on Kindle.
I'm trying to read up on the literature of the time of the Revolutionary War. I should have done this a long time ago.
Posted by: ErikW at April 29, 2012 07:24 AM (Q8B8p)
I have a Kindle 2d gen which is pretty much the Kindle Keyboard and I like having the 3g available for when I'm somewhere without wifi. You can check the HQ and other sites though load times are slow. Also the IP addy that AT(and)T uses is still blocked here so you can't comment. I take it pretty much everywhere and it's nice to be able to check on news and sports scores whenever I want. If you don't care about that, or have your smartphone for that, then go with the Touch.
You may also want to look into the new Nook that has the built in light. I played with one the other day and thought it was pretty neat.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 07:26 AM (Gk3SS)
The Nazis never got more than a third of the vote--but the commies were a close second with almost a third. All the 'democratic' parties together could only get a third of the vote in the two elections in 1932
Since 1930, Germany was governed by 'executive fiat' : Hindenburg signed whatever the Nationalist Party put in front of him. In Jan 1933 they decided they could 'harness' the National Socialists by giving Adolf the Chancellorship and three of his flunkies Cabinet posts.
Didn't work out..............
Posted by: SantaRosaStan, 100% white meat / pork at April 29, 2012 07:26 AM (Dll6b)
Posted by: CoolCzech at April 29, 2012 07:27 AM (niZvt)
Posted by: Dave C at April 29, 2012 07:28 AM (LTCu7)
Posted by: SantaRosaStan, 100% white meat / pork at April 29, 2012 07:28 AM (Dll6b)
Sigh.
Posted by: Anachronda at April 29, 2012 07:29 AM (6fER6)
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 11:26 AM (Gk3SS)
Is that backlit? If so, it has to be an LCD, which would make rendering text less sharp. Did you see any difference?
I was discussing that with my son-in-law a few days ago, because there's talk of getting one for my grand daughter (his niece) as a graduation present.
Posted by: jwb7605 at April 29, 2012 07:29 AM (Qxe/p)
Posted by: Jack at April 29, 2012 07:30 AM (zKFOT)
Posted by: blogforce one at April 29, 2012 07:30 AM (IBzeA)
Started Stephen Baxter's "Stone Spring". It's about life in England (circa 7000 BC) back when it was connected to Europe via a land bridge. It has it all: Tribes, blood, guts, misery, rape and did I mention guts?? Very interesting and, as always, Baxter spreads the story around to a wide cast of characters.
Bonus: The proto-french are called snailheads. Heh.
Posted by: Tommy Gunnarson at April 29, 2012 07:31 AM (ybA9f)
I have the 3G model, and while it's great for last-minute purchases, the Wi-Fi model will work for anyone with a computer, even if they don't have Wi-Fi. Material can be downloaded from the Kindle software on their PC to a Kindle.
I know you know this, but neophytes may not.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 07:33 AM (nEUpB)
It's my understanding that it's not backlit and it is an e-ink screen. There's a light that's built in all around the edges of the screen so when you turn the light on, there's even light across the screen. You can turn the light on and off and adjust the brightness. The text was nice and crisp. I love my kindles but if I were looking to buy a new one, this would be up there on my list.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 07:34 AM (Gk3SS)
He isn't taught any more in our public schools.
And that is sad.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 07:34 AM (nEUpB)
Posted by: Locus Ceruleus at April 29, 2012 07:37 AM (GMzH2)
Posted by: SantaRosaStan, 100% white meat / pork at April 29, 2012 07:39 AM (Dll6b)
Posted by: Polliwog, Teahada hobbit at April 29, 2012 07:39 AM (SNQVP)
Posted by: JDTAY at April 29, 2012 07:39 AM (sFP59)
Posted by: Comrade Arthur at April 29, 2012 07:40 AM (d9lOz)
Posted by: real joe at April 29, 2012 07:41 AM (lgANn)
Posted by: And Irresolute at April 29, 2012 07:42 AM (RC3M9)
He isn't taught any more in our public schools.
And that is sad.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 11:34 AM (nEUpB)
It's blowing me away. I'm ashamed that I've been previously ignorant of him for so long.
Posted by: ErikW at April 29, 2012 07:42 AM (Q8B8p)
Thanks for that flashback, Vic at April 29, 2012 11:08 AM (YdQQY)
I'm somewhat ashamed to admit I have been re-reading "Scruples" by Judith Krantz. I read somewhere they are going to try to make a TV series out of it and I just couldn't help myself. The Kindle edition is so bad that I will be asking for my money back. The OCR software was having a very bad day and apparently no one could be bothered to proofread it.
And once I'm done with that, merrily back to the Third Reich we go. I am going to finishe this book. I am, I swears it.
In the car, I finished listening to "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes, and now I am listening to "High Heels to Tractor Wheels" by Ree Drummond - Pioneer Woman to anyone who reads her many blogs. Ree was an Oklahoma girl who moved to the big city, decided she was a big city girl, came back home for a little break before she moved to Chicago, and to her surprise, met and fell in love with a cattle rancher. It's a delightful love story, and a true one at that.
Posted by: Tonestaple at April 29, 2012 07:42 AM (VS9kC)
Posted by: Comrade Arthur at April 29, 2012 07:44 AM (d9lOz)
Posted by: Sticky Wicket at April 29, 2012 07:45 AM (L7hol)
Posted by: the new, improved arhooley -- now with 10% more cynicism! at April 29, 2012 07:47 AM (h842z)
He articulated his love of freedom so well that more than 200 years later it rings true and current.
But I was surprised at his antipathy toward religion. It was interesting, and certainly not in step with many of the other thinkers who contributed to our founding.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 07:48 AM (nEUpB)
I love Judith Krantz. Seriously, love her so very much. There's not a damn thing wrong with a little bit of brain candy. Plus she has a far better grasp of human psychology and relationships than nearly all "serious" authors. Well, that and she likes her characters. It's stunning how many authors seem to hate their characters. That's why I loathe every single thing that Annie Proulx writes, if she hates her characters, then so will I.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 07:48 AM (Gk3SS)
Posted by: JDTAY at April 29, 2012 07:49 AM (sFP59)
My old dumbphone call to my wife: Push 2.
My Android call to my wife: Do unlock code. Push Home. Push Phone. Push Favorites. Push Call Wife. Push Cell. Push Dialer.
Posted by: scottst at April 29, 2012 07:52 AM (Ubyjl)
I'm trying to read up on the literature of the time of the Revolutionary War. I should have done this a long time ago.
It's a trap! And I fell in a few months ago.
Then there is that online Constitution link at the Heritage Foundation that examines it clause by clause. And the free online course by Hillsdale College.
There is a series of books of original document history published by the VFW and now in Kindle version. I got #3 Revolution last week for free so patience is rewarded. Linky here:
http://tinyurl.com/7zu2jyp
Posted by: Retread at April 29, 2012 07:54 AM (joSBv)
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 11:48 AM (Gk3SS)
I read The Shipping News, and found that there wasn't anyone I particularly liked. And her style is pretentiously clipped...and very irritating.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 07:56 AM (nEUpB)
Damn phone that's smarter than me.
Posted by: the new, improved arhooley -- now with 10% more cynicism! at April 29, 2012 11:47 AM (h842z)
You ain't shitting. I'm using Kindle on RAZR and this damn thing is doing all sorts of shit I don't understand.
Posted by: ErikW at April 29, 2012 07:56 AM (Q8B8p)
...return phone to store.
Shove phone up salesman's ass.
Get old phone from bottom drawer.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 07:57 AM (nEUpB)
Alex, my complaint with Judith Krantz is too much telling, not enough showing. It takes longer to show, but it makes for a beter story and more interesting characters. Think of the scene in Gone With The Wind (book, not movie) in which Scarlett is trying to decide what to wear to the Wilkes's barbecue, and is going through every dress in her closet and thinking of how she would compare to Melanie in it. And then think of how that would have been done by Krantz: "Scarlett pulled each dress in turn from her closet and looked in the mirror. It would have to be the green sprigged muslin to get Ashley's attention away from Melanie."
I've enjoyed more than one of her books but it still feels like wasting time.
Posted by: Tonestaple at April 29, 2012 07:57 AM (VS9kC)
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 11:48 AM (nEUpB)
I think Beck talked about that a week or two ago. Apparently he wrote a dissertation that bordered on atheism and Ben Franklin had a fit over it.
Posted by: ErikW at April 29, 2012 07:58 AM (Q8B8p)
Posted by: Retread at April 29, 2012 11:54 AM (joSBv)
Awesome! Thanks Retread, I'm looking it up now. 
Posted by: ErikW at April 29, 2012 08:00 AM (Q8B8p)
Yeah. That's not the best example to use with me. I hate the book and consider being forced to watch the movie to be a violation of my human rights.
I don't think reading stuff just for fun is a waste of time at all. If you enjoy it, then it has value to you.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 08:01 AM (Gk3SS)
And they have a great page for the original documents and sources.
http://is.gd/TDwzML
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 08:01 AM (nEUpB)
Took a break from the second book of Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series to read "Intellectuals" by Paul Johnson, which Merovign recommended the other day.
Very interesting. He does a good job of providing the historical context of the times the left's favorite fuckbag humanist commie philosophers, as well as examining their personal lives.
***SPOILER WARNING***
They were all detestable pieces of narcissistic shit, who all claimed to love "humanity", yet treated individual humans like garbage.
With the exception of Karl Marx, who seemed to be more of a Greg Stilsonesque violent psychopath who wanted to see bloody revolution.
Posted by: Empire of Jeff at April 29, 2012 08:01 AM (JDIKC)
Only in the People's Republic of Boulder, Colorado. They'll cart him away to the mountains, and he'll be back by Thursday.
Posted by: Taxpayer1234 at April 29, 2012 08:02 AM (NpmCe)
I thought Paine was an atheist. I could be wrong, though.
Sometimes, especially with these historical figures, it can be hard to get a good grasp on exactly what they believed.
Posted by: OregonMuse at April 29, 2012 08:04 AM (InyP7)
Posted by: Suddenly Only 100 Dalmatians at April 29, 2012 08:04 AM (IJUs7)
That what was so amazing about these men. They knew that they wanted freedom and autonomy, but they approached tha goal from widely divergent philosophies.
That they were successful speaks well of their intelligence and perseverance and wisdom. The modern picture of them (at least as taught by the leftist teachers of America) is of a monolithic bloc of rich slave owners and businessmen whose only interest was financial freedom and property rights.
That couldn't be farther from the truth.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 08:05 AM (nEUpB)
You're right, Alex, we all need down time, but it just seems so limited lately. Sorry about GWTW - I cut my teeth on it. Loving it is almost genetic.
And JDTAY at April 29, 2012 11:12 AM , I adore my Kindle Touch. I don't know how easy it is to readh the original in bed in a contorted position with cats and a dog sprawled on you, but I can hold the touch and turn the pages with one hand and love it for just that reason. I'm really glad I got the more expensive one. And don't hesitate to buy the one with ads - you don't see them when you're reading.
Posted by: Tonestaple at April 29, 2012 08:06 AM (VS9kC)
I need more than 24 hours in a day.
Posted by: Retread at April 29, 2012 08:06 AM (joSBv)
I just built another book case, and it is now full. The pile of "to be read" books just keeps growing.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 08:08 AM (nEUpB)
Heh, no it's fine, I am aware that I'm an outlier on this point. I nearly got thrown out of one of my college literature classes when I expressed my opinion that the only writer more overrated than Faulkner is Dickens. I had forgotten that expressing such any negative opinion of Faulkner south of the Mason Dixon line is considered grounds for homicide.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 08:09 AM (Gk3SS)
Posted by: sTevo at April 29, 2012 08:11 AM (VMcEw)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:11 AM (lkdo/)
Posted by: bernverdnardo at April 29, 2012 08:13 AM (xXhWA)
In fact it was so off-putting to me that I can't imagine anyone missing it.
But then I didn't think the novels were particularly good. The only part I enjoyed was seeing how outdated all of the computer technology is already. "She logged in with her superfast 300 baud modem. It was only available to the military so her genius hacker friend had hacked into the Pentagon with his super hacktastic skills to have it sent to her home instead of to some hack at the CIA. Did I mention she was a hacker."
Posted by: Voluble at April 29, 2012 08:13 AM (c8WV/)
Careful young lady, you are treading on very thin ice.
Charles Dickens is a great writer. 19th century England was a complicated social construct, and he exposed it beautifully, with whit and style.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 08:13 AM (nEUpB)
Posted by: Kindle Sale at April 29, 2012 08:15 AM (ILTQ1)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:16 AM (lkdo/)
Sometimes, especially with these historical figures, it can be hard to get a good grasp on exactly what they believed.
Posted by: OregonMuse at April 29, 2012 12:04 PM (InyP7)
Most sources say he was a Deist, but he literally hated all forms of organized religion. The document that caused all the trouble was The Age of Reason in which he said the bible was a lie.
When he died he was an outcast and only had 6 people at his funeral. He was buried on his farm in NY because no church would take him. His body was later dug up and is lost to history.
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 08:18 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: C. Clavin at April 29, 2012 08:18 AM (AVfT8)
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at April 29, 2012 12:05 PM (nEUpB)
There are a few atheists around here (I won't name them) who are conservative and although I'll admit that the concept seems a bit alien to me, it makes no difference in the larger pursuit of liberty.
Posted by: ErikW at April 29, 2012 08:19 AM (Q8B8p)
Ooooooh, a Dickensian flame war's a-brewin'.
Posted by: Zombie William F. Buckley at April 29, 2012 08:19 AM (6TB1Z)
Posted by: Truman North at April 29, 2012 08:20 AM (I2LwF)
There are many people who say that they believe in God and/or are christian. However, their entire lives show the opposite. They do everything opposed to God. Greedy, No Giving, No charity, Mean people.
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 12:11 PM (lkdo/)
Well, Obama claims to be a Christian thus proving your point.
Posted by: ErikW at April 29, 2012 08:23 AM (Q8B8p)
Given all the free original document stuff available, the best money I spent on books recently turns out to be the Kindle Fire. The TBR pile is getting out-of-control-scary, far worse than a kid in a candy store.
Posted by: Retread at April 29, 2012 08:24 AM (joSBv)
Posted by: Truman North at April 29, 2012 08:24 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: Tami at April 29, 2012 08:25 AM (X6akg)
Posted by: real joe at April 29, 2012 08:25 AM (lgANn)
Posted by: USS Diversity at April 29, 2012 12:20 PM (cjTjM)
If you really want to get a feel for the history of the South prior to the late war of unpleasantness read this book by Walter Edgar.
http://is.gd/IYRD64
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 08:26 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: NPR Journalist at April 29, 2012 08:26 AM (jucos)
When he died he was an outcast and only had 6 people at his funeral
That's at least 5 more than I expect to be at mine...we are counting the guy with the shovel, right?
Posted by: garrett at April 29, 2012 08:26 AM (cDpBS)
USS Diversity, if you find one, please post. I don't like reading about the Civil War much because one sister and brother-in-law are such fanatics about it, to the point that the BIL disdained my interest in the Revolutionary War.
I keep thinking that the best way to learn American History better would be to read a biography of each president in order. In my copious free time, of course.
Posted by: Tonestaple at April 29, 2012 08:27 AM (VS9kC)
Alert to all Nook-owning Morons! The Long Way Home, the first book in my new science fiction trilogy is available in epub format at my online store until Thursday evening, when I do the whole Amazon Select thing for three months. (Link to store in my name) Also have the Kindle format if anyone wants to jump the gun. As before, there's lots of chases, escapes, and deeds of derring-do, PLUS hotshot pilots and mysterious aliens.
Posted by: Sabrina Chase at April 29, 2012 08:28 AM (wfSF5)
Recent:
Drew Magary - The Postmortal
Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead
John Birmingham - Designated Targets
All well worth reading
Posted by: Gern Blansden at April 29, 2012 08:29 AM (4qU0l)
Posted by: Tonestaple at April 29, 2012 08:29 AM (VS9kC)
And in 20,000,000 words more than necessary.
Actually, this is what I love about literature, different works speak to different people. Let's take The Dragon Tattoo books. It's an utter mystery to me (no pun intended) as to why people like them. I don't think the mystery is particularly mysterious and if I want torture porn I'll watch Hostel. But others like them a great deal and good for them. I can't stand Dickens but I think James Joyce is amazing. I know others who have exactly the opposite reaction. There's something out there that will be meaningful to you and just because it's not to me doesn't mean either of us are wrong. Unless you like the recent works of Maya Angelou. In which case, you're wrong.
It is interesting to me to read what is currently considered High Literature compared to the Great Works. For the most part, there's a sense of, if not optimism, at least some hope in the Great Works. Current works are nihilistic to the core. It's *boring*. I was reading Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro, who is supposed to be this modern genius, and I was rolling my eyes so hard they almost fell out of my head. Yes, yes, humanity is awful and what does it mean to be human and yawwwwwwn. Give me Shakespeare any day for that.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 08:29 AM (Gk3SS)
Posted by: zombie charles dickens at April 29, 2012 08:31 AM (nU/dt)
Beckwourth forged a northern route that forked from the Truckee Trail near Reno. Born of African, Scottish and Indian heritage, he was larger than life; bear wrestler, scout, former slave, and explorer.
Posted by: 13times at April 29, 2012 08:32 AM (h6XiD)
Posted by: Truman North at April 29, 2012 12:20 PM (I2LwF)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Awesome! So you would say that Barack Obama has made your dreams come true, right?
Posted by: NPR Journalist at April 29, 2012 12:26 PM (jucos)
lol in a manner of speaking... I'm helping to manage a congressional candidate's campaign
Posted by: Truman North at April 29, 2012 08:32 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:32 AM (lkdo/)
Posted by: Truman North at April 29, 2012 08:34 AM (I2LwF)
Something I hadn't noticed before: Banks pads the living shit out of his books. Seriously. Nobody can just go anywhere without a whole bunch of ultimately pointless adventures along the way. Consider Phlebas spends literally half the book in that kind of meandering. Surface Detail has one entire main character (the Quietus agent) who does absolutely nothing in the story. Excession has another completely pointless main character (the teenage agent). He's good enough to make his pointless digressions seem exciting and interesting on first reading, but upon rereading one thinks, "Huh?" Use of Weapons and Player of Games are leaner, more focused, and better.
Something else I had noticed, but which gets more irritating the second time around: Banks is a big fat hypocrite. He occasionally brings the narrative to a screeching halt so his characters can look out at the audience like G.I. Joe cartoon characters giving an antidrug message, and say something like "Capital punishment is bad, mkay?" Then fifty pages later one of the Culture operatives kills someone in an extremly bloody, sadistic way because they were a Bad Person. Huh? Rich people in non-Culture societies are shown as decadent and sexually perverse -- but when Culture people like kinky sex it shows how healthy and un-hung-up they are. Huh?
Now I like his books, but this sort of thing is like a pebble in my shoe.
Posted by: Trimegistus at April 29, 2012 08:35 AM (4rD2K)
http://tinyurl.com/flyin-bear
Posted by: Bob in Houston at April 29, 2012 08:35 AM (b7AU3)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:35 AM (lkdo/)
The title comes from the apocryphal tale of Peter meeting Christ as he was fleeing Rome. "Quo vadis, domine?" (Where are you going, Lord?)
Christ answered, "To Rome, to be crucified again." Peter turned and went back to Rome to his martyrdom.
Sienkiewicz won the Nobel prize for literature and was from Poland. The novel was originally written in Polish. It is MUCH better than the Hollywood movie of the 50's.
Posted by: Miss Marple at April 29, 2012 08:36 AM (GoIUi)
Posted by: Lincolntf at April 29, 2012 08:40 AM (hiMsy)
Posted by: garrett at April 29, 2012 12:26 PM (cDpBS)
LOL, actually that is close. One of the 6 was the coffin maker and the only reason he was there was to try to get paid.
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 08:40 AM (YdQQY)
Oh man, I find Banks unreadable just for that reason. Also doesn't he try to do the stuff where the "Iain Banks" stuff is Serious Literature and the "Iain M. Banks" stuff is the sci-fi and that doesn't count? I remember that Hot Fuzz has a great running gag about that with one of the twins reading one and the other twin reading the other.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 08:41 AM (Gk3SS)
---------
Could be worse. I recently re-read Mission of Gravity. It's set on a planet inhabited by sentient centipedes in which gravity ranges from 3g at the equator to about 700g at the poles. It's a travelogue of some traders from the high-g region recruited while they were in the low-g region to locate and recover a probe lost near the poles. A lot of stuff happens in the 3g to 12g area, then *nothing* until they get near the probes. Although the book is great fun, the hole in the trip is blatant and annoying.
Posted by: Anachronda at April 29, 2012 08:41 AM (6fER6)
"House Republicans investigating the Fast and Furious scandal plan to pursue a contempt citation against Attorney General Eric Holder, senior congressional aides told CBS News."
http://tinyurl.com/cyjnqf6
Posted by: An Observation at April 29, 2012 08:42 AM (ylhEn)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:42 AM (lkdo/)
Posted by: sTevo at April 29, 2012 08:43 AM (VMcEw)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:46 AM (lkdo/)
Posted by: sauropod at April 29, 2012 08:46 AM (iAkDQ)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:47 AM (lkdo/)
Posted by: Sabrina Chase at April 29, 2012 12:28 PM (wfSF5)
--------
I've also read this. Highly recommended; the lady can write. She also does a maddeningly good job of finding a good place to end a book, leaving you salivating for the next.
Posted by: Anachronda at April 29, 2012 08:47 AM (6fER6)
Inside the KGB[/]
and
The Final Entries 1945
The Diary of Joseph Goebbels
I guess I'm not much on classic literature.
Posted by: Ed Anger - Certified Kos Kid at April 29, 2012 08:51 AM (7+pP9)
Posted by: weew at April 29, 2012 08:53 AM (ElfHn)
Posted by: Jimbo at April 29, 2012 08:54 AM (O3R/2)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:54 AM (lkdo/)
If he was smart, he'd steal a car and get the fuck out as fast as possible.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at April 29, 2012 08:54 AM (bezvC)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:55 AM (lkdo/)
Remember how Mitt Romney was all about the "conservative red meat" issues of abortion and immigration during the primaries?
He's not gonna do that, anymore.
Oh wait, that never happened; the AP completely made it up.
And aren't abortion and immigration "red meat" issues for the Left, too?
Posted by: Soothsayer at April 29, 2012 08:56 AM (VHL8n)
Posted by: Lampshade at April 29, 2012 08:57 AM (lkdo/)
After reading all that dramatic stuff I like to read something quick and light so I picked up and reread Terry Pratchett's A Hat Full of Sky. If you've never read any of his stuff you are missing out on one of life's great pleasures. He manages to blend an inventive fantasy world with wonderfully colorful characters and hold it all together with nonstop British humor. He has written about a bazillion of these Discworld novels and every one of them is pure delight.
Posted by: Jay at April 29, 2012 08:58 AM (nojhZ)
Posted by: Jimbo at April 29, 2012 08:59 AM (O3R/2)
No, no, no, remember the Left has the moral high ground on those issues so it's not "red meat", it's defending truth, justice and all that stuff from the ravening horde.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at April 29, 2012 09:00 AM (Gk3SS)
"Hi all. I finished reading the latest book from Sharon Penman called Lionheart"
That was a great movie. Van Damme at his best.
Posted by: bernverdnardo at April 29, 2012 09:01 AM (xXhWA)
Posted by: Dagny, warrior queen at April 29, 2012 09:02 AM (4yXmp)
Most of that has been sanitized or erased from modern history. Sienkiewicz was scrupulous in his history and being accurate, based on Roman accounts at the time.
The EPA, apparently, has been reading Roman history, however, which does make one wonder what else they have up their sleeves.
Posted by: Miss Marple at April 29, 2012 09:04 AM (GoIUi)
He lays out the anithumanism that has run rampant throughout the world since Thomas Malthus and Charles Darwin, through to present day Planned Parenthood and US world aid being conditioned upon adherence to population control policies
Starts with the Irish potato famine and how Malthus' influence on the British royalty led to policies that starved these scourges upon the earth. Survival of the fittest meant that we must allow lessers to die, no intervention allowed.
I'm halfway through, but it is apparent that he's setting up the global warming/deindustrialization greenies to be merchants of death on a spectacular scale.
He weaves the thread through Malthus/Darwin/Eugenics/Nazis/Planned Parenthood/Earth Day (Lenin's birthday, btw)/ Population Bomb Erlich and on to present day- seamlessly. These are all the same people, there is direct correlation from Mathus to current day ruling class elites.
Really an eye opener for me. I'm getting the distinct impression that these "elites" want us mostly dead.
Posted by: Derak at April 29, 2012 09:05 AM (UVGtI)
I have a friend who thinks that they would be happy if they could hurry us older Americans off this mortal coil as quickly as possible, because we are the ones who remember what the country was like before the leftists gained control of the culture, universities, and finally, government.
Posted by: Miss Marple at April 29, 2012 09:08 AM (GoIUi)
For example Richard I never set foot in England and could not even speak English.
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 09:08 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Secret Service Chaperone at April 29, 2012 09:10 AM (IoNBC)
Posted by: Miss80sBaby at April 29, 2012 09:11 AM (d6QMz)
"A Pride of Royals" by Justin Scott. It's a WWI James Bond-esque story and quite entertaining.
Posted by: microcosme at April 29, 2012 09:13 AM (+Rgcp)
Posted by: Dagny, warrior queen at April 29, 2012 09:13 AM (4yXmp)
Posted by: Retread at April 29, 2012 09:15 AM (joSBv)
Posted by: Sshhhh at April 29, 2012 09:17 AM (HOOye)
I've been reading "Freedom Betrayed" by Calvin Coolidge (I forget the editor). Put that with the first few chapters of "Dark Sun" by Richard Rhodes and it's very lucky for the Unitd States that Roosevelt did not survive the end of World War II.
He had a great admiration for his Uncle Joe, and we would have given them much,much more than all our industrial secrets and Eastern Europe. The communists leaving his administration when Truman took over must have looked like rats fleeing a sinking ship. What a scoundrel he must have been.
Barack is indeed the second coming, but with more opposition and term limits, thank God.
Posted by: Advo at April 29, 2012 09:18 AM (oD/3o)
The Prow Beast
The Whale Road
The White Raven
The Wolf Sea
Bernal Diaz del Castillo's classic "The True History of the Conquest of New
Spain", written by a conquistador in Cortez' army. Science fiction can't top this astonishing story of a few Spaniards vs. the Aztec world, as alien as anything in imagined fiction.
Posted by: JHW at April 29, 2012 09:19 AM (Em/DQ)
I have not finished the books I've been reading for a few weeks. Mostly because I got sidetracked by deciding to re-read a bunch of old romance novels by Julia Quinn, Stephanie Laurens, and Victoria Alexander.
I tried to peruse Amazon to find some new ones to read but a)Amazon is not organized at all in line with my mental process for "perusing" so it was an exercise in frustration and b)once I would find a book that looked interesting I would make the mistake of reading the reviews which would immediately put me off the book.
I still kind of miss the suck that was Borders, they at least organized things in a way that made it easy for me to meander and find something. Barnes and Noble doesn't organize the same way, so I find it frustrating to browse there as well.
I believe this entire comment falls under "first world problems"
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at April 29, 2012 09:20 AM (RZ8pf)
---Humberto Eco, although he may have been quoting someone else
Posted by: SantaRosaStan, 100% white meat / pork at April 29, 2012 09:20 AM (Dll6b)
Try Edward Rutherford. Great historical fiction epics on the order of James Michener. But I think Rutherford is much more readable than Michener.
Also try Conn Iggulden. He wrote a great historical fiction series about Genghis Khan.
Posted by: Jay at April 29, 2012 09:22 AM (nojhZ)
I'll try Iggulden and Dorthy Dunnett.
Posted by: Dagny, warrior queen at April 29, 2012 09:27 AM (4yXmp)
Posted by: Dagny, warrior queen at April 29, 2012 09:28 AM (4yXmp)
Posted by: Mr Tea at April 29, 2012 09:31 AM (tt8nf)
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at April 29, 2012 09:35 AM (RZ8pf)
I just remembered two authors of historical fiction that I really liked: Gwen Bristow and Frances Parkinson Keyes. My favorite of Keyes was called "Steamboat Gothic." It's set right after the Civil War and involves a man, really a carpetbagger, who meets up with a widow somehow, comes to her aid to prevent starvation, eventually marries her and moves to Louisiana to run a plantation there and a steamboat line. It's quite a tale.
Gwen Bristow's books are generally shorter and less involved, but still very enjoyable. I can't vouch for their historical accuracy but I particularly liked "Jubilee Trail" (well-bred New York girl marries a man who trades between the east and California), "Calico Palace" (nice girl marries too fast and is abandoned in San Francisco of the Gold Rush) and, all time favorite, "Celia Garth" (nice orphan girl who can "make a dress that really fits" gets mixed up in the Revolutionary War). If they were movies, they'd probably be period-piece chick-flicks, but I do like them.
Posted by: Tonestaple at April 29, 2012 09:37 AM (VS9kC)
Read dies the fire by S.M. Stirling for a good account of how fast stuff will go to shit and what people need to do to survive. Besides, it is a damn good story.
However, for the enti9re grid to collapse a world shattering even would have to occur. I don't think EMP alone would do it.
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 09:39 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Retread at April 29, 2012 09:40 AM (joSBv)
#85USS DIVERSITY. The best book I have found on the decade (s) prior to the Civil War is "The Impending Crisis" by David M Pottter. Covers the years between the Mexican War and the Civil War. Not dull; good interesting writing.
Posted by: Libra at April 29, 2012 09:43 AM (kd8U8)
Posted by: Jordan at April 29, 2012 09:57 AM (RSG1I)
Posted by: Jay at April 29, 2012 10:02 AM (nojhZ)
Posted by: Doug at April 29, 2012 10:06 AM (ILTQ1)
Posted by: Dagny, warrior queen at April 29, 2012 10:12 AM (4yXmp)
Early on, the division on whether Banks used his middle initial was to distinguish SF from Horror. Later he decided to get into Serious Literature mode under the longer name.
The trick in the big Banks SF novels is 'Guess the Preacher.' One of the major character will never do anything critical to advancing the story. They exist solely to deliver a sermon or to be an object of the narrative sermon.
Posted by: epobirs at April 29, 2012 10:15 AM (kcfmt)
Posted by: i like anchors 2012 at April 29, 2012 10:16 AM (LCZ3l)
Warning - read Dies the Fire only if you really, really, really want someone to jam everything about Wicca down your throat.
Posted by: Waterhouse at April 29, 2012 10:17 AM (T+Z2Q)
Posted by: Red in Maine at April 29, 2012 10:27 AM (Or/ft)
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 10:29 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Mr Tea at April 29, 2012 10:40 AM (tt8nf)
All I can say is try, try again. Dunnett is great at showing instead of telling and that means she makes you work to understand what is going on and who is the hero. She was also a painter and has an exceptional eye for description. She isn't a light, quick read but worth the effort, imho.
Posted by: Retread at April 29, 2012 10:42 AM (joSBv)
Posted by: Red in Maine at April 29, 2012 02:33 PM (Or/ft)
LOL, the one that got me was the main character in Island In The Sea of Time. A black lesbian coast guard captain.
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 10:44 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Arbalest at April 29, 2012 10:54 AM (lrjBr)
Posted by: Jean at April 29, 2012 11:01 AM (RURIy)
Posted by: Jean at April 29, 2012 11:06 AM (RURIy)
Posted by: Red in Maine at April 29, 2012 11:07 AM (Or/ft)
Ran out of new stuff, so I'm re-reading Stephen Pressfield's Killing Rommel. Those LRDG squaddies were hard men.
Decided to order FootFall and The Mote in God's Eye --haven't read them in years, and I'm curious whether they stand the test of time.
Posted by: Old Tired Guy at April 29, 2012 11:08 AM (uRNRf)
Posted by: Red in Maine at April 29, 2012 11:18 AM (Or/ft)
Posted by: '52 Esquire at April 29, 2012 11:24 AM (KZi9D)
Posted by: Jay at April 29, 2012 11:39 AM (nojhZ)
I loved the story of him renting horses and riding up to the Mission San Diego de Alcala and getting a free meal from the Franciscans.
I also like the story of the wedding in Santa Barbara and then meeting the lady years later, who was grateful to him for kind words in his book regarding her.
Posted by: Jimbo at April 29, 2012 11:45 AM (O3R/2)
The Left really, really hates that we have broken free.
Posted by: Jimbo at April 29, 2012 11:49 AM (O3R/2)
Posted by: Advo at April 29, 2012 12:48 PM (oD/3o)
"Two years before the mast" is on gutenberg.org, I think.
And damn the Kindle. It's way to easy to buy books. I just decided to get a Kindle copy of "Lucifer's Hammer" which lead to "The Mote in God's Eye" which almost led to "Footfall" but it doesn't seem to be on Kindle and then I said, knock it off, and then I said, no, I need one more novel that I have read to pieces, so I got "Shogun" which I adore.
For some reason, I think I bought a book on self-control. I should see if I can find it.
Posted by: Tonestaple at April 29, 2012 01:42 PM (VS9kC)
Posted by: Jaclyn at April 29, 2012 02:15 PM (YrSL3)
Posted by: Jaclyn at April 29, 2012 02:16 PM (YrSL3)
All the publishers should be like Baen. Their prices run from free to 4 or 5 dollars for the older books. The new ones are higher but not as high as the hardback.
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 02:16 PM (YdQQY)
I thought that that was the question Jesus asked Peter when he saw him running away from Rome.
Where are you going? This is where you will be crucified.
Posted by: Jimbo at April 29, 2012 02:25 PM (O3R/2)
Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 02:25 PM (YdQQY)
You need to watch the 2005 version that was produced for Polish TV, available on Netflix. It's in 6 or 7 parts and very much better than the earlier movie.
Posted by: OregonMuse at April 29, 2012 02:41 PM (InyP7)
Since the death of Levon Helm I've started reading "Across The Great Divide" about the formation of the group The Band. It's pretty well done, I guess, but I've pretty much maxed out on reading about white boys finding out about black music on late night radio; frankly that shit is boring after the umpteenth repetition of it. Also books like this have too much of the Tiger Beat fanzine approach to things for my liking. Plus there's a reason Ronnie Hawkins never got popular beyond a certain point. Still I'll probably finish the book just to read about subsequent events because the music of the group was pretty unique for the times.
Posted by: Captain Hate at April 29, 2012 02:42 PM (g8py2)
Posted by: steevy at April 29, 2012 03:19 PM (7W3wI)
Posted by: tomc at April 30, 2012 09:50 AM (avEuh)
Wifey has been reading "Etiquette" by Emily Post, 1937
So I am getting some etiquette lessons. Don't expect it to rub off here.
Posted by: sTevo at April 30, 2012 02:48 PM (VMcEw)
Posted by: Kristin Cashore Bitterblue iBooks at May 03, 2012 04:58 PM (dgVis)
Posted by: Born of Silence ePub at May 03, 2012 05:34 PM (SqHXv)
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Posted by: Vic at April 29, 2012 07:06 AM (YdQQY)