July 01, 2012
— Open Blogger
Good morning morons and moronettes. I don't know about you, but I'm still pretty bummed out out SCOTUS putting its stamp of approval on Obamacare. In the wake of this ruling, my question is this: is there anything at all the federal government can be forbidden to do?* Between stretching the use of the Commerce Clause to grotesque lengths and the federal power to levy taxes, that pretty much covers all the bases, doesn't it? Anything that Fedgov want to do can be legally argued to be either the one or the latter.
This makes me sick to my stomach.
*I mean, other than protecting unborn babies from being killed, of course
How to blow stuff up real good
Seriously, what's a 4th of July without fireworks?
Actually, the book is about how to make fireworks, it's not a demolitions manual. Although I suppose that with enough Valu-Rite, it could be.
And this collection of Chinese fireworks art looks like fun. I always remember the instructions on the firecracker wrappers: 'Lay on ground. Light fuse. Get away.' Always cracked me up, for some reason. Didn't say we couldn't throw them at each other, though.
That's all I have for this week. Hey, any of you morons planning on buying the new Nexus 7 tablet? I have to admit it looks pretty cool.
I was asked to mention that Ric Locke, author of Temporary Duty, has inoperable lung cancer. Donations can be made on the small link on the left side of this page.
[Update]:
You might mention that he's soliciting donations for a portable oxygen setup as SS has penalized him for making too much money and the IRS of course has swooped in to tax the proceeds from his book sale.
Thanks to moron Bitter Clinger and all that for the update
As always, book thread tips may be sent to aoshqbookthread@gmail.com
Hopefully, you all have been reading some good stuff this week
Posted by: Open Blogger at
06:44 AM
| Comments (148)
Post contains 340 words, total size 3 kb.
It seems Google really, really, wants to grab some of Amazon's digital business. The Nexus 7 is pretty much a Kindle Fire on steroids. But it shares one of the Fire's fatal flaws. No memory card slot to use inexpensive SD or microSD cards.
Deal breaker for me unless the price goes really, really low. It would have kept me from buying the regular Kindle if I didn't have to have it for testing my e-book file work.
Posted by: epobirs at July 01, 2012 06:56 AM (kcfmt)
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 06:57 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 06:58 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: airandee at July 01, 2012 07:00 AM (9GHCK)
Posted by: mbruce at July 01, 2012 07:05 AM (Fr8N6)
According to Obama Senior, the little people can be taxed at 100% if the government "provides" for them.
We really are living Obama's dreams from his father. Only for us it's a nightmare.
Posted by: Boots at July 01, 2012 07:05 AM (neKzn)
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 07:06 AM (YdQQY)
Only problem with it is that it quotes Waqidi's maghazi work a lot, and Waqidi is generally considered even by Muslims to be full of poo, to give the current scholarly term for it. Battle rosters pulled straight out his ass? Invented chains of transmission? Waqidi's got 'em! And Ibn Sa'd will print 'em.
Other than that, I like that the book does, at least, list the chains of transmission, which I can cross-reference with Tabari and the hadith books.
Posted by: Boulder Toilet Hobo at July 01, 2012 07:10 AM (QTHTd)
Posted by: Mama AJ on phone at July 01, 2012 07:10 AM (SUKHu)
Not yet, airandee. We have one more chance to get it right. Then we're doomed. (I miss Monty.)
So I'm still reading "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" and apparently will be for the rest of my freaking life. Although I did finally hit 20%.
From the library I got one I think I saw here called "Losers in Space," but I didn't finish it and didn't particularly care for it. The concept was OK but depressing, but when the cover of the book tells you who the bad guy is, it takes some of the fun out. I also didn't like the expository interludes, completely removed from the story. It's possible to explain things in dialoge and observation without completely geeking out. It takes longer, because you don't do a total info dump, but it makes for a better book.
And from the library I am reading Game Over: Jerry Sandusky, Penn State, and the Culture of Silence. Just as disgusting as you would expect.
I'm saving "America, You Sexy Bitch" for the little vacation I'm taking after the 4th.
Posted by: Tonestaple at July 01, 2012 07:10 AM (EMRvP)
Posted by: phoenixgirl, team dagny at July 01, 2012 07:12 AM (Ho2rs)
Posted by: Boulder Toilet Hobo at July 01, 2012 07:13 AM (QTHTd)
Posted by: The Poster Formerly Known as Mr. Barky at July 01, 2012 07:13 AM (Hh/h0)
Amazon guarantees items sold through 3rd Parties.
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 01, 2012 07:14 AM (3inkD)
Happy Canada Day, Morons.
I'm a third of the way through A Dance With Dragons, book five of the series that started with Game of Thrones.
George R.R. Martin quoted Faulkner's Nobel speech in an interview, saying that the only thing worth writing about is the human heart at war with itself. How that translates to his characters is absolutely a joy to experience.
Nobody is all good or all bad. Sometimes good guys do some horrible things. And sometimes bad guys can show compassion.
I don't care for the fantasy genre, but the setting is really incidental to the series. The political maneuvering is fascinating, and allowing the most sympathetic "good guy" characters to suffer and die while the heels triumph is both emotionally gut-wrenching and a brilliant way to inject realism into a fantasy world.
It's a huge world, but mostly populated with PEOPLE, not a shitload of arbitrary macguffins that have to be found and then toted from Point A to Point B so that the bad guy will be defeated.
You don't know how it will end. And it may not be happy, but that's life, and life is more interesting than fiction.
Posted by: Empire of Jeff at July 01, 2012 07:14 AM (2GOU1)
I'll just suck it up and continue reading it.
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 07:16 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 07:17 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Mama AJ on phone at July 01, 2012 07:20 AM (SUKHu)
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 07:22 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: rickl at July 01, 2012 07:22 AM (sdi6R)
Posted by: Lauren at July 01, 2012 07:24 AM (I3gUh)
Finished The Amateur. Enjoyed it. Indulged some Vince Flynn [last two]. Reading the bio of that CIA guy Rodgriquez. Some grist there, especially on Porter Goss. Our library, surprise, had The Hubble Wars which had been recommended here by other morons. Haven't started and probably won't this week. Reason: got my Lindy's Pac-12 Football, a holiday tradition accompanied by an appropriate fermented malt beverage and animal protein.
Posted by: The Poster Formerly Known as Mr. Barky at July 01, 2012 07:24 AM (Hh/h0)
I gave them both to the library and never even opened the second book.
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 07:25 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Lauren at July 01, 2012 07:29 AM (0vdF4)
So is Downton Abbey. Julian Fellows is a dude.
Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at July 01, 2012 07:33 AM (famk3)
Posted by: dwagyak at July 01, 2012 07:34 AM (wc9rT)
Posted by: Tonestaple at July 01, 2012 07:34 AM (EMRvP)
Posted by: Y-not at July 01, 2012 07:35 AM (5H6zj)
Posted by: Empire of Jeff at July 01, 2012 07:37 AM (2GOU1)
that got him his job backed and Rodriguez bounced, it reads a little like a real life Vince Flynn.
Posted by: archie goodwin at July 01, 2012 07:37 AM (ctjsq)
Posted by: Tonestaple at July 01, 2012 07:39 AM (EMRvP)
I have been using a Windows phone since the beginning of the year and I love it. Most of because I bought my wife an identical phone and she has been able to figure out most stuff on her own!
I already own a Nook Color, which is great for reading and occasional browsing, so there is no pressing need for a new tablet anyway right now.
As far as reading goes: "The Long Earth" by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter. It's about parallel Earths and how a cheap device to skip from one world to the next affects mankind.. I won't go into any more as anything I mention will be a spoiler. I like it, though it is not the best work by either author.
Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at July 01, 2012 07:42 AM (UTq/I)
Posted by: Tonestaple at July 01, 2012 07:44 AM (EMRvP)
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 11:17 AM (YdQQY)
Well, even if you don't return it, you need to report the condition.
Even though Amazon fulfilled it, it probably still came from an outside source, or else the Amazon employee who rated it needs to learn more about the guidelines for rating conditions of used books.
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 01, 2012 07:45 AM (3inkD)
Posted by: Tonestaple at July 01, 2012 07:46 AM (EMRvP)
However, EOJ has pointed out it's charm; GRRM has me baffled what will happen next most of the time. Frustrated that he is so slow writing the damn thing. but fascinated by the politics and depth of just plain hate that seems to flow through every one.
except maybe hodor.
It's an exercise in analysis and a good workout for understanding/gaining insight to current motivations and machinations in the real world
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 07:47 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 07:49 AM (j1gX1)
I used to display the flag on the fourth on all 19 of my rental properties and my own home. But I destroyed them on 6-28-12, the day we became serfs.
This is no longer the country I came to admire, respect and love. I can no longer advocate anyone joining the military, although I still respect those who served.
As serfs, it is incumbent upon us to deny whatever service and money our betters demand as much as possible.
Posted by: Mister Brickhouse` at July 01, 2012 07:50 AM (GOmR6)
I've read a lot about the beginnings of Christianity, the Jerusalem Church, and 1st century Judaism so this fit right in. However, the premise is kind of Da Vinci Code-ish so I did some independent investigation to make sure it wasn't just an exercise in crackpottery. It isn't.
The upshot is pretty explosive. It makes the case that a tomb discovered about 3 miles south of the Old City is the tomb of the biblical Jesus and his family. The tomb contained ossuaries inscribed with the names, "Yeshua bar Yosef" (Jesus, son of Joseph), "Mariamne" and other names associated with Jesus. Google "Jesus Family Tomb" for details.
This discovery received a lot of press many years ago, then was generally dismissed when experts supposedly agreed that the names were common in 1st century Israel so statistically, the discovery was a non-event. It turns out that this was a premature judgment.
The book details subsequent discoveries in the area, in particular a tomb about 200 yards from the "Jesus Family Tomb" that contains the earliest Christian-motif art ever found. The authors posit that both tombs and the surrounding property were owned by Joseph of Arimathea at the time of the crucifixion and that the newly-investigated tomb was the tomb of Joseph and his family.
This story is still being played out. The so-called "James Ossuary" featuring the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" has been linked to the Jesus Family Tomb by chemical analysis. It was the subject of what was called the "forgery trial of the century" in Israel for the past 17 months. The owner of the ossuary was accused of having added the "brother of Jesus" line to the inscription. In April he was acquitted (and the Israeli Antiquities Authority was essentially humiliated) on strong evidence that the entire ossuary inscription is indeed authentic. James was the brother of Jesus and he assumed control of the Jerusalem church after Jesus was executed. Thus, this is another bit of evidence that the Jesus Family Tomb is what it purports to be.
What would the implications be for Christianity if it was conclusively established that Jesus did not ascend bodily into heaven and his remains are here on Earth and can be identified? Its a facsinating issue and the book is well worth a read regardless of where you stand on the spectrum of faith.
Posted by: Cicero at July 01, 2012 07:50 AM (6j180)
This IS the institution that investigated Michael Mann and found no wrong doing.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 07:50 AM (CP+yl)
-----------
Might have to. I finally allowed Mission Control to buy herself an iPad 3, so now I've got her iPad 1. Only to find that A) the built-in Video app doesn't know about playlists and B) the built-in Music app can't play videos; to the point that if you tell it to play a music video it plays it without the video. This differs from my trusty iPhone, on which the Music app will play bloody well anything. So now I don't know what possible use I might have for this iPad.
As far as reading goes, I did make my way through the Wool Omnibus Edition on my Kindle. Enjoyed it for the most part, although I thought the big reveal in #5 was stupid (what? [censored] [censored] the whole world because [censored]? that's as silly as saying a giant computer is farming people to use as a power supply!)
Been re-reading, and re-enjoying, Lord of the Rings. Currently at the start of the final book.
Somebody last week or the week before mentioned Doc Savage, and I realized it's been a *long* *long* time since I ready any of it, so I picked up The Infernal Buddha at random and have been reading it. Good fun. I hadn't realized when I was a youngun what a vocabulary building exercise it was; he throws around fancy words like they're going out of style.
Posted by: Anachronda at July 01, 2012 07:51 AM (1c58W)
Am now finishing up a re-read of Groucho & Me by Julius Henry Marx. It's a quick, fun read. I don't think it's as good as Harpo Speaks but it is a good glimpse into life of the vaudeville circuit.
Posted by: myYbj at July 01, 2012 07:52 AM (JMKN1)
Hey! What happened to 'Loose lips sink ships' ?
Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at July 01, 2012 07:53 AM (famk3)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 07:53 AM (j1gX1)
Posted by: Moonbeam at July 01, 2012 07:53 AM (1k4dd)
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 07:53 AM (CP+yl)
"What would the implications be for Christianity if it was conclusively established that Jesus did not ascend bodily into heaven and his remains are here on Earth and can be identified?"
It would be ended. But all those names are pretty common in Palestine at the time, so its hardly even meaningful to find them. Its like finding a hotel registry with "John Smith" in it.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 01, 2012 07:54 AM (r4wIV)
Let's just dig up every religion's sacred sights just to see what's under there?
Me; I want to know what that fucking rock in Mecca looks like.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 07:55 AM (CP+yl)
The major weakness is that whoever transcribed the interviews from audio wasn't familiar with all the game and game company names and terminology, so there are many instances of similar-sounding-but-wrong English words being substituted for names/titles/terms of art. And the copy editor apparently shared the same lack of knowledge.
Also, Lorne Lanning from Oddworld Inhabitants is a long-winded leftist asstard who spends half of his interview apologizing for being so declasse as to have engaged in capitalism, and may Che forgive his soul, yadda yadda.
That aside I enjoyed the book. The interview selection is broad enough to cover the 70s through today and company sizes from a few dozen to carrier-class publishers like EA. And the interviews were generally just the right length to get all the important details in without wearing out anyone's welcome.
Posted by: Ian S. at July 01, 2012 07:56 AM (tqwMN)
Posted by: probably jessica fellowes at July 01, 2012 07:58 AM (nrW1y)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 07:58 AM (j1gX1)
--------
I don't think it'd work as well as one of those cheap Chinese ones you get from the dollar store. You know, the sort where if you attempt to pull a nail using the claw, you wind up pulling the head off the handle.
Posted by: Anachronda at July 01, 2012 07:58 AM (1c58W)
evilwillnevertriumph evilwillnevertriumph evilwillnevertriumph
evilwillnevertriumph evilwillnevertriumph evilwillnevertriumph
evilwillnevertriumph evilwillnevertriumph evilwillnevertriumph
evilwillnevertriumph evilwillnevertriumph evilwillnevertriumph
etc.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 07:58 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 07:59 AM (j1gX1)
Posted by: MarkW at July 01, 2012 07:59 AM (mT+TO)
Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at July 01, 2012 08:01 AM (famk3)
But that's just me.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:02 AM (CP+yl)
Or a tac nuke.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:04 AM (CP+yl)
The statistics were a major focus of the book. I won't go into it all here but the point is that the odds against this being a random collection are astronomical. Sure, Yeshua and Yosef were common. Yose (a nickname for Yosef associated with one of Jesus' brothers) isn't. The Mariamne variation of Mary is also rare. When you add the additional factors of the relationships (Jesus as son of Joseph, the DNA indication that Mariamne had no blood relationship to Yeshu, making her a likely spouse), etc., the odds of a random match become astronomical. Add in all the other circumstantial evidence and the possibility that this is the actual Jesus tomb can't be dismissed so easily.
Posted by: Cicero at July 01, 2012 08:05 AM (6j180)
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:06 AM (CP+yl)
Well unless someone figures out time travel. Even then I suspect time travel will only work one way so the questions really are moot.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:09 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: mrp at July 01, 2012 08:09 AM (HjPtV)
Posted by: Dear Leader Barry at July 01, 2012 08:09 AM (DQHjw)
Posted by: BurtTC at July 01, 2012 08:09 AM (2pG7H)
Watch me.
Take a guess at the ratio of true religious artifacts to fake artifacts.
1 in a 100? 1k? 10mill?
Any answer will suffice for faith alone.
Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at July 01, 2012 08:10 AM (famk3)
Posted by: BurtTC at July 01, 2012 08:12 AM (2pG7H)
That about says it all for the forest being difficult to see for the trees.
How's about all you disbelievers, unbelievers, religion skeptics just MYOB?
Larry King put it well one time about another subject but apropos here also:
Why do you care?
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:16 AM (CP+yl)
David King, Death in the City of Light. Serial killer in WWII Paris. Gory.
Based on a true story. I liked this one the best, not sure what that says about me.
Carloz Ruiz Zafón “Marina”. Little bit of everything...magic, mystery, crime. I think I liked his other books better, but may give this one a re-read at a later date.
Cloudstreet, Tim Winton. I am not sure why I liked it, other than it's very funny in parts. A couple of families sharing a maybe haunted house.
I have been plugging way at these the last few weeks.....any English Regency lovers out there will enjoy these, I think; they are mysteries and some spyish things. They are absolute chick lit, but I love the era so much, I am unable to resist.
C. S. Harris St. Cyr mysteries, Ashley Gardner Captain Lacey mysteries (chick lit, but historically accurate), and and Joanna Bourne Spymaster series.
M. M. Bennetts May of 1812, and Of Honest Fame. Again, I love the era. Not chick lit, just not sure if anyone else here is particularly in to this period of history as much as I. If so, you might enjoy these two!
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 01, 2012 08:16 AM (3inkD)
Posted by: imam momoham at July 01, 2012 08:17 AM (nrW1y)
Posted by: Dr. Varno at July 01, 2012 08:18 AM (nOAVk)
Posted by: Honey Badger at July 01, 2012 08:18 AM (kGCa3)
Posted by: old glazier at July 01, 2012 08:20 AM (Iz6HE)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 08:20 AM (j1gX1)
Finished reading "Neptune's Inferno" last week, a Father's Day gift.
Without giving the ending away (we won the war), Jim Hornfischer researched and wrote and excellent book that goes into the details of how we won and lost the naval battles around Guadalcanal in the second half of 1942. It's tragic in the scope of how many brave sailors got killed in the confusion of war (friendly fire) or by poor leadership. The Navy actually lost four or five times as many sailors in the waters off Guadalcanal as the Army and Marines lost on the island.
The other somewhat amazing thing was how the Japanese fumbled away several advantages they had in terms of nightfighting and their Long Lance torpedoes. And even at the end of the surface fighting, some American Navy officers refused to believe how effective the Japanese destroyer attacks were with the Long Lance.
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes..... at July 01, 2012 08:21 AM (sJTmU)
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:21 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: Boogersferbrains Biden at July 01, 2012 08:21 AM (7+pP9)
No they haven't. He's got a beard though and for some reason won't let him appear in court with a beard.????
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:22 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 08:22 AM (j1gX1)
There's a blog about everything. Or a Twitter feed. Or a Foursquare hotspot. Or a Facebook page. Or Instagram. Or Pinterest. Welcome to social media, where every moment of your life will be broadcast, whether you want it to be or not.
I had dinner with a friend and her 10 year old daughter and we got to talking about good kids books and I became all nostalgic for the Trixie Belden books so I am now plowing my way through them again. They were out of print for a long time, but in 2005 Random House re-issued them.
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at July 01, 2012 08:23 AM (RZ8pf)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 08:23 AM (j1gX1)
He's got some obvious muslim name and the army is too gutless/pc to say it out loud. They might have to admit that they have a problem.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:23 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 08:24 AM (j1gX1)
He's still in the military.
We are so boned. The Anti american deconstructionists have won and America is dead. it's just in slow motion is all.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:27 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: Moonbeam at July 01, 2012 08:29 AM (1k4dd)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 08:29 AM (j1gX1)
Is it? How do they not give him a fuckin' shave if it's requred?
Real close to the shoulders, like!
Posted by: Sleazy P Martini at July 01, 2012 08:30 AM (+DE6Z)
Posted by: NY Betsy Rose at July 01, 2012 08:31 AM (rUtgO)
Well, as long as we don't lose our diversity, or some such twaddle. That's the most important thing. Not the Republic, or the rule of law, or the Oath you swear upon joing the military. But keeping our diversity.
Yup.
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes..... at July 01, 2012 08:31 AM (sJTmU)
Posted by: Moonbeam at July 01, 2012 08:31 AM (1k4dd)
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 08:32 AM (YdQQY)
Attention USA.
Will everyone who believes Allah is the only God and Islam will triumph over the rest of the world Please exit to the west or east to your respective home countries. Those of you who were born here of Muslim parents may stay after undergoing reeducation.
Reeducation will be composed of Bacon eating, cross worshipping, and the wearing of the star of david and more. If you have a problem with that then please exit west or east to your respectives parents home country.
Thank you for your compliance.
30 days from now if you are still in the country you will be shot on sight.
Jingoist? Hateful? Biased? Bigoted? Racist? maybe
I plead self defense your honor. They threatened me first.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 08:32 AM (CP+yl)
Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 01, 2012 08:32 AM (j1gX1)
Obama will be home on the Fourth. His surrogates will be allegedly raising money from US expatriates (because those are the only legal donors overseas allowed) in Paris and in some city in Switzerland.
His pal George (spit) Clooney.
Yeah, just US expatriates that want to contribute to the Obama Campaign. The phrase that now applies is "no controlling legal authority".
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes..... at July 01, 2012 08:33 AM (sJTmU)
---------
My dad had a nice, big beard while he was in the Army. 'Course, he was a CID narc and that was part of his cover...
Posted by: Anachronda at July 01, 2012 08:37 AM (1c58W)
Just found a hardcover of Knife of Dreams, and Off Armageddon Reef at half price books for $3.
That was the highlight of my week.
Posted by: Invictos at July 01, 2012 08:38 AM (OQpzc)
Posted by: Nevergiveup
As Navy, you would really appreciate it. It was somewhat mindboggling to read about how smart and how incredibly brave some officers and sailors were, and how certain good officers made really boneheaded decisions in battle.
Some officers would rise to the flag rank and have absolutely no battle experience and be put in command of a ship task force and absolutely screw things up. Willis Lee comes off as a really brilliant officer, and a lot of people thought (historically, not his peers at the time) he was just a good 'ol boy from Kentucky.
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes..... at July 01, 2012 08:39 AM (sJTmU)
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and all that at July 01, 2012 12:09 PM (CP+yl)
That when you pull a Stargate SG-1 and bury some record in a tomb or site that is only discovered close to the approximate time frame you originally left to prevent any corruption of the time line.
Of course then your pond that has no fish in it might end up with fish, but that's only a minor detail.
Posted by: buzzion at July 01, 2012 08:39 AM (GULKT)
Posted by: Libra at July 01, 2012 08:41 AM (kd8U8)
Posted by: Caunotaucarius at July 01, 2012 08:41 AM (SHvfC)
@67 - It was posited by some physicist - can't remember who - that time travel via time machine may be possible, but one would only be able to travel as far back as when the machine was invented. So, it wouldn't be practical until at least 20 years after its invention.
Time will screw you every....time.
Posted by: bicentennialguy at July 01, 2012 08:42 AM (7qWDO)
Posted by: Skree at July 01, 2012 08:44 AM (uW0jj)
I was waiting for one of the other cob-loggers to do it, but I guess nobody is up yet.
New non-book thread up.
Posted by: OregonMuse at July 01, 2012 08:46 AM (3S7gv)
Posted by: bicentennialguy at July 01, 2012 08:47 AM (7qWDO)
Posted by: OregonMuse at July 01, 2012 12:18 PM (3S7gv)
There are many, many blogs about perfume, Oregon Muse. It's a BFD!
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 01, 2012 08:48 AM (3inkD)
Posted by: Ruby at July 01, 2012 08:50 AM (QAUe4)
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 01, 2012 08:51 AM (3inkD)
Is it primarily a chick book/bodice ripper or will guys like it? I've been seeing that pushed on Kindle books lately at Amazon.
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 08:56 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: eman at July 01, 2012 09:01 AM (ejmiE)
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 09:03 AM (YdQQY)
http://twitter.com/#!/50shedsofgrey
Posted by: Anachronda at July 01, 2012 09:11 AM (1c58W)
Is it primarily a chick book/bodice ripper or will guys like it? I've been seeing that pushed on Kindle books lately at Amazon.
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 12:56 PM (YdQQY)
Vic, I think it's a chick book, to say the least. Poorly written erotica with a Bondage/Discipline/Sadomasochistic theme.
I have stated here before that I think woman are tired of beta males and we're going to be seeing a lot more of this type of thing.
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 01, 2012 09:18 AM (3inkD)
The Penn State board of trustees saw the situation for what it was and fired the president and Paterno; it was long overdue in both cases, and they'll be paying out the wazz to the victims for good reason, but it was the right thing to do and the first responsible thing which had been done regarding the whole football program in a long time. If you want a sickening experience, go to some of the Penn State boards and view the cultists thinking that Sandusky was the only offender in this and the program should now proceed unscathed. They're in for a world of hurt if they think that's happening. This is the worst thing to happen in sports maybe forever and if the NCAA doesn't nuke that program from orbit and heap salt on the ashes, then they're complicit too. The program will be a pariah for a long time, particularly as the civil suits keep things in the public's eye. Paterno's dead so he's beyond any punishment for this, although the way he was dealt with could've been avoided if he had as much integrity as his shills say he possessed.
On topic, I'm near the end of "The Great Upheaval" by Jay Winik which should be required reading for all morons that think the Founding Fathers were above getting into major political squabbles during Washington's presidency, particularly the second term. The good news is none of them were as fucking illiterate as any of the trolls here.
Posted by: Captain Hate (dagny solidarity) at July 01, 2012 09:20 AM (fpcnK)
http://tinyurl.com/7tazp7u
With the exception of a single area where the author appears remarkably naive, this is a highly recommendable book for anyone who want to understand what separates modern Western nations from all of human history that preceded them. Why did these nations suddenly start becoming amazingly wealthy in the early 19th Century and never stopped growing?
This is an enjoyable read for one already well versed on the subject matter and could be a life changer for somebody new to the concepts. I'd make this mandatory reading for any teenager, although I would also include 'The Forgotten Man' to address the most flawed portion of the book.
The author offers a compelling thesis that four institutions came together in the US and UK to change the world. These are:
1. Property rights
2. Scientific Method/Freedom of speech
3. Capital Markets
4. Communications/Transport
The combination produced an explosion of wealth that only societies relying on conquest had ever come close to knowing and far exceeded them in short order. Rather than taking wealth from others it was being created from seemingly nothing and seemingly limited only by human ingenuity.
The place where the author goes most badly wrong is treating the appearance of redistributionist policies as a inevitability and not something to be fought. Despite showing a familiarity with material discussing the governmental causes and exacerbation of the Great Depression, he seems to treat it as a normal event rather than a disaster that greatly impeded GDP growth and his continued to do so ever since. The 2% average growth since the boom began is something we need not settle for if we can defeat irrational policy making.
The book could do with a second edition to correct some of the historical mistake and questionable thinking in areas but in general serves as a very good starting point for someone wanting to understand some places are rich while others suck. As the book begins by referencing P.J. O'Rourke's 'Eat The Rich,' this is an appropriate description.
Posted by: epobirs at July 01, 2012 09:31 AM (kcfmt)
Posted by: Will Not Assimilate For Food at July 01, 2012 09:37 AM (kXoT0)
Posted by: Will Not Assimilate For Food at July 01, 2012 09:45 AM (kXoT0)
"The ABCs of Reloading" by C. Rodney James. From his picture, he seems clearly experienced with explosives.
Perhaps it is an intrductory text ... no matter, the discussion of cases and failures (and pictures) make it easily worth the price.
Various nuggets of wisdom add considerably to the value: I did not know that the the German 7.92mm round can be chambered and fired in a rifle designed and marked for .30-06, but apparently it can ... once. Yes, the 7.92mm bullet is too large for the .30-06 bore, but the 7.92mm cartridge is shorter so the bullet sits farther back in the chamber, where the .30-06 brass case is normally present ... so the 7.92mm cartridge seems to fit.
Looking at the photo of several cartridges side-by-side (7.92mm and .30-06 included), the story seems to fit. I'll go with the story, and skip the verifying experiment.
Posted by: Arbalest at July 01, 2012 09:46 AM (ISUuv)
Posted by: Will Not Assimilate For Food at July 01, 2012 09:47 AM (kXoT0)
Posted by: Will Not Assimilate For Food at July 01, 2012 09:54 AM (kXoT0)
Posted by: Mr Tea at July 01, 2012 09:59 AM (S5qYN)
Posted by: goldilocks at July 01, 2012 10:26 AM (S9fCf)
I have stated here before that I think woman are tired of beta males and we're going to be seeing a lot more of this type of thing.
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 01, 2012 01:18 PM (3inkD)
Thanks Tammy. I will avoid it unless they put it in a dollar stack and I'll see if the porno there is up there with John Ringo's Ghost series porno.
Posted by: Vic at July 01, 2012 10:44 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Tonestaple at July 01, 2012 10:45 AM (EMRvP)
Great writeup. I particularly enjoy history books that link things together in an overriding narrative. That was one of the great appeals of Bloodlands for me and how it got away from looking at things in isolation. What I also appreciated out of this, having had read "Citizens" by Schama upon which Winik drew a great deal (and BurtTC helpfully recommended Winik's book after I completed the earlier work) is what became of Talleyrand after his stay in the US and how he was a complete self-serving prick to the representatives of Adams looking to sooth relations between the countries, including blatantly asking for a bribe. I think Winik is a major talent and look forward to subsequent works by him.
Posted by: Captain Hate (dagny solidarity) at July 01, 2012 11:06 AM (fpcnK)
Posted by: Will Not Assimilate For Food at July 01, 2012 01:54 PM (kXoT0)
Magic Bites series or The Edge, which do you recommend? I see one is touted more as a romance thing....I am not so in to romance. Is it sappy?
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 01, 2012 11:23 AM (3inkD)
Posted by: whatmeworry? at July 01, 2012 11:47 AM (Q3WfW)
We pay taxes on gasoline which is pretty crucial to anyone over 16....actually everyone. People who rent are indirectly taxed to fund those who get a mortgage. Old people with no kids are taxed to fund people with young kids. Life ain't fair. ACA sucks, but STOP PANICing over the fact that we will always have various taxes levied on us.
Posted by: horn at July 01, 2012 01:13 PM (tAHf5)
As a rule, the more an archaeological discovery feeds into what a segment of people really, really WANT to believe - the more likely it is to be shite.
Posted by: Boulder Toilet Hobo at July 01, 2012 01:28 PM (QTHTd)
Posted by: steevy at July 01, 2012 02:10 PM (Xb3hu)
Posted by: steveha at July 01, 2012 03:31 PM (wmgz8)
Well I'm sure the writer of the book makes that case, and that's his perogative, I'm sure. Even if his case is actually valid, which is a pretty large presumption, all he did was prove how amazingly unlikely the event was, which we already know.
The funny thing is, we have three separate eye witness accounts and a fourth carefully researched account by a Greek scholar from eyewitnesses of Jesus' historical life, yet nobody seems to want to believe a word of them, so they write this kind of thing.
There's this endless series of "Jesus was really gay!" "Jesus was the bastard child of a Roman rapist!" "Jesus was a woman" and all that out there. Its hilarious. Don't believe the supernatural parts if you don't want to but the history is all there to read, why not at least give it some credibility?
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 01, 2012 06:10 PM (r4wIV)
Posted by: Tonestaple at July 01, 2012 11:44 AM (EMRvP)
Sorry, I signed off after posting. The Rodriguez book is Hard Measures: How Aggressive CIA Actions after 9/11 Saved American Lives.
Posted by: The Poster Formerly Known as Mr. Barky at July 01, 2012 09:01 PM (Hh/h0)
Posted by: Will Not Assimilate For Food at July 02, 2012 01:30 AM (kXoT0)
Hide Comments | Add Comment | Refresh | Top
64 queries taking 0.2602 seconds, 276 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
More human than human.
Posted by: EC at July 01, 2012 06:52 AM (R15UB)