October 14, 2012
— Open Blogger
From left to right: Sleepy, Choomy, Bashful, Gropey, and Dumbass
Good morning morons and moronettes and welcome to the presidential, imperial, and magisterial Sunday Morning Book Thread.
Books by Presidents
I have argued that the last serious, intellectually substantial man to occupy the White House was Richard Milhous Nixon. More on this later.
Presidents write books. It seems the natural thing to do after they've left office and people think they've got something worthwhile to say, and publishing companies believe they can make money from the segment of the population who wants to listen to them. Presidential books are mostly memoirs and speeches, but of course not exclusively. The following is an incomplete list:
Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation by George Washington, who wrote it when be was 15 years old. Actually, what happened was that he read a similar work and copied down the best parts of each passage, a condensed version, if you will.
Of course, Thomas Jefferson wrote a number of books, among them his, Notes on the State of Virginia. And also the infamous Jefferson Bible which probably could more honestly be titled "The Bible With All The Parts Thomas Jefferson Didn't Like Taken Out."
Letters on Freemasonry by John Quincy Adams. At one time in this country, the Freemasons were such an influential group that some felt compelled to organize to oppose them, and this resulted in the formation of the single-issue Anti-Masonic Party, of which Adams was a member.
Congressional Government A Study in American Politics by Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was an intellectual who thought quite a bit about what constitutes good government. Whether you agree with him or not, his ideas should be taken seriously. Also, On Being Human and When a Man Comes to Himself, in which Wilson "sets out his vision for the good life [which] draws on both Aristotle's notion of 'the golden mean' and Augustine's view of the ordo amorum (the order of the loves)-specifically, that the good life consists largely in a well-balanced, harmonious ordering of one's passions and priorities."
Whether you agree with it or not, it's a serious book which demands the reader takes the presented ideas seriously.
Teddy Roosevelt wrote over 30 books, many about his outdoor life of hunting and exploring. But he also wrote History As Literature, in which he stated, “In these addresses and essays I have discussed not merely literary but also historical and scientific subjects, for my thesis is that the domain of literature must be ever more widely extended over the domains of history and science.” The essays covered such topics as modern art, the pursuit of scholarship, science and history, and the poetry of Dante.
Again, this is a serious, substantial work. I am proud that Americans have elected men to office who are capable of writing such books.
Herbert Hoover had a lot to say, particularly in his book about the origins of WWII, Freedom Betrayed: Herbert Hoover's Secret History of the Second World War and Its Aftermath, which has been mentioned in previous book threads.
JFK's famous book Profiles in Courage was perhaps not written completely by him although he did win the Pulitzer for it. The "research assistant", longtime Kennedy family crony and speechwriter Ted Sorenson, admits he was very well paid for the work that he did. In other words, he pretty much confirmed the rumors that had been floating around for years that PiC was mostly written by someone other than Jack Kennedy.
After he was driven from office in disgrace, Richard Nixon wrote several books displaying his serious foreign policy chops, such as:
Six Crises
Seize the Moment: America's Challenge in a One-Superpower World
Real war
Real Peace
It is because of these books that I have argued that Richard Nixon was the last serious, intellectually substantial man to occupy the White House. All of the presidents since then, with one exception, have only written memoirs and autobiographies. I would like to see a good, solid book on foreign policy written for an adult audience by George W. Bush. However, I don't think Bush is not the kind of man who would write such a book. This is not to say I think Bush is dumb. That statement is itself dumb. But Bush is not an intellectual in the same way that Nixon was. There are two kinds of men in this world, poker players and chess players. Bush, according to those who knew him during his college years, was an excellent poker player and he won like crazy. Now, on the other hand, I can't imagine RN sitting down at the table with the boys for an evening of Texas Hold 'Em. But I think he'd have been a frightfully good chess player.
[Update]: Sigh. Looks like I really screwed the pooch on this one. Many commenters have pointed out that Nixon won quite a lot of money playing poker while in the Navy.
Jimmy Carter has written a number of books, and in fact, his post-presidential output is quite prolific. Fun fact: Carter is the only president who has written a novel, The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War. He also wrote a children's book with his daughter, Amy. Also, a volume of his poetry. These are in addition to his policy books, We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work, and Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis. Along these lines, I suppose I am going to have to mention the execrable Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid that allegedly some Saudi fat cats paid him to write.
I have to give the devil his due. Yeah, Carter was and is a complete dumbass, but I actually came to be somewhat impressed with the variety of his output since he left office. I can't say I agree with any of his policy suggestions, but if someone wants to argue that it was Carter, not Nixon, who was the last serious intellectual in the White House, he might have a point. Dude's written fiction and poetry and books on policy, and you have to respect that. At least I do.
On the other hand, someone should dig up that hilarious P.J. O'Rourke review of one of Carter's earlier autobiographical books, I forget which one, which demonstrated that the book is completely full of stupid. [Update]: Here it is, and it's a masterpiece of snark.
And now that brings us in our day to the Resident of the United States, who has written (some say co-written) two books on his favorite subject: himself. And this before he ever did anything to warrant such attention. I mean, in 1995, who would care would this lazy choomer had to say? Of course the good news is that after he's out of office, there's going to be nothing to motivate his slacker ass to write a book, so perhaps we'll be spared his nonsense and drivel. Oh wait, I forgot, he can always hire Billy Ayers to write him a book, again. Dang.
We've come down quite bit lower than Wilson, Hoover, and Nixon. And even Carter.
So the last American president to author a serious book on policy was -- Jimmy Carter? Sad, but true.
I'll be doing a Halloween-themed book thread in a couple of weeks, so if you could send me your favorite zombie/horror books, whether written by you or someone else, I'll see if I can incorporate it into or at least mention it on the thread. Thank you.
As always, book thread tips may be sent to aoshqbookthread@gmail.com
So what have you all been reading this week?
Posted by: Open Blogger at
07:05 AM
| Comments (202)
Post contains 1293 words, total size 10 kb.
Posted by: Jones in CO at October 14, 2012 07:11 AM (8sCoq)
Posted by: Mark_0454 at October 14, 2012 07:13 AM (/1N9S)
Posted by: no good deed at October 14, 2012 07:14 AM (mjR67)
Posted by: Barry Ofuckstick at October 14, 2012 07:14 AM (pUOpM)
Posted by: Jones in CO at October 14, 2012 07:14 AM (8sCoq)
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 07:15 AM (YdQQY)
Further complicating the situation was the report from SAC that one of its U2 aircraft wandered into Soviet airspace off the coast of Alaska en route to the north pole to conduct “routine air sampling”. MIG fighters were scrambled to intercept and American escort fighters with nuclear tipped missiles rushed to the U2’s aid to escort it back to Alaska. Aware of the near miss that had just occurred, Kennedy quipped, “There is always some son-of-a-bitch who doesn’t get the word.”
Kennedy was clairvoyant -- he could see the Carter presidency.
Posted by: LC LaWedgie at October 14, 2012 07:16 AM (0It32)
Posted by: Michael the Hobbit at October 14, 2012 07:16 AM (9jtWP)
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 11:08 AM (YdQQY)
Those guys actually wrote "<br />"?
That's a visible dog whistle if I've ever seen one.
Posted by: jwb7605 at October 14, 2012 07:17 AM (Qxe/p)
Did you go to Harvard?
Are you seriously suggesting that the measure of intellectual substance is the quality of the books one writes? because I will happily use Ronald Reagan as an example of a serious, intellectually substantial man. And while I am not thrilled by Bush's politics, he is an intellectually substantial man.
* That's what it sounds like, but I will give you the benefit of the doubt.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at October 14, 2012 07:17 AM (2b4yb)
I need to keep myself from my library if I want to finish any literary projects. And flee the Internets except for research.
Gushka tossed out a bit of mythology I had no idea about. It might resurrect a story idea of mine.
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 07:20 AM (iJ34D)
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 07:21 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 07:21 AM (iJ34D)
Supposedly Mark Twain went broke getting Grant's memoirs published.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at October 14, 2012 07:22 AM (2b4yb)
Posted by: Miss Marple at October 14, 2012 07:22 AM (GoIUi)
The caption is great, at least.
Posted by: HeatherRadish™ needs more beer at October 14, 2012 07:23 AM (hO8IJ)
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 11:21 AM (iJ34D)
No but Sleepy, Choomy, Bashful, Gropey, and Dumbass are just as bad.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 07:23 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Fritz at October 14, 2012 07:25 AM (vm7ot)
Posted by: Boulder Hobo at October 14, 2012 07:27 AM (1OBYQ)
October 4th, Asteroid 2012TV passed within 158,000 miles of Earth. 2012TV was 100ft wide.
October 12th, Asteroid 2012TC4 passed within 59,000 miles of Earth. 2012TC4 was 56ft wide.
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 07:27 AM (iJ34D)
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 07:28 AM (YdQQY)
they're scouting us out. Looking for good 'landing sites'.
Posted by: Jones in CO at October 14, 2012 07:29 AM (8sCoq)
Posted by: romneylosescarkeys at October 14, 2012 07:29 AM (6JMZR)
Posted by: Cicero at October 14, 2012 07:29 AM (7cS2f)
Posted by: Token Conservative at October 14, 2012 07:29 AM (TZ/Pd)
Posted by: Jones in CO at October 14, 2012 07:29 AM (8sCoq)
Posted by: SFGoth at October 14, 2012 07:30 AM (QRQ3M)
I hope she and Bill realize that, no matter what happens on November 7, Obama plans on pinning 100% of the Libya blame on her.
When does Bill throw TFG that encouraged his supporters in 2008 to call he and Hillary racists under the bus, when does he realize that unless he does, he and his wife have no future in the Democrat party?
Posted by: RoyalOil at October 14, 2012 07:32 AM (imtbm)
It looks like it was Stalin's fault (I was told this in high school, but I'd forgotten since then when exactly Stalin had taken full control of the Party - so, point to my HS teacher). Especially in 1932 and 1933, Stalin deliberately turned the Ukraine into something out of "The Road".
Posted by: Boulder Hobo at October 14, 2012 07:32 AM (1OBYQ)
Posted by: mare at October 14, 2012 07:33 AM (A98Xu)
Posted by: Cicero at October 14, 2012 11:29 AM (7cS2f)
I'll have to get that one next. Its $8 now at Amazon. Too bad they haven't reduced the prices yet. I got Driving Like Crazy first because it was only $4.00
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 07:33 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Embittered Redleg at October 14, 2012 07:34 AM (NvjU1)
"I can't imagine RN sitting down at the table with the boys for an evening of Texas Hold 'Em."
Didn't Nixon finance his first run for office from his poker winnings from the time he was in the military?
Posted by: Jim at October 14, 2012 07:34 AM (mC0nH)
Posted by: naturalfake at October 14, 2012 07:35 AM (G9qZk)
Posted by: Zombie General Sir Archibald Wavell at October 14, 2012 07:36 AM (lVBvZ)
Posted by: BornLib at October 14, 2012 07:36 AM (zpNwC)
Romney needs to facilitate this exchange (at the debate) by squarely laying the blame for the Benghazi murders on Obama. When Obama stutters, stumbles, bumbles, and lies, Romney needs to demand resignations. F*ck these rat bastards!
Posted by: Fritz at October 14, 2012 07:37 AM (vm7ot)
Posted by: Embittered Redleg at October 14, 2012 11:34 AM (NvjU1)
I think he made a down payment on his first house. He did save a lot of money. Hugh McColl, X CEO Bank of America, also made a shit load of money playing cards while he was in the Marines. Least he says he did.
Posted by: Billy Bob, the 1% at October 14, 2012 07:38 AM (wR+pz)
Posted by: Mary Cloggenstein from Brattleboro, Vt at October 14, 2012 07:38 AM (/YJYi)
Posted by: Boulder Hobo at October 14, 2012 07:38 AM (1OBYQ)
http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/
They're somewhat predictable, in that the protagonist tends to make it out alive.
Mew
Posted by: acat at October 14, 2012 07:39 AM (4UkCP)
Posted by: Jinx the Cat at October 14, 2012 07:39 AM (l3vZN)
Posted by: Some Guy in Wisconsin at October 14, 2012 07:39 AM (B/3gr)
Fair point. I probably should have mentioned Reagan wrote a ton of newspaper op-ed pieces which amply demonstrated his intellectual heft.
And while I am not thrilled by Bush's politics, he is an intellectually substantial man.
Bush is a moral man, a good man, and like you, I was not thrilled by many of his policy choices, but I don't think he's an intellectual in the same way that Nixon was.
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 07:39 AM (gfPwZ)
Posted by: Zombie General Sir Archibald Wavell at October 14, 2012 11:36 AM (lVBvZ)
My understanding too. He was reckless and disregarded orders.
Papa Joe had just lost his oldest son in a B-17, he desired to call in some chips. Think of any democrat now that would send his sons to serve in the military.
Posted by: Billy Bob, the 1% at October 14, 2012 07:40 AM (wR+pz)
I think someone should write a book about how that would work.
Posted by: Ayn Rand at October 14, 2012 07:40 AM (1OBYQ)
Posted by: Cicero at October 14, 2012 07:40 AM (7cS2f)
He spent part of WWII as a Naval Supply Officer in Miami, and hooked up with some shady Cuban gangsta types like Bebe Rebozo. The Left asserted that he was a stooge of 'organized crime', but Nixon was more complicated than that: He made some Faustian deals in life, and we'll never know the full extent of the deals he made, or with whom.
Posted by: Isaac Davis White at October 14, 2012 07:41 AM (Dll6b)
I read somewhere that John Kennedy was originally stationed in Washington , DC, but became involved with an suspected Axis beauty.
To avoid scandal he was shipped out to the SW Pacific, where it was supposed he couldn't get into public trouble.
Posted by: Jinx the Cat at October 14, 2012 07:43 AM (l3vZN)
Posted by: USS Diversity at October 14, 2012 07:45 AM (0CiTm)
Posted by: Buzzsaw90 at October 14, 2012 07:46 AM (kzejo)
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 07:46 AM (HethX)
Posted by: Good Books at October 14, 2012 07:47 AM (wqffJ)
It's almost like Romney knew something in that secret tape?
Posted by: RoyalOil at October 14, 2012 07:48 AM (imtbm)
Posted by: USS Diversity at October 14, 2012 11:45 AM (0CiTm)
capule ascending at 1000 ft per minute, and the guy jumps at 120000 feet
about 2 hrs til jump and then 20-25 minutes to touchdown
Posted by: Jones in CO at October 14, 2012 07:48 AM (8sCoq)
Eh - I disagree with this whole bean-counting approach to scholarship. It happens in academia a lot. Some professor will claim "hey I wrote eleventy thousand articles for publication, I deserve tenure!!!" But when you look at the articles they turn out to be dumbass works of hackery. Quality matters.
Posted by: chemjeff at October 14, 2012 07:49 AM (d/5qf)
Although it doesn't really alter your point, a decent respect for the details requires me to point out that, as noted by another commenter, Nixon did indeed play some serious poker while in the Navy.
I don't know whether the story about him financing his House run with the winnings is accurate or apocryphal but one mess mate once wrote that he served with Nixon for almost three years and he could not recall Nixon ever losing at poker, ever.
But after all, this is the guy who sat across the table - literally - from guys like Brezhnev and Cho En-lai and bluffed his ass off.
Second, probably the greatest Presidential book was of course US Grant's. Mark Twain (who was involved in publishing the thing but still) said it was the best war memoir since Julius Caesar.
However that may be, it's absolutely superb. Readable, sensible and, while he takes the opportunity to settle a few old scores and re-write one or two scenarios more to his liking (Gee, Cold Harbor? Coulda happened to anybody) overall it's a phenominal read.
Posted by: Bill at October 14, 2012 07:50 AM (zET27)
Lt Joseph Kennedy Jr, as part of Operation Aphrodite was killed on August 12th, 1944. Soon after take-off the modified PB4Y-1 Liberator detonated before the crew could bail out.
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 07:52 AM (iJ34D)
Yeah, I should have done some basic research on this before I shot my mouth off. I have updated the original post accordingly.
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 07:53 AM (gfPwZ)
Eh, an intellectual occupying the White House would be nice as long as you could divorce the arrogance that often goes hand-in-hand with it. Those men are Exhibit A for what happens when you get someone who doesn't just know more than most other people, but is so damn certain he knows more than most other people that he doesn't listen to critics or realize that having a ton of brains does not constitute enough to be sure you're coming down on the right side of a position.
Posted by: AD at October 14, 2012 07:53 AM (dfVq9)
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 07:54 AM (HethX)
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 11:39 AM (gfPwZ)
Fair point.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at October 14, 2012 07:54 AM (2b4yb)
Happy Sunday, morons. If you don't mind used books, there are some great deals to be found at AbeBooks dot com. The books I have purchased there are good as new and very cheap, sometimes just $1 plus $6 or so to ship. Hell, you can barely start your Prius for $6 these days.
This assumes you still like to actually hold a book in your hands, as opposed to those Kindly-Nookie things.
Now cut that out!
(Is that an old Paul Lynde line?)
Posted by: Meremortal, squinting at October 14, 2012 07:54 AM (1Y+hH)
Posted by: boulder hobo at October 14, 2012 07:55 AM (1OBYQ)
Posted by: Jebediah Kerman at October 14, 2012 07:56 AM (1c58W)
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 07:56 AM (HethX)
Posted by: Islamic Rage Boy at October 14, 2012 07:56 AM (1Ig3x)
Posted by: USS Diversity at October 14, 2012 11:45 AM (0CiTm)
Football? Never heard of it.
Posted by: Napping Dave in Texas at October 14, 2012 07:57 AM (wR+pz)
Posted by: boulder hobo at October 14, 2012 11:55 AM (1OBYQ)
He did a lot of meddling in the war. He though because he went to West Point he was a military genius.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 07:58 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Numb Nuts in Californica at October 14, 2012 07:58 AM (lJ3rV)
Conversely, the whole an idea so stupid only an intellectual could believe stings because it's true. Crafting perfect little theories is wonderful and enjoyable and a perfect little hermetically sealed world where pesky things like reality don't need to intrude.
If we're doing zombie/horror, then I would go old school and say Carrie. When you strip out the news story padding that was added to make it novel length, it may be the perfect horror novella.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD/Whiteboard 2012 at October 14, 2012 07:59 AM (Gk3SS)
Posted by: Sayomara at October 14, 2012 08:00 AM (5q+sE)
Posted by: t-bird at October 14, 2012 08:01 AM (FcR7P)
Posted by: Michael Rittenhouse at October 14, 2012 08:02 AM (4+PCd)
Utopian political theories are like military plans, they rarely survive first contact with reality.
Posted by: Beagle at October 14, 2012 08:02 AM (sOtz/)
Posted by: rrpjr at October 14, 2012 08:02 AM (C1yIz)
It's probably necessary to separate "smart" from "intellectual" (though no clear method easily comes to mind). While, "intellectual" isn't the first word that comes to mind, I'd suggest anybody questioning Reagan's brains go watch his debate with Bobby Kennedy in front of the Oxford Union. For that matter, it's possible that a guy who spent spare time in the '50s reading Bastiat was a little more intellectual than he let on.
While "intellectual" also isn't the first word that comes to mind for them, I don't think anybody would question George H.W. Bush's brains or (even though I think he's overrated) the fact that Clinton was smart.
Posted by: AD at October 14, 2012 08:02 AM (dfVq9)
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 08:03 AM (iJ34D)
Not a book by a President, but a great histocial read:
Voices of 1776
The Story of the American Revolution in the Words of Those Who Were There.
Richard Wheeler
From the Foreword: A Pennsylvania Quaker stands by the road to watch Lord Howe's Britishers approach Philadelphia, and notes that the ranking officers are "short, portly, well dressed and of genteel appearance," with skins so white and delicate that it is hard to believe that they have really undergone any hardship; and one of them calls out to the Quaker, "You have got a hell of a fine country here."
Well yes, we did. Would that we could get it back.
Posted by: Meremortal, wishing at October 14, 2012 08:04 AM (1Y+hH)
If you want to read about a truly awe-inspiring individual, look up the bio on Joe Kittinger. Not only did he set all those jump records as an Air Force Captain back in 1960, he also flew fighters in Vietnam (even commanded the "Triple Nickle" squadron, the 555th TFS) and spent almost a year in the Hanoi Hilton under the tender mercies of the North Vietnamese. They have an entire display dedicated to him in AFSOC headquarters, I would always stop by to check it out when I walked by it...
Posted by: Pave Low John at October 14, 2012 08:05 AM (F0hqV)
"Carrie" is what should have tipped me off that Stephen King is a smug and sheltered New England wanker.
Posted by: boulder hobo at October 14, 2012 08:05 AM (1OBYQ)
The Story of the American Revolution in the Words of Those Who Were There.
I love that type of book. Reading contemporaneous accounts beats the shit out of reconstructed history, no matter how good the modern historian/author is who writes it.
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 08:07 AM (HethX)
Posted by: obie doobie at October 14, 2012 08:07 AM (Q2wni)
Posted by: Fox2! at October 14, 2012 08:09 AM (1Qpmy)
Posted by: Sticky Wicket at October 14, 2012 08:11 AM (L7hol)
Just realized there is live coverage of Felix Baumgartner on the Discovery Channel, and the online feed has about a minute delay.
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 08:11 AM (HethX)
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 12:07 PM (HethX)
Yes, you get it. Some of the writings by the women are really great. Gives you the "you are there" thing without the cold writing of a textbook.
Posted by: Meremortal, wishing at October 14, 2012 08:12 AM (1Y+hH)
Posted by: USS Diversity at October 14, 2012 08:14 AM (0CiTm)
I've heard that argument before and I think it's a case of reading King's future works back into Carrie. It's pretty obvious in Carrie that her mother is insane and that she is expressing that insanity through religious zealotry. It's the zealotry that's the issue, not religion itself. Now, once you read further King and it becomes obvious that he has Issues, if not a Subscription, with religion, then it's difficult to read Carrie without reading it as per se anti-religious.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD/Whiteboard 2012 at October 14, 2012 08:15 AM (Gk3SS)
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 08:15 AM (gfPwZ)
As a British visitor to Boston described it - "One wretched delinquent was gratuitously framed in oak, his head being thrust through a hole cut in one end of a barrel, the other end of which had been removed; and the poor fellow loafed about in the most disconsolate manner, looking for all the world like a half-hatched chicken."
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 08:15 AM (iJ34D)
Posted by: Fox2! at October 14, 2012 08:16 AM (1Qpmy)
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 12:15 PM (gfPwZ)
You should link that in the top article. Later readers will not see it down in the comments.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 08:17 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 08:18 AM (iJ34D)
Posted by: dwagyak at October 14, 2012 08:18 AM (fhcrm)
Posted by: Blue Falcon in Boston at October 14, 2012 08:21 AM (KCvsd)
Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at October 14, 2012 08:21 AM (qrpxS)
Posted by: Fox2! at October 14, 2012 08:21 AM (1Qpmy)
Agreed.
I am always amazed by the quality of my American History class in high school. We read the original documents!
Commager's Documents!
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at October 14, 2012 08:22 AM (2b4yb)
@93 Anna Puma
"Marxism... trying to implement..."
The excuses include:
One: True Marxism has never been tried yet. Yes, the No True Scotsman Fallacy in all its glory pushed by tenured professors throughout the liberal arts. The many dozens of socialist nations all got it wrong, but our professor-dictator will get it exactly right.
Two: Marxism can't flourish until it's globally implemented. The ultimate unscientific view of anything: the lack of proof something works at the micro level means it should be tried globally.
Three: And this is the one you need to worry about. Marxism would work if certain people or types of people stopped doing what they do. Usually "bankers, fatcats, one percenters, CEOs, etc."
There are more, but those three are nearly universal.
Posted by: Beagle at October 14, 2012 08:22 AM (sOtz/)
Is Rasmussen just jacking with Barky? Ras has Obi-Won-Destructo at 47% AGAIN today. Ras also notes that Prezzy Putt-Putt was getting about 52% at this point 4 years ago, 5-6% ahead almost every day right up to the election.
Sorry, couldn't resist putting a leetle polling up.
Posted by: Meremortal, polling at October 14, 2012 08:22 AM (1Y+hH)
Posted by: waelse1 at October 14, 2012 08:24 AM (oP3+f)
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 08:24 AM (gfPwZ)
Of course the good news is that after he's out of office, there's going to be nothing to motivate his slacker ass to write a book
_________________________
You mean, nothing more than the $8 or $9 or $10 million he's likely to be paid for it? Hillary Clinton reportedly received something like $8 million for her book (and she was just a First Lady). Do you really think the "historic" Barry Obama will get less for the presidential memoirs of the first black president?
It's not as if Barry is going to have to write the book himself. He'll have a ghostwriter do it (as he did with his other two books, only this time the GW will probably actually get a credit).
Another motivation for Barry's next book, besides the money, is the fact that Barry will want to spin the epic failure that is his legacy. He won't want to leave it to historians to evaluate his presidency; he'll want to write it up himself (that way he can give himself an A+).
Posted by: Bystander at October 14, 2012 08:25 AM (/sohm)
Posted by: Fox2! at October 14, 2012 08:25 AM (1Qpmy)
Posted by: Sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 08:26 AM (Vln7b)
Yep. A great place to buy old books/textbooks filled with original documents, arguments, minutes, etc. is at church/organization-driven book sales. They sell them as shelf-fillers, pretty much. Half of my best history books have either Library call numbers or some school's imprint on the binding.
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 08:28 AM (HethX)
Posted by: rickl at October 14, 2012 08:29 AM (sdi6R)
That is a myth created by the MFM of the day. He got a hardship discharge before he completed Nuke School.
I have often wondered how he managed to get that discharge as well since he had a brother who could have "taken over the farm" as well as he could.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 08:30 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Paladin at October 14, 2012 08:31 AM (o4O82)
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 12:28 PM (HethX)
Our local library sells old books from their inventory. My wife and I get advance notice of those sales because we are "friends of the library".
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 08:32 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 12:30 PM (YdQQY)
As yes, brother Billy Carter. One shining moment when the elite media embraced good old boys. And then it was over, and country folk went back to being knuckle-dragging dumbbells.
Posted by: Meremortal, polling at October 14, 2012 08:33 AM (1Y+hH)
Posted by: Trimegistus at October 14, 2012 08:34 AM (sB3/i)
Heh. This brother is Billy Carter, remember? I doubt Billy had enough neural synaptic activity to operate a door knob, let alone run a farm.
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 08:34 AM (gfPwZ)
Posted by: t-bird at October 14, 2012 08:35 AM (FcR7P)
@111
PJ O'Rourke has a great Carter quote on China in there. Democrats always end up expressing their love for the most murderous dictatorship in human history (100,000,000 broken-egg omlet). You'd almost think their Will To Power was stronger than their care for the less fortunate.
Posted by: Beagle at October 14, 2012 08:36 AM (sOtz/)
Posted by: The Chap, etc. at October 14, 2012 08:37 AM (fscec)
Posted by: Sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 08:37 AM (Vln7b)
Apparently Axelturf threw her (and the entire State Department) under the bus this morning on the Sunday shows.
But as a commenter at NRO pointed out, the Clintons do still have some political capital with the Beltway insiders. Obama has brushed off pretty much anyone that isn't a rat-faced Iranian, so I think I need more popcorn.
Regarding the jump, I'd break the sound barrier to avoid drinking Red Bull. Possibly the most vile-tasting thing known to man.
Posted by: Ian S. at October 14, 2012 08:37 AM (rPA5/)
I'm a Frenemy of the Library. I go there all the time, but I have to tolerate the Obama-mania that still dominates the main display in the entry way. Not to mention the big picture of Bev Perdue that has been inexplicably taped to the front door for a couple years.
Posted by: Lincolntf at October 14, 2012 08:38 AM (HethX)
However, it is nowhere near as good as the first 3 volumes of his memoirs covering his life to 1933 when he left the WH.
These 3 are available free at the Hoover Library website. They are PDFs but I converted them to text and read them on my Kindle.
His book on mine engineering is also excellent even if you are not that interested in mining.
Also see Vernon Kellog's 1920 bio of Hoover available on Guternerg in a Kindle version.
Most people do not realize that Hoover, at great physical hazard, and great personal expense, was largely responsible for the entire population of Belgium not starving to death during WWI. He was also responsible for food relief more generally after the war.
He probably saved 20 million lives.
John Henry
Posted by: john henry at October 14, 2012 08:38 AM (MV3v9)
The discovery website might not work because of such heavy traffic...
http://tinyurl.com/9utamzv
Red Bull Link.
Posted by: AmericanDawg at October 14, 2012 08:39 AM (XIsD/)
Posted by: Meremortal, polling at October 14, 2012 12:33 PM (1Y+hH)
Yes and his gas station is still there on Church Street Plains. Plug in 109 Church Street, Plains, GA on Google Maps and you can see it.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 08:39 AM (YdQQY)
That jackass Bill has a library that looks like a double-wide trailer.
My library will have Greek columns, palm trees and minarets. The eternal call to prayer will sound at the proper intervals. The reflecting pool will have my reclining image on the bottom, wistfully looking East.
Posted by: The Shiek of All D. C. at October 14, 2012 08:40 AM (1Y+hH)
Posted by: Trimegistus at October 14, 2012 08:40 AM (sB3/i)
Is this where "your turn in the barrel" gets its origin?
We're going to need a bigger barrel
Posted by: boulder hobo at October 14, 2012 08:41 AM (1OBYQ)
Posted by: javapoppa at October 14, 2012 08:41 AM (Z3Snn)
Jimmy Carter sure does love him some dictatorz. His continual sucking up to and running interference for thugs like Yasser Arafat (back in the day) and Hugo Chavez is one of the more odious aspects about this bitter little man.
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 08:41 AM (gfPwZ)
Posted by: Count de Monet at October 14, 2012 08:43 AM (BAS5M)
Posted by: VADM (Red) Cuthbert Collingwood (Mentioned in Dispatches) at October 14, 2012 08:43 AM (p4U6S)
Just wait until Obama becomes the paid spokesman for every tinpot dictator with some oil money to throw at him.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at October 14, 2012 08:43 AM (2b4yb)
"Action Bob" Harrington, one of the top pros on the World Poker Tour, also had a Master rating from the U.S. Chess Federation.
He gave up chess for poker, because there's a lot more money in poker.
Posted by: Rich Rostrom at October 14, 2012 08:46 AM (2y1yN)
Posted by: VADM (Red) Cuthbert Collingwood (Mentioned in Dispatches) at October 14, 2012 08:47 AM (p4U6S)
Posted by: Sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 08:48 AM (Vln7b)
Posted by: The Obama at October 14, 2012 08:49 AM (r2PLg)
JFK did not write Profiles In Courage and all that crap about PT-109 was manufactured as well.
I've read that there was a grand total of one - count 'em, one - PT boat getting run over by another ship. Apparently this dubious distinction occasioned calls in the Navy for JFK's court martial for dereliction of duty, calls that were quashed owing to his father's clout.
Posted by: Jay Guevara at October 14, 2012 08:49 AM (U+DUu)
New guy at a remote lumber site sees all these guys lining up in front of a barrel that has a hole about 32 inches up. The FNG asks when can he get in the line. Old-timer tells him anytime but Thursday.
FNG asks, "Why not Thursday?"
Old-timer, "Because that's your turn in the barrel."
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 08:50 AM (iJ34D)
I'm currently reading On Killing, by LTC Grossman. I've never read the book from front to back, just excerpts. It's been on my list to read for a while, but got pushed up after a friend of mine told me she was reading it. Since I want to sleep with said friend, up to the top of the list it goes.
It's interesting, but there is definitely a bit of a lefty vibe. He keeps repeating the old falsehoods about sex in the Victorian era, for example.
Posted by: Alex at October 14, 2012 08:51 AM (HwgHt)
Posted by: Sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 08:59 AM (Vln7b)
Throwing the election to Mitt Romney will end her political chances with the Democrats unless she does something drastic. That's why Bill is meeting with attorneys: to war game the legal fallout if she resigns before the election. She'll have to leak a hell of a lot of material that will make Obama look so bad that they Dems run from him as fast as they can. I suspect that she's got loyalists in the State Department and allies in the intel community who are gathering up memorandums, emails, phone records and anything else they can that will show that the White House set a naive policy despite State's warnings.
Posted by: Alex at October 14, 2012 08:59 AM (HwgHt)
Couple of themes are that this country is special, and that we did/do a hell of a lot of good in the world, all the time. Also, my experience working with the Iraqis for a year, on the ground. They called us the "friendly side"; and those were senior IqAF officers. There are stories you've never heard, or different perspectives on stories you did hear.
Newspaper article on it: http://tinyurl.com/9rjsp45
You might enjoy this one as well: http://tinyurl.com/2vaudvx
Learn more about the book here:
The Createspace site: https://www.createspace.com/3919342
For Kindle-eers: http://tinyurl.com/9fh9qx9
My stupid website is not behaving, so I wont bother with that.
I'm doing this the more "honest" way this coming week, as I will have an ad up on site, but I'm trying to kick start this. I think that if you're a reasonable Dem (all three of you) and you read this book, you may start to question where your allegiance lies. I illustrate some of their stupidity: Harry Reid's triumphant pronouncement of failure (while I was in a packed chow hall in Baghdad- things got pretty quiet...) Diplomacy Joe Biden's triumphant articles on religiously gerrymandering Iraq (while I worked with Kurds, Shia, Sunni, and Christians) etc etc. Some good quotes from Michelle O about how this country is slothful and mean. And how I took a break from "air raiding villages", so I could just concentrate on "killing civilians". Just like my CiC said.
Take a look.
Mike
Posted by: MikeB at October 14, 2012 09:00 AM (R6G9k)
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at October 14, 2012 09:03 AM (iJ34D)
In fairness, completing a Rhodes Scholarship isn't really the difficult part of the program. It's not more rigorous than a graduate program at any other prominent university (yeah, I know, Oxford!!!!eleventy... it's not more rigorous than a graduate program at any other prominent university). The difficult part is getting selected.
What did make Clinton's winning this less impressive is that he happened to read an in-depth magazine article on the flight to his Rhodes interview that covered the exact subject they asked him about. So, it wasn't just brains but a decent amount of luck that resulted in him being selected. You might then say, but he also got into Yale Law School! A guy who can put "selected for a Rhodes Scholarship" on his application, is not going to be rejected from Yale Law School. I still think he's a smart guy, though. Just overrated.
Posted by: AD at October 14, 2012 09:05 AM (dfVq9)
Posted by: Fredlike at October 14, 2012 09:11 AM (ztMxN)
Posted by: Sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 09:13 AM (Vln7b)
Posted by: Sawbuck at October 14, 2012 09:13 AM (KfFfV)
Have you read Adultery of the Heart's boring fucking poetry? It is the most sentimentally tedious slop I've ever had the mispleasure of wasting a few seconds on before saying "Fuck this shit". I don't respect one iota of that garbage.
Posted by: Captain Hate (more dagny and less curious) at October 14, 2012 09:15 AM (VQRYN)
Posted by: Sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 01:13 PM (Vln7b)
LOL, Asheville is probably the most liberal town in the South.
Our library gets a lot of conservative stuff and a lot of religious stuff too. It kind of surprises me because we have a college here.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 09:18 AM (YdQQY)
That is all...for now.
Posted by: Sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 12:37 PM (Vln7b)
Yeaaah - what a blast from the past. Whatever happened to Wicked Pinto?
Posted by: Jade Sea at October 14, 2012 09:19 AM (NHDPk)
Posted by: Jade Sea at October 14, 2012 01:19 PM (NHDPk)
If I remember correctly he moved to TX to look after his grandmother.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 09:21 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: joey biden at October 14, 2012 09:30 AM (vDl/w)
Posted by: Donna V. at October 14, 2012 09:37 AM (dcIHW)
I think he's a smart guy, but he chose to apply himself to chasing pooter. I could easily see him dropping in on a football thread debating elbow pointiness.
Posted by: Ian S. at October 14, 2012 09:39 AM (rPA5/)
Posted by: mikez at October 14, 2012 09:46 AM (vmyXX)
Posted by: Nc at October 14, 2012 10:02 AM (LmX/s)
Actually we tend to forget Grant spent his years up to the Civil War in one bad situation after another, mostly of his own making, like his family's stable and tackery business that he failed miserably in and his miserable go of farming on "Hard Scrabble Farm".
Generally speaking, Grant was a failure at everything except fighting, like the Civil War, where his actual skill was patience, as in siege warfare. He was a very patient man, a regimented at least insofar as being a commanding officer goes. But he always had a problem with the bottle and his patience sometimes backfired in the form of being slow to counter old Marsh Robert. Time and providence brought him to a final victory, but one-on-one, I would pick Robert E. or Stonewall for my field commander at that period of time.
Yep, I miss Wicked Pinto being around. Hope he's doing well wherever he is.
Prolly go back to lurking now.
Posted by: sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 10:04 AM (zxaA2)
Posted by: RushBabe, Kratos Liberation Front at October 14, 2012 10:05 AM (tQHzJ)
Posted by: Nnfield4 at October 14, 2012 10:07 AM (RVrU2)
Posted by: sandman will resist at October 14, 2012 10:15 AM (zxaA2)
I have a third generation Kindle with the letters at the bottom. I love it and I was wondering if the PW was worth the money for upgrade.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 10:15 AM (YdQQY)
He was a failure there as well. His strategy consisted of hi-dittle-dittle straight up the middle. Cold Harbor was no accident.
He won because he had unlimited man-power and resources.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 10:18 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: Nc at October 14, 2012 10:28 AM (LmX/s)
Nixon was a great man with a lot of integrity, and a lot of flaws. I disagreed with a lot of his policy (he was barely Republican and would have seen eye to eye with Carter on a lot of topics, for example) but he was a great man. I think Ronald Reagan was a powerful leader and speaker and I think George Bush the younger was one of the best human beings we've had - he's everything Jimmy Carter is said to be by the left (decent, caring, Christian, etc) - but not a particularly great man in terms of stature.
We've had few really great men as presidents though, and they tend to really stand out. The one that doesn't is Coolidge although he was a very great man. He's just been forgotten.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 14, 2012 11:06 AM (AeC6r)
Coolidge wrote a very good translation of Dante, and his prep-school rendition of Caesar's Gallic Commentaries was not drudge-work.
Hoover co-wrote with his wife Lou Henry (Stanford '9
a new version of the oldest metals manual, De Re Metallica. Not only was he a lot smarter than he looked, she was really cool. Posted by: comatus at October 14, 2012 11:47 AM (qaVK+)
Posted by: steevy at October 14, 2012 11:49 AM (6o4Fb)
Posted by: chuck in st paul at October 14, 2012 11:53 AM (EhYdw)
Posted by: mark reardon at October 14, 2012 01:20 PM (eKMnh)
Well, either that or "Horny". I decide on Gropey because it suggested a disgusting activity rather than a mere characteristic.
Posted by: OregonMuse at October 14, 2012 02:03 PM (gfPwZ)
Posted by: no good deed at October 14, 2012 02:18 PM (mjR67)
Posted by: no good deed at October 14, 2012 02:22 PM (mjR67)
Posted by: Don't Go There at October 14, 2012 04:48 PM (xcaxS)
Posted by: Noelemite at October 14, 2012 09:18 PM (VKURp)
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Also, I recieved the following e-mail from Amazon regadring the gov suit against Kindle publishers.
Dear Kindle Customer,
<br/ > We have good news. You are entitled to a credit for some of your past e-book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major e-book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories, including yours. You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your Amazon.com account if the Court approves the settlements in February 2013.
<br/ > Hachette, Harper Collins, and Simon & Schuster have settled an antitrust lawsuit about e-book prices. Under the proposed settlements, the publishers will provide funds for a credit that will be applied directly to your Amazon.com account. If the Court approves the settlements, the account credit will appear automatically and can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, the Attorneys General estimate that it will range from $0.30 to $1.32 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased between April 2010 and May 2012. Alternatively, you may request a check in the amount of your credit by following the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements here:
http://is.gd/lkZEG1
<br/ > In addition to the account credit, the settlements impose limitations on the publishersÂ’ ability to set e-book prices. We think these settlements are a big win for customers and look forward to lowering prices on more Kindle books in the future.
Posted by: Vic at October 14, 2012 07:08 AM (YdQQY)