George Will opining last week on Adam Garfinkle’s “The Erosion of Deep Literacy:”
Modernity’s greatest blessing — individualism: the celebration of individual agency — depends on a sense of one’s interior, of self-consciousness. This is facilitated by deep literacy that, unlike the oral communication of premodern groups, requires solitude for the reader’s private repose.
Jesse.in.mb
The Names of the Dead – Kevin Wignall. One of the recent Kindle First Reads or whatever they’re calling their promotional deally now. It was a solid pick, a jaunty story of a spy exacting his revenge. Characters are less two-dimensional than they could be. You know what, let’s just call it a perfect airplane read: the characters are likeable, the action is actiony, the read is quick and light and it’s not part one of a 300 book series.
Romanian Furrow – Donald Hall (still in progress). I started this, I’m interested in it, Hall’s descriptions are beautiful, but the descriptions are somewhat the point and I need more going on than him eating too much to move me forward in it. The book is set in 1933 and Mr. Hall is looking for some pastoralism and finds it in Romania. Side note: he does the same thing that Orwell did in Homage to Catalonia where he introduces and goes into great detail about characters that then disappear from the narrative almost immediately before setting into the primary content. Was this a fashionable thing in interwar English lit?
mexican sharpshooter
Tune in tomorrow.
SP
Mostly textbooks. Except:
I’ve just finished the first book in the Jack Reacher series, Killing Floor by the pseudonymous Lee Child. Enjoyable, if very dark. I can see why it’s become such a successful franchise. (I think Child is on Reacher book 25 or 26 now.)
The only thing that is a mystery to me, is how in the hell did they think casting Tom Cruise* as this character was even remotely a good fit? I mean, Jack Reacher is supposed to be 6’5″ or so, blond, 225 pounds of muscle and 36 years old at the start of the series. All I can imagine is that Tom Cruise produced the films.
*Disclosure: Not a Tom Cruise fan at the best of times.
OMWC
I’m not stuck at home, still working 80 hours a week. So not really much time for reading outside of books on polyol synthesis or ASTM standards. But there’s always the bathroom, and my bathroom book this week is one of the Heinlein juveniles, Farmer In The Sky. And it’s one of those kids’ books that really holds up well. It’s funny to reread stuff like this and see how my brain got bent the way it is- Heinlein taught me about Karens, obsession with redheads, self-reliance, the virtues of hard work, and the incomparable value of liberty and its concomitant responsibility. It is odd, though, to have a main character in his mid teens who isn’t wacking it at every available opportunity.
SugarFree
I’ve still been on a horror kick, reading mostly pre-Lovecraft short stories that he cited as an influence on his own work. There’s so much there, I’m going to spin it off as a separate post when I’m finished.
So mostly, we go back to Paperbacks From Hell by Grady Hendrix for another When Animals Attack story like the execrable The Crabs.
The Rats is James Herbert’s first published novel, but it is fairly well written, mostly just a 1950s monster movie in print form—the best way to do these in my opinion. Very hungry, very aggressive rats are eating the homeless of London, led by a small group of extra-large rats who seem far more intelligent than your average pizza rat. The big action set-piece is when the rats have run out of homeless and try to take over a primary school and eat all the cute little boys and girls. The hero fights them off with the help of bobbies, firemen, and good old fashion cricket bat bashing. It even sets itself up for the two sequels Herbert would write with the last few pages being the literary equivalent of a movie flashing THE END? before the credits roll.
(Filmed as Deadly Eyes in 1982. The movie is hilariously bad. They used weiner dogs in rat costumes, which sums up the whole affair.)
And I read another Graham Masterton novel, The Devils of D-Day. Patton consults with Roman Catholic authorizes that have held thirteen minor demons in magical stasis since the 1500s. They seal them into 13 black super-tanks and let them loose on the Germans on D-Day. One tank breaks down on the way black to the priests for decommissioning and rots in a Normandy field, souring milk and causing suicides until our dim protagonist opens it up to let the demon inside loose. The set-up is far more fun than the ending: It just falls apart into ex machina, murdered vicars, and sex with angels.
I tried to read some of my old work, but that just hurt. It’s astounding how much one can improve over two decades of practice. The lack of a commute means I’m not listening to anything either.
I’ve been writing a little on “Prince of the North Tower”
I’ve written more in a currently untitled vampire story I was thinking of posting to Glibs to get feedback. It’s supposed to be an Epistolary Novel style story told through a guy making internet videos, only he happens to be a newly turned vampie stuck in the midst of a zombie outbreak. I need to find out if the format works.
You should make it as a series of youtube videos. Dont write it at all.
No.
two decades of practice
a two decades of reading and two decades of maturity: your depth and perspective are indescribably greater than they were before
That doesn’t explain Anne Rice or Frank Herbert.
Well, you have to be willing to learn from your mistakes.
When you’re making hojillions of dollars that’s a good incentive to not change what you’re doing.
That requires having the humility to admit your mistakes and having legions of fawning fanboys and girls kind of gets in the way of that
Herbert reads more like a manifesto than a novel… like Rand. I had the same problem with Seveneves, which I enjoyed, but it’s like Stephenson wanted to write a technical treatise of space habitation and his publisher told him to add characters.
From Glib authors, I finished UCS’s excellent Tarnished Sterling series, and read a draft of Mojeaux’s upcoming Cuntes and Cods, which was very fun.
I started The World’s Religions on AlmightyJB’s recommendation. It’s been very interesting so far, but with all the stress going on, I’ve found it hard to sit down and focus on serious nonfiction. When I finish that, I’m thinking of picking up 1177 BC that was also recommended here.
Thank you, ma’am! Much clarity was obtained by me.
Musical acts new to me: Tuxedo and Moonchild
I’m just really into the chill, smooth grooves right now.
Have you heard St. Paul and the Broken Bones? Last album has some smooth tracks, like this.
Thank you! That is right up my alley, and bonus! Hints of disco.
Their first album is like small-ish big band. It’s quite good. The thing I like about them is they have something for almost any mood I’m in.
I’m reading a contract between the City of Manhattan Beach and a vendor. That was after I read similar contracts with City of LA, Oakland, San Jose, and Culver City.
Also, I’m slowly reading the Bhagavad Gita.
Also, I’m slowly reading the Bhagavad Gita.
It’s certainly not breezy. Are you reading more of the Mahabharata or no? We did it for school 20 years ago and then watched a cinematic version of it from 20 years prior which was surprisingly lively retelling.
Why is there a cluster of Glibs in Manhattan Beach? Aftereffects of a CIA MKULTRA experiment?
I count two.
I’m in Seattle. The company I’m auditing is in San Diego. They have a service contract with City of MB.
I did live in Manhattan Beach for 4 years, though. MK Ultra, huh? Hmmm…
Some website I’ve never heard of (as reported by ) said MB was the best place in America to live. Perhaps Glibs just have refined taste.
“Manhattan Beach, California, ranked as the best city in the nation to live in, according to 24/7 Wall St., followed by Winnetka, Illinois, and Hanover, New Hampshire.”
They forgot to mention Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook.
By gum if it [won’t] put them on the map!
Don’t really have a plan as far as reading the whole Mahabarata. But sure, why not? I’ve read vedic scripture and Upanishads. Now that I’m older though, I may finally start to understand and glean some wisdom.
I went looking a few years ago for the production of the Mahabharata we watched once. It felt like a cinematized stage production and was a lot of fun. I don’t see myself re-reading it though. I might if I still had the copy I annotated in HS.
Black House by Peter May. I like it better than Entry Island, which was very silly.
Perfect Glib book.
https://www.amazon.com/My-Sentient-Fleshlight-Alex-Thompson-ebook/dp/B08727NDWR/
No customer reviews. How do I know it is any good?
Apropos NSFW link
I’m reading “How to Get Free Munneez From teh Gubmint”.
Pros: free money.
Cons: written by semiliterate drones. In 8 point type.
SP – I watched the extras and commentary on the Jack Reacher DVD, Cruise is a fan of the books and signed on to produce. But 6’5″ talented and buff male leads are hard to find these days. The Thor guy might have pulled it off but he’s still nowhere near that big. So they went with Cruise knowing it wasn’t true to the book.
I was working with a bunch of Aussie’s and Kiwi’s when that movie came out and most of the guys in the camp passed around Lee Child books including me. There was much outrage when Cruise was cast and I heard, “Eeee’s a midget cunt what the fauck are they doing?” a lot.
“I was working with a bunch of Aussie’s and Kiwi’s”
Damn antipodeans, what would they know?
Exactly! I actually agreed with them but I also know pretty much any movie Cruise is in is going to be a pretty good action flic if one is into that sort of thing.
This.
Cruise is one weird dude, but I have never watched a movie he was in that wasn’t enjoyable. Turn your brain off, strap-in, and enjoy.
Father in law was huge fan of the series had the very same complaint about Cruise. I must confess, I loved both of the films. Cruise is VERY hit or miss for me. I have no interest in the vast majority of his work but he occasionally turns in some absolute gems (The Reacher series, the one where he keeps getting killed and waking up again to fight aliens, Losin’ It, Taps, Risky Business). I respect the Hell out his crazy ass though. I know many folk who have worked with him and they all say the exact same thing – He shows up to work on-time and ready, he knows his lines and his marks, he will work a 16 hour shoot day without complaint, he eats with the crew instead of in his trailer (this is a big deal on-set), and he almost always makes everyone associated with the production a great deal of money.
Yep – He’s a pro. I like that Oblivion movie too. He’s been in the only recent good Sci-Fi films I can think of.
All the Right Moves
Holy crap, I didn’t think I’d encounter someone else who’d read The Rats. I agree, I thought it was a pretty good story for what it is. Supposedly the guy was a vacuum cleaner salesman or something who started writing as a hobby, which made me enjoy the thing a lot more. I like the “outsider author” schtick.
I’m listening to Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell using Audible over the Fire Cube hooked to our living room television, which means it can be heard anywhere in the house at normal volumes. This is by design. I’m hoping the kids will subconsciously glom on to some important takeaways. It’s too late for the wife, but it can’t hurt.
I’m reading Midnight Tides from the Malazan series, which I like despite itself. Also, the first volume of Foote’s A Narrative History of the Civil War, which is terrific. I read Malice’s The New Right, which I enjoyed and found salient in many regards; SJW’s Always Lie was interesting but a little too local news. Still worth a read I think.
Time, quarantine, and valuable alone time being what they are, I’m also playing the hell out of some video games. Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord is dominating my time right now. It’s still in early access (that’s like a playable beta if you don’t know) but is tremendously addictive. Think a fictional continent roughly analogous to Dark Ages Europe, Middle East, and continental Asia. There are several cultures representing sort of major culture groups in the real world, i.e. Asian Steppe nomads, Celts, Romans, etc., and you pick a character and go make your way in the world. There’s an RPG aspect in that you level up skills by doing them. There’s also an economy happening in the background, and you can do things like buy workshops or form caravans that generate revenue, swear fealty to a lord, form parties of soldiers, armies, etc., and establish your own kingdom. It’s tremendously entertaining and the development team is diligently rolling out fixes and new features.
As a side note, why don’t we do a version of this for vidya games? Movies?
playing the hell out of some video games
I’ve carded out dozens of MLB games going back to the 1952 World Series
*raises hand* I read it too!
I’ve recently finished As I Lay Dying. It was hard to get engaged with it at the beginning, but by the end it got quite entertaining.
I got half way through and had to start over (this was 30 years ago) after I figured out what the trick was and, therefore, how much I had missed in the first pass.
If you want to know some of my problems, read Barn Burning: the protagonist is essentially my father.
/ native Mississippian
I read it once twenty years ago but not since. I remember enjoying it but not really looking too deeply beneath the surface. I’ve been meaning to give it another read just because I liked it, but now I’m interested to see what I missed reading it in-between customers while working at a mall kiosk.
I got half way through and had to start over (this was 30 years ago) after I figured out what the trick was and, therefore, how much I had missed in the first pass.
If you want to know some of my problems, read Barn Burning: the protagonist is essentially my father.
/ native Mississippian
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
20 years after this was popular I gave it a listen. I do want to hike the AT, so it does appeal to me. A nice and fun short book. It was easy enough to skip the griping about lack of Forest Service funding and a other environmental pet issues at the beginning of a few chapters. Recommended if you like hiking or have an interest in the AT
Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams
The fall video game release of Cyberpunk 2077 is based on a tabletop RPG that is based on the world established by this book series. I do plan to play Cyberpunk 2077, so I gave this book a listen. It was ok. Seems to be an unrealistic victory for the rebellion. Suffers from the future established in the series being somewhat outdated in parts. Hoopla is not carrying the rest of the series. I am ok with that. Not recommended
Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
Scalzi’s first book. Kind of fun and short.
Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay
The first third set up to me was much too long. I found myself skipping paragraphs droning on describing the environs. The last third was great. I enjoyed the intrigue, but it ended abruptly.
I have A Walk in Woods around here somewhere. I always enjoyed how he wrote.
The folks he met on the trail were quite amusing. We can both claim to have met a moose on a trail after living in NH for less than a year (apparently quite the feat).
I grew up near the AT. I’ve hiked parts of it in and north of the Presidentials.
I suppose it depends on what part of NH you live in, I used to see a lot of moose.
Ah, some folks on the Mt Washington trail said they hadn’t seen one in the 20 years they lived in NH. I guess the rest of my sample was Seacoast and Manchester folks :p
Not too many moose in Strawberry Banke, lol
I was a Shadowrun guy when I was into pencil and paper cyberpunk RPGs but a buddy was all about Cyberpunk 2020. I get a kick out of the title these days for obvious reasons. I, too, am planning on playing the game, especially because I’m a big fan of CDPR’s Witcher games.
I just started relistening to The Way of Kings (though mostly skipping the Shallan parts – Sanderson does a good job making me cringe when she is always wishy-washy; I guess that means she is well written). I am gearing up for the 4th SA book this Fall.
I’m really liking that series.
I haven’t looked forward to a novel this much in quite some time.
Great series so far. Weird thing though, it’s the only book series I’ve ever read that I visualize in animation, and even weirder, it’s a westernized anime style, even though I’m not an anime watcher. I can see it all in my mind just as I would want it on the screen. Very strange.
I get that. I think maybe from the dramatic opening, then the description of the Shin, it kinda feels animated.
I am reading Lou Reed: a Life by Anthony DeCurtis. I wonder if he will put out a revised edition when we find out how it ends.
Also reading Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson, which some glib recommended.
Lou Reed: a Life
at least we’ll always have Roy Orbison
And Tom Petty.
We still have a larger percentage of Beatles than we do Wilburys.
Whoa… That is a heavy thought. ?
Other way around. 40% Wilburys, 25% Beatles, unless you count Yoko, then it’s even.
My governor decided that farmers markets can open and hospitals can do elective surgeries beginning Monday. Some of my Facebook friends have declared the governor wants people to die. For some reason, these friends all skew liberal. It must be some weird coincidence.
And I’ll bet not a single one of the fuckwits has missed a paycheck.
Assholes.
Surprisingly, our prog neighbors say Reynolds is doing a good job – that will change once they receive their DNC talking point email.
Reynolds has maintained a fairly rational approach to the problem. I think she has gone a few steps too far, so I am glad to see her start unwinding a few of the restrictions.
Overall, I am very happy we don’t have any of the lunatics in the adjacent states setting policy for Iowa.
Like Cannoli, I finished reading a draft of Mojeaux’s C&C (Is it “Cuntes” first? “Cods” first? I just don’t remember!!) plus an alternate chapter of same. (Moje – I owe you feedback re: my preferences between the two. Sorry for the delay!) I’ve also been beta-reading UCS’s Prince of the North Tower. (Thanks for the privilege, sir.)
In non-Glib lit, I’ve just started reading the newly-released eleventh installment in Jodi Taylor’s delightful Chronicles of St. Mary’s series about time-traveling historians. I can’t recommend this series highly enough – along with the history you get side-splitting comedy and gut-wrenching tragedy. I devoured these books when I discovered them a couple of years ago and look forward to each new book (plus lots of e-book short stories released between the full-length novels.)
Thanks for the feedback, Ma’am.
But there’s always the bathroom, and my bathroom book this week is one of the Heinlein juveniles, Farmer In The Sky. And it’s one of those kids’ books that really holds up well.
It’s been a long time since I read “Farmer in the Sky” but I remember it being a great book.
I finally finished bashing myself in the head with a sledgehammer (*)… er… finished reading “Das Kapital”. My copy is definitely abridged, and probably only the first part of the actual work. I think I’ve read enough. Marx writes like a someone who wanted to be a lawyer but failed. I did a little digging as I thought that he had been a lawyer. He went to law school but never became a lawyer. He went into journalism after law school.
I will make it up to myself by starting Gun Jesus’s “Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles, 1866 – 2016”.
I have also been searching for and reading news stories about pushback against the Lil Rona Panic (or Moo Goo Gai Panic if you prefer). Protests have either happened or have been scheduled for all states with lockdown orders (yes even Hawaii and Massachusetts).
(*) There’s nothing vital in there, so it’s not like it made any difference.
For those that don’t believe me about anti-lockdown protests in Hawaii and Massachusetts, and so as not to go over the two link limit:
Hawaii protests
Protest outside Charlie Baker’s house. There was also a protest on Cape Cod a little while ago about reopening Massachusetts.
Sorry, I think West Virginia hasn’t had any protests yet, at least not that I’ve been able to find.
I tried to read Das Kapital, it made me angry so I stopped.
I don’t blame you. I don’t think I’m going to track down any copies to find the parts that I missed. That parts that I read were bad enough.
The labor theory of value is when I gave up.
If your argument is that a hand made jacket is worth more than the exact same jacket made by a machine, I can’t continue with your lesson.
If your argument is that a hand made jacket is worth more than the exact same jacket made by a machine, I can’t continue with your lesson.
There is a section where Marx talks about the effect of automation on value. He twists himself all around using his much-too-complicated theory into showing that automation is capitalist’s way of exploiting workers even more than before.
Oh boy. How did I ever make it through that book?
By making previously luxury products so cheaply that even the workers can affrod them?
#metoo, the labor theory of value is when I gave up.
IIRC, correctly, Marx was scribbling away in the Reading Room of the British Library during precisely the period in which the Marginalist Revolution in economics was occurring, and thus managed to miss the entire fucking development. I consider the labour theory of value so utterly, rationally, comprehensively repudiated that I don’t even bother talking to people who seriously want to debate it with me.
Hmmm. This^ doesn’t read quite as well as I wanted it to. Let this be a lesson to you kids — never type whilst balancing a bowl of hot Korean ramen on your lap, it really buggers up your ability to concentrate.
I would read out loud to my children as part of the bedtime routine, from birth up to about age ten. So I’ve reread all of the Heinlein juveniles over the course of the past decade, by way of introducing my kids to them. I think most of them hold up quite well. He definitely set me on my path, ideologically speaking.
So I’ve reread all of the Heinlein juveniles over the course of the past decade, by way of introducing my kids to them.
Excellent.
I was already a libertarian before discovering Heinlein, but he helped me mature and expand my views.
Listening to Anna Karenina, bedtime reading is A Journal of the Plague Year.
Next I’ll pick back up on The Cave and the Light by Arthur Herman, and I have 1520 Main next on the Kindle.
Rocket Men by Robert Kurson. Telling the story of Apollo 8, including some of the colossal risks that were taken.
If you like true tales of derring-do, Kurson’s your man. His books are like novel-length articles on toxic masculinity. Previous books include Shadow Divers and Pirate Hunters.
I had a really long comment, but the internet swallowed it. Here is a condensed version:
The Terror by Dan Simmons. Great book, very depressing and dark. The TV show was as good, the monster didn’t add a lot to an already horrible situation.
The Provisio by Mojeaux excellent story telling and character development, but I am not a romance reader. Skipped the sex scenes and did not understand why the women put up with what they did.
Don’t hate me Mojeaux, it’s an excellent story and if you like romance, you’ll love it.
Lesser Devil by Christopher Ruocchio. Set in the Sun Eater universe, but not a main story. It follows the younger brother of Hadrian as he gets into a battle in a village and starts to mature and see the value in peasants.
LOL I don’t hate you. Goodness, thank you for reading it.
There is a psychology behind why the women put up with the men. They’re all broken (in their own way) and romance readers love them some broken alphas.
That said, I’d never put up with them, either.
Longtime lurker here and at TOS. Appreciate the glibs and especially these posts. Just started C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy. I’ve read a ton of “classic” sci-fi over the years–not sure how I’ve overlooked this one for so long. Pretty solid so far.
Fuck off, Tulpa!
(And, of course, a warm welcome, too.)
Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves. A Vera Stahope book. Decent, but I think I’m gonna take a break from the series – it’s just not grabbing me.
I also read the first three Brother Cadfael books. Quite good, but Eco did it better.
Next up is The Ethics of Liberty by Rothbard.
What I’m reading. It’s a real cliffhanger.
I was reading the same thing. It is the part leading up to the ending that has me worried.
I tried reading Socialism by Ludwig von Mises (1922). The foreword by Hayek, the two prefaces, and the introduction were all interesting. Then you get to the actual text and the writing is soooo terrible it threw the book against the wall. He keeps starting a sentence, and then throws in an aside, then another, then another, before he continues his original thought. I found myself having to re-read sentences 4 times before I could understand what he was getting at. This seemed to be the in-thing to do with early 20th century scholars, I guess; Veblen and Dewey wrote just as clumsily. Maybe it’s the fault of the translator. Either way, I gave up. I may try an audio book version of it, maybe it will sound like stream of consciousness which might be easier to follow hearing it versus reading it. But I doubt it.
I think Bob Murphy did a condensed version of that.
I read that as Bob Marley. Must’ve been really condensed.
I finally started David Goggins Can’t Hurt Me.
In one of the idea threads I’ve been mulling in my head, I have part of the plot on earth, and part in a supervillain’s abandoned moon base.
For some reason, when I’m switching between thinking about events on earth and events on the moonbase, my mental image of the moonbase stuff all appears upside down, because my mental camera seems stuck in the earthbound frame of reference, and the moon base is on the side facing earth.
Anyone else have similar experiences?
Not since those mushrooms in college.
“the AOC way, if you choose it, will lead to a life of resentment, covetousness, laziness, narcissism, anger, and misery. If the most prosperous economy in history is, to AOC, cause for nothing but a workers’ boycott, then nothing will ever be good enough. No handout large enough, no government overreach far enough, no tax on others confiscatory enough.”
https://disrn.com/opinion/opinion-2-different-ways-of-being-an-american-2-different-ways-of-being-a-human-being
Damn straight.
Was reading some articles by KDW the other night and several times he highly recommended Middlemarch by George Eliot. It’s been on my list of BooksIshouldhavereadbynow anyway, so I’ve started it.
No real opinion yet. Still meeting the characters and it’s taken a bit to get used to the stilted (by modern standards) prose. I’m now able to deal with sentences longer than 15 words.
Prez says relatively dumb/uniformed thing.
Media reports prez said different dumb thing (that prez didn’t actually say).
Facebook explodes that prez said outrageous thing (which was not what the media reported (which was not what the prez said)).
And then I have to unfollow more people.
I am down to a handful of boring people I probably wouldn’t recognize in real life.
” I’m going to be leaving this account unattended from now on. Here’s my email address if you would like to stay in contact with me”
It’s the only way to ensure the dumbassery doesn’t give you a heart attack
Or quit altogether.
I’ve been trying for quite a while to convince Mr. GT to stop sending so much time on FB and to come over to the Glibs side. Yesterday he finally claimed to be fed up with FB, so we’ll see if I can drag him kicking & screaming into (relative) sanity. (Never thought I’d use that “s-word” about this place.)
into (relative) sanity. (Never thought I’d use that “s-word” about this place.)
We’re not that bad.
You see, we’re not sane, but our brand of insanity prevents the general madness from sweeping over us.
Instead we rant about doom and tyranny.
I’m the benchmark for sanity.
If you’re anywhere near Hyperbole, you’re not sane.
OT, but I’m off to fix the diswasher and then to the garage for some automotive therapy.
Part of traditional America survives in South Dakota.
South Dakota Dirt Tracks Are Racing This Weekend, Social Distancing Be Damned
https://flip.it/a18maj
The headlline is misleading and misses the whole point. The tracks are taking SD into account. Masks required, temps taken o entry and reduced capacity. Voluntarily FTW. No govenors or goons with guns required.
Maybe we can get S Dakota to annex Montana.
I am back to work Monday. Masks required, and I have to take the temp of my guys and answer some questions about how we feel. Boss said there will be a spreadsheet to record these things for the higher ups. I just hope there is a column for “location on body temp taken” because I am writing down Taint.
I was not disappointed when reading the comments. Lots of “dumb red neck trump voting hillbillies are going to die”. Even a “maybe next they will inject disinfectant”. I am so glad to see the compassionate side of humanity.
I am truly grateful for Glibertarians. Only here I can listen to the choir. 😉
I was going to say “It almost seems like they’re rooting for failure”. Then I realized I could leave off the “almost”.
I don’t think we’re really in this together.
This is the only place I ever read the comments.
Good move, that may preserve your faith in humanity.
Do you like progressive jazz, Krautrock, death metal, space blues, and microtonal desert boogie? You’re in luck! King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard just dropped a live album today.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs_Ud1UzjxoQLH2A5ah0mHO-9hp6ZrfdR
I’m on my third listen. Powerful stuff. Three guitars, two drummers, beer, the occult, noise jams, Aussie accents, and… King Gizzard. Do your earholes a favor and listen to this album.
Good Pool skating music,
For pool skating
JFA
Agent Orange
Drunk Injuns
DRI
Doggy Style/D.I.
Corrosion of Conformity
RKL
The Faction
McRad
Gang Green
DKs
Black Flag,
TSOL
MOD
Black Flag and TSOL, hell yeah.
Septic Death
Circle Jerks
Bl’ast
Virulence
Los Olvidados
Zany Guys
The Dils
Great stuff I just downloaded an album by them. Thanks.
sounds like Devo on acid.
Listening to Factotum by D.M. Cornish. It is the final book in the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy. Adventure and violence and a boy trying to find his place in the world (plus some great female characters). I enjoy (and recommend) these books. The audiobook narration is excellent; it would be a good listen for a family car trip.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=monster+blood+tattoo&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Thanks for the recommendation. I’m looking for an interesting audiobook – I don’t have enough spare concentration to read at this point.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. 🙂
My lucky day – free at my local library!
Lol! I was thinking about digging out Farmer in the Sky yesterday.
I’m about 20% of the way through 1520 Main, and I am really getting a kick out of it. So far, I think it might be my favorite of the Dunham books I’ve read. Work has been too busy to juggle multiple reads right now, so outside of the posts here, and newsfeeds, that’s it for recreational reading.
It’s my husband’s favorite. The reaction to 1520 Main is a little odd to me because I really had a hard time writing it and it’s my least favorite. I had a hard time writing a sheltered 16-year-old girl with no life experience, trying to make her interesting.
For me, a lot of it is the historical period it’s set in, plus the mormon history worked in. Rough and tumble earlier American periods are my favorite.
I didn’t put this in the book, but 1520 Main was a real place and it had a speakeasy in the basement. I worked there before I had my daughter and came home to work permanently. It was where I met Dragon Lady.
You will soon find out where the Two Rules Sermon comes from. 😉
That’s awesome. Looking forward to reading the rest.
I’m currently reading the GM B Body service manual, including Caprice, Impala SS and Roadmaster, by Helm Inc. It’s helpful as my AC compressor crapped out and it’s 90* today.
R-12? pricey if so,
I believe our DrOtto runs a repair shop. If it is truly borked I’m betting a 134a conversion would be the way to go if the car is a keeper.
You are correct.
Sorry it took so long, R134, cheap and easy.
Read this:
If it extends just one chronically ill geriatric nursing home resident’s life by a few months!
I’ve seen a number of polls and sentiment indexes in the past few days. One data point that jumped out – over 70% of respondents, despite concerns about the economy, believe THEIR job is safe.
Proving that over 70% of people are dumb (or government workers). At present, I believe my job is secure just because I set people up to work from home. I’ve noticed that the ticket load has dropped off a cliff. If it keeps up, then I can guess that I’ll be asked to start using some PTO, or have my hours cut.
I have seen much larger numbers than 5.6%. Goldman Sachs or someone thought 30-35%.
Morgan Stanley also sayig 30% in the 2nd quarter. I guess by end of year it could be back to only 5.6%.
“at minimum 13.9% of New Yorkers, had COVID-19 late stage antibodies[…]The death rate in New York State isn’t 7.4%, it is actually .75%”
https://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2020/04/23/antibody-testing-proves-weve-been-had-n2567516
Here is my shocked face ?.
If I were of a mind to debate the topic Usenet-style with people, which I am not, I would need sources that can’t be sneered off as “right-wing propaganda sites.”
In the article there is a link to a CBS article about the announcement.
Which makes the real mortality rate even lower.
It’s always, always projection.
Caimh McDonnell A Man With One of Those Faces (Paul MUlchrone Book 1) **** Comedy/crime caper, Irish gangster wrongly thinks Paul and Bridget know something about an old kidnapping and he want’s them dead before they can tell anyone, cops (crooked,honest,bumbling and hurley brandishing), some hit men and a foul mouthed little old lady who’s fond of pointing guns at people. Laugh out loud funny at times.
Brian Freeman Thief River Falls *** A best-selling thriller writer has one of her book seemingly brought to life with her in the middle. The ‘twist’ ending is a bit obvious, some minor plot holes, fast paced enough that you can ignored those, another book that seemed written with a movie deal in mind.
Started a few others but they failed to make the 100 page test, as in by page 100 I couldn’t care less about the story or what happens to any of the characters
I don’t wanna be “that guy”, but I’m still having the same problems as before submitting comments.
Is anyone else?
**Raises hand**
I get a different error now.
Same. Just blew up differently. Poor SP…
Not quite. I can stop, refresh the page, and my comment will land where it’s supposed to. Mostly.
Mine post properly, but really, really slowly.
I see it too. I was going to poke around the Firefox web developer debugging tools even though I’m not a web developer but I need to spend more time concentrating on things at work.
Hit submit, wait three seconds, and refresh the page. Works every time.
Yeah, still the same drill for me as before.
I had an error message about an out-of-date certificate, but don’t know whether I’ll get the problems on the desktop.
I tried logging in on Chrome on my Android phone this morning, and couldn’t, but could on Firefox on the same phone. I’m assuming it’s a third-party cookie problem?
You and my wife are in complete agreement about the Jack Reacher series SP. She loves those books and couldn’t believe it when Tom Cruise was cast for the same reasons as you. There were more than a few morning conversations she started with, “I can’t believe they….”
Oh, to answer your quesiton from yesterday, Bul is an Israeli company.
My left elbow is resting on my current read as I type this. Exciting stuff.
‘The Colt .45 Automatic: A Shop Manual’. by Jerry Kuhnhausen and by the same author ‘The S&W Revolver: A Shop Manual’
I have to replace the rear sight on a J frame revolver and changing the main spring housing from straight to round on my Kimber 1911.
I had to go back and look at my posts from last night. Wow, was I drunk. I think I went through around 12oz of vodka. I only had a vague memory of posting so I had to see what the damage is.
You were a sweetheart, was what you were.
I only had a vague memory of posting so I had to see what the damage is.
To your reputation or your liver?
Yes.
#metoo
I think I went through around 12oz of vodka.
You mentioned vodka and ambien. I am glad to see you are here with us this afternoon.
That worried me also.
Vodka and Ambien – I think he said some Glib was a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes.
Today he’ll probably claim he didn’t know the Glib was black.
I appreciate y’all’s concern but I try to play it safe.
If I have had one drop of alcohol I don’t leave the house. Ever.
I get in the bed and then take my ambien.
I had a cop buddy who went on a call once late at night to a 7-11 and discovered a man wearing nothing but his tighty whites eating hot dogs from the little rotisserie on the counter. The clerk complained that the guy came in and started eating and would not pay. When my buddy told him he had to take a ride he made one more hot dog for the road but was otherwise very cooperative.
Turns out he had some alcohol and ambien. When he woke up the next morning he had no memory of it whatsoever.
I don’t want to be that guy.
A college buddy, who had severe problems with sleep walking, once woke up sitting in his car in the driveway with the engine running. After that, he started making his girlfriend hide his keys at night.
One time back in the day me and my buddies did a road trip to Denver to hit the 3.2 bars. I woke up on a lawn chair on some guys patio at our hotel. I didn’t sleep walk. I was just the first one to pass out and the assholes drug me down the hall, down a flight of stairs and placed me there. So what did I do? I pissed in his shrubs and went back to sleep.
You mentioned vodka and ambien. I am glad to see you are here with us this afternoon.
I must not have been paying attention because I didn’t notice that.
Suthen, it’s good you are still with us.
I have his manuals for the M1 Carbine and M1 Garand. Very useful for troubleshooting and repair. The books are worth it for just the technical drawings.
CARES Act IRA and Retirement Plan Changes – some potentially useful options depending-on where you are in the cycle including $100K penalty-free IRA distributions and RMD suspensions.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcarlson/2020/03/28/ira-and-retirement-plan-changes-in-the-cares-act/#1c41b94634f5
Someone keeps farting in my office.
*looks around*
Oh, I’m the only one in here.
That’s what dogs are for.
I spoke too soon. Attempts at making either a new post or a reply to an existing post end one of two ways:
1. I get impatient, stop the reloading and hit refresh manually –> my post/reply appears as expected; or
2. I wait for the site to respond, whereupon it sends me to an otherwise empty page that says “Sorry, post not found” (IIRC).
Oh dear.
I hit submit twice and get a ‘it appears you submitted twice’ page. I hit the back button and refresh. It works for me every time.
I just hit X on the browser to stop it, then refresh. Sometimes I have to refresh twice to get new comments.
The WuFlu claims another victim in NJ.
TW InfoWars.
https://www.infowars.com/driver-wearing-n95-mask-passes-out-from-lack-of-oxygen-crashes-into-pole/
Reading/writing/reviewing: Production line expansion CAD drawings; project outlines; Gantt charts; contractor & equipment bids; endless emails, zoom messages and phone texts.
Dispatches from the Kung Flu Supply Lines: No longer working 7 day weeks – down to 6s, but with an unexpected 2 days off this weekend. Woot woot!
New robocall something or other
First call – Local number, pick up, dead silent
Second call a minute later – Different local number, pre-recorded teenage girl “Why do you keep calling me? Who is this? Why are you Facebook stalking me? I’m going to call the cops!”
Took me a sec to realize it was a robot, probably trying to set up some gullible fool for an extortion racket. My first reaction was “WTF are you talking about?”
They are trying to get you to answer. They record you then splice the recording of your voice saying your name and whatever other words they need to get…whatever.
If a name doesn’t come up on my phone of someone I know, I don’t answer. If it is important they will leave a voice mail and I will call back.
We have the most amazing communication ability in the history of the world and the goddamned grifters have ruined it.
Ah. As a rule, I never say my name until I feel it’s necessary, nor do I ever say “yes”.
Too many years of getting calls from chemical companies out of South Florida trying to send you a sample of a great product and you end up receiving a pallet.
Ah, so Jesse got his 55 gal drum of lube from you. Mystery solved.
Right out of college I got a visit from the cops. I had bought a bunch of lab ware from Ace Glassware to use in my kitchen….I actually used it for cooking. The cops thought I might be running a drug lab. They laughed at me when they opened the kitchen cabinets and saw them full of beakers, fritted glass stoppered bottles and separatory flasks.
I don’t know if you can even buy that stuff any more without a special permission slip from some jackboot govt agency.
You can buy it, but you will definitely end up on yet another list.
I do exactly the same thing. I never, ever answer a call from a number I don’t recognize anymore.
Sadly, I have to. I’m the only formatter in the business (that I know of) who has a telephone number and people do use it. I get a lot of business that way.
You actually pick up unfamiliar numbers? You must be working. On my phone, I never pick up a number I don’t recognize.
My boss, on the other hand, frequently picks up strange calls and messes with telemarketers until they hang up on HIM.
Tom Mabe
Customers call me. It’s part of the job.
When someone calls and says “Scruffy Nerfherder?”, never ever ever say “yes.” They will use that to claim you agreed to a swindle.
I say, “Who’s calling please?”
I use “Dante’s House of Ill Repute, your pain is our pleasure”
Got one to chuckle at it
Yes
My answer when someone asks for me by name on the phone is “That’s me” or something similar.
“Maybe. What’s it to you?”
To the powers that be,
I submitted an article, it is fairly timely, so probably wont age well, but might be good fodder for a night time open thread. Anyway, whatever you want to do with it, I generally prefer the 11 AM CT slot, but for this article, I don’t care, whatever works.
Majority Of Americans Would Rather Risk COVID Death Than Endure Any More Skype Lectures From Celebrities
CNN Moves Headquarters Underground After Trump Says The Sun Is Good
Wait, I thought the Babylon Bee was all parody. Are they going mainstream now?
Alright kids.
Before they were all lost in a boating accident, I was considering trading in my Glock 22 for a compact CZ 75 in 40 S&W (kind of rare). Would that have been a good idea?
You may have noticed when I was giving my opinion on auto pistol rounds I listed 9mm Luger, 38 super, 10mm auto, 45 acp and not 40, 380 or 357 Sig.
Mrs. Shpip has been working through Jet Tila’s 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die, with me as her guinea pig.
I’ve been returning the favor, but with Chef John Folse’s Hooks, Lies & Alibis.
We’re going to need an exercise program once the lockdown is lifted.
I have recently had a lot of fun and success learning Italian cooking. I have mastered Cajun, French, TexMex and Redneck. Italian is a whole new universe for me.
Also, I need to learn to cook soufflé’s.
Is there anyone else here who generally dislikes fiction and rarely reads novels, or is it just me?
o/ you are not alone…
It isn’t that I don’t like them. I read a lot of fiction when I was younger but I just lost interest. My reading now are textbooks or manuals.
About 90% of what I read is history. It’s always been what I read most, but as I get older the percentage gets higher.
I just am more interested in things that actually happened than in make believe. Admittedly, I’m not the most imaginative person in the world.
I’m finishing up the Tarnished Sterling series, and I’ve got Beyond the Edge of the Map up next.
I hope you enjoyed it and it wasn’t a form of self-flagellation.
Recently finished Consider Phlebas and Permanent Record. Now into Claude G. Bowers Jefferson and Hamilton: The Struggle for Democracy in America.