Reading Are What We – August 2023

by | Aug 27, 2023 | Books | 157 comments

Richard

Fresh Meat!
I love it when I realize I’ve been ignoring my favorite authors and here’s piles of new stuff of which I was unaware. First are books 7-9 of the “Penric and Desdemona” series by Lois McMaster Bujold:
The Physicians of Vilnoc, The Assassins of Thasalo, Knot of Shadows
And an interstitial short story Masquerade in Lodi set after the third book Penric’s Fox.
Unsurprisingly the writing is very Bujold-like. Protagonists Penric and Miles Vorkosigan are not dissimilar and most scene changes start with a detailed description of what everyone is wearing.

Then Season of Skulls which is the third book of Charles Stross’ New Management series which is a spinoff of his excellent Laundry Files series. I don’t much care for the first two books because scarcely any of the characters are likeable or relatable. The third book is much better.

Then Weaponized set during the beginning of the Prador War in Neal Asher’s Polity universe. I found the book literally unmemorable. I had to look it up to recall the plot. I found the heavily layered structure of current events, near flashbacks, and far flashbacks irritating.

Then I was made aware of two of Martha Wells’ Murderbot series short stories freely available:
Compulsory set shortly after SecUnit hacked his governor module. Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory set just after the fourth book Exit Strategy: How can anyone not love Murderbot?

A friend of mine likes to read the Hugo award nominees and decide for himself the best book. I do the same to maintain dialog topics. I gave The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal a shot and after two attempts gave up. It’s woke Mary Sue crap and a sad indication of how far the Hugos have fallen.

 

Shirley Knot

Only 1 new book this past month. Martha Wells first fantasy novel in quite some time, or so the blurb claims — The Witch King. Moderately interesting, but I think not to be included amongst her best work (Murderbot!). I’m always bothered by books that start out in media res and then tell the back story a chapter at a time, interspersed between the ‘real time’ events. This is one of those books. Well crafted nonetheless, some intriguing ideas, some vague hand-wavery over the disparate forms and sources of magic. It might be something she can build on, as she did with The Cloud Roads, which launched the Raksura series. Then again, that series left me cold. Time will tell.

 

Fourscore

I rarely read fiction and this month’s entry is a good reason why I don’t. Written by Willliam Johnstone and published 10 years ago, Butch Cassidy, The Lost Years is a fast and easy read. The narrator tells a story that sort of suggests he may be the now retired Butch Cassidy. Very typical of the Saturday Matinee cowboy movies that I saw as a 9 year old, only now Butch has tired of gangsterism and is trying to run away from his past and become a solid cattle rancher.
Touches all the bases, handy with a gun and his fists but only as necessary. Hires some racially diverse cow punchers plus a couple of youngsters that could have come from the Ponderosa and two old guys, one of which is a cowboy gourmet cook. The preacher’s daughter comes along to add some romance. West Texas gets lonely.
If this was a movie RJ would have it on his list. If anyone is interested in the stuff our Dads read in those ’50s magazines this would fill the bill. Happy to send it along.
Where’s my Hamilton Books catalog, I need to order some more?

The Hyperbole

I ain’t read shit this month, So I’ll take care of some house cleaning, as I believe you nerd editor type people call it. Tonio informed me a while back that all book titles and short stories and series names should be italicized, not put in quotes, like everyone else in the world apparently thinks they should be. So if the two regular contributors and the other part-timers  could keep that in mind it’d be great. And (Mostly for Richard) I’ve decided from hence forth I’m gonna link any book or series mentioned to it’s Goodreads page so no need to put the link it the submissions anymore, Okay Thanks.

About The Author

The Hyperbole

The Hyperbole

The Hyperbole can beat any of you chumps at Earthshaker! the greatest pinball machine of all time.

157 Comments

  1. Not Adahn

    I read/am reading:

    Whipping Star – not as good as Dune.

    The Left Hand of Darkness – Why is this considered good? Half of the book is a description of them walking across snow, with a log of how many miles they went forward, sideways or backward. Was it always about the politics?

    Baking Yesteryear – interesting so far, but I just got to the 1950s, which seems to be where the rails come off.

    • DEG

      It’s been a long time since I read “Whipping Star” and “The Left Hand of Darkness”.

      I remember liking “Whipping Star”. Like you, I didn’t think it was as good as “Dune”.

      I have some vague memories of some cultural digressions in “The Left Hand of Darkness” that I found interesting, but that’s all I can remember of it.

      • rhywun

        Both are two of my all-time favorites. De gustibus something something.

        I have never compared Whipping Star and Dune in my head, they are so completely different.

      • Not Adahn

        The protagonist is completely passive throughout the entire book. Othe people act on him and make decisions for him. This is the same thing that happens in A Handmaid’s Tale. I wonder if that’s not coincidental.

      • rhywun

        That’s kind of LeGuin’s religion.

      • Not Adahn

        The first of hers I read were the (original three) Wizard of Earthsea. At the time I thought (because if LoTR and Narnia) fantasy had to have a downer ending.

    • Seguin

      My favorite non-Dune Herbert book so far is the Santaroga Barrier.

      There’s another Jorg X. Mackenzie book, the Dosadi Experiment, which is also good. Better than the Whipping Star IMHO.

      • Not Adahn

        Yes, I bought the “Four Complete Novels” Omnibus, just haven’t gotten to the next ones yet.

      • Seguin

        That fourth one, Dreamcatcher….damn it’s depressing.

      • rhywun

        There’s another Jorg X. Mackenzie book, the Dosadi Experiment, which is also good. Better than the Whipping Star IMHO.

        Agreed. That one is great.

        He has a lot of interesting odd-balls, one offs and series even, that nobody knows because Dune takes all the air out of the room.

      • Seguin

        I’ve been wanting to pick up Hellstrom’s Hive – the premise sounds fascinating.

      • LCDR_Fish

        McKie.

        The short story in “Eye” – “The Tactful Saboteur” isn’t too bad.

        I think one of my non-Dune favorites is “Under Pressure” aka “Dragon in the Sea” aka “21st Century Sub”, etc. I have 5 or 6 different copies/releases of it under different titles (including the original short story). Need to revisit to see what was different.

    • Fatty Bolger

      I liked “Whipping Star”, er, Whipping Star. Frank Herbert weirdo goodness. Of course it’s not as good as Dune, but few novels are.

      • rhywun

        No one I know IRL has heard of it.

        We are a bunch of nerds.

  2. DEG

    I’m still reading RFK, Jr’s “The Real Anthony Fauci”. I made it past all the bits on how Fauci profited from the Lil Rona Panic. I was amused as I read those parts when I considered that in the Forward RFK, Jr. blames Republican attacks on and funding cuts to regulatory agencies for the rise of Fauci.

    • westernsloper

      I listened to the audio version some months ago so missed that part in the fwd I guess. I can see how someone like RFK jr would think that given his back ground, but it is still disappointing that even through writing that book he would think “regulatory agencies” would ever be competent and not money grabbing shitheels that they are. I think it was his interview on Rogan where he explained due to how the “regulators” have so gamed the system, there are at least 4 or 5 people at the NIH who will be getting $150,000 a year as long as the Covid Vax’s are on the recommended vax list. As in forever.

    • Chafed

      Re RFK, Jr. it’s always one step forward, three steps back. He finds some good data then makes a sharp left turn.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Can’t see how his fundamental beliefs are the cause of the problems he’s seeing. Sort of like people in Portland.

  3. Suthenboy

    Still working on Documents of Revolution….Paine essays, federalist papers, anti-Federalist papers, Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, The Constitution.

    I am glued to it but the freakin’ font is about size 6 and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be so the going is slow. Wife ordered a page sized, LED lighted Fresnel lens for reading. It should arrive Wednesday. Then it is off to the races.

  4. DEG

    Tonio informed me a while back that all book titles and short stories and series names should be italicized, not put in quotes, like everyone else in the world apparently thinks they should be.

    I remember when book titles were supposed to be underlined.

    • Not Adahn

      I was taught that underlining was the handwritten substitute for italics.

      • Not Adahn

        Also to be used in the days when typewriters only had one font.

    • rhywun

      I remember book titles in italics but I thought I was taught that story titles are in quotes.

      • Not Adahn

        Yes, quotes are one level down from italics.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

        If all of you heathens would just read the Holy Bi . . . er, I mean The Chicago Manual of Style (one of the editions from the 1980s, please), you’d all realize the errors of your multitudinous ways.

      • UnCivilServant

        What gave Chicago the idea they were allowed to create this document?

        They have no such authority.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

        Ackshually, over their own undergrad and grad students, they do. Use it or fail to achieve your Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. degrees.

        I didn’t say it was fair.

        (And for the most part, it’s much more logical than competing guides on how to write an academic document.)

      • Animal

        I R lready gud nuf. Hur hur hur

      • Zwak , “There is infinite amount of hope in the universe… just not for us.”

        Chicgo? Girlfriend, please! MLA Guide or GTFO!

    • Richard

      I don’t do fancy e-mail. Titles and series names are going to be quoted. That’s the only thing I can do.

  5. Ted S.

    the “Penric and Desdemona” series by Lois McMaster Bujold

    I assume she’s not as hot as Genevieve?

    • Gender Traitor

      Stefan Schmidt?

  6. Seguin

    I’m reading Eddie Rickenbacker’s autobiography and Rockets and People (for free here: https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/rockets_people_vol1_detail.html) by Boris Chertok. Learned about that one from Reddit – apparently the idea that the Soviets only minimally benefited from the Nazi rocket program is a complete lie. Surprise surprise, as Pyle would say.

  7. R.J.

    I just read Svengoolie’s new comic book.

  8. Pine_Tree

    I read Cryptonomicon every year and am about halfway through. Enoch just, um, died, and the earthquake’s about to happen.

    I start it every year at the beach, so that was about 2 weeks ago.

    Next one in line after that is “Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”.

    Just before restarting Cryptonomicon I read John S. Mosby’s war memoirs. It’s really captured as an old man telling stories, so it’s not really chronological or structured in any way. Read that way, it’s fine and interesting – just have to not mentally criticize for lacking polish.

    • LCDR_Fish

      Thinking about it more…this is the kind of book that would work well in a miniseries….BUT…I would use animation for the flashbacks (non-trustworthy narrator and all that – Shaftoe hallucinating repeatedly, etc). Also much cheaper for the WWII material and lets you still get some epic wide shots of the battles, etc.

  9. UnCivilServant

    I haven’t been reading much, as I’ve been working on This Diarama.

    I just need to add gore effects and final gluing. But one of the things I need for the gore is still in shipping.

    • R.J.

      Can’t see it.
      Speaking of dioramas, has anyone seen Yusef?

      • R.J.

        Just a blank screen. I am blocked. I might try a different browser.

    • Gender Traitor

      I just need to add gore effects…

      So will there be… ::dons shades:: …blood on the bricks? 😎 (Or tiles or whatever you’d call those elements you 3D-printed your own bad self?)

    • Tundra

      Wow! Those are beautiful!

      • UnCivilServant

        Thank you. Been working on it since early July.

  10. Gender Traitor

    Just finished reading The Winter Sea by Di Morrissey, an Aussie writer. An old friend from college had recommended another of her books to me, but this was the one available from my local library. Multi-generational story – a “clean” romance – set mainly on the southwest coast of Australia, with lots of the plot centered around the fishing businesses of immigrant Italian families. Very enjoyable – the first book I’d actually finished for a while! Mentioned it to my friend when I met her for lunch Friday, and just received today via Amazon the book she’d recommended originally, The Golden Land, involving a Burmese artifact. (I think my friend suggested it because I’d mentioned having ex-extended-in-laws in Burma/Myanmar.) Guess I know one of the books I’m reading next!

    Also just acquired a book co-written by my second-favorite romance writer, Jennifer Crusie. After a bit of a drought, she’s collaborating again with action-adventure writer Bob Mayer on a humorous romance/mystery trilogy called Liz Danger. I’ve enjoyed their joint efforts before, especially Wild Ride, about an old amusement park taken over by supernatural demons. As for the new trilogy, I just started the first installment, Lavender’s Blue, which came out last month. The second, Rest in Pink, was released five days ago, and the third, One in Vermillion, is due out September 19th. Looks as if my “To Read” pile is set at least through the autumnal equinox!

  11. Tundra

    Working on How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence Very interesting but he meanders a lot.

    God’s Revelation to the Human Heart by Father Seraphim Rose. Short and sweet. Highly recommended.

    The Fast Track to Your Technician Class Ham Radio License MikeS is way ahead of me, but the title speaks for itself.

    I’ve also been re-reading a couple Rebus novels when I wake up in the middle of the night and my fucking brain won’t shut up.

    I can’t believe August is over.

  12. Tundra

    TPTB: I over-linked again. Any assistance would be appreciated.

    • R.J.

      Nnnnooooh!
      No overseers on Sundays.

      • Tundra

        Fuck it, they were just amazon links anyway. I enacted your labor, but nbd.

        Working on How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence Very interesting but he meanders a lot.

        God’s Revelation to the Human Heart by Father Seraphim Rose. Short and sweet. Highly recommended.

        The Fast Track to Your Technician Class Ham Radio License. MikeS is way ahead of me, but the title speaks for itself.

        I’ve also been re-reading a couple Rebus novels when I wake up in the middle of the night and my fucking brain won’t shut up.

        I can’t believe August is over.

      • The Hyperbole

        See, this is why you people should send your “WAWR” submissions to the email at the bottom of every Glibbooks post. I can put as many effing links in the posts as I want.

        re: Rebus, do you (or anyone else reading this) need or want a copy of The Black Book (book 5 in the series I think) , I somehow* ordered it two nights in a row and now have one more copy than I really need.

        *alcohol

      • Tundra

        Honestly. I need to put the deadline on my calendar.

        I somehow* ordered it two nights in a row and now have one more copy than I really need.

        I’ve done that, too. Luckily, most people seem to like Rebus.

      • MikeS

        MikeS is way ahead of me

        This is true

      • Chafed

        The author of the psychedelics book meanders a lot!?! What are the odds?

      • MikeS

        There goes my hopes of using micro-dosing to improve my focus.

      • Chafed

        I’m sorry. What did you say blue and green butterfly?

    • Sean

      Goober.

      • Tundra

        Truth.

      • creech

        Sean, what were the prices at that winery you visited yesterday? Many wineries here in Chesco are near $30/btl for very ordinary wine.

      • Sean

        We didn’t buy any bottles, but I wanna say $24 or so. Vynecrest and Clover Hill are local to us, and are noticeably cheaper. We like both of those.

        This was a nice, relaxing venue with live music and decent charcuterie. Plus free distillery tastings. We each bought a bottle of whiskey, but no wines.

    • Tundra

      You keep linking it, so I assume you enjoyed it?

      • westernsloper

        It gave me a chuckle or two.

  13. creech

    Reading “Retreat from Gettysburg” by Kent M. Brown. Chaotical logistics, raging Potomac, harassing Union cavalry. Just amazing that Lee and his lieutenants pulled it off.

  14. Ownbestenemy

    Teens are pan frying tacos. Learning that olive oil is bad choice and have moved onto corn oil. Now learning temperature without a thermometer. They have also made a small salsa with raw habenero..taught them to roast that pepper first to being out its sweetness next time.

    Tonight though they can stay out the kitchen while I make shrimp and scallop scampi

    • Tundra

      Jerk wings going on the grill shortly.

      • Ownbestenemy

        They are creative in the kitchen and attempt new flavors. One of them needs to go to culinary school

      • Tundra

        That’s awesome! Both my kids know their way around the kitchen. My daughter is by far the most adventurous. My son is pretty obsessed with wild caught fish

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

        Pasta with oh-so-ACHINGLY-fresh tomato sauce (a plethora of Red Racers brought over by a friend), tossed with some Gin Mare for that herbaceous, olive-y kick that only it can bring, and grated Pecorino Romano.

        Oh, and I’ve got COVID again (up to two confirmed [both Omicron variants] and one unconfirmed [probably ancestral strain during October 2019 in northern Italy). Looks like I gave it to the Spousal Unit™ as well as her mother (farg!). Likely caught it from visiting my GP’s clinic for an unrelated complaint (strained wrist tendons). It’s NBD, but still annoying.

        Bugger!

      • Tundra

        That sounds amazing!

        The food, not the’vid

      • Chafed

        Give BEAM some credit. He sounds like a regular petri dish.

      • The Hyperbole

        You cut Bro’s arms off?!?

      • Chafed

        Shots fired.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Smoke points in action.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Yep but I wanted them to see why and feel comfortable with working woth oil too.

    • westernsloper

      Shredded grilled chicken and pork tenderloin covered in in bone broth topped with over easy fried eggs.

      • Ownbestenemy

        No noodles?

      • westernsloper

        Nope. As much as I like me some good noodles, noodles make me fat. I need to get it together after a month of gluttony.

        Back to the basics for me.

      • Mojeaux

        “Spatchcock” is my favorite word.

      • slumbrew

        It’s up there for me – thus, my refusal to use ‘butterflied’

      • Mojeaux

        I wish my mom would let me spatchcock the turkey bird, but she prefers to brine and roast whole.

      • Chafed

        I know you are both using real cooking terms but this conversation still sounds like it’s going to turn into a Pornhub script.

      • slumbrew

        I didn’t even get to the part where I had to rub the breasts down…

      • Mojeaux

        😆

    • Tundra

      Damn. That is perfect.

      Thanks for the link.

      • KSuellington

        Oh actually I see those are two different shows. Both of them are stellar live performances from Bill.

    • kinnath

      For anyone still hanging around . . . .

      Grandma’s Hands

      • MikeS

        That entire recording session is really, really good.

      • MikeS

        …or concert. I was thinking it was just in a small recording studio, but I guess there is an audience.

    • Chafed

      👍

    • Ownbestenemy

      Wow that moment!

    • one true athena

      YES!!! i think everyone even tangentially related to youth baseball here in the south bay area has been so thrilled by this run. My actual son used to use the same batting cages as those kids, though he was in a more northerly league at the time (and of course he’s in college, so too old to play any of them anyway).

      • Tres Cool

        Hey- Im coming back to the North Bay in a couple of weeks for testing at a refinery

        /How you doin

      • one true athena

        South bay here meaning everything south of LAX, not the actual SF bay. Sorry. 🙁

  15. MikeS

    @omwc: please check your spam folder for an email from me. thanks

    • MikeS

      Make that two emails

  16. MikeS

    I’ve been reading

    The Fast Track to Your Technician Class Ham Radio License
    &
    Ham Radio For The New Ham
    &
    Amateur Radio Tips, Tricks, and Projects
    &
    The Ham Radio Bible

    Guess what new hobby I just picked up.

    • Chafed

      You’ve gone from 3d printing and plasma cutting to ham radio?

      • Zwak , “There is infinite amount of hope in the universe… just not for us.”

        He is combining the two for sliced sandwich meat.

      • MikeS

        Embrace the power of and.

      • Gender Traitor

        You’re printing a ham radio! 😃

      • MikeS

        Ha! Boy, I wi$h I could do that.

      • Tres Cool

        I prefer the online version thats condensed….spHAM radio.

  17. Mojeaux

    I’m fixing to rehab/update something I wrote, so I’m reading it very carefully.

  18. Zwak , “There is infinite amount of hope in the universe… just not for us.”

    After a bit of a tipple, I ordered a few ’70s-’80s Arkham House books (pour one out for the greatest small publisher of all time) and I started the first one last night: David Case’s The Last Grave. So far, so good. Also, as I had a lot of driving to do over the month, I listened to The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers. If you have never read this, drop what you are reading and go find a copy. This, although 40 years old at this point, is the greatest Time-Travel, Body-Switching, Continent Jumping novel ever writen! And don’t just ask me, RC Dean will tell you the same thing! Egyption magicians, begger clown lords, romantic poets (Coleridge and Byron both feature), gypsys, it has it all.

    • DEG

      Arkham House is gone? I have their three volume set of Lovecraft’s works.

      • Zwak , “There is infinite amount of hope in the universe… just not for us.”

        They hadn’t updated or put out anything new in a few years, and now the website is defunct.

    • slumbrew

      The Anubis Gates is great! Although I’m more partial to Declare

  19. Gustave Lytton

    Went to look at puppies today but wasn’t a right fit, so no additions today. Next we went to B&N for the first time in a long time. Quite busy, more than I would have expected.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Oops, left off the books the wife bought

      The Memory Police
      Convenience Store Girl

      will report next month (hopefully). B&N seems to be pushing Japanese authors these days for some reason.

  20. Lackadaisical

    Bracing myself for the possibility of a big ol’ storm.

    I just put all the hurricane panels I bought last year away, of course.

  21. mindyourbusiness

    Reading through everything I can find on Richard Feynman. If I can get up the gumption, I’ll write an article for all y’all. Fascinating individual.
    Aside from that, Lord Dunsany’s “Tales of Three Hemispheres” and “The Book of Wonder” and Poul Anderson’s “Brain Wave”.

    • Zwak , “There is infinite amount of hope in the universe… just not for us.”

      I just picked up a copy of Dunsany’s A Dreamers Memories. Good stuff.

  22. Zwak , “There is infinite amount of hope in the universe… just not for us.”

    So, on this fine, fine day, I threw my back out.

    Son of a Bitch.

    • MikeS

      Shit. Sorry, man. Back pain is a real bastard. I hope you get fixed up quick.

    • Mojeaux

      😕

    • Fourscore

      Work or play? Hope it doesn’t last too long

      Perfect day here, my son and I cleaned up the yard at the cabin somewhat, storm damaged tree, some brush. He’s easy to work with because if I mention coffee he’ll second the motion. Tomorrow we’re looking to take down a tree that’s hung up, hanging over the garage at the cabin, looks to be easy and safe. I paid a tree guy $500 and he didn’t do a thorough job but everything looks in our favor. Fortunately we can just leave it after it’s down, it’s sort of in the woods.

      I get worn out pretty easy but I can always say coffee and take a break.

      • Zwak , “There is infinite amount of hope in the universe… just not for us.”

        Leaning to take breaks has been one of the hardest things for both the wife and I to learn as we get older. We both keep assuming that we have the same strength and stamina as 20 year olds.

    • rhywun

      Sorry.

      I’m collecting weird muscle pains all over lately. I hope this is just getting old.

  23. Mojeaux

    Watching Mrs. Davis. I’m not sure what I think.

    • Tres Cool

      I’m going to bed. Alarm for 0400

  24. Homple

    I’m reading “The Prisoner of Windsor”, Mark Steyn’s reworking of a couple of Anthony Hope novels into a satirical look at Great Britain’s politics.

    Funny, with some serious digs at the ruling class over there.

  25. Gustave Lytton

    In World War Z, Peter Capaldi is credited as a WHO doctor. 🤔

    • Gender Traitor

      Getting typecast is a bitch! 😄

  26. LCDR_Fish

    Posted most of my current reading stuff last weekend, but I did finish book 1 of Horus Heresy on the flight home. Also started “The Infinite and Divine” (recommended as one of the best lore novels for 40k – Necron-specific).

    Also, finished the 4th book of the Fae War e-publishing series. – it was a multi-author anthology. Like the Mammon anthology that Rob Kroese released, I think the Fae War setting is something that Animal could easily bang together a quality short story for – I’ll keep my eyes open to see if I hear about future calls for submissions for some of these.

    Completely unrelated…this is the 3rd year in a row that they’ve done this – but the producers of Arknights have released a really nifty full concert featuring a stack of their custom tracks – kinda like the VideoGame Live concert series that went on tour a few years ago. But this is just one [mobile] game with a very wide variety of music/themes/etc. I’ve posted links to a number of audio tracks before (the full list of 79 EP tracks they’ve released – only part of the total tune-age this game has released…(!!!))

  27. hayeksplosives

    Reading “Gulag Archipelago”.

    Not light fare, but required reading. Doing the audiobook.

    We joke about our American banana republic. But just listen to the first chapter:

    “Arrest” is the chapter’s name.

    “ME? What for??”

    The Amazon audible version is read by Solzhenitsyn’s son, which makes it all the better.

    • Ted S.

      You’re linking to the Puffington Host?

      • Sean

        Let’s see how quick this particular manifesto gets released.

    • rhywun

      This divide exists because of (long string of flat-out lies intended to stir racial division)

      The lack of self-awareness is breathtaking.

  28. Shirley Knott

    Mornin’ all!
    Sorry to have missed you yesterday morning. Comcast/Xfinity have been bouncing my internet up and down at unpredictable hours-long intervals (both up and down). May the leas of ten thousand camels, etc.
    Today’s selections:
    A very slow starting but lovely piece by the French group Space Art, Laser en Novembre.
    And another one from Michael Rother, Orchestrion.
    Have a great day!

    • Gender Traitor

      Good morning, Shirley, Sean, Ted’S., hayek (if you’re still awake,) Roat, and NA!

      I…got nuthin’ else yet. I almost went back to sleep after my alarm went off, so being out of bed and safely pouring and adulterating my coffee is all I can manage so far. 🥱

      • Gender Traitor

        Oh – and good morning, Lily! 🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇😄

  29. Rat on a train

    Many pornography websites aren’t complying with new Virginia age verification law

    While some pornography websites — most notably Pornhub — have opted to block users from accessing their platforms altogether in Virginia in protest of the new law, residents can still easily access adult content through a plethora of unrestricted, lesser-known websites.

    a big reason why a lot of websites aren’t complying with the law is because their companies are not based in the United States

    Virginians can still easily access blocked websites like Pornhub through virtual private networks

    When will they propose the Great Firewall of Virginia and ban VPNs?

    • Not Adahn

      Sue Google, duh.

  30. Not Adahn

    Bunnies in the back yard. I wasn’t awake, but Lily was. Which meant shortly thereafter I WAS awake.

  31. Grosspatzer

    Mornin’, reprobates!

    Bunnies in the back yard

    Early morning photo shoot at Casa Adahn?

    adulterating my coffee

    Sweet!

    May the leas of ten thousand camels, etc.

    It must be a camel…

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VlM1JQN6_yc

    • Gender Traitor

      Good morning, ‘patzie!

      I’m hoping one packet of sucralose in a 16(?) oz. travel mug of coffee I almost never finish isn’t going to turn me into a mutant. 😕

  32. Grosspatzer

    I think I may be spending some time in the penalty box as a result of the following text discussion.

    Mrs. Patzer: Is my reacher (assistive device) still in the car?

    Me: Probably, I’ll check. Or, you could save me some trouble and go to work nekkid.

    Game misconduct?

    • Gender Traitor

      Yeah, you might be payin’ the penaltax for that one for a bit! 😆

  33. Not Adahn

    Specific complaint about Whipping Star:

    I can handle the stoned dorm room plot elements. Honestly I really liked it. I think what was disappointing is that I’ve always heard a background rumbling about the “Bureau of Sabotage,” and while it existed in this book it might as well have not. It didn’t seem to actually do anything, and it didn’t have enough background hints to actually be interesting. Contrast with the bockstory orgs of Idoru or John Wick. I was hoping to have an experience similar to my first Culture novel, but this did not live up to that.

    • rhywun

      There’s a bit more about it in The Dosadi Experiment IIRC.

      • Not Adahn

        Well, that’s coming up.

        The author of Baking Yesteryear wants to make sure you know he’s gay.

        “Behind a man, dates are my favorite fruit.”

        “I’ve always lived pink, that was one of the first indications…”

        “I like cowboys”

        “Some of us may instinctively know how to eat such a thing” Referring to this but note that his version of it includes a puff of whipped cream at the tip running down the length. To represent candle wax, of course.

      • rhywun

        That’s not gay, that’s super-gay.

      • Sean

        Like, with a cape?

      • R.J.

        An Elton John cape and matching platform boots gay.

      • Not Adahn

        Honestly, that comes across as very insecure. Does Max Miller feel the need to talk about his preferences? No. He’s confident enough in his gayness and in his viewers’ ability to have eyes.

      • Shirley Knott

        Nanny Ogg did it better with her Strawberry Wobbler.

      • Not Adahn

        *considers searching, remembers I’m at work*