What Books are you Reading (2023)

[LaosLover]

Hippies always seriously lacked in the irony department.

 

That's why I wanted to be a beatnik, like my idol, Maynard G Krebs as a child. But by the time I got to age 13, that party was already over. Jim Morrison killed the bongo beatin' mad man as seer category for good.

 

I used to work in a bookstore across from Carnegie Hall. John Lennon would pop in. He loved Brautigan and bought Another Roadside Attraction on my recco (another unreadable today hippie book). 

 

A pleasure of old age is seeing a lot of po-faced dreck that was thought to be so profound back in the day simply fade away:

 

https://slate.com/culture/2022/10/rod-mckuen-best-selling-poet-songs-what-happened.html

 

 

[Yellowtail]

I don't know if I'd call it semi or historical fiction, but I loved Michener.

 

Nonfiction Thomas Sowell. 

 

 

[blazes]

Michael Connolly (the Hieronymous  Bosch novels). 

Excellent policiers.   Too bad he turned woke and pensioned off Bosch and replaced him with  a woman.

*metoo and all that....

 

The paintings (of the real Bosch) are utterly fascinating and scary.

[a3tsw]

I found this to be an enjoyable read , so much so , I'm on my 3rd reading.

[GammaGlobulin]

The Book of Job

[StreetCowboy]

On 12/19/2023 at 6:41 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

The Book of Job

Is it a handbook?

[GammaGlobulin]

27 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Is it a handbook?

 

No.

 

It's a tragedy.

 

I thought you knew....

 

 

[StreetCowboy]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

 

No.

 

It's a tragedy.

 

I thought you knew....

 

 

Our ignorance astounds our friends as much as it surprises ourselves.

Einstein was unclear on whether ignorance or stupidity required a longer string or heavier weight to plumb, and I am grateful that he is not here to see me answer his uncertainty.

[GammaGlobulin]

14 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Our ignorance astounds our friends as much as it surprises ourselves.

Einstein was unclear on whether ignorance or stupidity required a longer string or heavier weight to plumb, and I am grateful that he is not here to see me answer his uncertainty.

 

I am uncertain where you are at this moment, figuratively, and literally.

 

Humor me....where are you, geographically?

Malaysia?

Malaya?

Scotland?

Where?

 

At least, I know where I am.

 

I am on the blue dot.

 

 

 

Of course...

I know who Sagan is...

 

But....

 

Who is Ben Weinberg???

 

And, should we care?

https://benjweinberg.com/2022/04/22/thoughts-on-carl-sagans-a-pale-blue-dot/

 

 

IMHO:  Ben is not the writer he thinks he is....

 

Certainly...not....a Vonnegut....

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[StreetCowboy]

17 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

I am uncertain where you are at this moment, figuratively, and literally.

 

Humor me....where are you, geographically?

Malaysia?

Malaya?

Scotland?

Where?

 

At least, I know where I am.

 

I am on the blue dot.

 

 

 

Of course...

I know who Sagan is...

 

But....

 

Who is Ben Weinberg???

 

And, should we care?

https://benjweinberg.com/2022/04/22/thoughts-on-carl-sagans-a-pale-blue-dot/

 

 

IMHO:  Ben is not the writer he thinks he is....

 

Certainly...not....a Vonnegut....

 

 

 

Like a good crossword, you are bound to get a kleptic response.

"Baitey" is my crossword, and "Observation" is my watchword. 

Ne'ertheless, I was asked a similar question by a former colleague - he had suggested meeting for a drink, and I had responded "Aye-done - LRK XIV"

To which he replied "Where is that?"
"It's in the middle of your screen when you search on google maps"
 So we had to accommodate his navigational frailties, and I am not certain how I got home, but I believe that I did...
Anyway, to summarise, I am here, you may be there, nd other people can fend for themselves 

[StreetCowboy]

29 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

I am uncertain where you are at this moment, figuratively, and literally.

 

Humor me....where are you, geographically?

Malaysia?

Malaya?

Scotland?

Where?

 

At least, I know where I am.

 

I am on the blue dot.

 

 

 

Of course...

I know who Sagan is...

 

But....

 

Who is Ben Weinberg???

 

And, should we care?

https://benjweinberg.com/2022/04/22/thoughts-on-carl-sagans-a-pale-blue-dot/

 

 

IMHO:  Ben is not the writer he thinks he is....

 

Certainly...not....a Vonnegut....

 

 

 

I forsook a trip to the Old Country for a second cousin's wedding, and I (and my daughter) enjoyed it far more than I had anticipated,

  

[GammaGlobulin]

16 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Like a good crossword, you are bound to get a kleptic response.

"Baitey" is my crossword, and "Observation" is my watchword. 

Ne'ertheless, I was asked a similar question by a former colleague - he had suggested meeting for a drink, and I had responded "Aye-done - LRK XIV"

To which he replied "Where is that?"
"It's in the middle of your screen when you search on google maps"
 So we had to accommodate his navigational frailties, and I am not certain how I got home, but I believe that I did...
Anyway, to summarise, I am here, you may be there, nd other people can fend for themselves 

 

Must you always be so cryptic in your comments?

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

11 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

I forsook a trip to the Old Country for a second cousin's wedding, and I (and my daughter) enjoyed it far more than I had anticipated,

  

 

You are more fortunate than many in this world, obviously.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

15 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

I forsook a trip to the Old Country for a second cousin's wedding, and I (and my daughter) enjoyed it far more than I had anticipated,

  

 

Seems to me... your sentence makes no sense.

 

Seems to me....

 

 

 

[StreetCowboy]

7 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Must you always be so cryptic in your comments?

 

 

No - it is a choice.

If I wanted to be less cryptic, I would need to respond earlier in the evening.

[StreetCowboy]

9 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

You are more fortunate than many in this world, obviously.

 

 

It was a top second cousin's wedding.  Our relatives encouraged us to come back, and my daughter and I prevaricated.  My brother was more polite: "No, I won't be coming back".

There are many in this world less fortunate than you and I, few more honest than my brother, and fewer still as beautiful / handsome (as appropriate) as my second cousins.  They are particularly blessed by the number of their neighbours who are less fortunate than they are.... 

[GammaGlobulin]

20 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

It was a top second cousin's wedding.  Our relatives encouraged us to come back, and my daughter and I prevaricated.  My brother was more polite: "No, I won't be coming back".

There are many in this world less fortunate than you and I, few more honest than my brother, and fewer still as beautiful / handsome (as appropriate) as my second cousins.  They are particularly blessed by the number of their neighbours who are less fortunate than they are.... 

 

Being fortunate can be unfortunate, at times.

Being unfortunate can be fortunate, at times.

 

 

[StreetCowboy]

3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Being fortunate can be unfortunate, at times.

Being unfortunate can be fortunate, at times.

 

 

My daughter was reporting a conversation from two ladies that she had overheard, regarding the merits of living in the USA:
1) But here, you can get people to do everything, while in the USA you have to go out and work

2) Aye, but in the USA, you can go out and work, you're not stuck in the house all day

I could have mis-repeated that...

  

[GammaGlobulin]

20 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

But here, you can get people to do everything,

 

Almost anywhere, you can get people to do almost anything.

 

First lesson they teach you on Madison Avenue.

 

And, it's true.