Movies, Music, TV, Books, Pop Culture

by **hiko** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:20 pm

British_Pharaoh wrote:

Thought I would start embracing my heritage and learn about the most important event in the past 300 years of European history.

I have that book. Started reading it, hit a wall not too far in, but I've done that with books that turned out to be great before, so let me know how this was.

by **jerryroche** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:40 pm

Shameless self-promotion...

: Roche cover.jpg (72.62 KiB) Viewed 2582 times

by **Orenthal** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:53 pm

I'm a couple 100 pages away from being finished. Just got through Gibbons history of the Mohammedans...

by **JJN** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:33 am

by **peeker643** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:05 pm

Very good. Very interesting. Very detailed.

by **gotribe31** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:22 pm

peeker643 wrote:Very good. Very interesting. Very detailed.

Yeah, that was good. Assume you've already read American Brutus, but if not, get on it.

There was a presentation at Ford's Theater last week with Michael Kauffman (author of Brutus), H. Donald Winkler (conspiracy theorist extrordinare) and Frank J. Williams (former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and a Lincoln buff) where they each talked for about 30 min then took a full 2 hrs of Q and A from the audience. One of the fringe benefits of living in this damn town, at least I get to go to events like that.

Speaking of which, if you ever visit DC, highly reccomend seeing a play at Ford's Theater. They have it restored to April 1865 conditions, with the presidential box with all the bunting up and everything. It's a surreal experience, and really gives you a chance to live history.

by **gotribe31** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:27 pm

hiko wrote:Reading this before the HBO series comes out...

How far along are you in the series? Did you keep going or just read the 1st one?

by **e0y2e3** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:29 pm

^ turned into a complete fairy dork.

by **gotribe31** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:33 pm

e0y2e3 wrote:^ turned into a complete fairy dork.

I didn't say I was reading them, tool. But I did watch the series, and it was really good. Not a fantasy/fairy/roleplaying thing at all. I'm sure you won't beleive me and watch for yourself, so here, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HqdSjdtPAQ

by **e0y2e3** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:34 pm

I swear in some other thread in here you admitted to reading the books and LARPing on weekends!!!

by **gotribe31** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:38 pm

e0y2e3 wrote:I swear in some other thread in here you admitted to reading the books and LARPing on weekends!!!

LARPing isn't cool? Lightning bolt! Lighting bolt!

Ok, I did start reading them, because the series was that good and I haven't read fiction in a while. Seriously, they're not a dungeons and dragons type thing, it's more like historical fiction. If you read Killer Angels, you'd like the first book. Gets a little wordy after that, but the storylines are compelling.

And you can't tell me the kill in that youtube isn't awesome.

by **e0y2e3** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:40 pm

I'm fairly certain I was the one that came into the GoT thread and posted about how awesome that kill was. So now you are a LARPer and a plagerizer and you killed Paulie C so you could do his Sunday column? I'm going to start calling you motherscratcher.

by **gotribe31** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:42 pm

e0y2e3 wrote:I'm fairly certain I was the one that came into the GoT thread and posted about how awesome that kill was. So now you are a LARPer and a plagerizer and you killed Paulie C so you could do his Sunday column? I'm going to start calling you motherscratcher.

I thought you posted on the golden crown kill. I will sincerely apologize for not having memorized all 7000 of your posts.

Paulie is fine, and when Rich pays me the $50 grand, I'll even let him use a computer again.

by **peeker643** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:26 am

gotribe31 wrote:
peeker643 wrote:Very good. Very interesting. Very detailed.

Yeah, that was good. Assume you've already read American Brutus, but if not, get on it.

There was a presentation at Ford's Theater last week with Michael Kauffman (author of Brutus), H. Donald Winkler (conspiracy theorist extrordinare) and Frank J. Williams (former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and a Lincoln buff) where they each talked for about 30 min then took a full 2 hrs of Q and A from the audience. One of the fringe benefits of living in this damn town, at least I get to go to events like that.

Speaking of which, if you ever visit DC, highly reccomend seeing a play at Ford's Theater. They have it restored to April 1865 conditions, with the presidential box with all the bunting up and everything. It's a surreal experience, and really gives you a chance to live history.

Sweet. Your recommendation is on Kindle and I have 3 1/2 days to spend in Columbia, SC starting tomorrow.

Did you read 'Blood on the Moon'? I heard that was good too. I read that the gvmnt bought Ford Theater specifically so nothing would bring people back there and that it was a naval building or something for a while til tons of files caused a floor to collapse and kill dozens of people.

Just odd how Booth is almost romanticized. Hard to believe Oswald will ever reach that level of sentiment.

by **gotribe31** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:39 am

peeker643 wrote:
gotribe31 wrote:
peeker643 wrote:Very good. Very interesting. Very detailed.

Yeah, that was good. Assume you've already read American Brutus, but if not, get on it.

There was a presentation at Ford's Theater last week with Michael Kauffman (author of Brutus), H. Donald Winkler (conspiracy theorist extrordinare) and Frank J. Williams (former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and a Lincoln buff) where they each talked for about 30 min then took a full 2 hrs of Q and A from the audience. One of the fringe benefits of living in this damn town, at least I get to go to events like that.

Speaking of which, if you ever visit DC, highly reccomend seeing a play at Ford's Theater. They have it restored to April 1865 conditions, with the presidential box with all the bunting up and everything. It's a surreal experience, and really gives you a chance to live history.

Sweet. Your recommendation is on Kindle and I have 3 1/2 days to spend in Columbia, SC starting tomorrow.

Did you read 'Blood on the Moon'? I heard that was good too. I read that the gvmnt bought Ford Theater specifically so nothing would bring people back there and that it was a naval building or something for a while til tons of files caused a floor to collapse and kill dozens of people.

Just odd how Booth is almost romanticized. Hard to believe Oswald will ever reach that level of sentiment.

You'll love it. The author is as much into the Assassination as anyone in the world. He actually lept from a ladder next to the balcony to see how Booth did it, burnt down a Maryland tobacco barn similar to the one Booth was killed in, and lived in Booth's family home in Maryland for a while. It's a great read.

I know the theater and the house across the street were torn up pretty good by people immediately after the assassination. Some people wanted souviners, some people thought Ford was in on it based on his ties to Booth.

I think it's two factors; 1) the whole fascination with the South and their "gallant struggle." I drive on Lee-Jackson highway everyday to go to/from work. Name me another country that celebrates two of the greatest generals of their rebellion the way this country does with Lee and Jackson, I dare you. 2) Booth is just so damn interesting. He really was the most popular actor of the time, and a household name across the US in a time where there weren't exactly a lot of household names across the US. Comprable to Brad Pitt killing the president today. So there was a lot of information out there on Booth from prior to the event for people to go on, unlike Oswald who no one really knows too much about.

I'll stop now before e0 calls me a dork again, but like I said before, I'd highly reccomend making Ford's Theater a stop on a DC tour if you ever come to town.

by **FUDU** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:19 pm

Just picked up Don't Make a Budget by Kenneth Robinson.

Short, easy reading, and pretty good book about spending & saving. I pride myself on financial discipline and always being on top of what comes in and goes out, and what I like most about this is it isn't meant to focus on all the little trendy tips you can do to come up with extra savings or more cost efficient spending. His basic point is your spending should tie into your emotions and your overall code of life so to speak, spending and saving will then take care of itself based upon the positive things in your life.

He equates a budget to a diet, diets suck, rarely if ever work and most often b/c they do not make you happy, they are work and it simply is not fun. A budget in his mind is a financial diet, so expect the same displeasure and rate of failure.

Cheap book, can easily finish it in a day if you avoid Internet message forums, strat leagues, fantasy stuff and video games.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:37 pm

I pride myself on financial discipline and always being on top of what comes in and goes out,

Amazing. You've mastered basic math.

by **Orenthal** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:23 pm

by **FUDU** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:43 pm

TCF - CDT = HFY!

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:12 pm

CDT Gibbons was a fuking awesome read, and has presented me with a litany of reading options

That's a big read and something I plan on diving into at some point. However the Roman Republic era is my passion. The wars with Carthage and Gaul, and the Senate when it was the real power and not just a token body of advisors under the empire.

The rise from backwater to the arbiter of the world.

by **Orenthal** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:58 pm

^I'm gonna plow through my required reading real quick, so I can grab some books on Rome as a Kingdom and Republic. Then maybe mix in a few key Senators, Emperors, and Generals.

Wanna try and find something on generals of the later empire. Justinian's key generals (Belisarius and Narses) and Stilicho from the West.

by **Orenthal** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:07 pm

Also biting off pieces of this...

by **Orenthal** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:55 pm

Might be helpful for people to think about their board legacy, then stop posting. This is required reading, and a topic I would never have read otherwise, but in spite of my ignorance and stubborness seems extremely beneficial.

The "legacy thinking" is less "what have I accomplished," and more "how did I leave a lasting impression on people and culture that will continue after I am gone." less numbers and more people.

by **gotribe31** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:23 pm

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:
CDT Gibbons was a fuking awesome read, and has presented me with a litany of reading options

That's a big read and something I plan on diving into at some point. However the Roman Republic era is my passion. The wars with Carthage and Gaul, and the Senate when it was the real power and not just a token body of advisors under the empire.

The rise from backwater to the arbiter of the world.

Have either of you read this:
http://www.amazon.com/Scipio-Africanus- ... y_b_text_c ?

Was thinking about picking it up, just wondering if you thought it was worth it.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:55 pm

gotribe31 wrote:
Have either of you read this:
http://www.amazon.com/Scipio-Africanus- ... y_b_text_c ?

Was thinking about picking it up, just wondering if you thought it was worth it.

I have it, just haven't read it. I've been on a Christopher Hitchens kick lately.

Scipio is one of the 3 greatest generals in history, and no one ever mentions him. No other Roman general wanted the command in Spain, because they all considered it a death sentence, Scipio volunteered for it. Once he took command of a Roman army he never lost a battle. Dude destroyed the Carthaginian military presence in Spain, 3 armies all larger than his. Then he went to Africa and beat Hannibal on Hannibal's home turf..... and he didn't just beat him, demolished him and his dreaded war elephants.

by **Orenthal** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:47 pm

Finished ^^^, yea for short reads.

The best generals are those that can win against the odds. Some of the better known Roman Generals were at the head of the most feared military machine when they made conquests. Nearly always better armed, with better tactics, and better engineering.

I'll have to check that one out, and find me something on Belisarius, Narses, and Stilicho who all either had undesirable stations or operated when Roman invincibility wasn't even remembered. Well, after I get through this glut of other stuff..

by **Orenthal** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:51 pm

Oh, and Basil the Younger who was Emperor and General during the last period of strength in the East. What he did to the Bulgarians was classic in both its brutality and effectiveness.

by **swerb** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:01 pm

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:53 pm

Orenthal wrote:Finished ^^^, yea for short reads.

The best generals are those that can win against the odds. Some of the better known Roman Generals were at the head of the most feared military machine when they made conquests. Nearly always better armed, with better tactics, and better engineering.

I'll have to check that one out, and find me something on Belisarius, Narses, and Stilicho who all either had undesirable stations or operated when Roman invincibility wasn't even remembered. Well, after I get through this glut of other stuff..

Well the thing with Scipio was Rome's man power was depleted following Hannibal's invasion of Italy. Capua deserted to his side, a long with most of southern Italy. The battle of Cannae is the single greatest military victory in history, Wiping out 8 Legions. Richard Gabriel had a great line about the battle "One has to wonder how long it takes to kill 60,000 men with sword and spear.... well, the answer seem to be about 6 hours".

One of the great Scipio stories is of a group of high ranking Senators having a meeting to suggest surrender when Scipio and 2 of his Legates burst in wearing their full set of armor and at sword point demanded the Sneators support for continuing the war. And slowly but surely, Rome hauled herself back from the edge of the abyss.

It's estimated that 1 in 5 of Roman military aged men died during the 2nd Punic War.

Romans may of had better better equipment, but they most generally fought while vastly out numbered. Caesar never fought a major battle with numbers on his side. At Alesia he faced 200,000 Gauls, to his 40,000. I'd also say his Gallic Legions were the hardest soldiers to ever fight a battle in history. 10 years in Gaul fighting, 700 cities razed, 300 tribes crushed, a million Gauls killed and million more enslaved.

I believe Belisarius and Narses both had the misfortune of serving the despotic Justinian. But he did come with in a eyelash of reconquering the west.

by **motherscratcher** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:26 pm

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:
Orenthal wrote:Finished ^^^, yea for short reads.

The best generals are those that can win against the odds. Some of the better known Roman Generals were at the head of the most feared military machine when they made conquests. Nearly always better armed, with better tactics, and better engineering.

I'll have to check that one out, and find me something on Belisarius, Narses, and Stilicho who all either had undesirable stations or operated when Roman invincibility wasn't even remembered. Well, after I get through this glut of other stuff..

Well the thing with Scipio was Rome's man power was depleted following Hannibal's invasion of Italy. Capua deserted to his side, a long with most of southern Italy. The battle of Cannae is the single greatest military victory in history, Wiping out 8 Legions. Richard Gabriel had a great line about the battle "One has to wonder how long it takes to kill 60,000 men with sword and spear.... well, the answer seem to be about 6 hours".

One of the great Scipio stories is of a group of high ranking Senators having a meeting to suggest surrender when Scipio and 2 of his Legates burst in wearing their full set of armor and at sword point demanded the Sneators support for continuing the war. And slowly but surely, Rome hauled herself back from the edge of the abyss.

It's estimated that 1 in 5 of Roman military aged men died during the 2nd Punic War.

Romans may of had better better equipment, but they most generally fought while vastly out numbered. Caesar never fought a major battle with numbers on his side. At Alesia he faced 200,000 Gauls, to his 40,000. I'd also say his Gallic Legions were the hardest soldiers to ever fight a battle in history. 10 years in Gaul fighting, 700 cities razed, 300 tribes crushed, a million Gauls killed and million more enslaved.

I believe Belisarius and Narses both had the misfortune of serving the despotic Justinian. But he did come with in a eyelash of reconquering the west.

Yeah, Scipio was pretty good. But don't forget about Gozer the Gozerain. During the rectification of the Vuldranii, he came as a large and moving torb. Then, during the third reconciliation of the Mekertix supplicant, they chose a new form--that of a giant Sloar! Many Shubbs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Sloar that day I can tell you.

by **Orenthal** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:08 pm

^^Richard Gabriel on BC Battles was awesome. He also has a book on Scipio.

^Gozer once planted his flag in Xerxes harem. That took some balls and...

by **skatingtripods** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:29 pm

About to start this:

If only there were a Gilbert Gottfried-narrated audiobook.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:19 pm

Orenthal wrote:^^Richard Gabriel on BC Battles was awesome. He also has a book on Scipio.

^Gozer once planted his flag in Xerxes harem. That took some balls and...

Yeah his book on Scipio is on my "to read" list. A long with his books on Hannibal and Phillip II of Macedon.

I'm probably going to dive into The Gracchi, Sulla, and Marius by by A. H. Beesley after I finish Hitch-22. I love reading about the conflict between the Conservatives and Populares during the last century of the Roman Republic. It has an almost prophetic similarity to our own political system.

And yeah Battles B.C. kicked ass, too bad the History Channel didn't bring it back, but I guess they needed more high brow programming like Larry The Cable Guy, Lumberjacks, and Semi Trucks on Ice.

by **Orenthal** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 5:53 pm

Yeah, people watch some stupid shit.

by **JJN** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:01 am

Just started:

by **motherscratcher** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:22 am

^^^^everyone should read that. And Cats Cradle. So awesome. But alas, some people won't. So it goes.

by **JJN** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:28 am

^Really enjoyed Slaughterhouse-Five. I don't think I could give you a "this is why this is a great book," and yet it really is. So it goes.

Reading All Clear now. The pair cleaned up the Locus, Nebula, and Hugo awards. Pretty impressive for a scifi book that takes place almost exclusively between 1940 and 1944.

by **British_Pharaoh** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:39 pm

by **Orenthal** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 10:10 pm

^Not the least bit suprised.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 10:54 pm

My copy of Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon , was borrowed by a friend before I even opened the damn thing, sooooooooo i'm starting;

by **JacksonDysonJackson** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:48 pm

Just finished "The Devil All The Time" by Donald Ray Pollock. One of the best novels I've read in some time. Very very dark, but I highly recommend it.

by **JJN** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:59 pm

by **Orenthal** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:28 am

Richard Gabriel is the man...

I'm stuck reading crap for my Homeland Security Master's.

Good place to find pistol suppressor combo's?

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:39 am

Orenthal wrote:Good place to find pistol suppressor combo's?

Why do you need a suppressor?

by **Orenthal** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:31 pm

Why don't I?

by **peeker643** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:21 pm

Orenthal wrote:Why don't I?

Because your neighbors will want to celebrate when they hear that shot.

:hide:

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:11 pm

Orenthal wrote:Why don't I?

I'm pretty sure they're illegal unless you go fill out a pile of ATF paperwork and wait about 6 months.

But I think the USP Tactical .45 is about $1,500 gun and suppressor. The gun alone is about $1,000 and has the threaded barrel for the attachment.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:14 pm

SPARTANS!!!!!

by **Orenthal** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:13 pm

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:
Orenthal wrote:Why don't I?

I'm pretty sure they're illegal unless you go fill out a pile of ATF paperwork and wait about 6 months.

But I think the USP Tactical .45 is about $1,500 gun and suppressor. The gun alone is about $1,000 and has the threaded barrel for the attachment.

Yum.

by **hiko** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:51 pm

JJN wrote:Just started:

My second favorite book after One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest.

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