Movies, Music, TV, Books, Pop Culture

by **pup** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:09 pm

pup wrote:

Going to give this a run and follow it up with Slaughterhouse Five based on this thread.

I cannot put my finger on it quite yet, but this seems to be a very quick book to read. Not sure if it is the short "chapters" or what, but I usually take time in completing books, and I am 50% through from 4 sittings.

by **hiko** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:00 pm

pup wrote:
pup wrote:

Going to give this a run and follow it up with Slaughterhouse Five based on this thread.

I cannot put my finger on it quite yet, but this seems to be a very quick book to read. Not sure if it is the short "chapters" or what, but I usually take time in completing books, and I am 50% through from 4 sittings.

The books aren't that long, but the real reason is that Vonnegut is such an enjoyable read that the book just flies by.

Slaughterhouse 5 is the best (probably my 2nd favorite book), but Hocus Pocus, Cat's Cradle, Galapagos, Breakfast of Champions, and Welcome To The Monkey House are all great as well.

by **pup** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:56 pm

The page length is definitely a possibility. Reading on the kindle has somewhat taken away my perspective. I know read by percentage of book rather than page x of y.

And the flow and style of the writing obviously helps. So far I am very pleased with the choice.

by **e0y2e3** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 3:25 pm

Kind of weird you are reading Vonnegut right now, I just started rereading his works a couple of weeks ago.

by **Orenthal** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:05 pm

Orenthal wrote:

Just about finished and on to Woodward's Obama's Wars. Bergen's book gives a great historical record and is written well enough to keep the words flowing, even if there is an obvious liberal slant. Bergen spends the first couple chapters giving a contemporary history of Al-Qaeda and OBL. Still think Gibbons in Decline and Fall gives the full perspective on the rise of Islam and jihad that was lacking from our intelligence agencies prior to 9-11. There may have been a handful of people sounding the alarm on the threat, and none were taken very seriously. The intel product was also highly flawed, but that's another matter.

by **pup** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 5:32 pm

e0y2e3 wrote:Kind of weird you are reading Vonnegut right now, I just started rereading his works a couple of weeks ago.

I am in your head and you don't even know it :nanner:

Which is your favorite?

by **e0y2e3** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:30 am

This: http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html

by **motherscratcher** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:17 pm

e0y2e3 wrote:This: http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html

This is great. I'd not read it before. The most impressive thing to me is that Vonnegut somehow wrote a story about CDT way back in 1961.

by **e0y2e3** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:19 pm

I read it at least six times during the NBA lockout to remind myself how shitty parity and competitive balance are.

by **hiko** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 2:50 pm

e0y2e3 wrote:I read it at least six times during the NBA lockout to remind myself how shitty parity and competitive balance are.

I read it seven times to remind myself how shitty the NBA is.

:hide:

Sorry, Lee, couldn't resist.

by **bookelly** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 10:07 pm

REAMDE - Neal Stephenson. If anybody wants a 1000 page mindfuck...check this out.

by **Orenthal** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:19 pm

by **motherscratcher** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 6:05 pm

bookelly wrote:REAMDE - Neal Stephenson. If anybody wants a 1000 page mindfuck...check this out.

Can you expound?

by **LakeErieWarriors** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 10:00 pm

The Pillars of the Earth by Kenneth Follett--- Great book, Canadian channel made miniseries out of.
Winds of War/War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk--- Epic WWII novel(s) was supposed to be one huge book, but ended up being 2. 900ish and 1400ish pages respectively.

by **JJN** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:03 pm

Neal Stephenson is great. Cryptonomicon is one of the best books I've read in the last few years.

Recently I've been reading the Traders series by Nathan Lowell. Average people in everyday situations, but somehow it is fascinating.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:57 am

LakeErieWarriors wrote:The Pillars of the Earth by Kenneth Follett--- Great book, Canadian channel made miniseries out of.
Winds of War/War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk--- Epic WWII novel(s) was supposed to be one huge book, but ended up being 2. 900ish and 1400ish pages respectively.

The TV series was pretty good.

by **LakeErieWarriors** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:01 am

Heard the series was good too, but the book is GREAT. Definitely in my top 5 of all time. Great conflicts, extensive character development, and a smooth literary style that will keep you intrigued. Can't go wrong.

by **motherscratcher** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:10 pm

e0y2e3 wrote:I'm not asking for that much, just at least Eugenides.

If you are going to read fiction it should be good.

Peek's thread reminded me of this.

I promised e0y that I'd read Middlesex.

I did. It was excellent.

by **swerb** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 6:38 pm

Sweet website for keeping track of what ya read, what ya wanna read, and how you liked it all:

www.goodreads.com

by **motherscratcher** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 6:40 pm

swerb wrote:Sweet website for keeping track of what ya read, what ya wanna read, and how you liked it all:

http://www.goodreads.com

I have an account there but haven't looked into it too much as of yet.

by **swerb** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:50 pm

motherscratcher wrote:
swerb wrote:Sweet website for keeping track of what ya read, what ya wanna read, and how you liked it all:

http://www.goodreads.com

I have an account there but haven't looked into it too much as of yet.

I like that you can keep track of everything you've read. Then based on what you like, it recommends new shit.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 5:11 pm

They've also got a huge quotes section.

by **JJN** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:26 pm

I haven't seen much mindfuckery yet, but the first 100 pages were really enjoyable. Had to prevent myself from laughing out loud a few times as I was reading it in public.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:02 pm

I really like this book, but my biggest gripe is they use Roman sources to validate their own views and then in other cases dismiss the same sources when it's contradictory to their views.

But it's a great view of the other side. Celts, Germans, Persians, Goths, Huns, and Vandals.

by **LakeErieWarriors** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:22 pm

The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk WWII novels never really get old for this guy.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 7:34 pm

Just got this.

by **LakeErieWarriors** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 7:59 pm

JJN wrote:

I haven't seen much mindfuckery yet, but the first 100 pages were really enjoyable. Had to prevent myself from laughing out loud a few times as I was reading it in public.

What's the verdict on this? I'm in the market for a new book.

by **JJN** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 4:08 pm

LakeErieWarriors wrote:
JJN wrote:

I haven't seen much mindfuckery yet, but the first 100 pages were really enjoyable. Had to prevent myself from laughing out loud a few times as I was reading it in public.

What's the verdict on this? I'm in the market for a new book.

Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. I really enjoyed it. Stephenson is an exceptionally skilled writer. Be prepared for a slog, because it clocks in at about 1050 pages.

Just finished another exceptional book too:

Currently about half-way through:

It is very good.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:41 pm

by **Orenthal** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:51 am

^Shoulda killed Thomas Paine.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:17 pm

Thomas Paine is the man. It's embarrassment that he doesn't have a monument in DC. But I guess he's just too radical. Maybe if he had been a slave owning child rapist like Jefferson, then he could get at least a statue.

We could use a Thomas Paine nowadays, someone to wake us all up.

by **Orenthal** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:13 pm

Yeah how he survived the terror is a testament to good timing and luck. Typical of the truth seeker Paine didn't understand how to accept partial victory and a cushy status quo.

Better be careful that sounds almost verbatim Beck.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:03 pm

I always pegged Beck for more of a Marat guy myself.

by **peeker643** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:09 pm

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:We could use a Thomas Paine nowadays, someone to wake us all up.

That's e0y2e3 in a nutshell.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:22 pm

peeker643 wrote:
Cerebral_DownTime wrote:We could use a Thomas Paine nowadays, someone to wake us all up.

That's e0y2e3 in a nutshell.

You should have your internet cut off for life.

Yukyuk couldn't carry Paine's pantaloons.

by **Orenthal** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:24 pm

This may or may not be in this thread. Read it awhile back good Paine bio.

by **Cerebral_DownTime** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:55 pm

And written by the lead in TV's Coach. He was also great in Poltergeist.

by **Orenthal** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:00 pm

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:And written by the lead in TV's Coach. He was also great in Poltergeist.

T.

Craig T Nelson!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247087/

Couldn't save that one though...

by **Mouse** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:09 pm

I'm reading lord of the flies by William Golding and how the steel was tempered by Nikolai Ostrovsky

by **JabbaTheMutt** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 8:56 am

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:So what are the resident bookworms reading?

Just got my copy of Shadow Factory by James Bamford I havent read it yet but my friends tell me its great. It brings to light the NSA and their illegal spying on Americans including US soliders and aid workers overseas. Apparently the 4th Amendment means nothing anymore.

I just came across this recent Bamford article about NSA's new computer center in Utah. You may find it interesting. I sure did.

http://digg.com/newsbar/topnews/the_nsa_is_building_the_country_s_biggest_spy_center

Also, I recently read this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0076QVQLI/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title about our special operations capabilities. It reminded me of the Bamford stuff in that it talks more about capabilities and structure more than specific operations. I found it very interesting and it was cheap.

by **e0y2e3** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:45 am

by **peeker643** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:51 am

e0y2e3 wrote:!

Same outfit that pushes E_Horsey Books? ;-) ;) :wink:

by **e0y2e3** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:53 am

No, Jabba's an old, drunk, ninja Browns fan type.

by **JabbaTheMutt** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:06 am

Drunk? Not yet. ;-)

I tried to find your site last night, e0y2e3, to see if my browser still had issues with it. I searched on 'cleveland browns forum e0y2e3' but Scout and this place were the only returns. Maybe I should have searched on 'cavaliers' instead. :shrug

by **e0y2e3** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:14 am

Let's see how long it takes you to figure out how to get a PM here.

by **olecowboy** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:36 pm

You can get PM's here?

by **e0y2e3** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:51 pm

!!! the median age of this thread has jumped by at least thirty years in a single day!

by **JabbaTheMutt** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 2:22 pm

I noticed the improvement as well.

eta - ;-) ;) :wink:

by **FUDU** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 2:48 pm

Ha, I can tell you to GFY here Jabba, with no recourse!

Welcome.

by **Orenthal** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:49 pm

JabbaTheMutt wrote:I noticed the improvement as well.

eta -

Possibly even more rational too!

Course not due to OC. He just makes it more entertaining and...

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