Whatcha reading?

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Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
20 Oct 2019, 3:08pm
Silent Majority wrote:
20 Oct 2019, 2:27pm
70) The World that Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square - Ned Sublette. Kindle. A good history of the city, essential ground work for any kind of an understanding of it. It can't help but be a bit about music which suits my purposes down to the ground. The author is properly disgusted by parts that one should be disgusted by and moved when I would be. Written as Katrina was ongoing, I didn't need the flashes to his own time but how could that not inform the work?
When I was an undergrad, taking a seminar on post-Civil War America, we were assigned a book called Storyville (don't recall the author; Rose?) that dealt with the fascinating open space in New Orleans where transgressive music, race mixing, and sexual dalliance was the norm. Those spaces where the rules aren't enforced reveal the socio-cultural itches. Once America validated hedonism post-60s, New Orleans lost a lot of lustre.
As per this book, it was the coming of the Americans which triggered much of the move away from libidinous libertinism towards the normative Victorian morality. And before Jim Crow and the Civil War, there was a space for a half decent life for black people who weren't enslaved.
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2019, 8:13am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
20 Oct 2019, 3:08pm
Silent Majority wrote:
20 Oct 2019, 2:27pm
70) The World that Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square - Ned Sublette. Kindle. A good history of the city, essential ground work for any kind of an understanding of it. It can't help but be a bit about music which suits my purposes down to the ground. The author is properly disgusted by parts that one should be disgusted by and moved when I would be. Written as Katrina was ongoing, I didn't need the flashes to his own time but how could that not inform the work?
When I was an undergrad, taking a seminar on post-Civil War America, we were assigned a book called Storyville (don't recall the author; Rose?) that dealt with the fascinating open space in New Orleans where transgressive music, race mixing, and sexual dalliance was the norm. Those spaces where the rules aren't enforced reveal the socio-cultural itches. Once America validated hedonism post-60s, New Orleans lost a lot of lustre.
As per this book, it was the coming of the Americans which triggered much of the move away from libidinous libertinism towards the normative Victorian morality. And before Jim Crow and the Civil War, there was a space for a half decent life for black people who weren't enslaved.
Cities lent themselves toward greyer areas of morality and freedom/slavery. Harder to police behaviour and port cities had far more mixing of residents and travelers. It's no accident that the slave South didn't really develop many cities (certainly relative to the North) because of the deep interconnectedness of the social/labour system and the economy. City residents were often regarded with suspicion that they were the weak link in terms of Southern unity w/r/t slavery. It's rather fascinating stuff when you consider the permutations of space and person and citizenship.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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71) You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman by Mike Thomas. Audiobook. A bit cheap and nasty, really, with redeeming features coming from Hartman being a decent guy and a shallow inside scoop on some of his more famous moments. But there's little of that, the writer seems to be racing through his roles in the Simpsons and his movie career to get the to the conclusion. The reason for the book's existence seems to be his brutal murder, which is dwelt on at the expense of his fantastic creative work. There's a lurid, true crime focus on the event that's very tabloid. Avoid.
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2019, 12:59pm
71) You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman by Mike Thomas. Audiobook. A bit cheap and nasty, really, with redeeming features coming from Hartman being a decent guy and a shallow inside scoop on some of his more famous moments. But there's little of that, the writer seems to be racing through his roles in the Simpsons and his movie career to get the to the conclusion. The reason for the book's existence seems to be his brutal murder, which is dwelt on at the expense of his fantastic creative work. There's a lurid, true crime focus on the event that's very tabloid. Avoid.
My love for Phil Hartman's work and the horrible tragedy of his death are such that I'm not sure I could ever read or listen to a book about him. I prefer to remember him as this perfect comedic artist who had no private existence.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2019, 1:44pm
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2019, 12:59pm
71) You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman by Mike Thomas. Audiobook. A bit cheap and nasty, really, with redeeming features coming from Hartman being a decent guy and a shallow inside scoop on some of his more famous moments. But there's little of that, the writer seems to be racing through his roles in the Simpsons and his movie career to get the to the conclusion. The reason for the book's existence seems to be his brutal murder, which is dwelt on at the expense of his fantastic creative work. There's a lurid, true crime focus on the event that's very tabloid. Avoid.
My love for Phil Hartman's work and the horrible tragedy of his death are such that I'm not sure I could ever read or listen to a book about him. I prefer to remember him as this perfect comedic artist who had no private existence.
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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101Walterton wrote:
20 Oct 2019, 11:58pm
WestwayKid wrote:
11 Oct 2019, 12:16pm
JennyB wrote:
11 Oct 2019, 11:42am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
11 Oct 2019, 11:34am
JennyB wrote:
11 Oct 2019, 11:29am


My nana didn't share any of her stories from Vienna before she escaped with my mom or uncles. She shared them with me only a couple of years before she died. I think that it's probably pretty common that people don't share those traumatic experiences with their own children.
Yeah, that does seem fairly common. Not wishing to be vulnerable to them? Not burden them? In my dad's case, what he experienced wasn't bad at all. The most dangerous thing was when we was stringing cable in the middle of the night and an Australian soldier snuck up and placed a knife at his throat and told him to be more aware of his surroundings. But otherwise, my dad's experiences were mostly humdrum. Yet all his kids only heard these things via others.
It's so interesting.
My great-uncle saw quite a bit of action in Europe during WW2...but he rarely spoke about it. He lived a long seemingly happy life, but the war was just something he never discussed. My grandfathers also never talked about it. My maternal grandfather was a B-25 mechanic and never left the States. My paternal grandfather served on a destroyer escort in the North Atlantic. He died when I was relatively young, but my dad has said he never really talked about his experiences.
My Grandad drove a tank through North Africa, Egypt into Sicily and Italy. He never told me anything about it other than his tank but sadly he died when I was 12 so not really old enough to ask.
He and my Nan hardly spoke after he got back and wasn’t close to my Dad or Aunt. Clearly had some form of PTSD.
My Grandfathers didn't serve in WW2. One was still too young and the other worked in an aircraft factory. I did have several great (grand?) uncles that served.

One was in North Africa. Then on to Italy and Omaha Beach and liberated a concentration camp at the end of the war. He wouldn't talk about anything after Italy. Only from other family members did I find out about D-Day and the concentration camp. You couldn't get him to stop talking about eating mule in North Africa when supplies were low though.

Another joined the Army before our entry into the war and after Pearl Harbor was instructed he would remain in the Army "for ten years or the duration of hostilities". He didn't like to talk about it either. He told me once though when I noticed his case of medals. He fought in the Aleutian Islands ("too damn cold") and the Philippines ("too damn hot"). In the Philippines he took a Japanese machine gun best and was burned badly by a flame thrower. He earned a Bronze Star for it. Which says a lot about the scale of the conflict. That kind of shit would definitely get you a Medal of Honor (Our Victoria Cross equivalent) today.
I'm so punk, I don't even take my leather jacket off when it catches fire. Which it does frequently, because of how fucking punk I am.

101Walterton
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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My other Grandad worked at the Morris car factory in Oxford. When war broke out they made Spitfires and ammunition. His claim to fame was designing a part fitted to the Spitfire (probably the cigarette holder).

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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The maternal grandfather of a childhood friend was a German draftee who surrendered at first opportunity and was sent to a POW camp in Canada. He found he was treated so well that after the war he applied to stay permanently.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Whatcha reading?

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71185289_652889795204751_4811312971609276416_n.jpg
Saw this at the local used book store!
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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WestwayKid wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 11:59am
71185289_652889795204751_4811312971609276416_n.jpg

Saw this at the local used book store!
Mr. Westway, you're trying to seduce me. :shifty:

It's okay. Probably captures what an intense weirdo Gira is, but it's more fawning overall than I cared for.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 12:04pm
WestwayKid wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 11:59am
71185289_652889795204751_4811312971609276416_n.jpg

Saw this at the local used book store!
Mr. Westway, you're trying to seduce me. :shifty:

It's okay. Probably captures what an intense weirdo Gira is, but it's more fawning overall than I cared for.
I thought it was an interesting find in suburban Milwaukee!
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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WestwayKid wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 1:02pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 12:04pm
WestwayKid wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 11:59am
71185289_652889795204751_4811312971609276416_n.jpg

Saw this at the local used book store!
Mr. Westway, you're trying to seduce me. :shifty:

It's okay. Probably captures what an intense weirdo Gira is, but it's more fawning overall than I cared for.
I thought it was an interesting find in suburban Milwaukee!
People regret their choices all over and try to recoup from their mistakes. :shifty:
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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72) Doctor Who and The Talons of Weng Chiang - Terrace Dicks. Audiobook read by the guy who played either Jago or Lightfoot. A contemporary novelisation from Target books which is a little less racist than the serial it's based on because none of the Chinese people in the book are played by white English men. I have a memory of a dusty version of this sitting in a classroom when I was about eight or nine with no idea of what Dr Who was. It seemed like an ancient book at the time, yellowed and musty smelling, but it would have just been 20 years old at that point. I didn't get past the first chapter then. Finishing it now, there's a good deal to enjoy.
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by tepista »

Silent Majority wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 4:03pm
72) Doctor Who and The Talons of Weng Chiang - Terrace Dicks.
Did everybody Weng Chiang tonight?
We reach the parts other combos cannot reach
We beach the beachheads other armies cannot beach
We speak the tongues other mouths cannot speak

Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

tepista wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 4:12pm
Silent Majority wrote:
22 Oct 2019, 4:03pm
72) Doctor Who and The Talons of Weng Chiang - Terrace Dicks.
Did everybody Weng Chiang tonight?
They did.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

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