You Can Find Anything On The Intertubes September 30, 2007
Posted by Michael in Philosophy.comments closed
I know what you are thinking.
You are thinking: “No, Michael, you are wrong. You can’t find anything. ”
“For example,” you are thinking, “you could not find a site dedicated to something ridiculously obscure, like, say, oh I don’t know, lemme think of something, OK I got it — Australian pottery since the 1960s.”
YOU WOULD BE WRONG!
In the thread below, feel free to post your own link to an incredibly specialized website.
[Unless you are Retired Geezer, because nobody really cares about feral cats or sprinkler systems.]
Causing a Hullabaloo September 30, 2007
Posted by daveintexas in Crime, Women Ranting.comments closed
The Epiphonic Experience September 30, 2007
Posted by Michael in Religion.comments closed
It’s Sunday. Time to put some religion to you heathens.
Many of you know that I am Lutheran, so I thought I would share with you what our typical Sunday morning service is like.
This post is the result of See-Dubya’s inspired sermonizing in a thread below.
This Bear Is In Trouble September 30, 2007
Posted by Michael in News.comments closed
How did he get there?
I think he probably tried to commit suicide when his team lost to Appalachia State, and then he lost his nerve.
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the great photos and story of the bear stuck under the Rainbow Bridge, and his successful rescue, at Blog Idaho.
It Made Me Weep September 30, 2007
Posted by Retired Geezer in Religion.comments closed
Yeah, I’m a soft-hearted soul. Bite me.
Put aside your petty predjudice against Country music and give this a try.
It features the creamy goodness of the voice of Alison Krauss.
Who plays the Soldier? You all know him.
And who is the dude that plays the Preacher? What perfect casting.
Discussion Thread for Point of Impact – October Book September 30, 2007
Posted by Retired Geezer in Man Laws.comments closed
Greetings Funseekers, we have a kick-ass book for you to read this month.
This book was one of the first books I read by Stephen Hunter. I didn’t think I would like it at first but after the second chapter I was hooked. It’s the first book in the series about Bob the Nailer, a Vietnam era sniper, who retired with without the Medal of Honor (which he richly deserved) back to his home in Arkansas. It’s probably one of the most exciting books I’ve read. There are probably 5 books in the series, which covers Bob and his father’s lives. The books were not written in a chronological order but they all tie together. I would like to go back and re-read them in order someday, just like I did with the Narnia books.
There are Good Guys, Bad Guys, Terrorists and Lawyers, but I repeat myself. These books have it all; great characters, believable dialog, interesting plots and satisfying conclusions.
Ladies, don’t fear you will be overwhelmed with Testosterone, Mrs. Geezer truly enjoyed the book and she doesn’t normally read novels. After we both read it, we listened to it on Books-on-CD, driving to Vegas.
I know some of you are saying, “But Geezer, I saw the movie made from the book and verily it sucketh”.
The movie sucked? No, Duhh… or in Español “Si, no”.
Give it a shot and you might end up like me, unable to pass up any of Stephen Hunter’s books.
Julia Says September 30, 2007
Posted by Michael in Music.comments closed
OK, I guess tonight is odd video night.
Our latest offering comes from Andy of The World Wide Rant.
He is also a nice guy with some really cute kids. Plus, he had a couple of beers with me in Denver.
Andy’s video suggestion:
Christmas Is All Around You September 30, 2007
Posted by Michael in Music.comments closed
It’s only September, but let’s start the Christmas season.
Thanks to Cathy for this video.
bortaS bIr jablu’DI’ reH QaQqu’ nay’ September 30, 2007
Posted by Mrs. Peel in Crime, Economics, Food, Heroes, Humor, Man Laws, Philosophy, Sports, Women Ranting.Tags: Handblogging, sideways - with a pineapple, Taking a joke waaay too far
comments closed
*ahem*
(fyi, the title of this post is a reference to the fact that I wouldn’t have said a word if not for a certain individual’s unpleasant remarks last week. Never let it be said that I am capable of rising above petty carping and oneupmanship.)
Love is All Around You September 29, 2007
Posted by Michael in Music.comments closed
Another astounding find by Bart.
The Troggs.
I sorta hate to link Bart, but all I can say is, “It’s written on the wind . . . ”
A Little of This, A Little of That September 29, 2007
Posted by BrewFan in History, Personal Experiences, Science.comments closed
I know you’ve been wondering what your ol’ pal BrewFan has been up to so let me fill you in. Mrs. BrewFan and I went to a fantastic concert Friday night put on by Steve and Annie Chapman. They are far and away my favorite Christian artists.
The Wisconsin Badgers took care of one Michigan team today and will take care of the other one November 10th. On Wisconsin!
Congrats to the Cubbies. For a while there it was like nobody wanted to win the NL Central. For the record I hate Tony LaRussa with a brilliant white-hot seething passion. I’m still happy with the Brew Crew though. They posted their first winning season in 15 years and the future is bright. 9 players on that team are 25 years old or younger and a strong case could be made that Prince Fielder should be MVP and Ryan Braun Rookie of the Year.
The Pack is Back, baby! Tomorrow we go to the land of lutefisk and icebacks to kick some purple ass.
Life is good.
UPDATE: UT lost to Dorothy and Toto’s School for Wayward Girls! Nice one Longhorns!
Michael’s Review of Bernard Malamud’s “The Fixer” September 29, 2007
Posted by Michael in Literature.comments closed
I put this in the appropriate comment thread, but then decided to put it on the main page, because the thread is sorta dead. I finished this book late, but at least I got it done by the end of the month.
My overall review: B-
The book was alternately absorbing and tedious. I didn’t mind the tedious parts, because I *got* that I had to immerse myself in the suffering of Yakov in order to *get* the point of the book.
So, I made it to the end of book, and then it became clear that the (increasingly obvious) point of this absorbing story was tired leftist screed. It started when the lawyer Ostrovsky showed up at the prison to give Yakov a primer on pre-revolutionary Russian history and current politics. Russia was sick, it had a systemic need to oppress minorities, especially the Jews, but it was trying to liberalize through socialism, etc. All pretty superficial.
It ended with Yakov’s climactic imagined conversation with Tsar Nicholas in the iron prison carriage, culminating with the fantasized assassination of Nicholas by Yakov, who is persistently identified as a resolute “free-thinker.” In context, this means “socialist.” To me, this conversation with Nicholas was a shallow socialist cartoon. The end of the book was merely an apologia for the Russian Revolution and the horrific misery which ensued under Stalin, along with the murder of Nicholas.
In the process, we got a superficial treatment of Russian history, and of the complex character of Nicholas at a very difficult time in Russian history, about which I have read elsewhere. There was an absurd emphasis on his hemophiliac son, and nowhere near an adequate appreciation of the dynamic of the Romanov dynasty that squelched his liberal impulses.
I liked the way the book ended, with no hint as to the fate of Yakov. It struck me as fitting that Malamud did not tell us, because Yakov’s fate was beside the point.
I would have assumed that he died in Siberia, and was gratified to learn from Skinbad in Comment #45 of the Discussion Thread for The Fixer that Yakov was based on a real historical character who become a cause celebre in Europe.
Bottom line: This book won a Pulitzer Prize because of its socialist politics. It was well written, but not that well. The novelty of the writing was mostly Jewish Shtick, and you can get much better versions of that in Philip Roth’s “Portnoy’s Complaint” or Chaim Potok’s “The Chosen”.
Innocent Bystanders 