Another GOP Tantrum

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but insane sputtering twits from Red State make me laugh.

That graphic just never gets old.

And as I’ve learned in the past day or so, “#tcot” is twitterz for “Top Conservatives on Twitter”. The number sign helps you search for related twits tweets.

Goat fucking child molester stepping down from SCOTUS? I didn’t hear about Scalia’s announcement.

@SanFranLefty: Souter should get together with Mickey Kaus, who apparently blows goats.

@homofascist: It’s like the picture of the Santorum family on Election Night 2006 – the gift that keeps on giving and never fails to make me smile.

Somewhat of a TJ:

Hey you Stinquers – Cynica and I were talking about creating a monthly virtual book club for us – we can vote on nominated book titles (with a cap on science fiction and conspiracy theory books), take a few weeks to read them, and then discuss on a thread (hopefully with bottle of wine by everyone’s side).

Would any of you be interested? If it’s just me and Cynica, we could spare all of you that joy.

None of my IRL book clubs have ever worked out. Breeders apparently don’t read once they pop out a child. And my single/ghey book clubs always stop reading books and become drinking clubs. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

@SanFranLefty: This is a terrific idea. I’m in.

@SanFranLefty: This could work, assuming it doesn’t interfere with my other book club.

@Dodgerblue: My book selections will make you gag. Latest reading is a treatise on financial fraud by a former S and L regulator. Is way inside baseball stuff OK?

@SanFranLefty: Jonathan Alter on Keef reminds me that I’ve been meaning to read The Dark Side for a long time, though it might be a bit heavy for our purposes.

@SanFranLefty:
But I thought the first rule of book club is not to talk about book club?

I’m in.

@SanFranLefty: Sure. I’m in the middle of The 8. Meh. Too melodramatic and you-are-thereish. After that comes Les Miserables. By all means think of some titles. I won’t read sci-fi or mysteries: life is too short. We could each suggest a few books and vote? unless you have something already in mind.

Oh, and I’m about at the limit for anything about the Bush years. The trouble with them all is that they are all such completely trivial people. Once that has been understood nothing they do can be a surprise.

I am SO in!

I’m in on the book club idea.

I just saw laura ingrateham on the teevee complaining about ppl making remarks about Miss Calif’s looks. isn’t this the chick who called Meghan McCain fat a couple of wks ago?

@blogenfreude: I saw you threaten me on that other thread…

Yeaaa! We can try this for at least a month or so. If nothing else we can generate some Stinque-income with the Amazon kickback linque. If people have suggestions, send me a message on FB or for the non-FBers at sanfranlefty [at] gmail. I’ll compile them to start the discussion and the vote – I think Nojo was thinking of posting Stinque Book Club on Sunday.

@Benedick: Yeah, I agree no more Bush era books.

@FlyingChainSaw: It might be good for you to read something not so inside-baseballish. I have to remind myself that I don’t need to read books in the evening about what I do all day.

@SanFranLefty: Will the club be discussing books about zombies? I ask because nojo has really raised my standards when it comes to literature.

Are you leaning toward a specific genre or is it wide open? My reading tends to be completely random: currently reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces and The Naval History of the Civil War with Things Fall Apart waiting in the wings.

I’ve only belonged to one book club in my life. I always read the books and I would never participate in the discussion. That was in 1964 and I was in the eighth grade.

@FlyingChainSaw: Yes, works for me. I’ve read The Physics of Baseball, but don’t think I’ll recommend it here. Yes, curve balls really curve — just try to hit one. I’m reading The Piano Tuner now for my “real” book club, and started Bleak House for fun because I liked the BBC adaptation so much.

@SanFranLefty: I would be so so so interested in a book club, girl. Give me my homework.

@SanFranLefty: And the McCain as stumbling zombie exiting stage (right?) pic, I saw that again recently after many months of not thinking about it and I still got the giggles.

@SanFranLefty: No Sci-Fi or conspiracy theories? I’m not sure I can get on this train unless you’re considering earnest discussions of cheap–and kinky–gay porn and/or dry but fascinating historical tomes like my current standby, Empires of the Monsoon, a History of the Indian Ocean and its Invaders by Richard Hall. Or something equally intriguing by John Julius Norwich, for instance. (If nothing else, read the part about the way La Serenissima elected its Doges. Good Times!)

I think you’ll find an unusual variety of reading topics in this diverse group.

My most recent non-work-related reads:

1. God’s Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre, by Richard Grant.
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.
3. Farewell, My Subaru, by Doug Fine
4. Gentlemen of the Road, by Michael Chabon
5. The Sex Lives of Cannibals, by J. Maarten Troost

Here is my proposal for book selection, modeled after a Dodger ticket consortium that I used to be in. SFL and Cynica propose 2 or 3 books and put them out here for a 1-week comment period. They consider, or ignore, the comments as they see fit, and pick a book. There is no appeal from their selection, and no whining about it. Then we have 3 weeks or so to read the book, maybe 4, then a 1-week comment period. Repeat.

@Dodgerblue: I like that. As long as kinky gay porn (including f-on-f) and/or sci-fi is at least considered among the contenders.

(The ick factor could make for some interesting discussion, yes?)

I know I’m in no position to make demands. I’m a book whore and I’ll read whatever y’all tell me to.

@SanFranLefty: Count me in.

I don’t read much fiction, so I’m pretty much out of the book club. Right now I’m plowing through a history of the Anglo-American created states in the Middle East post WWII (or was until work got absolutely crazy so that I’m on Westlaw until midnight), the Wanted graphic novel and the Gun Digest books on the AK, SKS and other rifles of that sort.

I’m also working on the yard at my mother in law’s (which we own), and have made a pair of moccasins for Son of RML and am working on another tonight. We have “work”, “nice ceremonial”, “beater ceremonial” and “hunting” models that we wear for different purposes. That’s what I was doing tonight after going to the school art show and taking him and a friend to the carnival at the mall despite being deader than fuck.

/ metallica just came on vh1’s metal mania show – For Whom the Bells Toll – later!

Would Margaret Atwood’s works be considered sci-fi? ‘Cause I really like everything I’ve read of hers, and some of them are kind of sci-fi-ish.

@redmanlaw: This is why I choose not to participate in parenthood. Though I know it has its rewards. Taking care of my doggie is enough responsibility for me, thanks. Anyway I’m not worthy when it comes to caring for a human being. Doggie is already staring daggers at me for not constantly rubbing his tummy.

RML, you have my utmost admiration.

@Pedonator: Back in the 80s I would not have brought a child in the world. But when you start naming kids on the 2d date (we we early 30s oldsters at the time), you know you’re gonna walk the line, just as you saw it done wid yr own parents.

Thanks for the terraist fist bump, bro. I also admire what JNOV is doing on her own. But really, reproduction should be licensed and regulated, Biology is a poor way to introduce children into this world.

I have a very hard time reading fiction — my personal interest wanes after Sometimes a Great Notion. Back when I was devouring books, it was predominantly history, biography, and essays.

Then again, I have to fess up to Harry Potter. But only for the allegory, mind you.

Then again, I have to fess up to Harry Potter. But only for the allegory, mind you. Right.

I think it’s a great pity we all don’t read more fiction. I include myself. I’m trying to read more of it having become exhausted by non. I went through a couple of years reading everything Virago published – back when it was doing its thing by publishing women whose books had fallen out of print. Personally I loathe Bloomsbury and everything connected with it. Ditto Algonquin. I read libraries of sci-fi at one time. I could read it again. I read The Road. Very well imagined apart from the uplift at the end. The only time I don’t read is when I’m working. Which is what I’m going to go and do now.

I’m up for a book club, although the IRL varieties make me think of women and doilies and weak coffee and maybe a shot or two of sherry to make it through the suburban blahs. Plus I’m not much of a “joiner”.

I love fiction. Right now I’m reading T.C. Boyle’s latest, “The Women”, about Frank Lloyd Wright’s various amores. Unsurprisingly, it starts out with a Japanese narrator – Boyle has a fascination (fixation?) with things Japanese.

So, to disabuse Lefty of the notion that Breeders ain’t Readers, not true!. We just don’t have as much time for it; I’m lucky if I get 30 minutes of book reading in at night before falling asleep. One of my many joys of parenting is watching my kids become early and strong readers; Jr. read all Harry Potter books before he turned 7 (I only read the first, out loud, to him), and routinely checks five or more books out of the public library.

@redmanlaw: A Peace to End All Peace? Froomkin? Good book. Essential reading for our time. Pissed off everyone.

@Benedick: I bought a ton of Virago books in London when they were doing that. I’m pretty much with you on Bloomsbury, though I did love Mrs. Dalloway and Eminent Victorians.
I read fiction and nonfiction, the latter being mostly biographies, essays, history, politics, and gardening. I like the idea of including non-fiction in our choices. My escape/guilty pleasure reading consists of mysteries and true crime. I have never read a Harry Potter book, or seen one of the movies.
@Pedonator: I adore Atwood, and wouldn’t consider the futuristic/sci-fi elements she uses in her books really part of the genre. And I’m willing to read sci-fi (just not a ton of it) because one of the benefits of a book club for me is to get me to read books I’d never pick up otherwise. Sometimes I like the green eggs and ham.
One of my suggestions for our first book is Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. It’s available from Amazon for ~$10, it’s not too long (128 pp.), its magical realism might appeal to sci-fi/fantasy plans, and those who are fluent could read it in the original Spanish.

@Nabisco: That’s what I’m saying. My 6th grader also reads like a fiend.

@Mistress Cynica: Whenever I see a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movie, I say to Son of RML (a) why are there all these old hippies in these movies? (b) Magneto! (c) that dude was great in Die Hard.

@FlyingChainSaw: Kingmakers-The Invention of the Modern Middle East, Meyer and Brysac (2008). Really good read so far. I also have some Chinese book someone loaned me about some cat hiding out from the cultural revolution in the sticks and hangin with the homies there.

@Benedick: I’m hooked on history and politics. I was crushed to hear that Robert Caro is still three years away from putting out his next volume in his life of Lyndon Johnson.

Gonna see the Wolverine movie today, going turkey hunting tomorrow, assuming I can reach the landowner to let him know I’m coming. Plan B – unscouted national forest near a game ranch east of Pecos.

Fiction, nonfiction, it’s all good to me. I tend to read more non-fiction but I am trying to force myself to read fiction and novels. My go-to book when I only have 20-30 minutes to read is any random Sherlock Holmes story picked at random from my complete collection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I love Latin American literature for their subtle skewering of society and government, Cynica’s suggested book is an excellent one.

I like Dodger’s proposed idea for selection process, but I think a week is too long to ruminate. People should get their suggestions in to us by 10 pm Eastern of the 1st Saturday of the month (i.e. tonight), we’ll announce all of the suggestions on a post Sunday morning (i.e. tomorrow), and people will have until noon Eastern on Monday to debate and make their vote (or rank their choices). Then using some top-secret selection process of the finalists, Cynica and I will announce the pick and I’m sure Nojo will make a handy side-bar link to Amazon to buy the book if you don’t have an independent book store to support.

Then the next first Sunday of the month (i.e. June something) we can start it all over again with the selection process as well as having the thread serve as the discussion of the book.

Those of you who never participated, maybe you’ll be less shy on Stinque. And maybe some Stinque lurkers will sign on for this.

How does this sound?

@SanFranLefty: totally want in. Commenting from I phone. Suggest “left hand of darkness” ursula k mcguin. Sci-go but u would love. Luv luv luv to everybody even Benedick. Tommcatt out.

…book club bump so any dissenters to the planned system can weigh in. Since I’m stuck at Denver’s airport, my glorious plan of sifting through suggestions and composing a thread for Nojo are shot to hell, primarily because the free wi-fi at this airport is dodgy at best. It’s kind of funny to see all the delayed Bay Area types on my flight wandering around the hallway holding their MacBooks overhead in hope of getting a signal…

/sfl out – on the floor of DEN

@SanFranLefty:
I’m in! I read 3 books at a time (car, bathroom, desk) and never have anyone to talk with about them except my daughter the librarian.