Its Friday Night And I have Problems with Some of You, And Questions
Mates,
Think of this as a quasi-festivus thing, airing of grievances. First, there is at least one mgoblogger that has apparently not got their camping-mojo in gear, and I am told is going to be sleeping on hard ground in bitter repentance over same. Pfff, what kind of Michigan grad is so ill-prepared? Second, I am tired of all the C-19 threads, stop it already. The world is going to end. Or not. Every generation faces dozens of never-before challenges, maybe we could handle this one better by not going at each other like we were online or actual pinatas. Third, its Friday and its raining up here which makes cutting hay a waste of time. That's not your fault, I'm just complaining.
Now for the questions:
1. What is in your cup/on your plate this evening?
2. Do you have any type of summer trip planned, even in the face of this C-19?
3. You are on a desert island. You get one book (leave bibles/torahs/bhagavad gita, etc out of the picture). What is that book?
4. Air your mid-year festivus grievances.
Summer Weekend is here, get out and enjoy it.
XM
agreed on the covid threads. They are getting stupider and stupider.
1. shake shake seafood shrimp, cajun style but not spicy as my stomach can't take that anymore
2. We were going to my wife's home in the Philippines but C-19 cancelled that. So it's Keys or Hawaii instead
3. Lord of the rings. Box set. Two towers if only one
4. I'm sick of all the Covid 19 posts
good call re: books. the original dune trilogy fits that bill, too.
MY MAN.
Now you are talking quality literature. The spice must flow.
I just finished the original Dune. My goodness, what a great book.
Excellent taste, as expected from xtra,
I also HIGHLY suggest the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (finished by Sanderson after Jordan died), and The Name of The Wind series by Patrick Rothfuss. Its beautifully written. He'll never finish it, but its the best new thing I've read in a decade.
I'm late to the party but mark me down as a HUGE Dune fictionfan. I've read the entire series and the new stuff (not bad) but agree the original trilogy was the excellent and it sort of went downhill from there although still worth reading imo.
I had a college literature class I did a research paper on Dune and juxtaposed the inspiration for the storyline with middle eastern oil (spice) and bedouin arabs (fremen). Got an A of course!
I've read LOTR so many times I think I have it memorized.
I'd go with Wheel of Time box set.
Both excellent choices. I'll add Mary Stewart's Arthurian contribution, and Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogies....all 3 of them.
EDIT: Stephen King, The Stand.....seems appropriate for some reason.
I love the LOTR series, and have read it many times. I have been introducing my kids to authors I liked growing up. RIght now they are working though the Chronicles of Narnia series, and will try the Hobbit next. Anyone have a recommendation for other quality pre teen books?
If anyone is a fan of Tolkien, I would highly recommend Terry Pratchett. I like to think his books as what would be written if Tolkien and Douglas Adams ever wrote a book together. My favorite book by Pratchett is Thud, and I return to read it every few years.
The stuff in that vein that I remember reading as a pre-teen were Piers Anthony (Xanth series of fantasy novels) and Ursula LeGuin (Earthsea Trilogy). Its been a long time since I've read either so you might want to quickly scrub through them - there might be some (minor) sexual references that you may or may not decide are appropriate for your kids.
After that I swtiched from fantasy to mostly sci-fi (Isaac Asimov, etc).
I just re-read the Chronicles of Prydain, as an old-ass man, and they held up incredibly well. Light plot, lots of excellent characterization, strong female characters, lots of little morals and moments of personal growth. Great books for children. Great books, period.
we read a ton of g.a. henty novels and i highly recommend them. they are historical fiction so your kids learn about real stuff and enjoy the stories. the stories themselves span from 1250 b.c. to the 20th century. heroes, adventures, good character training, etc.
here is a link to his titles, with the time period noted for each book:
https://www.robinsonbooks.com/pages/chronological-listing-of-g-a-henty-books
This is a response to borninAA’s selection of Thud as Pratchett’s masterpiece. I would choose Night Watch instead.
Also, someone was asking about good YA books — Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men and Hat Full of Sky are very fine.
- water, rice, and veggies. Blood draw in the AM, gotta present my healthy self.
- camping plus my motorcycling trip every year in Colorado.
-all your book choices are prime cuts, but my first true literary love was Tolkien. Dude could throw down prose. Put me down for The Silmarillion, the distillation of his most profound vision.
- I got no complaints. I’ve been blessed with a good life with love, friends, and a Michigan degree. Stay healthy and practice empathy.
Hawaii has a mandatory 14day quarantine for anyone arriving on the islands. They are working on a plan which allows travelers to show a covid negative test within 3 days prior to arrival to forego the 14 day quarantine which could go into effect August 1st.
Was supposed to leave July 8th. Had to scrap those plans. Aug1 is too late as kids start fall sports camp. Maybe.
I actually took a class at U-M on Tolkien. Does anyone else remember it? I had to read the whole trilogy (probably 5th or 6th time at the time) and other books like Beowulf. Loved it.
That sounds like one hell of a class.
Interesting call on The Two Towers. I read the books several times when I was young. I remember The Two Towers being my least favorite of the three. Why do you prefer it?
1) Chipotle and Disaronno... Guac mode was activated!
2) Was gonna drive up to MI... but with the spike everywhere decided against it.
3) Bleachers by Grisham. Still brings tears to my eyes and I never even played football.
4) Bummed about the exchanging of ideas everywhere now. People are saying things online they would never say to someone’s face. And if you would say some of those things without a reasonable discussion, then I’m even more disappointed.
Official / pulled pork / Mac and cheese
camping and riding the dunes this weekend, very excited to get back to “normal”.
no books... HTTV 2020 would be nice
grievances?!?!?! You’ve seen the board topics and comments lately...
I am that doofus camper who left the blow up mattress in my other vehicle ( borrowing it for the weekend). So I have a beach towel and a Michigan sweatshirt to sleep on. It is figuratively raining cars and dogs as I have to eat takeout Chinese wnd cheap beer in my vehicle. I am going to blame my daughter for this whole mess .... she wouldn’t let me stay in her apartment in Chicago cuz she is taking this pandemic seriously.
could it be that your daughter is just pulling a joke on you? i mean, you aren't exactly living the 'into the wilderness' experience, but she got you good, didn't she.
To answer your questions
1. BBQ pork w/ mixed veggies( should have gone with Szechuan Chicken) and cheap beer
2. Might be going to your neck of the woods for my “big” birthday. ( l was almost a JFK baby)
3. I’ll take my favorite childhood read “ The Wind in the Willows”. I love me some good toad adventures.
4. I guess I have to give the stimulus check for my deceased father-in-law back ... I thought he might cast his write in ballot for our fearless leader but now I guess he’ll vote for Pat Paulson or Ralph Nader.
you better get hold of me if you do come up here.
1. I am choking down the homebrew IPA of mine that has too much sediment in it, then cracking an all-day ipa
2. Bachelor party for a Sparty friend in Charleston in August, preceded by a camping trip with my parents, wife, and sister to Jensen Lake,MI
3. The Shining
4. Stop trying to speak a cancelled football season into existence, Brian and Ace. Basketball is half as fun and 1/10 as rewarding when we win. No, it can never supplant football as our favorite sport.
Basketball is thrice as fun and 10x as rewarding as football... you know, cuz basketball has had success in the last decade.
KBC Widowmaker, Fish Fry. 3 pieces of Beer Battered Haddock, potato salad and cole slaw
Living in the UP is a vacation onto itself
David Copperfield
I am sick of politics.
love the UP. the homeland.
First time I had haddock, say that 3 times fast, was in Boston at The Clam Box. Has a nice patio with a view of the water. Great haddock, shrimp and scallops there.
Where do you live that you can think a Summer trip is possible? 125,000 people are dead. This blog sucks (negbang me)!
Why would a summer trip not be possible? Wake up out of your coma and live life! I have been out of town every week for the last 6 weeks - either up North or to Indiana and now the East coast. Stop watching cable news and go out and do something!
I'm really surprised we're having another spike right now.
Was going back to Australia and New Zealand. Can’t go as they’re not letting people in. Indiana doesn’t quite have the same appeal. ?
Summertime Indiana just hits different.
1. Oberon and Zweigle's white hots on the grill
2. Um, I was supposed to be at Disney World next weekend.
3. The Red and the Black, Stendahl
4. I don't really have any grievances, per se.
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-taliban-money-kill-us-troops-afghanistan-2020-6
Might be time for a new schtick, comrade.
Fake news.
The Pres must have thought so, since he hasn't done anything about it. And Fox isn't reporting it at all.
Even with the record shattering Covid cases every day, this is a huge story.
Politics in a drinking thread?
Shame.
Nothing beats a Zweigle's white hot. Goodtimes.
Stendahl fucks, excellent choice.
1. Green Zebra
2. Mackinac Island and the U.P. with Helen for our anniversary
3. Some sort of survival guide
4. Politics are everywhere and it's exhausting.
XM, you are the life blood of this blog!!
Sipping on a variety of bourbons listening to it rain.
No trips planned yet....
Desert or deserted island????
No grievance here.
GO BLUE!!!!!
Book: Physician's Desk Reference. Hollowed out. Inside: waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket and, in case I get bored, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
No! "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban“.
Tell me more about the beet seeds
1. steak on the grill. Mashed potatoes. Steamed Broccoli.
2. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I'm usually in Quetico Provincial Park..but the border thing.
3. Woulda gone with LOTR. How about, C.J. Cherryh's Morgaine Saga.
4. Sick of politics and viruses.
Boundary Waters is an amazing area. Have your canoe sail ready to rig.
two paddles and your rain fly = canoe sail.