On the seventh day of Gheorghemas, Big Gheorghe gave to me
Seven Books For Reading
Six Footie Jerseys
Five musicians from San Antonio known as the Sir Douglas Quintet
A four-part Japanese life strategy (as told by our man in the OBX)
Three 80's Baseball Sports Looks
Too Many Entries
and a Cameo That Will Go Down in History
Five musicians from San Antonio known as the Sir Douglas Quintet
A four-part Japanese life strategy (as told by our man in the OBX)
Three 80's Baseball Sports Looks
Too Many Entries
and a Cameo That Will Go Down in History
Lately, I've been trying to stay off screens in my free time, since I'm spending my days teaching virtual high school. By the end of the day, my eyes are tired, so I'm working on my core. Core exercises are TOUGH. Remember when working out was just benching and lat pulls, along with a few sit-ups and a couple of curls? Those days are long gone. Try this:
But I'm still reading plenty of books, either on paper of my Kindle Paperwhite (which has a nice albedo . . . it's not harsh like a screen). The pandemic has been good for reading. I've already read 51 books this year (including Tom Jones, which is a monstrous tome).
Here are seven good ones.
NUMBER ONE . . . Deacon King Kong by James McBride.
The story begins with a bang-- in the first sentence Sportcoat-- the old drunk church deacon, walks up to a young heroin dealer (who he coached as a child) and shoots him in the ear . . . but really the book begins with the mystery of Sportcoat's friend Hot Sausage and the free cheese. A must read.
NUMBER TWO . . . Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein
This is my non-fiction choice of the year. I learned so much. The takeaway: stop wasting your time following national politics (unless you enjoy it as a hobby . . . like rooting for a football team). If you want to enact change, get off social media and do something locally. If you think the current state of affairs is going to change, you're wrong. It's all identity politics-- the parties have figured it out, they've stacked the identities on top of one another, ballot splitting is rare, folks don't care about policy on the national level, and emotion reigns supreme. National politics is a team sport, dominated by psychological traits that aren't going to be mollified any time soon, so you're just going to get frustrated if you get involved. This might be the last book you read on this topic.
NUMBER THREE . . . The Secret History by Donna Tartt
This Bacchanalian murder mystery set in a college town is way too much fun. You won't put it down.
NUMBER FOUR . . . The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
I read a lot of incredibly dense and difficult sci-fi this year. Kept my mind off the election and the pandemic. I won't bore you with it-- it's for the diehards. This book is breezy and fun sci-fi . . . but also epic. If you want to read another fun and breezy sci-fi book (that's reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut) check out Set My Heart To Five by Simon Stephenson.
NUMBER FIVE . . . Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
Great hard-boiled mystery, but the knight in a powder blue suit is a black dude. You might as well read the trilogy. A Red Death and White Butterfly are the next two.
NUMBER SIX . . . The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Another great mystery . . . but the detective never leaves his hospital bed. Enough said.
NUMBER SEVEN . . . The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
One of the strangest sports books ever written. T.S. Eliot quotations and Zen consciousness tips will help you reach peak performance. I've been playing a shitload of tennis during the pandemic, and this book makes me realize that everything I need to hit the ball better is between my ears.
These are all excellent and fun reads. If you want some hardcore sci-fi recommendations, just ask. Add your 2020 favorites in the comments.
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52 comments:
Lat pulls!!!
I want to be able to read again. I am 100 pgs into Chaos, a deep-dive into the Manson murders that states the Bugliosi book (Helter Skelter) is full of lies, while making claims of CIA conspiracies.
I look forward to grabbing a couple of these. Nice list!
I guarantee Barr didn't write that resignation letter.
The last two sentences are the big giveaway. No normal person capitalizes like that, or uses variations of the word "bless" in back-to-back clauses like that. zwoman says it's like when Cersei forced Sansa to write that letter to Rob after they killed Ned.
I miss Cersei. So hot in the early seasons of GoT.
Barr wrote one thing that was true: “No tactic, no matter how abusive and deceitful, was out of bounds.” He didn’t mean it about his President, but we knew.
That girl is fit and young. Think she likes Iranians in their mid 40's?
https://t.co/TFRMGwj3W3
Great read from God Shammgod in The Players Tribune.
tribe comes back from a 15-point halftime deficit to beat gheorghe washington in overtime. impressive.
todger strunk
A fun MNF game in Clevetown
A real fun one. Bordering on epic, for a regular season game.
my anarcho-lefty children have decided it's fun to steal political yard signs they disagree with. we've got some trump 2020 stuff and a 'send the kids back to school' virus denial sign. torn between appreciating their conviction and being pissed at them for taking other folks' property.
There's a *rump sign that I pass on my bike ride to work each day that is still in it's wire frame, but pretty well shredded to pieces. It's my favorite one I've seen so far.
I went to bed at the beginning of the 4th despite how good the game was. Don’t regret it at all.
I'm currently reading Joe Hill's The Fireman, where a highly contagious spore is causing people to develop a condition which leads to them burning. A real feel good story.
Just now I had a stray thought that led to a funny moment. I was thinking about my old Jerry Garcia fake ID and couldn't remember what Jerry Garcia's real middle name was (mine was Lesh, just for idiocy). I thought I knew but then thought I must be wrong. Crisis! Naturally, I googled.
(Yes, I'm in the office. It's a slow work day.)
I simply typed in "jerry." As usual, it autofilled what it thought I might be searching for. It's a handy tool, and one that's often freakishly right, but sometimes it gets it FUCKING WRONG. So when I type in "jerry" -- after all of the searches and web time I've spent reading about and playing the band of bands -- it suggests Jerry Fucking Falwell and Jerry Fucking Falwell Fucking Junior. This elicited a big and forceful middle finger from me to my computer screen. Right as a colleague walked by my window. Eyebrows raised, me laughing.
But seriously. That's a bad one, Googs.
The answer was John, and I was right. Jerome John just seems like an odd combo.
Also, the Dave's Picks Vol. 37 coming out in January will be from Tax Day 1978 at William & Mary Hall. Not sure why they are still releasing discs when you can listen below, but it's cool that it's from Tribeland. I have the Vol. 4 from W&M in '76.
https://archive.org/details/gd78-04-15.sbd.cotsman.7047.sbefail.shnf/gd78-04-15d1t05.shn
A buddy notified me about that Dave’s Pick. What happened to Dick? Is he dead?
I listened to the first set. Super-fun. Killer Let it Grow. Show also has the only Dew of ‘78!
zson decided that he doesn't like the letter G so he doesn't use it anymore. This is fine with me, much less so with his teachers.
TR:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/grateful-dead-archivist-david-lemieux-announces-new-live-series-189673/
A new limited-edition archival release series that’s modeled very much in the image of the storied Dick’s Picks series, which was discontinued in 2005 – six years after its namesake, Dick Latvala, passed away – is being launched by Grateful Dead’s current archivist, David Lemieux, who took over for Latvala in September 1999. And now, instead of Dick’s Picks, it will be called Dave’s Picks.
how will zson read this blo?
I would have figured Zson for a 'G'. ood luck with that issue.
I've got the W&M show on a tape. It's been awhile, but I don't remember it as a standout, though perhaps I'm confusing it with Va Tech show from the previous night.
They call me 50 grand because there’s 50 states and I G’ed in each one of them.
nice, I love me another curated dead playlist.
drolltroll
What's his issue with G? Capital, lower case, or both? Soft, hard, or both?
Gotta know more. Oh, sorry, Zson. Need to know more.
I pressed him on the issue and apparently he chose G at random, really just to annoy his new teacher. He is not like Georges Perec--he uses words that have a G, he just doesn't write the G. So "I did a ood job today" or "reen is my favorite color." His teacher is not impressed. No idea where he gets (ets?) these dickish proclivities.
if one were inclined to do some recreational online wagering, where would one's esteemed online colleagues suggest one do that? hypothetically.
Any Pappyland reviews here? Seeing a mixed bag on the net. I need a book.
Many use Draftkings Roberto but there are others.
i’m enjoying it, danimal. huge wright thompson fan, so it’s in my wheelhouse. but it’s a nice mix of history, meditation on fathers and sons, and whiskey mysticism.
jersey.
and i wasn't being droll . . . I'm listening to that dead playlist right now, as i figure out my plans for the day.
how does zson pronounce 'gif'?
He says Gs, he just won't write them. Take it up with him.
Dave's post says we should "Add your 2020 favorites in the comments." The Inner Game of Tennis was one of my suggestions over on SOD. You might also want to read How the South Won the Civil War. It explains, in part, how we wound up where we are today socially, culturally, and politically.
i can't remember what year i read anything
Ric Flair has a shoe?
https://www.adidas.com/us/dame-7-x-ric-flair-shoes/FX6619.html
Indeed he does. A very brash collab with Dame Lillard.
the south won the civil war? that sounds like qanon . . .
I should have attributed zman for getting me to read "the inner game." my son read some of it as well. his takeaway: don't listen to his dad's tips.
new avalanches album!
Speaking of Zman, check this out
https://www.goldbelly.com/joes-kansas-city-bar-b-que/20295-z-man-kit-brisket?search_id=35044393&ref=search
your wrens tipping off in five minutes against hampton. tribe giving 4. i like the over at 152.5. dane fischer can coach some offense.
i am really enjoying this new avalanches album. groovy and easier listening than their earlier, super-sampled stuff.
kurt vile does a monologue on one of the songs! so greasetruck
tribe up 52-27 at the half. found a different spot offering an o/u of 148. like that even better.
and changing subjects, a business partner just hosted a zoom scotch tasting for us. they send out three small bottles of aberlour (12, 16, 18-year) and had one of the distillery's brand ambassadors walk us through a tasting. very cool idea.
You can tell rob works in sales.
good thing i haven't figured out how to bet yet. tribe played too much defense.
Drinking a $10 cab I bought at Total Wine today. It was on the Best of 2020 rack. It’s damn decent. Ed Edmundo. Silly name. Solid cheap option.
i've been drinking 25$ kosher wine from Israel tonight. saw it on the counter, opened it, and started drinking. did not realize it was a Chanukah gift for our neighbors. my wife said I am "exhausting to live with." the wine is quite good!
how was i supposed to know it was a gift?
aside from the gift bag next to the bottle . . .
i might also be a doctor, z.
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