Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #100 – December 22, 2020, 11:15:28 am Sawyer said,"By mutual agreement I'll no longer be posting in this forum" Well.. I for one will believe that when I don't see it. You promised something similar when you resold your Lazy Daze and then you were supposedly off to the small fiberglass trailer forums. It didn't take long and you were back.....If only you could refrain from delving into your political comments ....This group has for the most part,, been an island of civility (a rarity in these contentious times) and remains mostly relevant. For that, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the current and previous moderators. Goodbye Sawyer. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year; stay safe out there. My 2021 prediction is that we will hear from you again!Steve K 9 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #101 – December 22, 2020, 11:40:03 am I am reading manuals, manuals, manuals! 5 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #102 – December 23, 2020, 08:41:01 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - December 22, 2020, 10:07:12 pmSo come to think of it, you can do everything on a smart phone. :-)This occurred in a conversation earlier today: If you think the smart phone can completely replace the phone booth, let's see Clark Kent change into Superman in a smart phone. Merry Christmas for the image.joel 2 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #104 – December 28, 2020, 12:07:38 pm Quote from: Steve K. - December 22, 2020, 11:15:28 amSawyer said,"By mutual agreement I'll no longer be posting in this forum" Well.. I for one will believe that when I don't see it. You promised something similar when you resold your Lazy Daze and then you were supposedly off to the small fiberglass trailer forums. It didn't take long and you were back.....If only you could refrain from delving into your political comments ....This group has for the most part,, been an island of civility (a rarity in these contentious times) and remains mostly relevant. For that, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the current and previous moderators. My 2021 prediction is that we will hear from you again!Goodbye Sawyer. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year; stay safe out there. Steve K"My 2021 prediction is that we will hear from you again! "Good call Steve. I enjoy my private messages in here with fellow book worms who encourage me to keep recommending books so I'll remain active on this subject. As per your criticism of my inability to suppress my political beliefs you have a good point and I'll refrain from talking about political books. You're welcome.This is a really interesting read for people that grew up in the fifty - sixty era. The author never did grow up and happily admits being stuck at 26 for life. How anyone could survive to be 70 with his lifestyle has to be a miracle. Despite or maybe because of the extreme drug abuse he actually comes up with some thought provoking insights on life and on America and our culture. Fun read!https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-us/books/lemmy-kilmister/white-line-fever/9781471157653?msclkid=f1d6638527bf10447c233c6f2892cc88&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=S2%20-%20Books%20-%2010.99%20-%20Bing&utm_term=4575686361471754&utm_content=10.99#GOR009452171
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #105 – December 28, 2020, 02:58:30 pm "My 2021 prediction is that we will hear from you again! ""Good call Steve. I enjoy my private messages in here with fellow"Sawyer, Sawyer, Sawyer,....not even a full week of your self induced boycott. .You just can't control your impulses; I knew it, most of the group knew it, and now perhaps you finally know it too...play nice if you can but at some point the self distruct mechanism will most likely activate. I think I hear the timer ticking......Steve K 3 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #106 – December 28, 2020, 03:03:04 pm Quote from: Steve K. - December 28, 2020, 02:58:30 pm"My 2021 prediction is that we will hear from you again! ""Good call Steve. I enjoy my private messages in here with fellow"Sawyer, Sawyer, Sawyer,....not even a full week of your self induced boycott. .You just can't control your impulses; I knew it, most of the group knew it, and now perhaps you finally know it too...play nice if you can but at some point the self distruct mechanism will most likely activate. I think I hear the timer ticking......Steve KShould we talk about each other in here unless it is to say something nice? I'd say no but others may differ.Happy new year Steve K and all the best to you and yours. 1 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #107 – December 28, 2020, 03:42:45 pm Now that the bromance has been established, let's get back to the subject of this popular thread, "What are You Reading?"Chris 8 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #108 – December 28, 2020, 05:14:12 pm And on the above note I'm just finishing up this one.Amazon.com: Pablo Escobar's Story 1: The Rise eBook: Attwood, Shaun: Kindle...If the author is to be believed ole Pablo was a nice guy in lots of ways. As a child he was a mamas boy, a Boy Scout and a devout Catholic that grew up in an extremely violent and corrupt country which led him into a life of violent crime to escape crushing poverty. The book is informative not only on Pablo but on Columbia and the inherent corruption that led to such grinding poverty next to such extreme wealth. In the early years anyway Pablo considered himself more a liberator of the people than a criminal and was an advocate of social justice which he financed with millions of his own dollars. His social and environmental concerns seem genuine and I am coming away with a different viewpoint on the guy than I've always held. Yes he did some horrific things but he was in a horrific country and his barbarism was SOP in that country at that time. In short he was a man not the monster that he has been portrayed as.Anyway that's my take after reading part one. i look forward to the part two and three books by the same author. Maybe my opinion will change. As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #109 – December 31, 2020, 09:26:09 pm Quote from: Sawyer - April 08, 2020, 11:36:24 am He was a man that did monstrous things but he was a man not a monster.Committing an act of murder makes you a murdererCommitting many acts of murder make you a serial killerCommitting the monstrous act of genocide, makes you a monster. Successful genocide requires a leader charismatic enough to convince a huge chunk of the population that “”he is a man, not a monster”", despite the monstrous acts required to perpetrate ethnic cleansing.Hitler was a charismatic monster, not a man. 5 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #110 – January 01, 2021, 12:31:08 pm Quote from: Alice - December 31, 2020, 09:26:09 pmCommitting an act of murder makes you a murdererCommitting many acts of murder make you a serial killerCommitting the monstrous act of genocide, makes you a monster. Successful genocide requires a leader charismatic enough to convince a huge chunk of the population that ââhe is a man, not a monsterâ", despite the monstrous acts required to perpetrate ethnic cleansing.Hitler was a charismatic monster, not a man.Good morning Alice.I've read several books on Hitler and came to the same conclusion as you. Then I read the following and saw his human side. I'd say he was a man that did monstrous things.It's a fascinating inside look at Hitler's inner circle.Amazon.com: Hitler's Last Secretary: A Firsthand Account of Life with Hitler...Back to Pablo I feel your Hitler comparison is monstrously flawed. LOLPablo truly cared about the poor in Columbia and spent his own money to provide housing and food for people living and eating in dumps. His concern for the environment was also front and center and an old logger such as myself would consider him a "tree hugger". :D Remember his upbringing when labeling him a muderer. At 5 years old he heard and saw neighbors on the wrong side of a political war drug from their homes and brutally butchered in ways that would give ISIS ideas. That was the country he grew up in.It's easy for us to put our values on others in countries whos society we can't comprehend or on historical figures long held up as heroes that are now labeled genocidal racist who had values from a different era but to do so is setting up a false equivalency.Edit: My error and I apologize. I assumed you were responding to the book on Pablo but now thanks to a private message heads up I see you are responding to a post of mine from 9 months ago. Most of my reply is still relevant though so I'll let it stand. As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #111 – January 03, 2021, 11:57:41 am Others may already know about this but it's new to me. Great source for cheap online books. New deals on new books every day.Best Online Book Deals Daily 1 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #112 – January 03, 2021, 12:24:15 pm Quote from: Sawyer - January 01, 2021, 12:31:08 pmIt's easy for us to put our values on others in countries whos society we can't comprehend or on historical figures long held up as heroes that are now labeled genocidal racist who had values from a different era but to do so is setting up a false equivalency.Murder and rape is murder and rape no matter what era or conditions a person lived in. We as humans might justify killing others but I'm sure we would not like that to happen to us or our loved ones. There is no justification to take what you know is not yours. Ask yourself if you'd like that to happen to you - if the answer is yes then it is ok if the answer is no then you know it isn't. glen 1 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #113 – January 03, 2021, 01:25:39 pm While we are on the topic of 'murder and rape' let me interject what I've been reading.In December of 2018, shortly after it's publication date of Oct. 2018, I downloaded a Kindle book that looked to be interesting as a gap filler. Little did I know...Back in Feb. 1953 I first enlisted with the U.S.M.C. Just 5 months later the Armistice in Korea was signed, taking a hot war to a stalemate. I was fresh out of Boot Camp. I knew a few details of what happened there but only that which was media copy of the day.And then, just this past month, I read; "On Desperate Ground: The Marines At The Reservoir", authored by Hampton Sides. Not only is this book well written but the research that went into it is superb. Finally my eyes were open and I was learning what really happened there. Couldn't lay it down! 2 Likes
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #114 – January 03, 2021, 02:51:05 pm Quote from: colddog - January 03, 2021, 12:24:15 pmMurder and rape is murder and rape no matter what era or conditions a person lived in. We as humans might justify killing others but I'm sure we would not like that to happen to us or our loved ones. There is no justification to take what you know is not yours. Ask yourself if you'd like that to happen to you - if the answer is yes then it is ok if the answer is no then you know it isn't. glenNot sure which book you're talking about here, the one on Pablo or Hitler. Pablo as far as I know wasn't a rapist or a thief but he definitely murdered. I wouldn't justify that and legally he's as guilty of murder as anyone else no matter what the society he lived in was like.I would say though that on the final judgment day someone like myself who lived in a relatively peaceful society and had a good upbringing with abundance and prosperity should be judged more harshly for murder than someone like Pablo who grew up in a world where murder was the norm. Of course that's up to God and a bit above my pay grade. :D Hitler was also to some extent a product of his time and place. Jews were widely hated throughout Europe so it was very easy to make them the Boogie men and German society of the time didn't need much coaxing. Two good books on the subject.Ordinary men is a case study on how average every day Germans so quickly morphed into jew killing machines.Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland:...Dance Between the Flames is insightful as to the mood of Germans after the humiliation of their defeat and the conditions of their treaty after WW1 which enabled someone like Hitler come to power.A Dance Between Flames: Berlin Between the Wars: Gill, Anton: 9780786700639:...I do need to amend my opening statement. Pablo was a thief as a young man. He and most everyone else in Columbia. LOLI'm exaggerating a bit but not that much really. As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #115 – January 03, 2021, 03:03:34 pm Quote from: Lazy Bones - January 03, 2021, 01:25:39 pmWhile we are on the topic of 'murder and rape' let me interject what I've been reading.In December of 2018, shortly after it's publication date of Oct. 2018, I downloaded a Kindle book that looked to be interesting as a gap filler. Little did I know...Back in Feb. 1953 I first enlisted with the U.S.M.C. Just 5 months later the Armistice in Korea was signed, taking a hot war to a stalemate. I was fresh out of Boot Camp. I knew a few details of what happened there but only that which was media copy of the day.And then, just this past month, I read; "On Desperate Ground: The Marines At The Reservoir", authored by Hampton Sides. Not only is this book well written but the research that went into it is superb. Finally my eyes were open and I was learning what really happened there. Couldn't lay it down!Gets great reviews and sounds interesting. I'll watch for it to come up on one of my book club sites.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #116 – January 03, 2021, 11:30:20 pm Lazy Bones entry on Korea reminded me of a book I ran across a couple of years ago.D-Day Through German EyesA very good read - The author's grandfather interviewed German soldiers in early 1944 defending the seawalls of Fortress Europe for an article slated for publication around August 1944. Somehow events overtook the article and ten years later he went back and interviewed survivors who were captured in D-Day.On thing that struck me was as they were evacuated, they wondered where the horses were. While the Germans had the best tanks, they were fueled from drums hauled in horse-drawn wagons which was discussed in Snow and Steel - the Batle of the BulgeA good read, but later reviews indicated the entire D-Day project was a fabrication. A good read tho As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #117 – January 04, 2021, 09:09:43 am On the subject of war you don't win them without men like these who are students of war and are capable of seeing the proper course of action and formulating a plan that they are then willing to carry out and see through no matter the cost in lives and material. Tough men with a tough job that most of us would not could not do.Amazon.com: The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King--The Five-Star... 2 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #118 – January 07, 2021, 11:02:11 am About half way through this. I won't review it so as not to offend anyone with my politics but I will say if you are interested in what life was like in the Soviet Union it's a must read.Amazon.com: Communist Daze: The Many Misadventures of a Soviet Doctor eBook:..." As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #119 – January 07, 2021, 03:01:12 pm You might enjoy "What's So Funny, Comrade?" It's a Sixties-era collection of cartoons from the Soviet humor magazine (yes, they had one!) "Krokodil." 2 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #120 – January 07, 2021, 08:08:06 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - January 07, 2021, 03:01:12 pmYou might enjoy "What's So Funny, Comrade?" It's a Sixties-era collection of cartoons from the Soviet humor magazine (yes, they had one!) "Krokodil."Sounds interesting, price is a little high, Amazon shows a paperback copy at $768.57 + $3.99 for shipping.https://www.amazon.com/Whats-funny-comrade-Praeger-paperbacks/dp/B0007DX2Z0?ie=UTF8&tag=scmcldo-20Used copies are available at a considerably lower price.Larry 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #121 – January 07, 2021, 09:09:43 pm Yes, the new copy is insanely expensive, but used copies in good condition are listed for less than eight bucks. Admittedly it's a bit of a special-interest item, but the cartoons are entertaining and offer a humorous window into Soviet-era daily life.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #122 – January 08, 2021, 10:02:33 am Humor was a way of coping with life in the Soviet Union.From the book I'm reading."a person comes in to a post office and complains, “These new stamps with Lenin do not stick.” The clerk answers, “Comrade, you probably spit on the wrong side.”
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #123 – January 12, 2021, 09:36:41 am Quote from: Lazy Bones - January 03, 2021, 01:25:39 pmWhile we are on the topic of 'murder and rape' let me interject what I've been reading.In December of 2018, shortly after it's publication date of Oct. 2018, I downloaded a Kindle book that looked to be interesting as a gap filler. Little did I know...Back in Feb. 1953 I first enlisted with the U.S.M.C. Just 5 months later the Armistice in Korea was signed, taking a hot war to a stalemate. I was fresh out of Boot Camp. I knew a few details of what happened there but only that which was media copy of the day.And then, just this past month, I read; "On Desperate Ground: The Marines At The Reservoir", authored by Hampton Sides. Not only is this book well written but the research that went into it is superb. Finally my eyes were open and I was learning what really happened there. Couldn't lay it down!I've read lots of books where the Korean war was included and had that war on the periphery but none specifically on the war itself. Lazy Bones got me interested and this book showed up today on my Early Birds club notification. $2.99 for what sounds like an excellent book. Just thought I'd let others know if they are interested. I'm buying it. :) Amazon.com: The Korean War: The West Confronts Communism eBook: Hickey,... As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: What Are You Reading? Reply #124 – January 12, 2021, 11:12:47 am SawyerI hope you enjoy the book you bought... however, it is not the one I recommended. On Desperate Ground grabbed me on the first page and left me wishing that it had been longer, I wasn't ready to close it. Every book has it's own attraction, even those by the same author but this one allowed me to see what had taken place On Desperate Ground. My fellow Marines experienced it in real time and as I came along a few months later experienced it vicariously through them. Amazon.com: On Desperate Ground: The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean... As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.