April 7, 20205 yr 14 minutes ago, The University said: just finished this overall, it was a nice trip back in time when dial-up bulletin boards were the shit. always enjoyed many of the cDc members for their sense of humor. the title is a bit sensationalist, but i suppose that mirrors some of the member's egos. Interesting. I remember using their trojan horses to basically explore the entire hard drives of unsuspecting people we knew in high school. Nowadays we'd probably go to prison for that. Also supposedly a guy in my neighborhood was one of the OG cDc guys. Don't know if that's true or not but I do know he got arrested for hacking into our local PD back when you never heard about hackers getting arrested for anything. Edited April 7, 20205 yr by NorthLoop
April 7, 20205 yr 12 minutes ago, NorthLoop said: Interesting. I remember using their trojan horses to basically explore the entire hard drives of unsuspecting people we knew in high school. Nowadays we'd probably go to prison for that. Also supposedly a guy in my neighborhood was one of the OG cDc guys. Don't know if that's true or not but I do know he got arrested for hacking into our local PD back when you never heard about hackers getting arrested for anything. hah! probably back orifice and/or bo2k. the funny thing about that tool is that the early release version actually installed the trojan on your system when you used the front-end to exploit other systems. supposedly that was a "mistake".
April 8, 20205 yr Over the past few months I've been catching up on novels I've missed over the years via the Libby app and Audible. I've largely subbed out all the podcasts I listened to and am instead blowing through books at a pretty fast rate. I've tried to stay in the fantasy/sci fi genre, or just any Neal Stephenson. Books I've read lately: The Library of the Unwritten - A.J. Hackwith Oryx and Crate - Atwood Witcher Series Expanse Series Song of Fire and Ice Series 2 books into the Mistborn series - Brandon Sanderson Readme, Fall: Dodge in Hell, Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson What other fantasy/sci fi series should I jump into immediately? Other than LotR.
April 26, 20205 yr On 4/8/2020 at 1:14 PM, boknowstecmo said: Over the past few months I've been catching up on novels I've missed over the years via the Libby app and Audible. I've largely subbed out all the podcasts I listened to and am instead blowing through books at a pretty fast rate. I've tried to stay in the fantasy/sci fi genre, or just any Neal Stephenson. Books I've read lately: The Library of the Unwritten - A.J. Hackwith Oryx and Crate - Atwood Witcher Series Expanse Series Song of Fire and Ice Series 2 books into the Mistborn series - Brandon Sanderson Readme, Fall: Dodge in Hell, Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson What other fantasy/sci fi series should I jump into immediately? Other than LotR. I enjoyed the bobiverse series, John scalzi has some pretty good ones and I have been listening to the Red Rising series as well.
May 1, 20205 yr On 1/25/2020 at 2:57 PM, futureman said: SIAP but just got into this and felt compelled to share. if you’re at all interested in the troubles I encourage you to give it a shot, this will hook you big time. I can’t put it down. a review: https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/582811/ and some propaganda of the time that inspired the name of the book: great book
May 17, 20205 yr https://www.casematepublishers.com/four-war-boer.html#.XsEorC-z13k Reading this one right now, Four-War Boer. This guy is the definition of the word: Badass.
May 18, 20205 yr I love to travel and Rick Steve's helped create that with his great travel series on PBS. Really enjoyed this.
May 23, 20205 yr Rick Steves is the best I'm reading I'm about halfway through and I don't see what all the fuss is about. This is my 3rd Larson book and it's my least favorite (so far)
May 23, 20205 yr 8 hours ago, Post Oak said: Rick Steves is the best I'm reading I'm about halfway through and I don't see what all the fuss is about. This is my 3rd Larson book and it's my least favorite (so far) This is actually the next book on my list. Got it from my son who lives in Chicago. Hope I like it better than you.
May 23, 20205 yr 26 minutes ago, Mo Horn said: This is actually the next book on my list. Got it from my son who lives in Chicago. Hope I like it better than you. I'm sure it will get better. I'm just disappointed so far.
May 24, 20205 yr I'm sure it will get better. I'm just disappointed so far.Liked it a lot more than dead wake which I liked more than garden of beasts and lost interest in isaacs storm halfway through.
May 25, 20205 yr 23 hours ago, bluto said: Liked it a lot more than dead wake which I liked more than garden of beasts and lost interest in isaacs storm halfway through. So far I liked Isaacs Storm the best then dead wake. I'm sure this will get better and I'll like it. I'm interested to read his Churchill book
June 2, 20205 yr Just today started this one. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king-kaiser-tsar-catrine-clay/1008316436 King Kaiser Tsar Three Royal Cousins Who Led The World To War
June 10, 20205 yr I really liked this. I knew the story of the 300 and despite having minimal expectations I came away really glad I read it. Entertaining. I'm going to add more Pressfield to my Goodreads list
June 10, 20205 yr Just finished Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I thought it was an amazing read and very reflective on man's true nature. Now reading American gods by Neil Gaiman.
June 16, 20205 yr Just got this in the mail today. Haven't been this excited about a book in a long time.
July 1, 20205 yr Just started this. Can already tell it is going to be great. Starts with the passing of FDR, and follows the 116 days to the dropping of the bomb.
July 3, 20205 yr Finished this a few weeks back. Pretty interesting look into the KGB and an exciting Cold War story.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
July 3, 20205 yr Just finished this. Excellent first-hand account of WWI trench warfare from the bad guys perspective. Quick easy read. Junger survived 2 World Wars and Spanish Flu. He lived to be 102 Beginning this one. I usually like Philbrick so I have high hopes
July 6, 20205 yr On 7/1/2020 at 12:15 PM, Sbbruin said: Just started this. Can already tell it is going to be great. Starts with the passing of FDR, and follows the 116 days to the dropping of the bomb. A great and fast read. Discussed the geo-political aspect, the science component, the militaristic view. Ultimately, it came down to this- a ground invasion of a fanatically patriotic island who was holding several thousand POWs, that would have cost anywhere between 250 and 700 thousand lives. It was, as abhorrent as it was, the right decision. And Truman went to his grave believing it was. And I agree. The science behind it was amazing for the 40s. A greater achievement I would argue than the moon landing.
July 7, 20205 yr On 1/10/2020 at 6:21 PM, demos said: Finished this one last night: A taste: these fuckers gave an elephant 300k micrograms of LSD to see what would happen. Elephant fell over, shit itself, had a seizure, and died. Chaos makes a convincing case that they did a hell of a lot worse than that. The author Tom O'Neill presents documentation and evidence that casts doubt on the official story of the Manson murders and more. Quote O'Neill's quest for the truth led him from reclusive celebrities to seasoned spies, from San Francisco's summer of love to the shadowy sites of the CIA's mind-control experiments, on a trail rife with shady cover-ups and suspicious coincidences. The product of two decades of reporting, hundreds of new interviews, and dozens of never-before-seen documents from the LAPD, the FBI, and the CIA, Chaos mounts an argument that could be, according to Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Steven Kay, strong enough to overturn the verdicts on the Manson murders. This is a book that overturns our understanding of a pivotal time in American history.
July 7, 20205 yr On 7/3/2020 at 1:51 PM, Post Oak said: Just finished this. Excellent first-hand account of WWI trench warfare from the bad guys perspective. Quick easy read. Junger survived 2 World Wars and Spanish Flu. He lived to be 102 Beginning this one. I usually like Philbrick so I have high hopes just finished Heart of the Sea. I think it may be my favorite Philbrick book. Easy to read and quick. What a test of human endurance. Started this one. These people pass down crime like genetics. From Goodreads- The United States currently holds the distinction of housing nearly one-quarter of the world's prison population. But our reliance on mass incarceration, Fox Butterfield argues, misses the intractable reality: As few as 5 percent of families account for half of all crime, and only 10 percent account for two-thirds. In introducing us to the Bogle family, the author invites us to understand crime in this eye-opening new light. He chronicles the malignant legacy of criminality passed from parents to children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. Examining the long history of the Bogles, a white family, Butterfield offers a revelatory look at criminality that forces us to disentangle race from our ideas about crime and, in doing so, strikes at the heart of our deepest stereotypes
July 7, 20205 yr 1 hour ago, Post Oak said: just finished Heart of the Sea. I think it may be my favorite Philbrick book. Easy to read and quick. What a test of human endurance. My 2nd favorite behind:
July 7, 20205 yr 2 hours ago, WBT said: My 2nd favorite behind: Haven't read that one. It's going on the list. Thanks
July 12, 20205 yr On 7/7/2020 at 10:44 AM, Post Oak said: just finished Heart of the Sea. I think it may be my favorite Philbrick book. Easy to read and quick. What a test of human endurance. Started this one. These people pass down crimes like genetics. From Goodreads- The United States currently holds the distinction of housing nearly one-quarter of the world's prison population. But our reliance on mass incarceration, Fox Butterfield argues, misses the intractable reality: As few as 5 percent of families account for half of all crime, and only 10 percent account for two-thirds. In introducing us to the Bogle family, the author invites us to understand crime in this eye-opening new light. He chronicles the malignant legacy of criminality passed from parents to children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. Examining the long history of the Bogles, a white family, Butterfield offers a revelatory look at criminality that forces us to disentangle race from our ideas about crime and, in doing so, strikes at the heart of our deepest stereotypes This was a fascinating book. Chronicling the infamous Bogle family of Texas and then Oregon. Some kids never have a chance in this world. Starting this one.
July 15, 20205 yr On 6/4/2020 at 12:08 AM, ImissWallyPryor said: Holy shit, the Comanches were savage fucks. Empire of the Summer Moon, by Gwynne This book was mentioned/recommended on here in multiple threads, I finished it last week. Thanks to all for the rec, eye-opening, a fairly reasonable perspective, and well written.
July 16, 20205 yr Just finished this one. It was an interesting mix of mystery, historical fiction, and a little bit on the development of forensic science. Pretty good.
July 17, 20205 yr Just finished Tim O'Brien's "Dad's Maybe Book." (I knew of him before but have not read him, I will amend that).He's about 30 years older than I, but we each have two boys of nearly the same ages. What a beautiful and raw and indulgent and honest and selfish and perfect book it was for a dad of boys.I'm not sure what to do with it yet or how to unpack it, but as of now, the only book that has more proufoundly plucked my fatherly strings has been Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."Devastatingly beautiful.Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
July 21, 20205 yr Just finished this. Really, really good. I'm going to have to watch the movie again.
July 31, 20205 yr Starting Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon - a sort of late 1800's to WWI Sci Fi novel - mirroring the technological leaps of today. Edited July 31, 20205 yr by washparkhorn
August 6, 20205 yr Three chapters in and I am really liking this book. Never was a huge fan but I know he had major struggles with alcohol and fame. I have laughed out loud a lot reading this. Interesting guy.
August 14, 20205 yr My Antonia - Willa Cather - 1918 2nd Cather book. Isn't as cool as Death Comes for the Archbishop but she is a great writer and this is a nice easy little yarn with a sweet little story about love, resignation and how not wearing a hat and sunscreen and dawdling oral care will age your face.
August 14, 20205 yr On 6/3/2020 at 12:08 PM, ImissWallyPryor said: Holy shit, the Comanches were savage fucks. I love how early on he goes into a little rif that essentially reads: "Here is where you probably are expecting me to write something that rationalizes their savagery or provides some "on the other hand" information about their good traits. Nope, that's not going to happen."
August 22, 20205 yr I went to Central Park this morning and finished the last few pages of the John Lewis autobiography called “Walking With the Wind.” I have never read a better book than this one. Not even close. Edited August 22, 20205 yr by UpperWestside
August 24, 20205 yr Catching up on some reviews. On 10/27/2019 at 11:23 AM, lemonlime said: Really enjoying this one. Thought this one was OK. Kinda stops and starts but the conclusions are different than what I was anticipating. On 6/9/2020 at 2:46 PM, midtown said: Trying to catch up on some Lethem. I've got two more in the bullpen This one started good, ended kinda meh. Quick read though, so right about when you feel like giving up on it, it's over. Waaaaaay too much detail about the geography of Berkeley which adds nothing to the story even if you're familiar with the area. Wife (no pics assholes) went to Cal so I know the area reasonably well and all I could think was, who tf cares. On 6/2/2020 at 1:44 PM, PittsburghTiger said: Just today started this one. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king-kaiser-tsar-catrine-clay/1008316436 King Kaiser Tsar Three Royal Cousins Who Led The World To War Just started this one. It's holding my interest quite well through the first few chapters.
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