Whatcha reading?

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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eumaas wrote:
13 Jul 2018, 2:35pm
Trotsky is the most overrated Marxist.
No way. Obama.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Tub book:
Image
Starting this today. Another one of those books I've pulled off the shelf for the first time since I was an undergrad. Given that I think Wilson and Roosevelt were different types of monsters, I'm going in as a deep skeptic.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Silent Majority wrote:
05 Jul 2018, 5:21am
A Brief History of Neoliberalism - David Harvey. Audiobook. Written in 2005, this book resounds with prophecies about an oncoming crisis in caplitalism within in the next two years and the coming break-up of a neoliberal world order. What piffle that turned out to be, eh? Starting with Pinochet's coup in Chile via some very self interested academics into Thatcher & Reagan's offices and into international consensus, we chart the contradictory idea and practise that the state exists to throw money up to the wealthy and leave everybody else to be looked after by a benevolent market.
Started listening to this on my ride this morning. One thing that caught my eye/ear is what a fine communicator Harvey is of difficult concepts.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
17 Jul 2018, 10:41am
Silent Majority wrote:
05 Jul 2018, 5:21am
A Brief History of Neoliberalism - David Harvey. Audiobook. Written in 2005, this book resounds with prophecies about an oncoming crisis in caplitalism within in the next two years and the coming break-up of a neoliberal world order. What piffle that turned out to be, eh? Starting with Pinochet's coup in Chile via some very self interested academics into Thatcher & Reagan's offices and into international consensus, we chart the contradictory idea and practise that the state exists to throw money up to the wealthy and leave everybody else to be looked after by a benevolent market.
Started listening to this on my ride this morning. One thing that caught my eye/ear is what a fine communicator Harvey is of difficult concepts.
Like parts of Ralph's book, it's the story of class war engaged against one side. Harvey has the ability to express that without it turning into a furious polemic.
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Silent Majority wrote:
17 Jul 2018, 11:22am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
17 Jul 2018, 10:41am
Silent Majority wrote:
05 Jul 2018, 5:21am
A Brief History of Neoliberalism - David Harvey. Audiobook. Written in 2005, this book resounds with prophecies about an oncoming crisis in caplitalism within in the next two years and the coming break-up of a neoliberal world order. What piffle that turned out to be, eh? Starting with Pinochet's coup in Chile via some very self interested academics into Thatcher & Reagan's offices and into international consensus, we chart the contradictory idea and practise that the state exists to throw money up to the wealthy and leave everybody else to be looked after by a benevolent market.
Started listening to this on my ride this morning. One thing that caught my eye/ear is what a fine communicator Harvey is of difficult concepts.
Like parts of Ralph's book, it's the story of class war engaged against one side. Harvey has the ability to express that without it turning into a furious polemic.
It's an incredibly valuable skill because he is, indeed, invested and angry, but, unchained, that passion and desire to persuade and motivate could make it a simplistic rant.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Chugging along thru Harvey and was taken aback by the end of his historical chapter, where he lets Clinton and Blair off the hook for their misdeeds by suggesting they were trapped by Reagan and Thatcher. That's, um, quite charitable to think they would have been more attentive to the needs of the have-nots if not for those neoliberal fiends. For a Marxist to be so … understanding is baffling.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jul 2018, 6:10pm
Chugging along thru Harvey and was taken aback by the end of his historical chapter, where he lets Clinton and Blair off the hook for their misdeeds by suggesting they were trapped by Reagan and Thatcher. That's, um, quite charitable to think they would have been more attentive to the needs of the have-nots if not for those neoliberal fiends. For a Marxist to be so … understanding is baffling.
Remember Harvey's position. A very comfortable academic with a rewarding 401k. Despite his learning, he has a reason to put faith in those who position themselves as the enemy of our enemies.
a lifetime serving one machine
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Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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A People's History of the Russian Revolution by Neil Faulkner. Audiobook. Basically a crib notes version of Trotsky's rundown of 1917. Worth a read.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Silent Majority wrote:
19 Jul 2018, 6:21pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jul 2018, 6:10pm
Chugging along thru Harvey and was taken aback by the end of his historical chapter, where he lets Clinton and Blair off the hook for their misdeeds by suggesting they were trapped by Reagan and Thatcher. That's, um, quite charitable to think they would have been more attentive to the needs of the have-nots if not for those neoliberal fiends. For a Marxist to be so … understanding is baffling.
Remember Harvey's position. A very comfortable academic with a rewarding 401k. Despite his learning, he has a reason to put faith in those who position themselves as the enemy of our enemies.
Well, you've out-cynic'd me!
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien. Audiobook. Never read this one. Tried several times as a kid and assumed it was beyond me. Turned out I just think it's very dull, one very similar adventure after another. Like watching somebody else play a computer game. I want a book that's set entirely in Hobbiton, with Bilbo caught in an ongoing dispute with his neighbours about something. The bit with Gollum was good. Too much singing otherwise.

Parliamentary Socialism - Ralph Milliband. Written by Ed Milliband's Marxist Dad, here's a critique/history of the Labour party in the UK from its beginnings to about the early sixties. A group of people who were ready to compromise the second they set foot in parliament and then only got worse as time went on. Compelling thesis.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


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eumaas
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Silent Majority wrote:
20 Jul 2018, 2:18pm
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien. Audiobook. Never read this one. Tried several times as a kid and assumed it was beyond me. Turned out I just think it's very dull, one very similar adventure after another. Like watching somebody else play a computer game. I want a book that's set entirely in Hobbiton, with Bilbo caught in an ongoing dispute with his neighbours about something. The bit with Gollum was good. Too much singing otherwise.
I’m sorry it’s not a Taft biography.
I feel that there is a fascistic element, for example, in the Rolling Stones . . .
— Morton Feldman

I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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eumaas wrote:
20 Jul 2018, 6:20pm
Silent Majority wrote:
20 Jul 2018, 2:18pm
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien. Audiobook. Never read this one. Tried several times as a kid and assumed it was beyond me. Turned out I just think it's very dull, one very similar adventure after another. Like watching somebody else play a computer game. I want a book that's set entirely in Hobbiton, with Bilbo caught in an ongoing dispute with his neighbours about something. The bit with Gollum was good. Too much singing otherwise.
I’m sorry it’s not a Taft biography.
Down goes Murphy! Down goes Murphy!
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Silent Majority
Singer-Songwriter Nancy
Posts: 18702
Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

eumaas wrote:
20 Jul 2018, 6:20pm
Silent Majority wrote:
20 Jul 2018, 2:18pm
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien. Audiobook. Never read this one. Tried several times as a kid and assumed it was beyond me. Turned out I just think it's very dull, one very similar adventure after another. Like watching somebody else play a computer game. I want a book that's set entirely in Hobbiton, with Bilbo caught in an ongoing dispute with his neighbours about something. The bit with Gollum was good. Too much singing otherwise.
I’m sorry it’s not a Taft biography.
Me too, bud.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Great moments in obvious social science writing: “As Tia DeNora's research on music consumers demonstrates, human beings use music in their everyday lives for numerous purposes.”

Thank goodness the author found someone to cite for that iffy statement.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Finished listening to Harvey this afternoon—quite good, with the added bonus of some prognostication coming to pass—and started listening to this:
Image

I've seen the movie, but my understanding is that it's more light-hearted than the novel. It's a satire of sorts about the JFK assassination, with the brother of a slain president being dragged into the hunt for proof of a second shooter. Condon's a crap writer (if The Manchurian Candidate is a guide) but dang fine as a storyteller.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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