Matthew

What's a Trot?

Frank Gifford passes away at 84. Strangely enough, I always think of the book A Fan's Notes when I hear Gifford's name. Now all the the announcers from the glory days of Monday Night Football are gone: Dandy Don, Cosell, and now Gifford. RIP

War Against The Weak: Eugenics and America's Campaign to Create a Master Race. A very interesting, and very scary book.

First Chargers vs. Raiders game I saw, the snake was the QB, RIP Kenny.

I watched both Teen Beach movies tonight, enjoyable, light weight entertainment. Relaxing after such a wild week.

I find it's becoming a constant battle not to give in to despair...

Scrubs. I've lost track of how many times I've seen this series, I love it and never tire of watching it.

I'd throw a couple of other things in there also...

Very sad news. RIP

It was great watching Heston's no-hitter last night, though I think Tim and myself were probably the only two people who didn't turn over to the Warriors / Cavs game.

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain. An early Twain book, where we see Samuel Clemons turn into his Mark Twain character -- the straight-talking, unimpressed, American outsider, who renders "truth" upon his readers, with cynicism, wit, and humor.

The American Experience on Mark Twain, which I thought was excellent.

game changer.

How is the Blake book? I've been dying to read it, but it's incredibly expensive in the USA. I'm 60 pages in and very much enjoying it. There's a big section of plates in the middle that are linked into the text and help you understand his early work as an apprentice engraver (that might explain the expense). Very good on the origins of his worldview in the Dissenting tradition. I've never quite 'got' what Blake was railing against but it's starting to make sense now. I knew he was deeply suspicious of industrialisation and 'reason' but the text makes clear how this was rooted in a general mistrust of authority both civil and religious. Thanks for your initial thoughts, I keep looking for a cheap, used copy here.

How is the Blake book? I've been dying to read it, but it's incredibly expensive in the USA.

A fine book, David. The only Philip K. Dick novel I truly enjoyed. I've even read it twice. So have I! Me three! and I'm not a big Philip Dick fan by any means....

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh

Just finished that myself a couple of hours back. Didn't care for it at all. Privilege making fun of the world of privilege he was happily luxuriating in. I can understand what you're saying, not just about this book, but about Waugh in general. His unpleasant personality and snooty misanthropy, do tend to bleed into his novels. 20th century literary masterpiece as far as I'm concerned, and my favourite book by Waugh. Yes, he was a very unpleasant character - I've read a biography - but he produced books of superlative literary merit. There's a very serious and tragic undertone to Decline - I'd call it a satirical tragicomedy. And, Bev, if it hadn't been for the opening passage of this book, I wouldn't have realised the significance of our leaders' Bullingdon Club membership when the media got on to it a few years ago. I'd agree on the "very serious and tragic undertone to Decline", as it shows people adrift in the world and society that is "indifferent" -- though the good does win out, and even Grimes gets out alive. Speaking of Grimes, he has one of my all-time favorite lines: "I can’t quite explain it, but I don’t believe one can ever be unhappy for long provided one does just exactly what one wants to and when one wants to. The last chap who put me on my feet said I was ‘singularly in harmony with the primitive promptings of humanity.’" This line alone, made the book for me.

Just finished that myself a couple of hours back. Didn't care for it at all. Privilege making fun of the world of privilege he was happily luxuriating in. I can understand what you're saying, not just about this book, but about Waugh in general. His unpleasant personality and snooty misanthropy, do tend to bleed into his novels.

Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh. Granted, this is a very light-weight book, so light, I need to tie it down so it doesn't float away when I read it. Given that, I still find this one of the most enjoyable Waugh novels to read, it has that uniquely English humor that reigned in pre-WWII England, and in this aspect, lies its genius.

Glad to see Houston finally scored a run last night. Giants off to a good start, maybe they can do better than the third place everyone seems to feel they'll wind up at this year.

How is this book? I'd like to read something about Capra that delves a little deeper than the usual "Mr. Optimism" take. It delves very deeply into his character, forever dispelling the popular image of Capra as a Norman Rockwell type champion of the little man. It covers his life in detail, from his early life in Sicily to his death at 93. It puts his major films in clear historic and social perspective, shows what a disaster WW2 was for him, he never really found his feet again, apart from the final supernova of It's A Wonderful Life. The parts that cover the postwar years are depressing reading as it charts his decline and the fearful cloud of MaCarthyism and the House Unamerican Activities, studio blacklist era that really did much to destroy his spirit. His screenwriting collaborations are thoroughly covered. It's worth reading if you are a Capra fan and don't mind having the way you look at his films substantially altered. The same author has written two other important director biographies, John Ford and Stephen Spielberg. They are both on my reading list. Many thanks for the review, I'll have to get it.

The Untouchable by John Banville. By far, my favorite Banville, the writing is top-notch, and the character of Victor Maskell is finely drawn. Very nice touches and lines through out the book.

How is this book? I'd like to read something about Capra that delves a little deeper than the usual "Mr. Optimism" take.

I always thought that Minoso & Buck O'Neil not being in the Hall of Fame was wrong on a cosmic level. So many of those players of that generation blazed a trail and received no support or appreciation from MLB.