What's Everyone Reading At The Moment?

[countthree]

"Genes, peoples, and languages" by Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza

"Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza was among the first to ask whether the genes of modern populations contain a historical record of the human species. Cavalli-Sforza and others have answered this question—anticipated by Darwin—with a decisive yes. Genes, Peoples, and Languages comprises five lectures that serve as a summation of the author's work over several decades, the goal of which has been nothing less than tracking the past hundred thousand years of human evolution.
Cavalli-Sforza raises questions that have serious political, social, and scientific import: When and where did we evolve? How have human societies spread across the continents? How have cultural innovations affected the growth and spread of populations? What is the connection between genes and languages? Always provocative and often astonishing, Cavalli-Sforza explains why there is no genetic basis for racial classification." Amazon

 

[001]

The Machine Stops by E M Forster.

http://www.ele.uri.edu/faculty/vetter/Other-stuff/The-Machine-Stops.pdf

 

[URBANUS]

"The Ego Humanists and the Totalitarian Identity Project"

I was reading a summary of this book and the reviews of it. It deals with the self proclaimed "good people" who spend their life trying to erase their own history and culture and race. They do so to be able to be liked by the wider public and get media attention.

This book claims that this began with John Lennon who as we know wanted to destroy his own race, culture and history heavily inspired by that evil woman Yoko Ono.

This book mentions the character Patrick Bateman from "American Psycho" who wanted to end apartheid and put an end to starvation while at the same time being a psychopath serial killer. This is the type of person these people are claims the author.

The author is already planning for the collapse of Sweden and wonders how his native Denmark is planning for this near future event. He talks about the average swede being too afraid to question what is going on in Sweden. He then goes on to talk about those people who can see that something is wrong but chooses to deny it to themselves and others.

These people, the ego humanists, just wants to fit in and get along with everyone and therefor choose to defend a view and opinion that they clearly can see is wrong. Cognitive Dissonance explains these people who like John Lennon and Patrick Bateman live a life in total denial over who they are themselves and their own place in their culture.

In short this is a book about lefties snowflakes out to end civilisation for something anything other than what we have now. It deals with the degeneration of society on a whole. He attacks the EU and UN and compares the ego humanists with the free masons.

He defends the jews and accuses Europe of betraying them once again like in Malmö in Sweden where most jews left long ago after being attacked by muslims. The author Kristian Törning asks himself if anyone can become danish and what that means on a whole and how that impacts cultural identity.

A book that has caused a lot of debate across the political spectrum.

 

[URBANUS]

"Scenes from a marriage - my life as a academy wife" by Ebba Witt-Brattström.

https://www.expressen.se/kultur/scener-ur-ett-aktenskap-mitt-liv-som-akademifru/

A personal chronicle from the eyes of the former wife of the former permanent secretary of the swedish academy, the ones that pick the Nobel litterature prize winner every year. The word permanent may seem daft when in fact there have been a long line of swedish academy secretaries.

This is a scathing attack on Horace Engdahl who was the permanent secretary of the swedish academy for 10 years between 1999 and 2009 when he each year announced the winner of the Nobel Prize for litterature.

In the wake of the on going scandal at the swedish academy his former wife now tells the not so glorious truth about her life as his wife and how the men of this academy belittled female authors unless they were submissive women who blamed themselves or other women and not men for the overall order of things.

She reveals why Margaret Atwood never got the Nobel Prize and how her husband had nicknames for various female authors that weren't exactly very kind.

I love how she tells this story and experience without the slightest sense of anger and that she in fact describes her ex-husband and the men of the swedish academy in a way that made me feel I was always right about them. This group of male elitists became a cult of men that feared strong women and the truth and probably all feared the fact a woman can in fact be better than them when it comes to writing and life in general.

I loved the cover from Månadsjournalen (The Monthly Journal) in 1998 that featured the then married couple and for years she defended her husband who treated her so badly until she had enough and divorced him and now she stands there triumphant with her ex-husband struggling at all levels trying to keep together the pride of his life, the swedish academy, who is not the laughing stock of the world.

If only this scandal would lead to the end of the swedish royals with strong links to this academy and the King of Sweden has been in close contact with them holding secret meetings to try and mend what probably cannot ever mend.

I thought she was just a jealous evil bitch once but I have to hand it to her that she is a wonderful strong woman standing up for herself without ever becoming nasty and spiteful.

Ebba and Horace in 1998. Strange that she chose to include "scenes from a marriage" in the title because I've just watched the old Bergman drama once more and I can understand how she compares her life with Horace with that drama.

 

[Try Anything Twice]

I started reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman last night. I’ve had it sitting around forever but I was talking with a friend about the first season of the show and how the second season should be starting soon and it made me remember just how much I liked it! Generally the books are better so I’m looking forward to see what inspired all the surreal imagery in the series.

American Gods: Author's Preferred Text by Gaiman, Neil [William Morrow Paperbacks, 2013] ( Paperback ) 10th edition [Paperback] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LMT21L4?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

American Gods (season 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074JS3XFR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8XW9AbMA88FGK

 

[001]

Stephen King - Laurie



https://www.stephenking.com/news_archive/article632.html

 

[Anonymous]

Finished talking it over and am about to finish the orchard keeper while I’m still waiting for city of night to reach me. Admit I’m tempted to read bonfire now that Wolfe has died and quando was talking about it

 

[Truth]

Queer by William S Burroughs free download

A tale of life in Mexico City in the late 1940's written after Burroughs more well-known book "Junky." This time instead of drugs it's mostly sex he is after but it's not very satisfying. "Best Friend On The Payroll," etc... It's largely about his strategy and the lessons he learns in trying to have a relationship with a younger man who resents Burroughs for being able to help him.

He forced himself to look at the facts. Allerton was not queer enough to make a reciprocal relation possible. Lee's affection irritated him. Like many people who have nothing to do, he was resentful of any claims on his time. He had no close friends. He disliked definite appointments. He did not like to feel that anybody expected anything from him. He wanted, so far as possible, to live without external pressure. Allerton resented Lee's action in paying to recover the camera. He felt he was "being sucked in on a phony deal," and that an obligation he did not want had been thrust upon him.
Allerton did not recognize friends who made six-hundred-peso gifts, nor could he feel comfortable exploiting Lee. He made no attempt to clarify the situation. He did not want to see the contradiction involved in resenting a favor which he accepted. Lee found that he could tune in on Allerton's viewpoint, though the process caused him pain, since it involved seeing the extent of Allerton's indifference. "I liked him and I wanted him to like me," Lee thought. "I wasn't trying to buy anything."​

 

[nicky wire's legs]

Queer by William S Burroughs free download

A tale of life in Mexico City in the late 1940's written after Burroughs more well-known book "Junky." This time instead of drugs it's mostly sex he is after but it's not very satisfying. "Best Friend On The Payroll," etc... It's largely about his strategy and the lessons he learns in trying to have a relationship with a younger man who resents Burroughs for being able to help him.

He forced himself to look at the facts. Allerton was not queer enough to make a reciprocal relation possible. Lee's affection irritated him. Like many people who have nothing to do, he was resentful of any claims on his time. He had no close friends. He disliked definite appointments. He did not like to feel that anybody expected anything from him. He wanted, so far as possible, to live without external pressure. Allerton resented Lee's action in paying to recover the camera. He felt he was "being sucked in on a phony deal," and that an obligation he did not want had been thrust upon him.
Allerton did not recognize friends who made six-hundred-peso gifts, nor could he feel comfortable exploiting Lee. He made no attempt to clarify the situation. He did not want to see the contradiction involved in resenting a favor which he accepted. Lee found that he could tune in on Allerton's viewpoint, though the process caused him pain, since it involved seeing the extent of Allerton's indifference. "I liked him and I wanted him to like me," Lee thought. "I wasn't trying to buy anything."​

nobody cares what trolls who were banned read

 

[Oh my]

Ramon Lull's Book of Knighthood & Chivalry & the anonymous Ordene de Chevalerie

I've already read it before, but it's nice to read it again (not reading the linked version, I don't know that one, but I assume that the translation should be OK there).
The anonymous book... I like it more than the book by Llull actually... funny my edition has the same two also linked.

The one by Llull probably goes into more details into the ethics, the anonymous writer wrote a fiction that mostly enhances the symbolism.

 

[Truth]

Ramon Lull's Book of Knighthood & Chivalry & the anonymous Ordene de Chevalerie

I've already read it before, but it's nice to read it again (not reading the linked version, I don't know that one, but I assume that the translation should be OK there).
The anonymous book... I like it more than the book by Llull actually... funny my edition has the same two also linked.

The one by Llull probably goes into more details into the ethics, the anonymous writer wrote a fiction that mostly enhances the symbolism.

Ninety-four dollars! You have expensive taste.

 

[Oh my]

Ninety-four dollars! You have expensive taste.

I am not reading that version, though the two ones I have were not cheap either.
I assume $49 is OK... A book in old Catalan and a book in old French are not easy to translate to modern English and I assume that most of the buyers will get it because of Llull, who is not really "popular" beyond Spain... So it must be a risky bet to publish those 2 books (I doubt the publisher will be making a lot of $$$$).

 

[Truth]

I am not reading that version, though the two ones I have were not cheap either.
I assume $49 is OK... A book in old Catalan and a book in old French are not easy to translate to modern English and I assume that most of the buyers will get it because of Llull, who is not really "popular" beyond Spain... So it must be a risky bet to publish those 2 books (I doubt the publisher will be making a lot of $$$$).

I understand it's not really that much and I'm sure no one is getting rich on it. I was just playing.
I did find a library link for it though. It sounds interesting.

 

[Anonymous]

Rereading bonfire of the vanities and am about half way through. Quandos excitement about it along with Wolfe’s death pushed me into taking it off the shelf. Interestingly with the current American landscape it’s more poignant and relevant to me now than when I first read it. I guess I should read a Phillip Roth as well

 

[nicky wire's legs]

the language of adults - its disappearance from politics and culture
View attachment 44699
"the crucial political problem of the future in western societies is goin to be the question if the outrage and desperation of the impoverishing sections of the population caused by neoliberal policies (e.g. its austerity politics) can find its expression in something different than in such a way that right-wing populist parties try to give them.
it is also going to be a question of language - as well as of a proper way of treatin human beings like adults and mature citizens."

p.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my god, look at his lil pink feet <3

also, you're too smart lanterns!

 

[nicky wire's legs]

yeah, they are as pink as his nose when he is feeling good. the paler his nose, the less comfortable he feels.

i just want to scoop him up and nuzzle my face in his fur! do you think he'd claw my eyes out if I tried?

 

[nicky wire's legs]

yes, he would. he has joined the #catstoo movement recently and told me he was sick of over and over again becoming a victim of obtrusive human beings who cannot control their maternal drive. and it shouldnt be called an instinct any longer. i told him that i'd try to be more respectful from now on

oh...

 

[nicky wire's legs]

well, then, would T. claw my eyes out if I tried????

 

[The Wild Turkey]

the language of adults - its disappearance from politics and culture
View attachment 44699
"the crucial political problem of the future in western societies is goin to be the question if the outrage and desperation of the impoverishing sections of the population caused by neoliberal policies (e.g. its austerity politics) can find its expression in something different than in such a way that right-wing populist parties try to give them.
it is also going to be a question of language - as well as of a proper way of treatin human beings like adults and mature citizens."

That book must be a real snoozer!

 

[nicky wire's legs]

a lovebug cleaning his claws meticulously...
View attachment 44724
but now back to reading books.

lousy intellectual cats who aren't interested in cuddles