What're Ya reading?

[bunglehead]

Yeah, seriously, that is one of the stupidest fucking pieces of long winded garbage I've EVER read, and I've read a Stephen King novel. Pirsig's a hack. Don't even waste your time with that total load of shit. OR, you could put on Fleetwod Mac's "Rumors" and pretend you're a stupid fucking idiot in the 70's.

Where's Dale Peck when you need him?

[Dru]

If ya want to read some goodshit from the 1970's read some CARLOS CASTANEDA start with "Teachings of Don Juan" and go from there.

 

Look what it did for Ron Kauk!

[mtn_mouse]

Forest Insects, by Berryman

[adventuregal]

Dru said:

If ya want to read some goodshit from the 1970's read some CARLOS CASTANEDA start with "Teachings of Don Juan" and go from there.

 

About halfway through it right now...

[JayB]

Just finished "Among the Believers" by V.S. Naipul - his tour through Iran, Pakistan, and Indondesia in the months just following the Iranian revolution.

 

Waiting for "Anti-Americanism" by Jean Francois Revel - currently a best-seller in France and Josephson's guide to ice in the GWN.

[allthumbs]

Just watched Leave it to Beaver and will tune in to Howard Stern a bit later.

[EWolfe]

Howard Stern Fucking sucks. Adolescent prick bastard.

[allthumbs]

His guests make my pecker rise.

[bunglehead]

trask said:

Just watched Leave it to Beaver and will tune in to Howard Stern a bit later.

 

 

[layton]

Reading...this post.

 

As for the 70's hippy self-help books? I kinda enjoyed Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and I've read it a few times now. I didn't see any "ideals" in the book, just a philosophical treatise on a variation of "The Good". But I think all philosphy is a load of horseshit. The world is a heap of shit and we all dig until we find what layer of shit suites us. Either way, life is pain and lonliness, then death.

 

Carlos Castenada's books are the dumbest piles of crap I've ever wasted my time reading. Go rub some lizards on your head. You know he made that crap up, don't you. Quit looking for answers, there are NONE.

 

Another piece of garbage is the Way of the Peaceful Warrior. The reason I loathe this book is b/c after I read it I was like, "yeah," "totally," "this book DID change my life." Then I woke up the next day, did the mundane crap that is life, and sold the book at the used bookstore.

 

Other garbage: 10 habits of highly succesful people. What color is your parachute. The joy of Sex. The joy of cooking.

 

I've stopped reading books with any actual ideals, and read open ended, unanswerable human truths. Check out "The Invisible Man" by ellison. I just re-read that one.

 

Other than that, I'd say the best books out there are childrens' books. The thick-ass stock paper w/tactile or olfactory aids are the best ones. Those books contain the only truths in life.

 

"Any idiot can face a crisis. It's this day to day living that wears me out." -Anton Checkov (sp?)

[layton]

Oh, one more thing.

 

Mark Twain writes some fine books.

 

[EWolfe]

Michael:

Hesse has a fine understanding of human nature, as well, but ahem, lacks the tactile and/or olfactory bits.

[Dru]

If you ever want to feel what being a baby seal being clubbed on the head by a Newfie feels like - read Godel Escher Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by D. Hofstadter. OW!

 

Anyways, about Castaneda, so its fake and he made it up - so what? Im not reading it to learn how to cast spells and justify my peyote habit, but to better understand the minds of 70's climbers and writers.

[bunglehead]

Hey Dru, I went to this talk that idiot Hofstadter gave once at the U of O. When he was done, people just started laying into him about these huge fucking gaping holes in his theories. It actually was a little hostile. It was awesome. That guy is also a total fucking hack.

[Dru]

bunglehead said:

Hey Dru, I went to this talk that idiot Hofstadter gave once at the U of O. When he was done, people just started laying into him about these huge fucking gaping holes in his theories. It actually was a little hostile. It was awesome. That guy is also a total fucking hack.

 

i didnt think he actually had his own theory, i thought he just had some escher pictures and bach fugues.

[bunglehead]

You're pretty much correct. the guy's an asshole.

Gives physicists everywhere a bad name.

[Necronomicon]

Gary Ridgeway's confession.

[Mr._Natural]

In The Beginning, by Isaac Asimov.

[sk]

michael_layton said:

Reading...this post.

 

As for the 70's hippy self-help books? I kinda enjoyed Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and I've read it a few times now. I didn't see any "ideals" in the book, just a philosophical treatise on a variation of "The Good". But I think all philosphy is a load of horseshit. The world is a heap of shit and we all dig until we find what layer of shit suites us. Either way, life is pain and lonliness, then death.

 

Carlos Castenada's books are the dumbest piles of crap I've ever wasted my time reading. Go rub some lizards on your head. You know he made that crap up, don't you. Quit looking for answers, there are NONE.

 

Another piece of garbage is the Way of the Peaceful Warrior. The reason I loathe this book is b/c after I read it I was like, "yeah," "totally," "this book DID change my life." Then I woke up the next day, did the mundane crap that is life, and sold the book at the used bookstore.

 

Other garbage: 10 habits of highly succesful people. What color is your parachute. The joy of Sex. The joy of cooking.

 

I've stopped reading books with any actual ideals, and read open ended, unanswerable human truths. Check out "The Invisible Man" by ellison. I just re-read that one.

 

Other than that, I'd say the best books out there are childrens' books. The thick-ass stock paper w/tactile or olfactory aids are the best ones. Those books contain the only truths in life.

 

"Any idiot can face a crisis. It's this day to day living that wears me out." -Anton Checkov (sp?)

Mikey, you have discoverd the truth of life. I don't think itis anything to be upset by Chop wood carry water.. become enlightend... chop wood carry water

[layton]

chopping wood and carrying water kicks ass

[chelle]

michael_layton said:

 

The world is a heap of shit and we all dig until we find what layer of shit suites us. Either way, life is pain and lonliness, then death.

 

 

The fact that you seem to really believe this makes me sad for you.

[Dru]

carrying wood is Ok too, but chopping water sucks. the splinters go everywhere and then it melts.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Fuck that chop-and-carry routine. Chainsaw and a faucet and you just saved yourself hours of menial labor. Apply saved time to vertical crimper-pimping and dynamic pocket stabbitation. BZZZZAT!

 

First two Castaneda books were good fun/funny reading; shit went downhill in #3. Don Juan had it going ON.

 

River Why was good. Better to read about someone doing their own self-help/life-change thing in a very immersive way than to sit around pretending you're doing it yourself.

 

And whoever was shit-talking Joy of Cooking is an idiot. How you gonna cook without Joy of Cooking? It's ALL in there! Although you can't go wrong with The Best Recipe cookbook from the Cook's Illustrated people. They got it going on.

 

Can we get a shout-out for Vonnegut? "See the * fly the airplane!" "You can take a flying fuck at a rolling donut!" "Ting-a-ling, you son of a bitch!"

[layton]

getting wood while chopping water also kicks ass.

bring on the ice

 

MisterE, give in to the darkness

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

RobBob said:

interesting doping article in Outside mag. (dopers are idiots!)

 

Hey, that WAS an interesting article! Read it twice, matter of fact.

 

Actually, DFA has only been reading periodicals lately, but with 4 subscriptions coming in, plus the weekly news rags, it keeps a fella busy enough.