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BBP
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That sounds like some nice book that you have to be American to enjoy to the fullest...
Right now I'm reading something on the islam for college.
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punknaynowned
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BBP
That sounds like some nice book that you have to be American to enjoy to the fullest...
Right now I'm reading something on the islam for college. |
what do you mean? LOL He's a lot easier to read than Burroughs! and a lot more fun!!
try this:
two 'mine engineers', Webb and Veikko, explosives experts are out on 'a job', somewhere northern New Mexico, 1890's. One American, the other from
Finland.
| Quote: | Mostly with Veikko you had your choice of two topics, techniques of detonation or Veikko's distant country and its beleaguered constitution, Webb
never having seen him raise a glass, for example, that wasn't dedicated to the fall of the Russian Tsar and his evil viceroy General Bobrikoff. But
sometimes Veikko went on and got philosophical. He'd never seen much difference between the Tsar's regime and American capitalism. To struggle
against one, he figured, was to struggle against the other. Sort of this world-wide outlook. "Was a little worse for us, maybe, coming to USA after
hearing so much about 'land of the free.'" Thinking he'd escaped something, only to find life out here just as mean and cold, same wealth without
conscience, same poor people in misery, army and police free as wolves to commit cruelties on behalf of the bosses, bosses ready to do anything to
protect what they had stolen. The main difference he could see was that the Russian aristocracy, after centuries of believing in nothing but its own
entitlement, had grown weak . . . "But American aristocracy is not even a century old . . . strong from efforts it took to acquire its wealth, more of
a challenge. Good enemy."
"You think they're too strong for the workers?"
At which Veikko's eyes would grow pale and illuminated from within, his voice issuing from an abundant and unkempt beard . . . "We are their
strength, without us they are impotent, we are they," and so forth.
. . .
Webb and Veikko got into the usual argument about whether to blast the 'sucker now or wait til a train came. "You know how owners are," Veikko said,
"lazy sons of bitches can't be bothered to saddle up, they take trains wherever they go. We blow train, maybe get a couple of them with it."
"I ain't about to sit out here all day waitin for some train that likely won't be runnin anyhow, it bein a three-day holiday." . . .
"Your mother fucks reindeer."
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| Quote: | Webb's trajectory toward the communion of toil which had claimed his life had begun right out in the middle of Cripple Creek, blooming in those days
like a flower of poisonous delight among its spoil heaps, cribs, parlor houses and gambling saloons. It was a time in Cripple and Victor, Leadville
and Creede, when men were finding their way to the unblastable seams of their own secret natures, learning the true names of desire, which spoken, so
they dreamed, would open the way through the mountains to all that had been denied them. In the broken and soon-enough-interrupted dreams close to
dawn in particular, Webb would find himself standing at some divide, facing west into a great flow of promise, something like wind, something like
light, free of the damaged hopes and pestilent smoke east of here -- sacrificial smoke, maybe, but not ascending to Heaven, only high enough to be
breathed in, to sicken and cut short countless lives, to change the color of the daylight and deny to walkers of the night the stars they remembered
from younger times. He would wake to the day and its dread. The trail back to that high place and the luminous promise did not run by way of
Cripple, though Cripple would have to serve, hopes corroded to fragments -- overnight whiskey, daughters of slaves, rigged poker games, the ladies who
work on the line.
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on second thought, maybe it's an old man's book. Maybe I'm feeling old, wanting to feel young again.
damn this post is huge. hope you don't mind.
btw, speaking of differences and divisions, what is that, 'the islam for college'?
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BBP
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| Quote: | Webb and Veikko got into the usual argument about whether to blast the 'sucker now or wait til a train came. "You know how owners are," Veikko said,
"lazy sons of bitches can't be bothered to saddle up, they take trains wherever they go. We blow train, maybe get a couple of them with it."
"I ain't about to sit out here all day waitin for some train that likely won't be runnin anyhow, it bein a three-day holiday." . . .
"Your mother fucks reindeer." |
And what's so funny about "Your mother fucks reindeer"?
It's OK if you make long posts... just remember there'll be fewer people to read it...
For college I'm taking a class on the islam: a basic introduction to the faith from an "academic" viewpoint (= non-believing). It's a pretty
interesting class, I'm learning lots of Arabic (like Al-qaida). Also it's strengthening me in my atheist conviction. We have a decent teacher too,
except yesterday the internet connection failed and he had to lecture without Power Point, which got him very confused.
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punknaynowned
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| Quote: |
And what's so funny about "Your mother fucks reindeer"? |
ouch!
it seems that Veikko is so frustrated with Webb because he won't go along with him to blow up a bridge and the train along with it potentially holding
the corporate bosses (!!!!!) that he tries to insult him by insulting his mother . . .
it's a variation on a fairly common insult: to insult someone deeply you would attack their mother verbally and to insult someone's mother you say
something about her supposedly . . . bad choices. It's funny because it's a wildly improbable thing first of all, and reindeer are found in places
like Finland or Alaska, Siberia but not the lower 48 states at all. It's also funny because insulting someone's mother is either a reaction coming
from a deeply felt place -- like "I'm hurt badly by what you say and so I want you to hurt badly too", or in cases where people are more used to each
other's 'pressure points' it can also be almost endearing.
For example, it's so obvious to me that jpfunk actually likes or feels a kind of kinship with Isaac and that's exactly why he gives him such a hard
time -- like a little brother he never had . . . Jpfunk probably feels like he's 'toughening little Isaac up' --he even told Isaac, 'I love you you
big dummy' once and Isaac was so pissed off he couldn't even acknowledge it. Isaac doesn't see it that way, tho and jpfunk would probably never admit
it.
I hope I haven't been overly wordy or seemed pretensious or any of that, Bonny. To be real honest, I don't know what you know and you don't know what
I know and I have no idea how you see any of this. It is merely my simple hope that exposing people to stuff, whatever it is, will get them to see a
little more of the wide world that is out there. That's all. 
| Quote: |
It's OK if you make long posts... just remember there'll be fewer people to read it...
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Up with literacy!, I say. 
| Quote: |
For college I'm taking a class on the islam: a basic introduction to the faith from an "academic" viewpoint (= non-believing). It's a pretty
interesting class, I'm learning lots of Arabic (like Al-qaida). Also it's strengthening me in my atheist conviction. We have a decent teacher too,
except yesterday the internet connection failed and he had to lecture without Power Point, which got him very confused. |
wish more folks could take a class on what other people believe in, so long as it's a reasonably accurate portrayal -- and I'm sure your class is a
lot better than what the average American 'learns' on the slime from the tvset
oh! and happy Valentine's day!
[Edited on 14-2-2007 by punknaynowned]
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BBP
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Emile Zola - Germinal
In French, so wish me luck...
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punknaynowned
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I would LOVE to read Zola or Hugo, Balzac or Dumas in French. Omigod! Jealous Iam.
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BBP
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Easy solution: learn French. French is not such a difficult language, except for listening.
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DED
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I'm now rereading my dutch detecive books of Havank
(Hans van Kampen)
Keyperson is chief inspector Charles C.M. Carlier and most stories play in France. A lot of them in the Provence
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BBP
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Just got a lot of books from my birthday, some Ionesco and Gogol... Just finished a story collection by Emile Zola.
Now I'm reading for college: the bible. I've cleverly disguised my bible as The Real Frank Zappa Book so that I can read it without creepy people
sitting next to me and talking to me on the train.
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BBP
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Read through the bible, passed the test. Now I've started finally on Germinal.
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punknaynowned
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this summer I've been reading sea stories:
Midshipman Hornblower
Mutiny On The Bounty (half-through)
Heart of Darkness (background in the Norton edition)
dunno why really. It's been ten years or more since I read fiction regularly. Just feel like it I guess.
[Edited on 22-8-2007 by punknaynowned]
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BBP
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Have only heard of the middle one...
How are they Punky?
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punknaynowned
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the hornblower is the first of a series, there are ten in all
heart of darkness = that giant sinking sound of decay we smell every time someone mentions 'progress'
how are u?
got to see zpz in tulsa last week. It was great!
then they're coming to Kansas City in November!
hooray!!
won't be going to europe this fall 
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DED
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that are always nice stories about the sea, the tall ships, slavery (dutch slaves in Algery) and not to forget the merchand ships fighting in the
second WW.
These types of books are famous (sorry were) in Holland
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punknaynowned
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I read many sea stories as a kid.
found the real world navy not as enjoyable
strange weather on the sea
of course, the Dutch made world sailing famous and then the spainiards took the helm and then the brits and then the yanks and then the pirates
I remember that one!
hope your well
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DED
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Are any of these books you read translations of Dutch work?
Me myself are now reading some childish Detectives, I read when I was Young.
And off course my new knowledge book
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punknaynowned
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no, those weren't. They are all English.
but one of my favorite books of the last few years was Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen of Johann Huizinga.
marvelous book
not fiction
history is my first true love
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BBP
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There's a funny pun going around on the name of that novel... I've thought of reading it just because of that.
(For the Dutch-speakers here: in the category of things that aren't what they sound like: herfsttijloos is niet iemand die Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen
van Johan Huizinga heeft uitgeleend en niet teruggekregen.)
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aquagoat
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currently reading Brett Easton Ellis' American psycho, quite a special book, I can't stop reading it.
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BBP
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Ha! I couldn't continue reading it... Are you reading it in English? I found the first few pages pretty hard to get through, and somehow I never felt
like continuing.
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