Fashion Board 6-9-04 to 7-13-04

[robustpuppy]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I hope for your sake that the former owner wasn't reading it in the john.* Oh, the germ issues. And the cooties, well don't even get me started.


*does everyone think about this with used books post-Seinfeld, or is it just me?

When did Barnes & Noble start putting signs outside the restroom (and next to an empty table) that say, "Please do not bring any merchandies into the restroom?" They ought to put a picture of George on it.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
My brother gave me Quicksilver...

Posting this under the above subject line is irresponsible.



No way Bacon was on a Program.

TM

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
And the winner of today's Who is Oprah, Anyway? Sophisticated Reader award is . . .

Not me (not to be confused with Not Me, who may well be a Sophistcated Reader). Trying to read anything by Umberto Eco -- despite his cool name -- gives me a headache.

Which leads me to a poll that I was planning to do tomorrow, a poll borrowed from a game played by English professors in the books of David Lodge. What "great book" have you not read that you should have read, or which you pretended to have read, or which people think that you have read?

My answer -- "Ulysses" by James Joyce (see why I was going to do this poll tomorrow?). I can't do it. I have tried. I want to like it. People I like like it. The concept of the book appeals to me. The whole struggle against censorship aspect of the publishing of it appeals to me. But, no matter how hard I try, I can't get past page 10 or 5 or 20 or whatever. And yet I laugh knowingly at references to "that hottie Molly Bloom." Shame on me.

There is hope. I was supposed to read "A Tale of Two Cities" in middle school, but gave up on page 2, and read the Classic Comics version instead -- and (depite Sister Annuncia's warnings) did not fail the test. Last year, I saw it at my mother-in-law's house, picked it up when waiting for my wife to get back from shopping, and started reading. I loved it.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by baltassoc
FWIW, I picked up Foucault's Pendulum at an airport when someone left it behind in a waiting lounge, having never heard of Eco. Eco's books can be divided into two categories. This is definitely in the fun read category (along with Name of the Rose).

You are the first person I've ever heard call Foucault's Pendulum a "fun read," and this is from someone who loved The Name Of The Rose and actually read all of Foucault's Pendulum -- I may have made it through only because I was underemployed at the time and enjoy conspiracy theory lit (Hank, read: softball). The thing reads like a semiotics dissertation in the guise of literature. For a huge book, it's remarlably short on physical description, and when you get some you know it has Meaning. I guess I liked it, but in a ponderous intellectual way, not in a "fun" way.

My wife read it because I said it was interesting -- it wasn't a recommendation, and it took me months to get some credibility on that score back with her.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
Sardonic, isn't it?

You should write a song.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Not Bob
Not me (not to be confused with Not Me, who may well be a Sophistcated Reader). Trying to read anything by Umberto Eco -- despite his cool name -- gives me a headache.

If you're ever in a bookstore or a library and see a book of his called How To Travel With A Salmon & Other Essays, pick it up and read the title piece while you're standing there. Very funny.

[SlaveNoMore]

Tyrone Slothrop
My wife read it because I said it was interesting -- it wasn't a recommendation, and it took me months to get some credibility on that score back with her.

Your screen name is from a dense Pynchon book. 'Nuff said.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
did you pick up a couple of Superman comics from the WorldClub at Reagan last Tuesday? They weren't left behind.

And my copy of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (at Bush, not Reagan)? Oh well, I can usually find it in the discount aisle, anyway.

[Replaced_Texan]

To the people who run yahoo mail.

Thank you for the increasing my mailbox space to 100 MB. I appreciate it. It would be really cool to have that much space if my mail worked.

Yesterday--the old and unimproved days---my yahoo mail worked just fine. I could send mail. I could read read mail. I could write mail. I could respond to mail that I had read. I understand that I was using old and unimproved technology, but I managed to get by.

Don't get me wrong. Clearly, the new and improved is much better than the old and unimproved. I'm delighted to have 96 extra MBs in my free yahoo account, and I realize that since I don't pay you a dime for the service, I shouldn't expect much. But it would be nice to be able to actually use the account.

Sincerely,

Replaced Texan

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
1 of course Anthony would have contributed more than Darko. I've not seen Darko play and i've got season tickets. At best 5 years from now something will have blossomed- again, I only give that based upon respect for Joe D's knowledge.

Anthony will always be a better player than Darko. Darko will always have so very much potential. Hakeem had more potential than Jordan at draft time too.

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski 2 Anthony on the Pistons would not be weak on defense. You can't walk on the court with Ben and not play solid defense. Having a solid defensive mindset is environmental.

Agreed. And if he was having trouble, Dumars, a defensive genius, would have made a real difference. It's not like Melo can't move his feet. And when you can move your feet, defense is an attitude.

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski 3 all I was saying is I don't see him giving the Pistons much that Prince didn't. Anthony minutes would have been Prince's. You might start spouting stats, but offensive stats for being the leading scorer on a team that barely made the playoffs do not correspond to stats for the 3rd or 4th option on the best defensive team around. Prince will come on in the next few years as a stronger offensive threat. I think he's really nervous still playing at this level.

Prince looks shook quite often, so I agree that he's still really nervous. He really needs to build some upper body strength. Carmelo is developed and somewhat fearless (bordering on stupid at times). But imagine how his game would grow at leaps and bounds being in the Finals his first year out. That kind of experience is invaluable. The Lakers are having problems matching up now. But what do they do when Rip and 'Melo are on the floor at the same time? Moot question, I know. But Prince really hasn't done much this series. He looks like he doesn't want to be the man. And that's an attitude you can't change. Just ask Webber.

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski 4 The thing I still don't get is how Dumars had the confidence to use the pick for a long term project when we were so close to being a finals team last year. I would have tried to trade the pick to some hopeless team with currently solid players. Portland- Randolph and Wallace for #2 pick and 2 or 3 7 foot stiffs? Something to have made the Pistons stronger this year would have been available.

I honestly don't think Dumars thought they would win the Finals (and I recognize that they still haven't) when he was making these decisions. Getting another couple of bodies to throw at Shaq isn't going to make a difference. He knew then (as did Larry Brown) that you just have to let Shaq have his. The trick is shutting everyone else down. So, I think he was thinking about the future.

TM

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
When did Barnes & Noble start putting signs outside the restroom (and next to an empty table) that say, "Please do not bring any merchandies into the restroom?" They ought to put a picture of George on it.

I don't remember exactly when they started posting the signs, but I think it was about the same time I started going to Borders.

[patentparanyc]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
The Da Vinci Code is also in my to-be-read pile,

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

I liked the DaVinci Code. Dan Brown is pretty good but a one track type author. I picked up Angels and Demons and same storyline premise. What was interesting about the code was that it proports the idea that Mary Magdeline is the holy grail and that it is possible that she married Jesus and Dan Brown talked about that he chose to omit theories that they had children and a certain French family lineage are decendents of them.

That being said, "The Bitch in the House" by cathy hanuer is excellent essays by women about life, motherhood, marriage, etc. the rejoinder the bastard on the couch would like to pick up. Also reading Limbo working class roots white collar dreams by alfred lubrano interesting narrative about class stratification.

Also, walked by B&N and they were setting up "my life" by bill clinton kiosks. hmm not sure if that's worth the price of admission. maybe the cheap seats at the public library

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
did you pick up a couple of Superman comics from the WorldClub at Reagan last Tuesday? They weren't left behind.

I haven't been to Washington National since they changed the name.* I'll take your response on the PB.


*In the interest of full disclosure, this coincided with my move to Maryland. Washington National takes about five times longer for me to get to than BWI. Given that for any given destination, flying from DCA costs about $50 more than BWI (and 4-5X as much if Southwest flies there), I don't have much cause to go down there. But if you'd think I'd find good reading material, maybe it's worth the trip.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Anthony will always be a better player than Darko. Darko will always have so very much potential. Hakeem had more potential than Jordan at draft time too.

Agreed. And if he was having trouble, Dumars, a defensive genius, would have made a real difference. It's not like Melo can't move his feet. And when you can move your feet, defense is an attitude.

Prince looks shook quite often, so I agree that he's still really nervous. He really needs to build some upper body strength. Carmelo is developed and somewhat fearless (bordering on stupid at times). But imagine how his game would grow at leaps and bounds being in the Finals his first year out. That kind of experience is invaluable. The Lakers are having problems matching up now. But what do they do when Rip and 'Melo are on the floor at the same time? Moot question, I know. But Prince really hasn't done much this series. He looks like he doesn't want to be the man. And that's an attitude you can't change. Just ask Webber.

I honestly don't think Dumars thought they would win the Finals (and I recognize that they still haven't) when he was making these decisions. Getting another couple of bodies to throw at Shaq isn't going to make a difference. He knew then (as did Larry Brown) that you just have to let Shaq have his. The trick is shutting everyone else down. So, I think he was thinking about the future.

TM

If I may interject here, I have a few questions.

Allow me to start by mentioning that I really don't watch much professional basketball. I've always liked the college game better, yadda yadda yadda.

So, anyway, what is the deal with the guy on Detriot who wears that scary see-thru face brace thing (Prince, maybe?)? What exactly happened to his face and if it was that serious, why didn't he just retire from this dangerous sport already? Is he just wearing it to mess with me? To frighten his opponents? If he didn't have it on, would his face fall off?

Thanks in advance for your helpful responses.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I hope for your sake that the former owner wasn't reading it in the john.* Oh, the germ issues. And the cooties, well don't even get me started.


*does everyone think about this with used books post-Seinfeld, or is it just me?

I really worry about that only with the used books I pick up from people's trash, or get from homeless people.

I read (well, skimmed) Foucault's Pendulum before, and not very long before, I read Da Vinci Code. I think partly as a consequence, I didn't like Da Vinci Code. I was kind of burned out on the whole ancient conspiracy crap, and Da Vinci Code was written clearly enough for me to know that there were a bunch of loose ends. Foucault's Pendulum, I wasn't so sure, mostly because it was so dense I lost track of a bunch of stuff.