Fat, Happy, and Sunburned
Today was why God made Minnesota. A clear sky, temps in the mid-80's, thousands of lakes, and a friend from the dog park with a boat and bit of vacation time. We went out to Lake Elmo for a couple of hours between 11 and 1 ~ on the summer solstice. This was about the only sun I've gotten this year, and it might be the last. Pain is beginning to radiate from my upper arms and recently scarlet seared lower back. The dogs had a good time and even my pooch Maggie began to willingly play in the shallows after a somewhat traumatic swimming lesson. For a dog that gets spooked by her water dish, this was a big step forward.
My friend was wearing some of those sporty, plastic, mirrored sunglasses, and from time to time I saw this frighteningly white blob reflected off his shades. It took me quite awhile to realize I was witnessing my own, glorious, pale, highly reflective body. If I go out tomorrow, that blob will appear to be an infrared heat signature.
A game of book tag has been going around the internet. Aaron tagged me earlier today, so here goes:
Total number of books owned, ever:
I have no idea. Let's call it between 150-200. I've read all but 5 or 6 of them. I'm a sucker for book series so I tend to own a lot of one author. Probably 10 Tom Clancy's, 10 Robert Heinlein's, 6 PJ O'Rourke's, 7 John Fitzgeralds, and so on.
Last book I bought:
I'm not sure. I've been reading my roommates books recently and borrowed my current book from someone else and will borrow my next book (State of Fear - Micheal Crighton). I bought 10 copies of MN local and secret vigilante Anne Ursu's Spilling Clarence for Christmas gifts. Ms. Ursu also took the time out to sign and personalize each book, thus making her my favorite author EVER. Sorry Tom Clancy, you never single-handedly obliterated my christmas shopping list. It's hard to believe I've gone 6 months without buying another book... oh wait! I bought Michael Crighton's thriller on nanos, Prey, for a flight home from LA in February. I think it was $2.98 or $13.43 after california taxes. I'll go with Prey. But then again, as part of a gift basket at a golf outing in May, I received "Chicago Golf, the first 100 year". However, I will never read that book and its not like there's a receipt.
Last book I read:
I've been on a Tom Clancy kick as of late. I've reread Sum of all Fears, Debt of Honor, and Executive Orders. The Bear and the Dragon is the next and last of the Jack Ryan series, but I didn't like it the first time. I'm about 3 pages shy of finishing "Bringing Down the House" - a quick read about the MIT black jack team. I stayed up late last night reading that one and then had weird dreams where a casino pit boss helped me retrieve a check that fell out of my wallet and later I was attacked with a knife wielding black jack player I was trying to recruit. I find it interesting that the roles of good guys and bad guys switched places in my dream. Must have something to do with Hoplin being a republican...
Five books that mean a lot to me:
This was easy since they are all listed in my blog profile. To rehash:
Paul Johnson has written a slew of books, with Modern Times being the first and most favored. It barely nudges out History of the American People. History of the Jews was a bit slow and I haven't yet gotten to Intellectuals and History of Christianity. However I'm guessing it is slightly more fact based than Dale Brown's crap.
Ayn Rand - Fountain Head is the better book in a literary sense, but Atlas shrugged is the better political tome. I read both later in my political development, and thus quickly recognized Atlas Shrugged was probably the foundation for many of the writers at Reason who I read through High School.
Ann Ursu is a gracious, wonderful person who signed my books for Xmas presents. She also keeps the world safe for Twins fans and oh yeah, she's a great author who sets up and then explores interesting psychological experiments. And since she's a local, your bound to find yourself cracking up when its revealed that her characters go to "Ventura Grade School". She writes children very well, as well as Judy Blume, and her adult characters tend to take on a severe personality that fully explores an emotional archetype.
Heinlein is the best sci-fi guy ever. I'm a big fan of Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game et al), but Heinlein is king. Time Enough for love is my favorite and probably his best effort at mixing his politics and his main character in a smooth plot, but Starship Trooper was my first and also had the clearest presentation of his libertarian military republic. Always a quick read.
I have no one else to tag who has a blog. Since I know Franklin is a reader, I shall invite him to be tagged in the comments section.
My friend was wearing some of those sporty, plastic, mirrored sunglasses, and from time to time I saw this frighteningly white blob reflected off his shades. It took me quite awhile to realize I was witnessing my own, glorious, pale, highly reflective body. If I go out tomorrow, that blob will appear to be an infrared heat signature.
A game of book tag has been going around the internet. Aaron tagged me earlier today, so here goes:
Total number of books owned, ever:
I have no idea. Let's call it between 150-200. I've read all but 5 or 6 of them. I'm a sucker for book series so I tend to own a lot of one author. Probably 10 Tom Clancy's, 10 Robert Heinlein's, 6 PJ O'Rourke's, 7 John Fitzgeralds, and so on.
Last book I bought:
I'm not sure. I've been reading my roommates books recently and borrowed my current book from someone else and will borrow my next book (State of Fear - Micheal Crighton). I bought 10 copies of MN local and secret vigilante Anne Ursu's Spilling Clarence for Christmas gifts. Ms. Ursu also took the time out to sign and personalize each book, thus making her my favorite author EVER. Sorry Tom Clancy, you never single-handedly obliterated my christmas shopping list. It's hard to believe I've gone 6 months without buying another book... oh wait! I bought Michael Crighton's thriller on nanos, Prey, for a flight home from LA in February. I think it was $2.98 or $13.43 after california taxes. I'll go with Prey. But then again, as part of a gift basket at a golf outing in May, I received "Chicago Golf, the first 100 year". However, I will never read that book and its not like there's a receipt.
Last book I read:
I've been on a Tom Clancy kick as of late. I've reread Sum of all Fears, Debt of Honor, and Executive Orders. The Bear and the Dragon is the next and last of the Jack Ryan series, but I didn't like it the first time. I'm about 3 pages shy of finishing "Bringing Down the House" - a quick read about the MIT black jack team. I stayed up late last night reading that one and then had weird dreams where a casino pit boss helped me retrieve a check that fell out of my wallet and later I was attacked with a knife wielding black jack player I was trying to recruit. I find it interesting that the roles of good guys and bad guys switched places in my dream. Must have something to do with Hoplin being a republican...
Five books that mean a lot to me:
This was easy since they are all listed in my blog profile. To rehash:
- Tom Clancy - Without Remorse
- Paul Johnson - Modern Times
- Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged
- Ann Ursu - Spilling Clarence
- Robert Heinlein - Time Enough for Love
Paul Johnson has written a slew of books, with Modern Times being the first and most favored. It barely nudges out History of the American People. History of the Jews was a bit slow and I haven't yet gotten to Intellectuals and History of Christianity. However I'm guessing it is slightly more fact based than Dale Brown's crap.
Ayn Rand - Fountain Head is the better book in a literary sense, but Atlas shrugged is the better political tome. I read both later in my political development, and thus quickly recognized Atlas Shrugged was probably the foundation for many of the writers at Reason who I read through High School.
Ann Ursu is a gracious, wonderful person who signed my books for Xmas presents. She also keeps the world safe for Twins fans and oh yeah, she's a great author who sets up and then explores interesting psychological experiments. And since she's a local, your bound to find yourself cracking up when its revealed that her characters go to "Ventura Grade School". She writes children very well, as well as Judy Blume, and her adult characters tend to take on a severe personality that fully explores an emotional archetype.
Heinlein is the best sci-fi guy ever. I'm a big fan of Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game et al), but Heinlein is king. Time Enough for love is my favorite and probably his best effort at mixing his politics and his main character in a smooth plot, but Starship Trooper was my first and also had the clearest presentation of his libertarian military republic. Always a quick read.
I have no one else to tag who has a blog. Since I know Franklin is a reader, I shall invite him to be tagged in the comments section.
posted by Bill Gilles | 6:43 PM
5 Comments:
Starship Troopers - nice book Bill!
ABS
Is TV Guide a book? Katherine Hepburn's "Me?"
To say franklin is underwhelmed with blogging is an understatement.
ABS.
Surprisingly, whenever I found some interesting book on a shelf and started to page through it, it was always a book from Franklin's shelf, rarely anything from Bill's. I'm going to bat for Franklin's literacy here (shudder), I say he should complete the excercise.
Its thrusday Gilles, update your blog!
ABS
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