A friend of mine convinced me to give Kerouac's On the Road a read. I stopped halfway through. Might be a nice read for a bookworm, but I'd already done my share of cross country seat of the pants trips in my youth.
I thought The Fountainhead was kind of thrilling when I was in high school, but bombed out of Rand forever somewhere in John Galt's 200-p speech in Atlas Shrugged.
I had to read The Fountainhead in Jr. High so I did. It was "OK", but I thought Anthem was written better. I took out Atlas Shrugged from the library one summer, and got through maybe a quarter of it before I realized it was a book about assholes and everyone I knew who was really into it was an asshole.
I haven't learned anything over the years to modify my perception, except that the author was a monstrous asshole, too.
Postscript: |The Dispossessed| took the bad taste out of my mind afterwards.
Embarrassingly enough, I've never read this. It's on my list now, if I can find it!
It rambles, but I think it's delightful. Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks!
I went to Sturgis once. That was enough. I actually saw a guy unload his bike from a trailer, then he started grabbing handfuls of dirt and rubbed into his clothes. Like that was gonna fool anyone. You can tell someone rode there by the skin flaking off their face. I'll gladly do the ride again, just not during Bike Week. Same with Daytona, or Reno, or Redwoods, or…
It turned into poser central many years ago. Once upon a time I considered going, but these days you couldn't pay me (unless it's a lot). Who wants to hang out with a bunch of EDM tourists and Silicon Valley douche bros all spending oodles of cash to dress up and listen to bad music in the middle of a dustbowl while tripping on ecstasy and convincing themselves that they're being "self reliant"?
I would not be surprised if the TV series Silicon Valley (which I LOVE) does a parody of exactly this. They totally should send the boys to Burning Man, drinking liquid shrimp and Tres Comas tequila in the douchebro tent with Paris.
Bikers seem to gather in Huber Heights, of all places, once a year. I think it's for bikers that don't want to go to South Dakota. They meet at what used to be called Jackass Flats (lmao)
Hah! Nice! Reminds me of the week after I summitted Mt Washington in the winter the first time, people kept asking why my nose was peeling so much, and I replied "first degree frostbite"
Indeed. Just got a bit on my schnozz- didn't even feel it when it happened. My hiking partner looked around and said "Dude, you've got frost on your nose". Lucky.
We were hiking south on Mt. Washington’s Alpine Garden when a 50 mph wind whipped up out of nowhere from the west, also dropping visibility to less than 50 meters. So, I got it mostly on the right side of my right nostril. You really can’t tell. As Steve Martin would say, I have “abundant nose”>
Mine was caused by repeated exposure while skiing and working in the high country for 25 or so years. Took me that long to figure out what I was doing wrong, I guess.
| Sounds like they had a ball. |
"The incident inspired a scene in a Poe short story, 'Hop-Frog.' "
The things we learn here…
"This blog is so educational"
– Dok
Isn't there some volcanic event that could occur there soon? Like, today.
or maybe a well-timed meteor…
I never really planned on going, but when I saw that Paris Hilton was going, I swore off forever.
The whole idea of "glamping" is an insult to *self reliance* celebrations. And to |Kurt Vonnegut|, also, too~
Sandy Pittman thought it was cool on Everest, until the shit came down.
A friend of mine convinced me to give Kerouac's On the Road a read. I stopped halfway through. Might be a nice read for a bookworm, but I'd already done my share of cross country seat of the pants trips in my youth.
It's a great book, but one of those you have to read at a certain time in your life. Like Look Homeward, Angel.
Thanks. I'll avoid that one too.
Books are dangerous. It's best to avoid them whenever you can.
I live by this advice tbh
I will admit I'm 95% a nonfiction reader. Short fiction, sometimes, long fiction, hardly ever.
You know, I read a book about that one time.
<img src="http://list.christopherwink.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/fahrenheit451.jpg"/>
Also Herman Hesse or Carlos Castenada.
Ayn Rand, but unlike the other authors mentioned, I thought she sucked even back then.
I thought The Fountainhead was kind of thrilling when I was in high school, but bombed out of Rand forever somewhere in John Galt's 200-p speech in Atlas Shrugged.
I had to read The Fountainhead in Jr. High so I did. It was "OK", but I thought Anthem was written better. I took out Atlas Shrugged from the library one summer, and got through maybe a quarter of it before I realized it was a book about assholes and everyone I knew who was really into it was an asshole.
I haven't learned anything over the years to modify my perception, except that the author was a monstrous asshole, too.
Postscript: |The Dispossessed| took the bad taste out of my mind afterwards.
My favorite utopian novel was [Islandia.]
Embarrassingly enough, I've never read this. It's on my list now, if I can find it!
It rambles, but I think it's delightful. Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks!
I went to Sturgis once. That was enough. I actually saw a guy unload his bike from a trailer, then he started grabbing handfuls of dirt and rubbed into his clothes. Like that was gonna fool anyone. You can tell someone rode there by the skin flaking off their face. I'll gladly do the ride again, just not during Bike Week. Same with Daytona, or Reno, or Redwoods, or…
It turned into poser central many years ago. Once upon a time I considered going, but these days you couldn't pay me (unless it's a lot). Who wants to hang out with a bunch of EDM tourists and Silicon Valley douche bros all spending oodles of cash to dress up and listen to bad music in the middle of a dustbowl while tripping on ecstasy and convincing themselves that they're being "self reliant"?
I would not be surprised if the TV series Silicon Valley (which I LOVE) does a parody of exactly this. They totally should send the boys to Burning Man, drinking liquid shrimp and Tres Comas tequila in the douchebro tent with Paris.
Electro Discharge Machining is a tourist thing now?
Bikers seem to gather in Huber Heights, of all places, once a year. I think it's for bikers that don't want to go to South Dakota. They meet at what used to be called Jackass Flats (lmao)
Hah! Nice! Reminds me of the week after I summitted Mt Washington in the winter the first time, people kept asking why my nose was peeling so much, and I replied "first degree frostbite"
all the cool kids are doing it…
Fucking hipsters.
Frostbite ain't to be trifled with. I have frostbite caused neuropathy in my hands and feets.
Oh damn, I wish I could find the episode of "Reno 911" when the crew went to Burning Man, it was great!
Indeed. Just got a bit on my schnozz- didn't even feel it when it happened. My hiking partner looked around and said "Dude, you've got frost on your nose". Lucky.
So just the tip, then?
We were hiking south on Mt. Washington’s Alpine Garden when a 50 mph wind whipped up out of nowhere from the west, also dropping visibility to less than 50 meters. So, I got it mostly on the right side of my right nostril. You really can’t tell. As Steve Martin would say, I have “abundant nose”>
Mine was caused by repeated exposure while skiing and working in the high country for 25 or so years. Took me that long to figure out what I was doing wrong, I guess.