tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post8505201211147302234..comments2024-03-28T01:45:31.400-07:00Comments on Diary of a Fat Slob: Books and breakfastUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-18401311988839343152022-10-16T14:05:58.705-07:002022-10-16T14:05:58.705-07:00Exactly and of course, the ceremonies are full of ...Exactly and of course, the ceremonies are full of shit, as are the religions, and most of the believers. The memorial is for the full of shit mourners. I'm a mourner too, when a loved one dies, and I'm as full of shit as any of them, but it's a secular shit.<br /><br />Nobody's death obligates me to go stand among the other mourners, though. That's a flavor if shit I don'tDoug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-63994235561820734212022-10-16T00:36:10.596-07:002022-10-16T00:36:10.596-07:00They'd be full of shit. They can make the rule...They'd be full of shit. They can make the rules for their own memorial services, but not for mine or anybody else's. Secular, non-religious memorial services are becoming more and more common. Most cemeteries have a large room or two for memorial services, and since they must accommodate many religious denominations as well as many non-religious "customers", the fetishes johnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-23515314778233871492022-10-15T17:23:55.617-07:002022-10-15T17:23:55.617-07:00Always a preacher in my family. They'd say it&...Always a preacher in my family. They'd say it's a fake memorial if there's no preacher.Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-6327573255202056632022-10-15T13:17:49.450-07:002022-10-15T13:17:49.450-07:00I've been to a half dozen memorial services in...I've been to a half dozen memorial services in the last 20 years, and exactly one of them had a pastor/minister. Secular memorial services are pretty common these days. The one with the minister was my Dad's, and he was only there because they were buddies. My sister and I took over the show and ran most of it ourselves.<br /><br />I had a couple of smokes with the minister afterward. johnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-25303066366338213272022-10-14T15:33:41.432-07:002022-10-14T15:33:41.432-07:00It was junior high school, I think, or maybe high ...It was junior high school, I think, or maybe high school. They didn't usually assign books, but instead gave students a choice off a fairly short list of 'approved' books. I think I picked <i>Catch 22</i> because I'd heard it was good, but if it is -- must be, everyone says so -- it was way over my head or I was too young for it. <br /><br />Maybe the movie will work better for meDoug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-38951788305543803322022-10-14T15:29:40.602-07:002022-10-14T15:29:40.602-07:00Agreed about Ishtar and The Graduate. Kinda liked ...Agreed about <i>Ishtar</i> and <i>The Graduate</i>. Kinda liked <i>A New Leaf</i> but I wish May had written her character smarter. <br /><br />If I've ever seen <i>Carnal Knowledge</i> I've completely forgotten it.Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-8671331664746922722022-10-14T00:17:50.976-07:002022-10-14T00:17:50.976-07:00Response to Doug from a few comments ago:
>Can...Response to Doug from a few comments ago:<br /><br />>Can it be as bad as everyone says? I'm curious to find out. Alan Arkin stars and I love him...<br /><br />It's a pretty good movie. It just has little to do with the book. If you think highly of the book as I do, then you might resent the movie, but as a piece of art the movie is just fine. It does, in fact, share some themes and johnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-42795451368526617802022-10-14T00:08:23.330-07:002022-10-14T00:08:23.330-07:00I'm trying to get out of this discussion, but ...I'm trying to get out of this discussion, but not successfully. I'd just like to point out that we keep saying that the movie has little to do with the book: it's a book that can't be made into a movie, then comparing them. <br /><br />Also, I can't imagine reading Catch-22 in grade school. You must have attended one of those progressive primary schools where the music johnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-54236090114662177442022-10-13T22:46:10.991-07:002022-10-13T22:46:10.991-07:00The book is definitely better, in every way, thoug...The book is definitely better, in every way, though I found it un-re-readable a few years ago... I read in in grade school and then in my 20s, loved it both times... but now just feels like leftover Kafka meets Terry Southern.<br /><br />Mike Nichols two great films for me are The Graduate and Carnal Knowledge. Nothing else comes close, though Silkwood and Wolf have their moments. But then I Claude Reignsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-71270471289459165252022-10-13T18:56:29.169-07:002022-10-13T18:56:29.169-07:00Can it be as bad as everyone says? I'm curious...Can it be as bad as everyone says? I'm curious to find out. Alan Arkin stars and I love him...Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-29787229192847051312022-10-13T06:30:00.688-07:002022-10-13T06:30:00.688-07:00Even the actor Art Garfunkel appeared briefly, and...Even the actor Art Garfunkel appeared briefly, and became so confused that he left shortly after wrap to walk across Japan. He didn't speak Japanese, but it still made more sense to him than the movie.<br /><br />Johnjohnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-59491135747503719592022-10-12T12:15:32.649-07:002022-10-12T12:15:32.649-07:00The movie is pretty bad. I would have walked out, ...The movie is pretty bad. I would have walked out, but I wanted to get my three bucks worth. I stayed, but I didn't get my three bucks worth.<br /><br />Johnjohnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-25496504556993463182022-10-12T08:31:17.388-07:002022-10-12T08:31:17.388-07:00The movie is on my watchlist and D-drive, so soon ...The movie is on my watchlist and D-drive, so soon I'll have something more to say... Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-51632735881513462302022-10-11T18:38:38.101-07:002022-10-11T18:38:38.101-07:00Yeah, I'm not entirely convinced that Heller e...Yeah, I'm not entirely convinced that Heller entirely abandoned the traditional narrative temporal structure. Some things aged normally: the number of missions required for a leave kept going up, Yossarian kept getting crazier (or saner) and poets continued to be underpaid, except, apparently, T. S. Eliot. Everything else was distorted by war.<br /><br />OK, I'm done with Catch-22. Hell,johnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-83904250554337711182022-10-11T15:32:51.725-07:002022-10-11T15:32:51.725-07:00If they're done right, usually I don't min...If they're done right, usually I don't mind movies that abandon traditional notions of narrative, reality, timelines, or plot. Books, though, I lack the IQ and patience to read books that do that.<br /><br />My wife loved that shit, though.Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-79601156906379031732022-10-11T13:24:01.754-07:002022-10-11T13:24:01.754-07:00I don't know. In its time, it was a non-tradit...I don't know. In its time, it was a non-traditional way to laugh at the people who made war. I'm not sure it would cause a ripple were it released today. I'm so familiar with it that I don't get lost in the jump-cuts, but if I read it for the first time now I might. I didn't mean to imply that it required a special kind of intellect to follow. It doesn't. Books and music johnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-23574198868554310032022-10-11T11:53:23.854-07:002022-10-11T11:53:23.854-07:00I could try Catch-22 again, I suppose. It's be...I could try Catch-22 again, I suppose. It's been a long time. Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-41987442240390600992022-10-11T09:11:46.847-07:002022-10-11T09:11:46.847-07:00"It actually sounds intriguing, but it sounds..."It actually sounds intriguing, but it sounds two-hour intriguing, not all day and maybe tomorrow intriguing"<br /><br />I wish I had your foresight. It was good at first but after the whole concept and setting was established it wasn't that exciting anymore. But two thirds of it were nice nonetheless, so I'll at least read the second part too.<br /><br />I was mistaken, and theAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-32590159225812142772022-10-10T17:11:05.064-07:002022-10-10T17:11:05.064-07:00I find that interesting. After reading your writin...I find that interesting. After reading your writing for months it's clear you're a creative, competent thinker, and that you have a sense of humor that's up my alley -- but sometimes it's just a matter of taste. I dug Catch-22 when I was 18, when I was 40, and when I was 60. It's almost time to read it again. Sometimes compatible people have complementary tastes. T. S. Eliot.<johnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-47645716829551221542022-10-10T16:01:26.821-07:002022-10-10T16:01:26.821-07:00I found Catch-22 the novel unreadable, and the mov...I found Catch-22 the novel unreadable, and the movie unwatchable, but I know what the title means and that plus Cliff Notes got me through a book report.Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-8787671878423890552022-10-10T15:59:49.758-07:002022-10-10T15:59:49.758-07:00Truthing nice things about a man whose truth was o...Truthing nice things about a man whose truth was otherwise not so nice. That's sweet. I'd chase you down to say thanks too.<br /><br />Except I wouldn't be there. The support I need from others when I'm grieving, I can get by email.<br /><br />Last memorial I went to, the pastor lied about the deceased, to make the family feel better. Justified? Maybe. The deceased was dead so Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-56068255024095889792022-10-10T13:06:24.879-07:002022-10-10T13:06:24.879-07:00The books I love most were made into lousy movies ...The books I love most were made into lousy movies that had little to do with what I liked most about the books. If you can read a book in two hours, you might be able to make a two hour movie of it, but I'm a slow reader and only an average watcher. See also: Catch-22.<br /><br />Johnjohnthebasketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-35887205475448771772022-10-10T12:57:00.905-07:002022-10-10T12:57:00.905-07:00I'm not wild about memorial services, but I...I'm not wild about memorial services, but I've been to a few. I've always been under the impression that they exist to comfort the people who stay above ground for now. I said a few words at a memorial service for a friend who had done a little time in the Big House, but had always been a straight shooter with me. His son chased me down in the parking lot as I was fleeing, and thankedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-44511083504215150132022-10-10T11:32:38.826-07:002022-10-10T11:32:38.826-07:00The God Delusion is the only non-fiction on my re-...The God Delusion is the only non-fiction on my re-read shelf, and it's always a joy. Every argument for 'God' gets dismantled efficiently and eloquently. Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811987615829975890.post-51956784167838622762022-10-10T11:29:12.346-07:002022-10-10T11:29:12.346-07:00I googled Scythe, and got this:
Two teens must le...I googled <i>Scythe</i>, and got this:<br /><br />Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times best-selling Unwind Dystology series.<br /><br />A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: Humanity has conquered all those things and has even conquered death. Doug Hollandnoreply@blogger.com