Good Books.... Well, there are a few.

[Oaktree]

They sell a lot of new and used books on Amazon. I was thinking I heard that is how Amazon got its start.

I considered that, and I suppose it's an option if I can't find one anywhere else, but if any of the used book vendors offer free shipping I didn't come across one. Most of 'em seem to charge ~$4 for shipping. Learned the hard way that if you order multiple items from the same vendor, they'll hit you for shipping charges on each one...even if they're all in the same package! At least that's the way it seems to work with DVDs. Kinda makes it not so much of a bargain.
Complained to one of them and was basically told TS.

 

[czechsonofagun]

And there is always the book my wife recently published:

Amazon.com: Iceman Awakens (9781646632176): Krasny, Sharon: Books

I have no shame

 

[Frankenkubota]

The Japanese were brutal. They were just as bad as the ****'s and Communists but very little is said about what they did in the West. People in Asia know which is why there is still so much resentment/hatred towards the Japanese. It does not help that the Japanese will not ADMIT to what they did. At least the Germans have admitted to what they did and have paid for it. The Japanese, not so much.

Look at what the Japanese did to Nanking and Manila. What the Japanese did in those cities they did all over the Pacific. Even little, itty bitty, out of the way, villages in New Guinea were treated the same way.

Japanese culture then was brutal. Discipline was harsh. I was reading a history book that mentioned in passing about a Japanese admiral beating his subordinate, who was also an admiral. If that sorta of abuse is going on at the highest levels....

Having said that, the only history book I have not been able to finish is a biography on Mao. Mao makes Stalin, ****** and Tojo look like choir boys. The phrase Evil Genius is thrown around too often but Mao really was an Evil Genius. What he did is unreal and he out smarted so many other people, including Stalin. The biography is just report after another of Mao killing off masses of people for his own personal gain. Some estimates are as much as 300 million people due to war, camps, decisions, and his policies.

Later,
Dan

10-4 to that.

Asia usually gets a free pass, not in my book!

 

[Jstpssng]

And there is always the book my wife recently published:

Amazon.com: Iceman Awakens (9781646632176): Krasny, Sharon: Books

I have no shame

:thumbsup: Those who got it, show it!

 

[Steppenwolfe]

And there is always the book my wife recently published:

Amazon.com: Iceman Awakens (9781646632176): Krasny, Sharon: Books

I have no shame

Very interesting concept; is the book true to the known history at the time?

 

[czechsonofagun]

Very interesting concept; is the book true to the known history at the time?

Yes. She worked with an archeologist in Austria to verify information and did an extensive research.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

In recognition of the passing of an American icon, I heartily recommend "Yeager", the autobiography of Chuck Yeager. I read it many years ago, and was very impressed. He was quite a unique individual.

Yeager: An Autobiography by Chuck Yeager

 

[dmccarty]

Alas Babylon was a good read. ...
David from jax

I need to reread Alas Babylon. Been saying that for years.

My family is from Florida and lived there before the Mouse House was built. I seem to remember that in Alas Babylon, Pinecastle air force base was part of the story. Pinecastle was renamed McCoy, who was the commander of the B47 unit that was at the airfield. McCoy died when his B47 came apart in flight and crashed at the intersection of 441 and Lee roads. Part of the plane went down in a pasture which was long ago built over and and other parts came down in the horse racing track that is now a ball field park.

Pinecastle AFB was then renamed after the commander to McCoy AFB. Eventually, part of McCoy was used as a commercial airport, and I can remember when the two terminals were old hangers which I think were used to house Hound Doug air to surface missiles. Eventually, McCoy AFB became Orlando International Airport. The three letter airport identifier for OIA is not OIA but MCO for McCoy.

And now you know the rest of the story. :laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[Wasmeneh]

I really enjoyed all of John le Carre books.

 

[/pine]

I need to reread Alas Babylon. Been saying that for years.

My family is from Florida and lived there before the Mouse House was built. I seem to remember that in Alas Babylon, Pinecastle air force base was part of the story. Pinecastle was renamed McCoy, who was the commander of the B47 unit that was at the airfield. McCoy died when his B47 came apart in flight and crashed at the intersection of 441 and Lee roads. Part of the plane went down in a pasture which was long ago built over and and other parts came down in the horse racing track that is now a ball field park.

Pinecastle AFB was then renamed after the commander to McCoy AFB. Eventually, part of McCoy was used as a commercial airport, and I can remember when the two terminals were old hangers which I think were used to house Hound Doug air to surface missiles. Eventually, McCoy AFB became Orlando International Airport. The three letter airport identifier for OIA is not OIA but MCO for McCoy.

And now you know the rest of the story. :laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

Not sure if it is still in operation but years ago there was a practice bombing range in the Ocala National Forest...it was maintained and operated by the U.S. Navy...the actual base was called "Pinecastle" the sailors that were stationed there got extra pay because of the isolated location...

my family camped nearby often and it was very cool to watch the practice sorties at night...the sounds of the 20-22MM guns was awesome...

Pinecastle Impact Range

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I really enjoyed all of John le Carre books.

Night Manager series was quite good I thought.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

My memory has faded after all these years, but I recall reading a book...or short story as the case may be...by Isaac Asimov entitled "I, Robot". Years later, I saw the movie and wondered if it was the same story. I thought the movie sucked. I's been probably 50 years or so ago, but I do remember reading a sci-fi book entitled "Death World" that I thought was good, and another entitled "A Canticle for Lebowitz."

I was still looking forward to the I Robot movie when it came out even after I saw who was in it but it was just about the most disappointing movie I’ve ever seen. About the only thing it has in common with the book is the character names.

Bicentennial Man was an Asimov short story and the movie with Robin Williams was every bit as good. Probably my favourite movie adaptation of a science fiction story. Most really are terrible though.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Asimov was in the science business? Was he a physics prof for something? I read that many of his contemporaries came to him to ask if their newest scifi idea was technically feasible?

He wrote a 3 volume series, introduction to physics. Best text book i've ever seen. Very readable and it was obvious, he was not trying to impress you with how smart he was. He could explain things in a manner that was just different than most. I read those books to this day. Outdated but basically, better than most!

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I seem to recall a movie entitled "The Illustrated Man", taken from a book written by Ray Bradbury. It's been a long time, but seems like he (The Illustrated Man) had numerous tattoos that came to life with a story.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

Asimov was a professor of biochemistry but nothing physics related I do t think. He was just a very forward thinker and built up huge storylines spanning millions of years and settings that also considered how society would be in those worlds.

Stephen Baxter also writes on these kind of timelines but also has an unusual way of getting into his characters head which is interesting when they are prehuman for example.

 

[dmccarty]

Not sure if it is still in operation but years ago there was a practice bombing range in the Ocala National Forest...it was maintained and operated by the U.S. Navy...the actual base was called "Pinecastle" the sailors that were stationed there got extra pay because of the isolated location...

my family camped nearby often and it was very cool to watch the practice sorties at night...the sounds of the 20-22MM guns was awesome...

Pinecastle Impact Range

Yeah, I don't know if the Ocala range is still in use but the Google Earth image from 2017 at, 29ｰ06'47.06" N 81ｰ42'30.36" W, is pretty interesting. :laughing:

I do know about the Ocala range and there is another one south of Orlando. Back in the 80's I was driving up the FLA Turnpike to Orlando and there was a flight of four A10s "attacking' a Cypress head. They were doing gun runs but not shooting. Amazing how tight those planes can turn. At the time, some A10s were based at Shaw AFB in SC so I figured they had flown down south of Orlando to make their passes. Same time frame, I was on a sail boat in Biscayne Bay, and we saw some F16's flying out of Homestead AFB. Pretty cool. Then they used us a "target" and made runs at us. :shocked::laughing::laughing::laughing: They did not really come close and did not come low but they were making runs on us.

Kinda freaky, but I heard some strange plane noises over the house a few nights ago. Usually I get up and go check really fast but I was a bit slow this time. By the time I got outside I saw two small jets flying just above tree tops heading SE. There might have been more since the first sounds I heard I did not go out and see in time. As I was looking at the back of the two planes, three more flew right over us. Low, slow and in a pretty tight formation. I am guessing A10s because of the speed, sound, and number of planes in the flight. My guess is they were heading to Pope AAF. :confused3: I sure don't know where the heck they came from or really where they were going. Never seen that before.

It is pretty common to see Apaches and Black Hawks. Every once in awhile we will see Marine Hueys and Cobras. Early this year so a formation of them flying NW. Someone is flying a bright yellow Huey which I have seen a couple times. This week I saw a couple Osprey's flying to the NW. Kinda in the same direction the A10's were flying from.

Back in the 90's I was on canoe camping trip in eastern NC. We had stopped for the night, which happened to be Halloween, and there was a full moon. <Insert Scary Music> :laughing: We heard what we at first thought was a truck moving on the sugar sand road we were camped next too. This was on private land which we had permission to use and we were expecting a care taker to come check on us. The truck sounded strange and was taking forever to get close to us. Turned out it was not a truck but a Cobra flying very low and slow. :confused3: Not sure what muted it's sound so that it sounded like a truck and not a copter. Nor do we know what it was up too. We were in a swampy area and units from Lejune or Bragg could have been out playing.

Later,
Dan

 

[om21braz]

Back in the 90's I was on canoe camping trip in eastern NC. We had stopped for the night, which happened to be Halloween, and there was a full moon. <Insert Scary Music> :laughing: We heard what we at first thought was a truck moving on the sugar sand road we were camped next too. This was on private land which we had permission to use and we were expecting a care taker to come check on us. The truck sounded strange and was taking forever to get close to us. Turned out it was not a truck but a Cobra flying very low and slow. :confused3: Not sure what muted it's sound so that it sounded like a truck and not a copter. Nor do we know what it was up too. We were in a swampy area and units from Lejune or Bragg could have been out playing.

Later,
Dan

Were you in a known "Robin Sage" area?

 

[Frankenkubota]

Were you in a known "Robin Sage" area?

I live just west of Fort Bragg, soon to be renamed? We hear stuff constantly, the other nite i went outside to see what side of my roof he was gonna land on. They also fly blackhawks.

Years ago there was a c130 group here and you would see them fly in 3 groups of 3 planes each. My air force buddy called it a ballgame because of 9 innings.

And the when they start bombing, that's something.

 

[Frankenkubota]

I seem to recall a movie entitled "The Illustrated Man", taken from a book written by Ray Bradbury. It's been a long time, but seems like he (The Illustrated Man) had numerous tattoos that came to life with a story.

Rod Steiger?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Rod Steiger?

As a matter of fact, I believe you are correct.