100 Best Novels

[original posting August 3, 2010]

I got a call from an old friend the other day. I mean an old, old friend; someone I had not spoken to in over 20 years. Strange what parts of that conversation became bloggable. She mentioned during a long rambling conversation that her daughter, about to be a senior in high school, was on her third summer of reading the 100 best novels of all time. Having read thru freshman, sophomore and junior summers, she now expected to reach her goal (all 100) by her first summer in grad school. A total of 100 books in ten summers, a laudable feat in my estimation.

Later that night I wondered how one finds the 100 Best Novels? I tried the internet and then sent off an email: "What list is your daughter using?"

The next day I got this response: "She is using the Modern Library list of best novels."

I give you the Modern Library's own bio.

The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. For decades, young Americans cut their intellectual teeth on Modern Library books. The series shaped their tastes, educated them, provided them with a window on the world. Many of the country's celebrated writers are quick to attest that they "grew up with the Modern Library."

Damn, it was that Modern Library list that scared me when I googled the 100 Best Novels. Shortly and happily, I got a follow-up email: "She is reading from the ML Board's list, not the readers list." 

I leave you without comment the top ten from those two lists. If you want to see the full 100 of each, here is the link.

Modern Library Board List

1. ULYSSES by James Joyce
2. THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
4. LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
5. BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
6. THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
7. CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller
8. DARKNESS AT NOON by Arthur Koestler 
9. SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. Lawrence
10. THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck

Reader's List

1. ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand
2. THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand
3. BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
4. THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
6. 1984 by George Orwell
7. ANTHEM by Ayn Rand
8. WE THE LIVING by Ayn Rand
9. MISSION EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
10. FEAR by L. Ron Hubbard

OK, one comment. Who the hell are these readers?

(2020 addendum: I know who they are and I know how they vote.)

Need I Say More?

Artwork by Swanksalot

A Different Perspective

A month on from the election, we have all had time to ponder the results and what those numbers might mean going forward. I have not been reticent in expressing my views but not here . . . yet.

Today, however, in lieu of my thoughts, I am drawn to the perspective of someone close to me. In the days following the vote, streets in many cities were filled with protestors. One successful candidate could not resist the urge to twitter. He wrote:

"Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!" 

A month ago, I looked at those words and decided to pass, the time was not right for me to add vitriol to the stew of post-election angst. But my friend had another perspective which has stuck with me these many weeks. She observed the president-elect's tweet was unfortunate and:

 "The first of a thousand missed opportunities." 

The president-elect continues to demonstrate he is that guy, not interested in bringing the nation together, nor reaching out to others. How many missed opportunities will it take before the realization of what we have done really sinks in?

microaggressions

I've been wanting to say something about microaggressions for several months. The final straw came when students at the University of Michigan called police after someone chalked TRUMP 2016 on campus. I began to formulate both rant and reason but before I could lay out my wisdom in words I went looking for some visuals. What follows says more than i ever could of this moment in our cultural evolution.   

  

. . . and it could get worse.

Spreadsheet Sex

While I'm tempted to say -- "Now I've seen it all." I know better, we ain't seen nothin' yet. But this is one hell of a giant leap into the strange and prurient arena.

The Spreadsheet App measures several aspects of sexual performance. You load the app to your smart phone and then toss it on the bed next to where you plan to do the dirty deed.

The app measures duration of event, total number of thrusts and decibel peak. Screamer, you know you are a screamer. For any ladies in my immediate future -- no, I do not have the app. For everyone else out there in the wide world of sexual experience. Be very careful when your lover tosses his or her phone on the pillow, your performance might well be posted on the internet.

I mean we all have off nights . . .

But what if you're sleeping alone you ask. Well, there's an app for that too! I mean doesn't everyone need their personal sleep score . . .

Addendum: are there even stranger sex apps out there? You bet, take a look, if you dare.

Why Would You?

I had a really long and clever rant ready for this space, but after witnessing the vile political ads in nearly every state I have visited, I decided we could all use a break from those talking heads from Washington and other related parts of the unknown universe. None of them seem to come from where any of us actually live our lives. Total disconnect.

So I will leave you this election with my now 42 year old whisper in your ear.

If you again make the choice for the lesser of two evils, you still get evil. Make the leap of faith and vote for a third party candidate.

National Football League Fans

What does watching the National Football League say about you?

Maybe you should ask your wife or your daughter.

Domestic Violence is everyone's problem.


images

Calling It What It is

I was listening to a program the other day about the Supreme Court of the United States. Specifically, the program was about the Hobby Lobby decision on health coverage and birth control.

The two commentators suggested that the Justices were out of touch with the reality of the world most of us live in. They cited the recent decision in striking down the Voting Rights Act as another example of this isolation the Justices have in their lives. The point was they were making sweeping legal decisions based on a perspective that does not reflect the reality of where most Americans live their lives.

My reaction was that here were two well educated, thoughtful, liberal commentators making excuses for the Justices. These are members of the U.S. Supreme Court, they don't live in isolation, they aren't being lulled into some sense of false security in the protected bowels of Washington D.C. Don't make excuses for them.

In the Hobby Lobby decision, as well as the Voting Rights evisceration; what we have are five republican, catholic males making the law of the land based on their religious  and political beliefs. The only thing worse than having a conservative, religious cabal deciding how we live our lives, which they are; the only thing worse is progressive voices letting them off with a reprimand.

These are not isolated men doing their best to interpret the constitution. Open your eyes, these are religiously motivated bigots. Five members of the U.S. Supreme Court are bigots. They are making laws that have far reaching effects on the lives of hundreds of millions of people based on religious bigotry. As such, they are in violation of their swore oaths before that god they so solemnly bend knee to. The words you are looking for are not isolated or privileged or out of touch. The word is bigotry in its rankist form. The lives of hundreds of millions of citizens are being infringed upon by Vatican bigots.

Advice for Your Tummy

We've all seen them. Articles that tell you what foods are bad for you. Fat food, fast food, food full of sugar, food that isn't food at all and, of course, ridiculously expensive food. But if you followed more than a couple of those lists, you might die of starvation. Here are a few I found in just one hour of net surfing.

27 Foods You Should Never Buy Again 
-this list has more economic information than health tips, some of them are quite good, check out the write-up for the last item on the list.

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Smoke & Cured Meats
"Blueberry" items
Multi-grain Bread
Reduced fat peanut butter
Bottled tea
Tomato based pasta sauces
Swordfish
Energy drinks
Gluten-free bakery products
Flavored non-dairy milks
Foods made with Cellulose
White rice
Gourmet frozen vegetables
Microwave sandwiches
Premium frozen fruit bars
Boxed rice entree or side-dish
Energy or protein bars
Spice mixes
Powdered ice tea mixes
Bottled water
Salad kits
Individual servings of anything
Trail mix
'Snack' or 'lunch' packs
Pre-formed meat patties
Gourmet ice cream - It's painful to watch someone actually pay $6 for a half-gallon of designer brand ice cream. Don't bother. There's usually at least one brand or other on sale, and you can easily dress up store brands with your own additives like chunky bits of chocolate or crushed cookie. If you do like the premium brands, wait for that 3-week sales cycle to kick in and stock up when your favorite flavor is discounted.

33 Unhealthy Foods You Should Avoid
-now here is an all-star unhealthy list: trans fats, high fructose corn syrup etc.

Fast food
Packaged cookies
Cake frosting
Pancakes
Microwave popcorn
Frozen meals
Colas & Sodas (yes even diet)
Yogurt
Ketchup
Cereals
Ranch dressing
Fried foods
Packaged chips
'Light' foods
Packaged diet snacks
Cheese
Salty snacks
Lunch meats
Pizza
Ice cream
Pork Products
Donuts
Whipped cream
Fatty meats
Milk shakes
Specialty burgers
Pasta dishes
Dressings
Chocolate (Bastards!)
Bagels
Coffee drinks
Movie popcorn

Feeling a bit hungry about now?

50 Seemingly Healthy Foods That Are Bad For You

Oh no! Even the good stuff is bad?

Microwave popcorn
Light salad dressings
Trail mix
Granola
Artichoke spinach dip
Flavored no fat yogurt
Dried fruit
Flavored soy milk
Energy drinks
Smoothies (What the hell!)

Let's skip ahead and get deathly serious.

Top 11 Health Foods That Can Kill You

Fruit juices
Whole wheat
Agave nectar
Sports drinks
'Heart Healthy' vegetable oils
Low fat and fat free anything
Gluten-free junk
Margarine and Butter fakes
Energy bars
Low carb junk
Healthy cereals

and finally, since you have no food at all left in your pantry

7 Foods that were supposed to be incredibly unhealthy but are actually anything but . . .
Coconut Oil
Coffee
Whole milk
Salt
Chocolate (Damn Right!)
Popcorn
Eggs

Now head for the cupboard and let's stay confused out there.

Ecologic Commentary

Need to celebrate a tree this weekend. 

An old friend has moved on.

What I Know About Child Rearing

Either/Or

Films for Action

I have been wandering in the world of documentary films lately and recently discovered Wall of Films. These are 500 documentaries "hand-picked for change in the world." Some are depressing, some upsetting, but you will also find the uplifting and the enlightening. There are calls to action and cries to desist. As time consuming pasttimes go, these rank right up there with meditation and finding ever more exotic recipes for Death by Chocolate.

You're welcome.

Here and There

I do so enjoy juxtaposition.

How Not to Report the News

No this is not a post about Fox News or any other overly slanted media outlet. Yes, I do believe know that Fox presents bias disguised as news, on the other hand CNN has the always orgasmic Wolf Blitzer "breaking new, breaking news, Breaking NEWS!!!" as their chief anchor.

Sorry let's start again.

I have friends on both the left and the right who are so far out there that 'conspiracy theorist' is not an insult. I listen, I offer other 'facts' they might want to consider but our discussions generally come down to one of my olde standard bits of advice: "There is no need to make up stuff about either the left or the right or the middle for that matter. What these people actually do, right out in the light of day, is bad enough.

You don't have to claim President Obama is a muslim, wasn't born in the U.S. or smothers baby bunnies. Just stick with the facts, what he does right out there in public is more than enough to justify not trusting him or any of the other political toadies offered up by the plutocrats.

But it's those in the media, particularly the internet media, who are my focus today. Time and time again they make a reasonable, cogent point. Only to follow their valid utterance with some complete nonsense, thereby discrediting themselves. Here is an example from a NSA whistleblower, first the intriguing paragraph.

"Here's the big one (revelation)... this was in summer of 2004, one of the papers that I held in my hand was to wiretap a bunch of (phone)numbers associated with a 40-something-year-old wannabe senator for Illinois. You wouldn't happen to know where that guy lives right now would you? It's a big white house in Washington, D.C. That's who they went after, and that's the president of the United States now."

This comes from an article claiming that the NSA has used illegally obtained information to blackmail politicians from local to federal levels including the Supreme Court and the White House. Right up until here the argument held some merit and might have been worth further investigation. Then comes the next paragraph.

"I hope you realize that the only people who are still left standing and telling the truth are people who the NSA could not corner with compromising dirt. And because the vast majority of U.S. Senators, in particular, are perverted, deviant, power-hungry monsters with all sorts of disgusting secrets involving under-age children, they are very easily compromise and controlled."

Really? The majority of the U.S. Senate are pedophials. Well, that reasoning will certainly gain your argument credence. This comes as a particularly shocking revelation to those of us here in California where we are represented in the U.S. Senate by Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. We really had no idea about those two. Why not mention the kitten cannibals in the House of Representatives while you're at it and the aforementioned bunny killer on Pennsylvania Avenue?

Okay enough ranting for this week. If you would like to read the full article that prompted my momentary rise in blood pressure. You can find it here. And please folks, just stick with the facts, those really are more than damning than all of this out-of-context fantasy crap. Let's here it for the socialist president from Kenya!

Text on Monday, Tableau on Friday

A First World Problem

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Just Doin' My Part

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Political Genetics

 "Political views are genetic because they are byproducts of other heritable traits."

This blog has several faithful readers who skip any post that has political content. I understand. I emphathize and finally I have found evidence to do something about it. Recent studies have found that as much as two-thirds of what we call 'political beliefs' are inherited. And by inherited we mean genetically encoded. 

I would like to point out an article with a number of excellent links to data and test results that all point to a nature versus nurture answer to why some of your best friends seem to be raging political idiots. 

I have always wanted to think my conservative friends are not dolts when they expouse baseless prejudices. I also like to believe my liberal friends really don't see through such incredibly opaque rose colored glasses which make the world as simple as they muse it to be. 

But now we have numbers: 50%+ of political beliefs are genetic and generally speaking the most confusing and inconsistent beliefs and prejudices fall in this category of inherited nonsense. Since this is my blog and my world to construct I am going to chose to believe my friends are genetically inclined to hold such senseless positions and the true idiots are someone else's problem.

Growth: A Bad Thing

It's easy to distain the message of Gordon Gekko and his real life Wall Street contemporaries - Greed is only good for a very few and their obsession with material wealth is destroying America for the rest of us. But we have to look more closely at the memes of corporate America and of capitalism itself. 

Not only is Greed Not Good but neither is Growth.

Lots of economists talk about the 'post-industrial' era but we keep slavishly marching our economy to the fading tune of manufacturing - making more things for consumers to buy. Where Oh Where is the Information Age?

The End of Growth by Richard Heinberg has been on the bookshelves for nearly two years and he wasn't the first to sound the warning call of unbridled growth. No time to read the book? Try either of these two articles - it's easy to see why growth can no longer be the goal of a post-industrial economy.

Article #1 Growth

"While this economic reconfiguration would not mitigate the effects of climate change and the depletion of natural resources it would create the social stability needed to cope with a new post-growth regime."

Article #2 Growth

 " . . . retooling our economy to accomplish this would create high paying jobs.  In fact, clean energy investments generate three times as many jobs per dollar invested than fossil fuels do." 

The Real Message from the Democrats

The photo above was used my AlterNet recently to illustrate an article dealing with the democratic party and global warming - Fiddling While the World Burns: What We Should Do About the Democrats. The editors at AlterNet were, of course, implying the democrats in congress were sticking their collective heads in the sand and ignoring the problem. The article goes on to suggest un-nice implications including that which shall never be spoken - democrats might have been bought off by lobbyists of big oil too.

However, I would like to point out this is only one interpretation of the photo and truly the kindest one possible. Because I don't think the democrats are putting their heads in the sand, I don't think they are ignoring the issues of global climate change at all. No I think they are no better than the republicans who have all of the vitriol and shame heaped upon them from the left and the green middle. I think if you look again at the picture above you will see not a progressive politician with his head in the sand but just a politician delivering the same message they always give to anyone but the 1%.

We have to admit this folks, even as everyone with any sort of sense has come to the inevitable conclusion that global warming is real. The big truth is the bi-partisan message from Washington D.C. to anyone but the uber-priviledged. Their actions, even their words say to the voters each and every day -  Kiss My Rich White Ass.