Happy Monday and welcome to Skoloholics, your home for Minnesota Vikings discussion. Everyday you can join us for Minnesota Vikings news, Minnesota Vikings talk, NFL news and updates, and all of those other things that you have on your mind. At Skoloholics, the real action is in the comments, so if you haven’t checked out the comments section yet, sign up and join the conversation. As always, remember to be cool to one another, it’s literally the only rule.
VIKINGS NEWS –
NFL News –
Media Selection
Fuckin’ lmaooo
You are welcome.
420 !!!!
419
418
417
416
415
414
413
412
Sounds like someone we know over at Raider Nation.
Happy Tuesday !!
There’s more.
At least he is doing it at the right blog.
https://www.silverandblackpride.com/las-vegas-raiders-news/134863/raiders-fernando-mendoza-kirk-cousins-quarterback-start
lol
Is that you Kirk? – Nunchucks
Sounds familiar
Kirks Uncle……
Plus he is maintaining the Kirko Tuesday.
LOL
Checked out the site, if that isn’t the most familiar attack on commentors, I don’t know what is.
Yep.
I was thinking that the “Cousins will be starting story” might be a topic over there so I checked it out.
Glad he found a home!
love you for this, pure popcorn reading on a slow Bday Tuesday
Well, happy birthday.
Thank you sir. 33. No one likes you when you’re 33.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy belated Birthday!
You can get off the porch now.
Thank God, its hot out here.
Agreed. Once Kirko fails miserably it will be fun to post there.
I have the same name on most former opponents blogs, including Raider Nation or whatever,
Same for me.
I think my handle is DelawareViking on SB Nation.
Its been so long since I’ve posted there.
No Longer New Vikings Fan – No Longer Vikings Fan – New Raiders Fan -No Longer New Raiders Fan.
It’s amazing how fast time flies.
No Longer New Vikings Fan implies that you weren’t a Vikings fan to begin with.
I believe that.
What happened to him?
A bit of a scuttle butt a month or so ago about civility.
He and JR are the adults. Me & Kfey are children.
Surly chimed in with an accurate assessment of the civility.
He updated about his sister not doing well.
I’m sure he will be back.
Hopefully when we get into ‘real football’, however you want to define that.
He’ll be back when the season starts, I truly do hope that. I dont mind actual Vikings team talk with him that doesn’t involve his nephew KC. Thats about it though. Its just KC, Trump, PGA and a warped view of world affairs going on up there.
Me & Kfey are children
I believe he started out as NVF – New Vikings Fan on the DN.
Makes sense.
Kirko fan. Not a real Vikings fan
exactly.
Was my point all along. Gave zero shits about the Vikings until his boy showed up, then stayed a few more years to tell us how wrong we are about everything.
Was it you or Kfey that told him to go to RaiderNation? Either way for someone who never read your posts, he sure did listen.
Probably Kfey or Surly.
I don’t recall posting it specifically.
guilty.
Several times I mentioned that rather than argue with Vikings fans about how shitty Kirk really was for every team he has played for, he should go find the Raiders blog and join.
Glad he found others to harass about that.
He also has an account on the Falcons site. Pure gold. Nice find DE
Are we sure its him? The account on the Raiders site has been a member since 2022. Im not sure if thats the Raiders specifically or SB Nation in general.
SB Nation. But even so, I have added access to multiple opponents sites since 2017 or so
He did the same shit on the ATL site. Forgot his alias there.
It is him
Even Kirkos own father would not defend him this much
Given that his dad is a preacher, he better be praising the LORD over Kirk.
I believe it is SB Nation in general.
I NEVER TOLD HIM TO GO ANYWHERE! AT ALL, EVER ! I just called him on his shit, hoping he would show humility or drop his “im the smartest guy in the room” attitude but it never happened, in 5 years it never happened. I can’t stand people like that. Was I the ass hole first? Yes, years back I was. I’ll own that. But I also tried to remedy it and got met with the same robotic, egotistical responses so I threw manners out the window at that point. Then the place became his personal daily trump Jerk off blog which didnt help so. Yeah. A break was probably needed. I welcome him back to talk the 2026 MN Vikings for kick off.
It was me.
I told him he would be better off at the Raiders blog, since that is where his favorite player will be for this season.
Welp, if he mentions Trump or the middle east on there (probably banable on SB Nation) we got a winner.
I thought someone suggested he go over to Raider Nation and you , DE or Surly were the most likely suspects, from my memory.
Thats sound vaguely familiar, all the arguments blur together
Holy shit…the KDS is spreading to Raider Nation. Poor bastards. Im glad I built up my immunity by 2020.
Kirko always brings the fire works.
Just wait when he looks completely lost in a few games like usual.
Do we have any interest (given the price) in Jalen Carter??
https://thevikingage.com/fascinating-minnesota-vikings-trade-idea-would-certainly-fire-brian-flores-up
I don’t think he fits into the Flores defense, he’s got a recent injury history and as you pointed out cost is an issue.
pass
Are the Eagles shopping him or was this offseason clickbait?
If Flo wants him then ok.
Not sure he is needed enough to justify the cost, good as he is.
I’m not worried about the defense.
How about going after Joe Burrow?
I don’t think Teasley is as prone to trade away draft picks like KAM was. I think Teasley will be able to navigate the draft, and could use those picks.
New sheriff in town.
We’ll see in 2027 I guess.
I hope no one posts anything at the bottom of the thread. My finger gets tired scrolling that far down.
Good morning, SKOL!
FTP!
Welcome to Tuesday, Monday’s ugly sister.
Skol
FTP
Also known as the Kirko Sabbath.
Tuesday’s are for family, even though, I never work after the wild card round.
– Kirko in his head.
@5 months off isn’t enough you loser@
FTP Auto Rec.
Damn.
J. Ryan gave up 8 runs in 4 IP including 6 HRs vs the Indians.
Glad that I wasn’t watching that game, especially live.
It makes me wonder if he is trying to turn us into sellers at the deadline, so he can get traded.
That was my thought when i checked the score last night, glad I went to the gym and made supper instead.
He has been softly asking for a trade since the deadline last year. I have no problem trading him while his stock is high. I don’t think Mr. Pohlad is daring enough to be a seller again this year, with attendance being so low.
Just returned from a relaxing weekend out on the lake. Good food, good beer, good cigars, and great company.
Only like a few weeks till the pointless games start, but at least it’s football right? I’m looking forward to seeing the new players, especially the amputee.
You and Freezey eh?
Damn!
Report and Camp Details
Less than one week away from nobody sucks and everything is great, heading to the superb owl !!
FTP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#nojinx
No shit…I think this is my 34th cycle of summer camp, here come the highlight reel passes and interceptions. All to go to hell when the OL can’t stop the inside rush, QB can’t navigate the pocket, RB runs straight into the teeth of the defense, WR drops the easy catch, DB’s can’t stop a slant…
He’s not rong……
He’s overexaggerating the doom by quite a bit imo.
I think kfey is hyperbolic with the optimism so that makes two of us.
…should….should we kiss or?
Or my personal favorite.
Short on 4th & 8 with the season on the line.
Agreed. Same old, same old, and we are still here. What was that definition of insanity again? Can’t quite remember…
FTP!
FTP Auto Rec!!
Since we are deep in sports drought at this time of the year, thought I’d give another over the weekend update on my bees.
My yellow hive (I name the queen Yasmine) is queenless, or at least if there is a queen she is a virgin queen. Two Sundays ago I opened the hives to check on them and there was a significant difference between that hive and the purple (Priscilla) hive, no eggs or brood in the Yasmine hive. Just in case, I piggybacked an order for a replacement queen with a larger order being placed by my mentor (order 20 or more queens and they are $25/each instead of $55). She comes on the 22nd. I reopened the hives on Saturday, and no evidence of the yellow hive being queenright. At least there was no evidence of laying workers, which is a difficult problem to reverse. Talked to my mentor, and he suggested swapping a frame of Priscilla brood with a frame from the Yasmine hive. On Wednesday, if there is evidence of the yellow hive trying to raise a queen I can safely introduce my new queen. If not, I need to be more cautious as they may have a virgin queen and the acceptance of the new queen may be hampered by the presence of her queen mandibular pheromone.
Also, I was able to yank out the rectifier regulator on my UTV (which carries my beekeeping supplies, 25 gallons of water for my pollinator plants, and 25 gallons of tordon and 2,4-D for evil weeds…third diode was bad so ordered a new one for $130, saved about $400 in mechanic fees.
At least my ‘MT-Like Story’ came with a video.
#grin
Ranking the Vikings head coaches:
In no particular order:
Norm VanBrocklin
Bud Grant
Les Steckel
Jerry Burns
Dennis Green
Mike Tice
Brad Childress
Leslie Frazier
Mike Zimmer
Kevin O’Connell
You could interchange Brad Childress and KOC. At least Chilli won a playoff game.
Bud Grant
Dennis Green
Jerry Burns
Mike Zimmer
Kevin O’Connell
Brad Childress
Norm VanBrocklin
Leslie Frazier
Mike Tice
Les Steckel
Bud Grant
Dennis Green
Jerry Burns
Brad Childress
Kevin O’Connell
Mike Zimmer
Norm VanBrocklin
MN Vikings Fans
Leslie Frazier
Mike Tice
Les Steckel
Chilly ball does NOT belong in the top 5.
You lose.
It was entertaining.
I didn’t want to do a top 5, figuring everyone would have the same. I guess I was wrong again.
I can understand putting Chilly ahead of KOC based on the NFC championship run.
I just never liked Chilly.
Yeah, but how much of that run was Favre, and how much was because of Chilly.
KOC really hasn’t done anything yet. He may move up, he may move down.
I fear KOC will be relegated to the scrap heap of Vikings coach history.
I agree.
He is TBD.
Chilly was an idiot and kept running TJack (rip) out there every year like he was going to do something other than have a strong arm and be inaccurate
I didn’t think of including arm chair coaches. That would definitely be at the top of my list.
I just figured that they could have picked a fan off from the streets that would have done better than the bozos below that point.
This is a true statement.
Mike Tice with his Randy Ratio.
Les Steckel with his military training.
Happy Monday,
FTP
Skol
FTP Auto Rec.
I guess Spain won the ‘Kick Ball Olympics’ 1-0.
I will never complain about NBA players and all of their ‘flopping’ ever again, damn that was terrible.
That was a great match
only able to see parts of since I was working
It was a terrible match. Argentina was outshot something like 20-1. There offense reminded me of a certain team in purple
It was an excellent match, Spain played great team futbol and shrugged off the thug tactics of Argentina
If that was ‘excellent’ I would hate to see ‘horrible’.
Good thing that will never watch Soccer again, even on a muted side tab like yesterday.
@we’ll miss you so much at the watch party@
I am sure I will have to do something important that day like wash my hair.
If you have the hairline that Brad, MT and I have it won’t take very long 😂
I have a full head of hair, it might be thinning a bit but no ‘comb over’ is required.
Although I do keep it short, military style.
Oh good, you can make it
bring that delicious bean and cheese dip agin please
I’ll say one thing for sure, soccer players burn far more energy during a match than football players do, like twice as many kcal/hr. Football players are just above baseball players. The sweat pouring off the soccer players made me exhausted just watching.
Yup all of that writhing on the ground pretending to be dying takes up a lot of energy.
Only time I saw AD sweat like that was when his agent called and said he had a “Letitia” on line 1, something about forgetting to pull out?
Having run a marathon I can agree that running around in circles can get tiring.
Real or fake?
Fake
Really Fake.
fake. brady would have knocked him out with all the rings on his hand
Obviously it is real, there is video showing it. Plus, if it is connected to the WWE it is definitely real.
I believe that ‘Fake’ equals ‘Staged’ in this instance.
Sorry, I did not add the sarcasm font, as I thought the sarcasm was implied.
I did not infer that from what you implied.
Not sure whom is to blame. History suggests that I am.
Words up top people
Ummm, are we not being ‘cool to one another’??
No other guidance is listed up there on this thread.
Obviously I don’t read the mythical words either. They used to advise to assume sarcasm. My bad.
I was being sarcastic. #smirk
I already admitted to being wrong when I missed JacksonVikes sarcasm.
I will need to tread lightly around here with all of the sarcasm being tossed about.
No book discussion.
Just Viking clickbait….
@obviously the Vikings should trade Jefferson because he’s a WR diva@
hot take: trade him to move up in the 27 draft for a QB
Just for funsies I looked at over the cap
He isn’t realistically tradeable until after 2027 due to his contract and would still have a hefty cap price
I can believe this, after the way he acted in a few games last year.
I mean seriously??? I leave for a few days because I retired and this site devolves into multiple discussions about the best books???? Really??
Anything by Koontz, Clancy, and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
It started when posted a video I received from a SoCal teacher, I had donated to her classroom and she sent me the video to tell me how the $$ was helping her students.
Then it morphed into a discussion about reading, and then into books. It started to evolved into movies based on books but it remained mostly about books. All of the authors you have mention have been brought up.
Here is the video/post that started it all. I was thinking of you and your lovely teacher/wife when I decided to post it. I assume your wife had dealt with similar.
“Since it is so quiet during the NFL Desert around here I thought I would share a story MT style.
Several years ago The Teacher shared a frustration she was having at work. She had to give lessons to 1st/2nd graders on how to use a dictionary. Problem was the school didn’t have a set of dictionaries that were the same. They had to teach the youngsters on a couple of dozen dictionaries of different types/grade levels.
She decided to go to Donors Choose and try to get a set for her class. I looked up her request to add a bit to help out. I found out that the Gates Foundation was matching all donations on the site and I could complete the request for like $40. So I did. Now her grade level could teach a class were all the kids were following along with the same book. Win, plus bonus points from The Teacher.
Over the years I would check occasionally and pick a request to fund, usually having to do with Reading because that is so vital to kids success. I found one that a local teacher was trying to get a set of books for her students could read together. Again, matching donation from Mr Gates so not too pricey.
She got her books and turned it into a whole life lesson for her students. She sent me a video of her and her students experiences as a thank you. In SoCal the schools suck so finding and helping a gem like this really has an impact.
10m video”
Cool story….and yes I hate to even think about how much money we “donated’ to the school over the years just to purchase stuff her class, or in some cases a specific student, needed. But it was a labor of love for her for 30+ years.
My Teacher spent often on her classroom. She would look for sales on school supplies even if it would be a year or two before she needed them.
Buying in bulk was a ‘thing’ for her.
I just found requests for special assistance like her dictionaries or the books for the Teacher in Video. Commifornia spends more per student than just about any other state but teachers/students still don’t always get what they need.
We do what we can, but in SoCal no one person can fix it, only ‘stick their finger in the dike’ (no, not lesbians you sicko).
What are your first thoughts on retirement?
Honestly the first week has been so busy…I still have to go back and clean out my office….I am still doing some limited consulting for the new company AND I had a funeral this week that took most of my time, and today I had to travel 4 hours to my moms birthday…so not much laying around for nothing to do just yet…but I think that will happen soon.
I had such travel/adventure plans when I retired.
I immediately traveled to Boise and bought a house, that kept me busy for about 3 months until escrow closed and getting tenants situated.
Then CoVid hit full force and life shut down for a few years. Family scattered and things changed quite a bit. We are finally doing some of the things we were planning pre-retirement.
I hope you have better luck.
Civility.
That’s what we are about!
I was surprised no one had “Promise Me, America” by Joe Biden on their list
https://babylonbee.com/news/biden-heralded-as-first-president-to-author-his-memoir-posthumously
😂 🤣 😆
I think Hondo is Skolly!
Clickbait, nothing but clickbait.
Of course it is.
Its hilarious to me
It worked in Monty Python and the Holy Grail so why not in the strait??
https://babylonbee.com/news/trump-to-secure-strait-of-hormuz-by-posting-old-man-who-asks-you-3-questions-before-you-may-pass
All this talk about books and nobody mentions the greatest children’s author ever…
Judy Blume, let’s talk Superfudge or Tales Of A Forth Grade Nothing
I thought Dr Seuss was ‘the greatest children’s author ever’.
*jk, mostly.
Other than the Jew hating he was
That would slot him right in with the mainstream Dims now.
Judy Blume is the GOAT.
Don’t get Beverly Cleary wrong either:
’Beezus & Ramona…’
’Ramona Quimby, Age 8…’
’Ramona & her father….’ – my personal favorite.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is the only children’s book I can remember.
Read that to our kid every night for a long time.
Although not technically a children’s author, Roald Dahl had some good books for younger readers.
Also awesome, my daughters favorite movie is Matilda
Top 5 players you would re-draft and who you draft in their place.
re-draft? Is that like having a rotating fan? A draft and then a re-draft.
More like mental gymnastics to go over ‘what might have been’.
Intellects like myself, call them oscilating fans.
I stand in awe of your intellect.
More like when one person opens a window, then the next person closes the window, and then the first person opens the window again.
You picked 4 of the 5 that I thought of right off the top of my head.
Number 3 could have taken Noah Fant, in place of Bradbury, which would have eliminated the need to draft Irv Smith Jr., who by the way is going to break out this year.
LOL
Happy Friday Mo Fo’s,
Skol
FTP
Hope the weekend is full of family and fun. And may it feel longer than it really is.
FTP Auto Rec.
I read all of Tom Clancy’s early books
Hunt for Red October
Red Storm Rising
Another bunch of good ones.
The Bob Lee Swagger Novels by Stephen Hunter are among my favorites.
If fact if we get to ‘Half Price Books’ this afternoon there is a couple in series that I want to pick up. Thought he was done as Bobby Lee was getting up there in age but looks like he managed to squeeze a couple more out while I was distracted these last few years.
The first one Point of Impact was epic and they even managed to make into a decent movie with Mark Wahlberg.
14 year old me was obsessed with this movie. Almost made me want to be a sniper in the military. Almost.
Another fun book I forgot about.
The Reluctant King (originally published as the Novaria series) by L. Sprague de Camp. The kingdom of Xylar requires that its monarchs be beheaded at the end of their five-year term, with their severed heads tossed into a crowd to choose the next rule
So much better than elections….
Diggsy goes both ways…apparently.
‘Being Bi-Sexual doubles your chances of getting a date on Saturday Night’.
Woody Allen
Bro brought receipts LMAO
Yep.
Diggsy has issues….
No means no.
For guys to.
no kink shaming
Are you telling me he plays defense as well as offense now?
Not really a book fan.
I get bored reading for whatever reason.
The Bible is the only book I read on a regular basis.
‘Not really a book fan’
You have my condolences.
all this talk about books…
I went to the local library to update my card, and enable digital borrow, and they had a shelf of books for sale.
Hardcover “The Books of the Gods” by Fred Saberhagen. No idea if this is any good, but paying exactly 1 dollar for a hardcover in good condition by an Author I have enjoyed seems like a good bet.
Did I mention I like libraries?
Sounds like a good find.
I have not read Saberhagen in a long time but i enjoyed him back when I did.
over a thousand pages. This will keep me busy for awhile, once I finish the non-fiction book I am currenlty reading. Kind of a snooze fest on the history of capitalism by a very liberal scholar type. boo. I will still finish it.
‘the history of capitalism by a very liberal scholar type’
Sounds more like Fiction maybe even Fantasy.
Yeah, really kind of annoying. Thinks Barbados is a shining example, ignoring the roots in Slavery that he uses to destroy most other nations including the US and Britain.
Still, I need to understand other peoples perspective so I can tell them they are wrong.
Library sales are awesome. Last year at our local library sale I picked up around 100 Longarm westerns for about $10. They are not for me to read, they are for my bookstore.
I read about 100 of those back when they were coming out. Last I checked they were up over #400.
Top 5 Books:
‘The Things They Carried’ – Tim O’Brien.
’Friday Night Lights’ – H. G. Bissinger
‘Jarhead’ – Anthony Swofford
’L.A. Confidential’ – James Ellroy
’The Running Man’ – Steven King (as Richard Bachman)
I went on a Steven King kick for awhile, but a lot of his novels were very interesting until he tried to finish them up, the endings a lot of the time were weak or didn’t really tie up the story.
The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings, on the other hand, I have read multiple times.
The Stand was a very good read. Also liked some of the Dark Tower books
The Stand is/was the very definition of an Epic Novel.
I have read a decent amount of Steven King, but there has to be something wrong with him. He has some very creepy content in some of the stories.
His memoir ‘On Writing’ is really good. Talks about how to really understand good writing/storytelling you have to read the bad stuff too.
He smokes a lot of weed.
Same.
My top 5 easy reads (in no particular order):
“Peace Like a River” Leif Enger
“Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” Douglas Adams
“A Good House for Children” Kate Collins
“Ghost Story” Peter Straub
“The Oath” Frank Peretti
My top 5 (edit: 10) not-so-easy reads:
“Crime and Punishment” Fyodor Dostoevsky
“The Gulag Archipelago” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
“Les Misérables” Victor Hugo
“Man’s Search for Meaning” Viktor Frankl
“A Confession” Leo Tolstoy
“Summa Philosophica” Peter Kreeft
“Tom’s Crossing” Mark Danielewski
“Maps of Meaning” Jordan Peterson
“Existence and Attributes of God” Stephen Charnock
“Surprised by Joy” CS Lewis
It’s is not often I see someone list Peter Straub in a list like this. He just isn’t very well know for some reason. I think I read Ghost Story, but it was so long ago and I can’t remember the plot. I may have to find a copy of that one again.
Very enjoyable, and just bizarre enough that it helps the story get under your skin
Completely spaced on Douglas Adams.
I still say “42” whenever my wife asks me a question I cannot answer.
Amazing that I am still married.
you and me both
Another book I re-read when my kid brought it home (actually the series in one book), also watched some of the BBC series, which was kinda cheesy but pretty close to the book.
Larry McMurtry – lonesome dove,Texasville
Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp series pick one (just the ones when he was alive please)
Tom Clancy- Debt of Honor and Executive Orders (tie)
Edgar Rice Burroughs- Tarzan of the Apes
Chris Claremont writer of X-Men 1975–1991 yes comic book but lots of lessons for young men
Read all these authors especially if you are a young man or have young boys or grandsons just starting out reading, Tarzan first
as you were
How about authors that lost their way or went on a different tangent?
I love Keith Laumer’s Retief novels and stories. However when I read some of his stories, I swear he wrote them when he was either higher than a kite or was 2 sheets to the wind. They make no sense to me.
Harlan Coben started out with some great suspense type novels. I loved his characters Myron Bolitar and Win. However, he has now given into political pressure and has gone soft. I can’t read his stuff anymore. He had some characters with colorful names but has stopped that because it is “offensive”. And all of a sudden, Myron apparently has a nephew that is smarter than he is on social issues. Win was basically a “good” psychopath, but now he has all of a sudden grown a conscience. Apparently it is ok to murder people but not okay to have sex with a prostitute because they may have been forced into it.
Orson Scott Card has some good stuff, but then he wrote a novel (I can’t remember the name) that was basically a advertising piece for Mormonism, which is fine, but I prefer to have that kind of stuff in the religious fiction section not scifi.
As I mentioned, one of my favorite novels is Swan Song by Robert McCammon. I have read and own a bunch of his early works which were more in the supernatural horror category. While I wouldn’t say he lost his way, he definitely changed his writing style. He now writes more historical fiction and mystery.
John Grisham is another one. Great legal thrillers, but when he got off that genre, the writing changed and became well, ordinary
I never read much of Grisham, but I agree with you.
Agreed. Was an avid Grisham reader as a youth.
’A Time To Kill’ and ‘The Chamber’ are masterpieces in my opinion. Fantastic storytelling.
But once he got away from the ‘legal thriller’ genre he lost me.
The Client is one of my favorites. A Time to Kill is excellent as well
oh yeah, his Legal fiction is lots of fun
Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game” is an advertising piece for Mormonism?
The first book was good. The second was ok. The third was where I stopped I believe.
Great first book. Movie was”meh”.
Now Hunt for Red October is a good book, but a great movie
I read them a little longer but you are right they went down hill.
I read Ender’s Game as a serial series in a scifi magazine as a kid, reread it in book form later, have watched the movie a couple of times, guess I missed the Mormon connection also.
Ender’s was not – see comment above.
No, he wrote another novel that was an advertising piece for Mormonism. I can’t remember the name of it.
Ah ok. Wasn’t aware of anything else he wrote.
It was bugging me so I had to look it up. It is called Lost Boys.
@That was a good movie@
Happy Thorsday,
Skol
FTP
FTP Auto Rec.
A non-football survey, based on yesterdays conversation:
Top 5 books, anything goes.
As I mentioned below, Oliver Twist was very difficult. I had to read it three times to fully understand the story.
I have never read Oliver Twist. I read Great Expectations in school and enjoyed it, but I haven’t read it since. Some of that older stuff is hard to read because the style was different back then.
Oliver Twist is very good, as are all the books on your list.
Lots of tear-jerkers. Where the Red Fern Grows is as rough as Old Yeller.
Same with Call of the Wild.
I’ve read Where the Red Fern Grows, 5-10 times. Still tear up at the end every time I read it.
Great book. Great movie.
Would also recommend ‘The Great Santini’ – Pat Conroy
book and movie both are excellent.
When my last lab passed she was 10. Couple days later I watched A Dog’s Purpose trilogy in one day. got it all out. Cried like a kid but needed that.
I live historical fiction. Bernard Cromwell’s Saxon Tales series (14 books) is great. It is about the Viking invasion of England and how the Saxons fought back and united 4 kingdoms into 1 country, England
The Saxon Tales series is excellent as is his Sharpe series.
I never read the sharpe series, but i will try it. I am reading Shogun now, great book, awful mini’series. Oh, and you can call me Utred
‘am reading Shogun now, great book’
It is a Fantastic Novel.
Have you watched the Netflix series The Man in the High Castle? It is about post WWII where the Nazi’s and Japanese won, and took over the USA. It gets a bit sci fi, but is pretty good.
Phillip K. Dick novel was very good. Have not watched the series yet.
I heard it is “loosely” based on the novel.
Guy wrote some very good sci fi
Top 5 is hard for me. I enjoy a lot of books, but here are a few that I have toward the top and have read more than once.
The Holy Bible (I know, it really is a collection of books, but it still counts and you all should have know I would put this here anyway).
The Swan Song by Robert McCammon (an apocalyptic novel and my first real epic book that I read).
The Hardy Boys series (I grew up reading those and have the first 50+ stories).
The Destroyer Series by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapier (the earlier novels were ripe with mocking societal political extremism, particularly progressives).
The Tarzan Series by Edgar Rice Burroughs (one of the original super heroes).
The Doc Savage Series by Kenneth Robeson (that was the house name – Lester Dent wrote the bulk of those stories – Superman was kind of based off from Doc Savage. These stories are classic pulp fiction).
Forgot about the Destroyer Series. They were a blast, and got me into Martial Arts as a teen.
fun books
This is hard. Going on how much I enjoyed the books as a teenager
Shout out to the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, And all the other authors I enjoyed
Damn, you asked for top 5, and I cannot even pick 5 I read as a kid.
As a grown up I enjoy a wider variety of books. Last one I read was titled “A Brief history of Japan” and there was nothing brief about it, but I enjoyed it. I like reading history. Enjoyed reading the Bible cover to cover while I was a church goer. I have mentioned the fantasy and sci fi, and still enjoy things. I remember SnowCrasher was fun. As were most of Crichton’s books.
Reading is way cheaper than a movie, and you get more than 2 hours entertainment for what a movie ticket costs.
My dream “old retired man” job is either a starter at a golf course, or working in a Library.
Definitely cannot be a wal-mart greeter. Too surly.
I forgot about Crichton. Some of his stuff was good.
Agree about Crighton
13th Warrior is one of his best. Oh, you can call me Ahmad Ibn Faden
There was a 2-part ‘The Sacketts’ miniseries released in 1979. Can currently find it on Apple TV. Tom Selleck, Sam Elliot. Based on both ‘The Sacketts’ and ‘The Daybreakers’
Yep, have the DVD with no way to watch it.
That is very good, but I wish they would do “The Sacket Brand”, where Tell’s wife is murderkilled and Tell is basically treed up a mountain by himself. The bad guys have no clue what is coming, and the Sacket relatives show up and clean up. Would be a very fun 90 minutes of bad guys dying.
5. Hitchhiker series by Douglas Adams
4. The rest of the books by Dean Koontz
3 Watchers by Dean Koontz
2. The Three Investigators series by Alfred Hitchcock
1. The Gunslinger series by Stephen King
I enjoyed the Watchers book by Koontz. I have read a lot of his works. Odd Thomas is really good.
I loved that Odd series.
The Watchers had an early scene in Santa Barbara right between my childhood home and the grade school I walked to and from daily.
Not to mention Dogs, specifically a Golden Retriever. I was hooked hard on that book at an early age.
Odd Thomas was a good series
I forgot about Watchers, that was really good
One of the best IMHO.
I missed out on the book conversation. That makes me sad.
I’m currently reading The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin. It is about the brutal blizzard that hit the plains states in 1888.
I like to collect vintage sci-fi from the 1950s to 1980s.
The Lord of the Rings books are awesome as is the Hobbit.
Books are always a good topic of conversation.
Donating to help kids learn to read better was even better, IMHO.
Had a first edition of Piers Anthony, “But what of Earth”. Lots of Jack Vance, Roger Zelazny, Fred Saberhagen, etc. Sad that they all ended up at 1/2 price books.
May go to 1/2 price books today, depends on how much time we have.
If I go with a list it will be at least an hour, probably two.
Last few books I’ve read:
3 Body Problem
The Dark Forest
Death’s End
The Wandering Earth
(Cixin Liu)
War Transformed
(Mick Ryan)
Big Dirty Money
(Jennifer Taub)
Did they make The Wandering Earth into a movie?
Dark Forest and Death’s End are the following books to 3 body problem
Netflix has combined them (allegedly) for the series
Wandering Earth- not that I know of
I decided to ask Google. I thought I remembered watching a movie with that name based in China. It must have been on Netflix.
Not that I’m saying Google is smarter than you or anything.
*Rob, allegedly
😂
Book was better
The book usually is better.
Daylight Savings Time halfway to being permanent.
House passes the bill.
KFEY and me going through the same thing. My AC is cooked. $1700 repair if I want to put money into a 22 year old system, so we’re replacing. Soonest they can do it is July 30th.
Been half sleeping half sweating at night. I take a cold shower just before bed in order to stop sweating. It’s brutal.
Can you buy a window unit for the bedroom?
They make stand up AC units now.
No window needed.
I’ve got a standing portable unit on the main floor that’s doing a decent job. Just fans in the bedroom. I don’t want to invest right before getting a full replacement.
Don’t know who you’re having replace it, but bonfe will bring you a temp unit until they get out replaced
My HVAC company does the same thing.
I’m going to the cabin for a week tomorrow, so that helps
yuck
Just saw your post on here dude, thats brutal, sorry to hear. My Unit and furnace were all installed in 2012, I bought my house in 2018, Summer of 19 my coils inside were leaking because the refrigerant from the old system was not cleard out and ate holes in the copper, no more cooling. That was $1200 back then and I really didn’t have the money for it but made it work. Of course it goes out when were in a heat dome. Home you get relief soon and uhhh, get a cold shower? haha
cold shower every night before bed!
Is your wife from Reno?
Ours went out Memorial Day, and the entire system is original and 29 years old.
Was about two weeks before it was fixed, but with this real heat, I am glad we got it handled.
12k was a bit tough, since I had been saving to replace my 10 year old shitty Kia.
ouch, yeah. we’re looking at about 13.5k (AC and furnace – both 22 years old)
Wow, that’s some steep numbers. Our central air is relatively new. I tested it out earlier this year to just make sure and sure enough, it wasn’t working. They replaced a part that was under warranty, so we just had to pay some labor. Our furnace is 30 years old. I’m surprised it is still working. Pre-Covid I was quoted about $3.5k to replace, but I’m sure now it will be close to double that. I’m going to wait until it dies however, probably in the middle of a 30 below cold snap.
“they don’t have a good quarterback picture.”
I am sure that they could get the 3 or 4 of the QBs together long enough to take a good picture. It shouldn’t be too hard, heck iPhones are everywhere.
Nah, they sit on opposite sides of the room.
Wide angle lens.
Since it is so quiet during the NFL Desert around here I thought I would share a story MT style.
Several years ago The Teacher shared a frustration she was having at work. She had to give lessons to 1st/2nd graders on how to use a dictionary. Problem was the school didn’t have a set of dictionaries that were the same. They had to teach the youngsters on a couple of dozen dictionaries of different types/grade levels.
She decided to go to Donors Choose and try to get a set for her class. I looked up her request to add a bit to help out. I found out that the Gates Foundation was matching all donations on the site and I could complete the request for like $40. So I did. Now her grade level could teach a class were all the kids were following along with the same book. Win, plus bonus points from The Teacher.
Over the years I would check occasionally and pick a request to fund, usually having to do with Reading because that is so vital to kids success. I found one that a local teacher was trying to get a set of books for her students could read together. Again, matching donation from Mr Gates so not too pricey.
She got her books and turned it into a whole life lesson for her students. She sent me a video of her and her students experiences as a thank you. In SoCal the schools suck so finding and helping a gem like this really has an impact.
10m video
That is awesome!
I agree that reading is so important to success in life. Sadly, despite reading to them when they were infants to encouraging them (even financially) to read as teenagers none of my grandkids have caught the reading bug. Actually two nights ago I said some simple word (something like “well, you need to stick to your principles”, and my 14 year old granddaughter said “what’s that mean?” (the word principles – although it may have been a different word). I used to give her the definition routinely but this time I said look in a dictionary, there’s one on the shelf in my office. She just rolled her eyes. Oh well.
MT style ancient anecdote, my parents were actually told at the Christmas break by my grade 2 teacher back in ’77 that I was significantly behind the class in reading ability. This was a base school so the teachers tended to be very good. I like to exaggerate and say Ms. McCormick called me a retard. Nonetheless, my parents marched me down to the library and said I had to check out three books of at least fifty pages and read them before they were due or I would be placed on a starvation diet, or not allowed to go outside, or maybe get a matchbox car. Every two weeks, repeat the scenario. Whatever they did, the bug bit and I became a voracious and very fast reader over time. It helped that there was no TV or other distractions and that it was winter time.
I had a different story. We moved right before sixth grade, the new school tested me for placement, since they had 3 levels of English class. I liked reading, and read a lot, so having me answer questions about a paragraph was simple stuff for me, and they promptly placed me in the advanced English class.
Fast forward two weeks to the first book report due, and my poor writing skills knocked me down to the rest of the average students.
My Dyslexia made English my worst subject in HS.
If it wasn’t for Book Reports as extra credit I probably would not have passed and therefore graduated.
Do you know why that is? Being an avid reader obviously exposes you to all the essentials of writing, exposition, plot development, protagonist, etc etc…for me the two go together which is why you get my TL;DR posts.
yep, I printed, because I was terrible at cursive.
As soon as I got to Junior High, and typed papers were allowed, I was back with the cool kids.
Bottom line, my work was hard to read, so I got shit grades until typewriters, and eventually computers, could be used.
I also have terrible handwriting. The Teacher has often commented that her 1st graders often have better than I do.
I wonder if that effected my english grades as well. I took typing in HS, probably the one thing that I still find useful, but I didn’t have access to one at the time other than is that one class.
I took typing as well, I think it was 9th grade. Thankfully with two older siblings we had ended up getting a typewriter at home. Helped a ton, and my grades went up until I discovered beer.
My mom had a typewriter but she wouldn’t let anyone else use it. She was a secretarial type who typed 76 words a minute so no one else could mess with her machine.
I think and older brother/sister had messed with it so it was off limits by the time I took my class, also in the 9th grade I believe.
I don’t think kids learn cursive any more. Back when I was cleaning out my college shit my mother had kept for decades for me I was astounded at how crappy my handwriting was. I always print now, the muscle memory for cursive is gone.
One of my nephews was taught that he was a ‘slow reader’ but he was Star Wars crazy.
So I found a Star Wars Chapter Book and gave it to him. His mom said ‘No, that is too tough for him’. He replied ‘But I want to try’. I asked him a few years later if he was able to read it and he replied ‘I have read that book 3 times’.
I think that kids just need the motivation to learn to read, poor students don’t always get that at school or at home. I have tried to find out their interests and then a book that aligns with that, then let nature take it’s course.
I don’t know how much reading he does now for enjoyment but I know that he can read and I have gotten him hooked on a few series while he was growing up. I consider that success.
In 4th grade we had these little pamphlet type books. Maybe 15-20 pages, that we had to read so many per week. I read one about yawning and how it is “contagious” and even reading about yawning will make you yawn. I loved to read before this, but after reading this 20 some page book, I cannot read without continuously yawning.
Oh no!
And the yawning makes it difficult to comprehend what the book is about.
Hmmm.
I read in bed at night before going to sleep. When I get sleepy enough I stop, yawning and falling asleep never kept me from enjoying or comprehending the novel.
Now if I was reading some textbook or a repair manual it might very well have that effect.
I usually have to read every page twice, before I start comprehending.
Your 14 year old granddaughter should have used ChatGPT
LOL
2 of my 3 kids read a LOT. I’m pretty happy about that.
The non-reader is constantly removing and installing parts on his car (a stickshift made in the 1900s), so I’m counting my blessings.
Wasn’t wordy enough to be a MT style post
I need a better dictionary.
I love reading.
Got turned onto the works of Louis L’Amour – The Sacketts, Conagher, The Quick and the Dead – by my father. This was just the start.
As a kid I discovered ‘Benjy the football hero’ and being that football was my favorite sport I read this book cover to cover, over and over. On my senior skip day I snuck into my junior high library and stole their copy – the book was buried with my buddy after he died in a car accident – same buddy who got busted with me on that day for fishing without a license (but not for the cooler full of beers in the trunk)
After Benjy came the Matt Christopher books – all sports themes. ‘The kid who only hit homers’, ‘The great quarterback switch’ and my personal favorite ‘The Hockey Machine’ – about a boy who gets kidnapped to play hockey. Superb.
The content got more adult as I got older. Walter Dean Myers and his books ‘Hoops’ and ‘Scorpions’ were an opening to an adult world with adult problems.
Read everything that was assigned in high school – Melville, Steinbeck, Salinger. Struggled with Shakespeare, but got thru it with a guide.
Loved the John Grisham books. Great stories. Simple reads.
As an adult I am constantly reading – much of it on my phone. This isn’t the same as book/novel reading but it’s reading nonetheless. I’ll think to myself ‘remember when Jack Del Rio intercepted Jim Harbaugh on MNF and ran it back 84 yards for a score? When was that?’ Then I google: Jack Del Rio pick 6 Vikings aaaaaand boom! November 2, 1992. Then I’ll go down a rabbit hole on that specific game, the players, the date in history….
I have a handful of books I read once a year, or once every few years. These books are:
The Godfather
Shane
No Country For Old Men
Catcher In The Rye – my favorite
Black Hawk Down
Hell’s Angels – A strange and terrible saga.
Looking to read Homer again soon – haven’t since high school but with ‘The Odyssey’ coming to theaters I think it’s time.
TL;DR
I love reading.
I got hooked when my dad, who was never a big reader or that interested in teaching us anything, got interested in reading Lord Of The Rings.
All 5 kids starting reading the 3 book series. We had to wait until dad and older siblings to finish each book and pass it down.
It took a whole summer but the hook was set and I have never looked back or regretted a moment of it.
I also love reading. When I was first married my wife thought I was weird because I would bring home thick books and read through them in no time (sometimes two at the same time, switch back and forth between them). Now, after homeschooling our kids she reads some, although she likes audio books more (we used to listen to them while driving before the kids got their own devices and listen to what they want). I look forward to the time when I retire and some of the kids are gone so I have more time to read…
We used to put trivia and ‘Ripley’s Believe It Or Not’ type of book in the backseat of the car for Nephews to read while on long trips. We would discuss whatever they found and had questions about or just wanted to share.
‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not! books are globally renowned compilations of strange-but-true facts, jaw-dropping feats, and bizarre phenomena from around the world. Starting with Robert Ripley’s original 1929 collection, the franchise now publishes highly popular, illustrated annuals alongside specialized titles like Ripley’s RBI and Ripley’s Twists.’
They got so into it that they would actually race to the car so they would have first dibs on their current favorite book.
Good Times.
When I was a kid and we’d take long car trips I had a box of Trivial Pursuit cards that I would read and ask my parents questions. 6 hours to grandmas house, I’d read and ask, read and ask…..
Fast forward to 30 years later and I stumbled into a ‘Tavern Trivia’ contest with some friends – and it was sports night. We dominated. Everybody said ‘well, sure…. He’s a jock, let’s see him next week….’
So a week later I went back and it was ‘Pop Culture Night’
Dominated.
Could hear a collective ‘WTF?’ from the crowd when I answered the final and winning question instantly.
’Who was the actor to replace Sean Connery as James Bond?’
Answer: George Lazenby – and he never played the role again.
Trivia Rocks.
I did learn not to challenge Nieces and Nephews in a topic that they were well versed in, like Disney Trivia.
They would fight to answer the quickest, even before the question as completely read.
Not my wheelhouse so I could only bow out gracefully. That is why we enjoy Bezzer Wizzer. 20 categories, each team pick 4 randomly but you get to rank the choices 1-4 so you have a better chance to get more points on a topic you feel more comfortable with.
Bezzer Wizzer. Is that anything like the Whizzenator?
Nope.
And are you taking a piss at me??
My first book that I read for fun was Tom Sawyer. Next was the hobbit, and that led to Lord of the Rings and then down the fantasy/sci fi trail for years. This was 4th through 7th grade.
In junior high someone gave me a book by Louis L’Amour since I had never read a western. That summer I read all of his things I could find. fun times.
The Sacket series is lots of fun.
I now flip around between non fiction, science fiction, and fantasy stuff like Brandon Sanderson or Patrick Rothfus (FINISH THAT King killer TRILOGY!!).
I prefer paper books to kindle, but do read a lot on the computer screen or the kindle. Nice to have 200+ books in my hand on the kindle.
I have read books before LOTR but that one summer really kicked off the whole love of reading for me.
I remember reading a book called Kavik, or some such, in 6th grade or so. It had to do with a dog surviving a plan crash in Alaska and working his way back to is ‘family’.
Epic for a dog lover like me. I have never been about to find that book again, wonder if it is still in that schools library??
I could never really get into westerns. My brother-in-law gave me one for my birthday. I read it, but it just didn’t get me started on the genre.
read Lonesome Dove.
It may change your mind.
Zane Gray was also pretty good, but I would suggest Lonesome Dove first.
My dad liked westerns, I read quite a few when I was younger, not so much now. Shane was a book I really liked.
My dad had a couple cowboy boot boxes full of Louie L’Amour books. He drove truck and would read them as he drove across country. I know it is not safe, but he never got in an accident. His last truck had nearly 2 million miles on it when he retired it.
I read a lot of Playboys for the articles. Also was astounded by the amazing real life adventures of the writers in Penthouse Forum.
I chuckled a bit at this. Yes, those amazing, real life stories were something.
“I wouldn’t believe it if it hadn’t happened to me, but…”
“There is was reading another BS PE study when…”
I don’t read much, once in a while I’ll read something someone suggests. Last year I read Wrenage’s book, I was pleased with it. I do read one book about every year though, Another Bullshit Night In Suck City by Nick Flynn, I think they even made a movie out of it, though I’ve never seen it
Went out in the heat car hunting and picked up a 1973 Impala.
Nice. Are you going to use your current daily driver as a demo car then?
This one isn’t daily material. The doors and rear quarters are rusty. This one is getting smashed. My project car is better than a 73 impala anyways.
Haha! I actually did this at a derby once. The engine was cooked and the car was barely moving but I needed to get half way across the arena to get a hit for second place. Apparently pounding the door helps it get there.
Don’t be making jokes about my baby, it hurts her feelings.
Happy Wednesday,
FTP
Skol
Happy Hump Day!
Draft your ultimate Vikings Defense with players in their prime. Since we run a 3-4 DEs and OLBs are interchangable.
NT –
DT –
DT –
OLB –
MLB –
MLB –
OLB –
DB –
DB –
SS –
FS –
I know I will get raked over the coals for not picking any purple people eaters, but I did not get to see them play.
NT – Pat Williams
DT – John Randle
DT – Kevin Williams
OLB – Chris Doleman
MLB – Jack Del Rio
MLB – Chad Greenway
OLB – Danielle Hunter
DB – Antoine Winfield
DB – Xavier Rhodes
SS – Harrison Smith
FS – Joey Browner
Yes, pretty hard not to have Jim Marshal and Allan Page on that list. Probably have to go with Paul Krause over Joey Browner. Matt Blair and Jeff Siemon at the 2 MLB positions.
It is so hard comparing players from one era to todays players (or recent players). So i stick to favorite players, not the “best”
Clearly doesn’t know anything about the Vikings before the 90s, Page and Eller are HOF, Marshall should be as well. Krause is the all time leader in interceptions in the history of the nfl and HOF. Hunter wasn’t an olb, Carl Lee was better than Rhodes. Blair was way better than either of those two, so was Studwell.
As I stated, I did not get to watch the 70’s teams. Yes I know they are better, but these are the guys I liked since I have been a fan.
Danielle Hunter was an outside linebacker his last year with the Vikings. And I stated that DE and OLB are interchangeable.
Eller
Page
Krause
Blair
Are mandatory you gen xer.
Down goes France.
And not in a Gay Way, well not Gay-er than usual it being Soccer and all.
BWCA shut down as of midnight.
BWCA???
Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Thanks.
Not something I would have ever guessed.
Big Women Crave Attention
BigBecause Women Crave Attention.FIFY
Because the Woke Crave Attention
All because you keep driving your gas guzzler Northwoods…..