Tuesday, March 2, 2010

... and I feel fine... (R.E.M.)

Armageddon truly has never been funnier. Thanks Scott for hosting!

Milkshakes were savored, peanut butter candy was shared, IBC was sipped.

With double-chocolate brownies and twinkies, we definitely ate like there was no tomorrow.



After Joe said it felt like riding with the Hells Angel's... I wondered how he would know until I found this shot of him on a Google image search.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Pie















Wish I'd remembered my camera sooner, I could've taken pictures of the sushi too.

The schedule for the next few months is as follows. We're planning on the 4th thursday of each month.

Feb 25th: "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Scott hosting
March 25th: "Nudge" I don't remember who's hosting. Jordan?
April 22nd: "Ministry of Fear" Brandon hosting.
May 27th: "Play Chess" Joe Hosting.
June 24th: "Family Man" Aaron hosting.

Them!

Thanks Brandon for picking up the great sushi!







Things we learned:
1. Some of us work/have worked with extremists
2. Some of us laugh at extremists
3. Some of us sympathize too much with extremists
4. Some of us are extremists

References from the night:
What President Hinckley said in October 2001 "Those of us who are American citizens stand solidly with the president of our nation." (Thanks Joe)
A warning from Gidgiddoni

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Scott's Nominations

Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin
One of my favourite books of all time. Kind of what you might call an urban fantasy. "THERE was a white horse, on a quiet winter morning when snow covered the streets gently and was not deep, and the sky was swept with vibrant stars, except in the east, where dawn was beginning in a light blue flood."

My Antonia by Willa Cather
One of the great books by one of the great writers of American fiction, in my opinion. Embodies much of what help build this country. Check out the Amazon listing http://www.amazon.com/My-Antonia-Willa-Cather/dp/1438242905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261255765&sr=1-1

Pebble In the Sky by Isaac Asimov
The is SF giant Asimov's first novel. I've never read it, but have always been curious about it. How can you go wrong with Asimov?

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Armageddon has never been so funny. This book actually made me laugh out loud; not something that happens often.

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
One of the few Dickens novels I have never read. With the degree in English, I couldn't pass up listing a classic.

Jude The Obscure by Thomas Hardy
OK, make that two classics. Hardy's masterpiece, in my opinion. Also his last book, thanks to the small-minded critics of his day who condemned the novel out-of-hand due to it being a bit too realistic for Victorian society. It is a masterful novel, though not a light, happy read by any stretch.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Aaron's Choices

My nominations for this round are a bit more lighthearted and focusing on fatherhood. If there are any objections, I will not take offense at all, and can certainly suggest a new list. Here they are with a link for your enjoyment:

How to Feel Manly in a Minivan, by Craig Boreth


Fatherhood, by Bill Cosby

My Kid's an Honor Student, your Kid's a Loser: A Pushy Parents Guide to Raising a Perfect Child, by Ralph Schoenstein


Zen and the Art of Fatherhood, by Steven Lewis


Family Man
, by Calvin Trillin

Thursday, December 17, 2009

December's Meeting (The Left Hand of Darkness)

Pioneer Book's cafe was closed, but the Sensuous Sandwich didn't let us down. Next time I think Brandon's going for the 24-inch sub in under 30 minutes T-shirt.

The discussion was good, even if a little rushed. Next month we'll be reading Jordan's pick and let him choose where to meet.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Nominations

Hello - glad to be joining the group (Thanks Brando).

Here's my nominations:

A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami

Eternal Man - Truman G. Madsen

Them: Adventures with Extremists - Jon Ronson (author of 'Men who stare at goats')

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortensen

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Brandon's Nominations round2

1. The Ministry of Fear - Graham Greene I haven't read this, but Graham Greene is one of the best writers of last century, and this is supposed to be a really great spy-conspiracy-thriller kind of thing set in post-war england.
2. Tortilla Flat - John Steinbeck Always eager to try out some Steinbeck that I haven't read yet.
3. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke One of my favorite books from the last few years. This is kind of if Jane Austen had written a fantasy book.
4. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky What can I say, I'm hooked on this guy. Plus, it'll be summer by the time we read any of these, right?
5. Lake Wobegon Days - Garrison Keillor Keillor's history of the town of Lake Wobegon. MN. Really funny stuff.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Extra copy of "Left Hand of Darkness"

I snagged two copies of our next book from the BYU library (one is still on the shelf as well). Let me know if you want to borrow it.

FYI - It was settled that we'd next meet on Thursday, Dec. 17.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Karamazov

Gents,

I suppose there are 2 different days floating around for the Karamazov discussion. The 17th or the 24th. Any preference? Either way, the meeting will be at my home-761 E 200 S @ about 7:00 p.m. I will serve Borshd and black bread for your enjoyment. Let me know.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

My next nominations (I couldn't wait)

I'm not trying to butt in line, I just couldn't help myself from putting together my second list of MMBC nominations. I think after Karamazov, we've still got Brandon's first book choice before we even begin Round 2.

Here goes anyway. The theme is hobbies, which lends itself easily to a club meeting activity or outing:
The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems

Learn Chess

The Far Side Galleries

Rockhounding Utah

Birds of Utah Field Guide

The Manly Calendar