Edge of Eternity [June 10, 2018]

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Edge of Eternity

[Choko]

Spot!

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Glad we have a break before this one.

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Choko, I had a PSU grad student reach out to me about members who read this series doing an interview for a paper she's writing. I said I would be willing and I assume you would be as well. Let me know. She said there's a $25 gift card involved but I could care less about that I'd rather just help her out. But if she's giving them where you're involved with book donations to those less fortunate I'd gladly donate it.

[Choko]

Scott wrote: "Choko, I had a PSU grad student reach out to me about members who read this series doing an interview for a paper she's writing. I said I would be willing and I assume you would be as well. Let me ..."

Count me in. I don't need the money either... Let me know what I neeed to do:)

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Choko wrote: "Count me in. I don't need the money either... Let me know what I neeed to do:) "

She said she'll PM me back in a few weeks. I'll update you as at that point.

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Starting tonight.

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

About 75% done. This has by far been the best book in the series.

[Choko]

Scott wrote: "About 75% done. This has by far been the best book in the series."

Wow!!! I am just in the beginning so I have no opinion as of yet:)

[Choko]

As I said, I am still in the beginning of the book, but the introduction to all the younger generation is making me want to put them all in time out! They are obviously all bright kids, but still think nothing can touch them... The invincible youth... Until they get hurt or somebody dies😐😑

[Choko]

And the Alabama experience... My best friend is black and every time we travel through those Southern states, she still doesn't feel comfortable... That is just terrible, in my opinion...

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

I think he did a terrific job in this book on the civil rights movement which is why this got 4*'s from me while the other two books were only 3*'s.

I was in New Orleans recently and it reminded me how much of a repeatable generational economic status quo there is for minorities in the south. The vendors were taking us out for thousand dollar meals while people were sleeping on the streets and panhandling.

[Choko]

Scott wrote: "I think he did a terrific job in this book on the civil rights movement which is why this got 4*'s from me while the other two books were only 3*'s.

I was in New Orleans recently and it reminded ..."

I know... I have family in the South and it is terrible!!! There are people like us who want things to get better, but the ones who have felt they are the "boss" and any freedom would take away from their station, do not want to let go of what they have...

[Choko]

I love that he is showing the real side of the Kennedy's politics!!! I am tired of their holier-then-thow political image... !!!

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Choko wrote: "I love that he is showing the real side of the Kennedy's politics!!! I am tired of their holier-then-thow political image... !!!"

I'm from Boston and couldn't agree more. I do think the writer is a Bobby fan more than Jack though.

[Choko]

Yeah, I think it is easier for people to justify his actions, because at least he was not a cheater and a liar...

Isn't it weird that the kids and grandkids of my favorite as a decent person character Mister Dower, turned out to be most unlikable... Actually, none of the younger generation turned out to be very good people... I like Eve, and I liked the inferred connection with Jane Fonda 😀... George is OK too...

[Choko]

The other thing I wanted to say is how depressingly predictable we as humans are! Obviously what is happening today in politics is only a repetition of what came a turn of the wheel ago... It is like a push one way always brings a backlash from the other side and so on to eternity... Sims like we just can't stand peace and quiet and balance... We suck!

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

The family arcs were interesting. I liked Eve but I'm not a Jane Fonda fan. She was complicit in letting North Korea exploit those soldiers and knew the conditions they were living in. Follet doesn't' follow through on that at all.

I like George, Dave, Vallie and a bunch of the others.

[Choko]

I have a very hard time with drug addicts... I know it is an illness, I know they can't help it, but darn it, I have one in the family and no matter how much I try, I never feel safe around him... They would sell their families and friends and own body parts just for a hit, and I can't live around or near that...

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Choko wrote: "The other thing I wanted to say is how depressingly predictable we as humans are! Obviously what is happening today in politics is only a repetition of what came a turn of the wheel ago... It is li..."

Totally. And people fall for the bait and switch all the time. Instead of talking about issues we should be to improve people's lives they deflect on morality issues or something else.

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Choko wrote: "I have a very hard time with drug addicts... I know it is an illness, I know they can't help it, but darn it, I have one in the family and no matter how much I try, I never feel safe around him... ..."

I've helped several people through recovery including my dad. It just depends on the person.

[Choko]

Exactly! This is the richest, most powerful and wonderful country in the world. We should have been able to have a healthy, educated population in general by now... But the shiny old fish-bait is always more important, obviously... So depressing...

[Choko]

I am sorry about your dad.. I have my brother... He has been clean and sober for 8 years now, but that drug-addicted personality is still with him... I have a very hard time with it...

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Choko wrote: "I am sorry about your dad.. I have my brother... He has been clean and sober for 8 years now, but that drug-addicted personality is still with him... I have a very hard time with it..."

He passed away in 2001 with 12 years sobriety. My parents were divorced and my dad was a functional alcoholic who worked as hard as anybody and didn't steal or anything like that. All of those things made it a little easier. I only told him to stop drinking once whereas a lot of other people told him a lot. I nodded at the bottle looked him in they eye and said it's time you put that shit down for good. Not an easy thing to say when you're 21 and it was probably just the right time but I always wonder if I had said it sooner would he have quit or would that time I did say it have had no effect.

[Choko]

My heart is breaking for you and him and all the people who loved him... My favorite uncle died of active alcoholism like that. He worked and was a wonderful person, but by the end of his life he would only eat appetizers with his drink. And we are talking hard alcohol, nothing like beer or wine... I loved him so much, but he couldn't function without it... Speaking of him and our book, he was one of the bosses on the com. farms and would always bring us produce and meat for the holidays..

A lot of the things Follet writes about are true, but he is putting so much of the changes in the Eastern Block all the way close to the end, when all those changes happened so much earlier and gradually... The Russians really had it worse for the longest time, but Hungary, Poland, and East Germany had it really good compared to the rest of us... We dreamed about going to East Germany so we could get spoiled rotten... I also don't know how Hungary did so well... He also has a bit of a time issue with the Berlin wall falling and the whole rising of the democracy in the 1988-1991 period. This is when I was imprisoned and tortured, then given political asylum in this country... Can't believe it has been 27 years already... Where does the time go...

My friends here still make fun of me, because when I first came here, I had pork or beef steak every day with a ton of bananas and citrus fruits, since we could only have those around Christmas and Easter... I had actually never had beef before... Yes, communism the way they tried to enforce it was a failure, but the next closest thing works great in Norway, Germany and Sweden, among other... There has to be a middle ground...

[Choko]

I am sorry, the subject of this particular volume really brought back memories and not all good...

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

My dad died of cancer not alcoholism.

I agree on the middle ground.

A friend of mine who was ultra liberal once said of me, you're the type of person who it kills me that you don't get more involved in politics but I understand why you don't.

His reasoning was that I always looked to the middle ground and the solution that made sense. His view was politics drives those people out of politics by its nature and people who have common sense perspectives by their nature. Politics and common sense are anathema to each other. (I love sneaking in fantasy buzz words into real life conversations. :))

[Choko]

Haha! You are totally right! I dislike and distrust any fanatical ideologysts and always look for common sense, but people like us don't get votes, because we are never interesting or radical enough...

Scot, thank you for reading these books with me! If you ever want to do more historical fiction, give me a nod😀😀😀

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Choko wrote: "Scot, thank you for reading these books with me! If you ever want to do more historical fiction, give me a nod😀😀😀"

Thank you too! We should definitely pick up another historical fiction series and continue the trend. I love Genghis: Birth of an Empire but I'm three books through the five. I think he's a brilliant writer though so if you wanted I would do The Gates of Rome Emperor which is also 5 books.

Also The Rising Tide by Jeff Shaara is a 4 book WWII series.

Any recommendations you have as well I'd entertain. I'm not opposed to standalones either.

[Choko]

I would do any one of these! Finish up the Genghis books and I would join you for the Gates of Rome... That would be great 👍☺

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Choko wrote: "I would do any one of these! Finish up the Genghis books and I would join you for the Gates of Rome... That would be great 👍☺"

How about Aug - Dec 24th start for each of the 5 books.

[Choko]

Sounds great to me 😀

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

Cool. I'll add a historical fiction folder and we can do it all out of there.

[Choko]

Awesome😊!

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

I did my interview this morning. She said you did yours last night. It was a fun experience. Thanks for participating. I'm looking forward to seeing her final thesis!

[Choko]

Me too! It was fun. I hope she does great😊