File Under: Misc.

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

YES.

Suck it, Giants.

[Robert]

Dave wrote: "YES.

Suck it, Giants."

So Washington is still in the playoff hunt, yes?

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

Yeah...it's one of those odd situations where winning the division would be more likely than getting the 6th seed wild card. They pretty much need to win every game to get in the playoffs, though, especially since they still have 2 more division games.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

Really? REALLY?!?
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

Can we read this? I honestly think talking about this book would probably make for one of our most amusing episodes...if you could understand what I'm spluttering through blood-flecked foam-covered grimacing lips.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Matt wrote: "Really? REALLY?!?
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13..."

If I see a real life woman reading that on the train, I'm going to die from hysterical laughter. Then I'll tie her tubes by hand.

[Robert]

Matt wrote: "Really? REALLY?!?
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

Can we read this? I honestly think talking about this book would probably make for one of our most amusing episodes...."

And it's part 2.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

“He stared at her breasts incredulously, but not with lust. 'For the love of Freya! You wear Ruby's strange undergarment. Lingerie, methinks she named it.'
'This is not my mother's bra.' Rain clamped her jaw shut defiantly, then demanded to know, 'How did you ever see my mother's underwear?'"
― Sandra Hill, The Outlaw Viking

Oh, yeah, we're definitely reading something by her!!

[Jeppe]

By Thor, what an enticing plot! Such well-threaded characters, such vexing prose, such copious underwear-references! I'm on board.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

There's a print copy of the first of the series in the Amazon Marketplace for $0.01 (plus shipping) and the Kindle edition is $4.74. And you all thought I was kidding. >:)

http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Pride-Dead...

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

You cruel bastard. I ain't reading that. Maybe there's a Lifetime television adaptation.

[Robert]

Jason wrote: "You cruel bastard. I ain't reading that. Maybe there's a Lifetime television adaptation."

I would watch the Telemundo version. It is not as if my interpretation of the dialect or dialog would matter.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

Jason wrote: "You cruel bastard. I ain't reading that. Maybe there's a Lifetime television adaptation."

We could be the Joel & the Bots to her Manos: The Hands of Fate. You're missing an opportunity for comedy gold, here, bub.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Matt wrote: "Jason wrote: "You cruel bastard. I ain't reading that. Maybe there's a Lifetime television adaptation."

We could be the Joel & the Bots to her Manos: The Hands of Fate. You're missing an opportunity for comedy gold, here, bub. ..."

I will absolutely dedicate two hours of my life to ridiculing it in movie form. What's the director of the first couple Twilight movies doing these days?

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

Jason wrote: "What's the director of the first couple Twilight movies doing these days?"

Probably something like this

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

Here's a link to an article about a book-art project I was recently a part of, if anyone's interested. My contribution was very small (about 600 words) and these art books are hand-produced and pretty expensive limited editions, but it's still kinda cool.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Dave wrote: "Here's a link to an article about a book-art project I was recently a part of, if anyone's interested. My contribution was very small (about 600 words) and these art books are hand-produced and pre..."

I get a strange error (404m: "Your Gmail account is unavailable") when I click.

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

Oh whoops, I was trying to link to an image from my email. I'm out of town, I'll have to download and post it tomorrow.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Stay out of the malls and get cozy with the latest episode of The Bookhouse Boys:

"Fueled by scotch, eggnog the consistency of mayonnaise, and hate, Dave, Matt and Jason talk this week about Robinson Crusoe and the prototypical novel (Don Quixote, The Deerslayer, Gulliver's Travels); The Wild Life of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners That Shape Who We Are Today; Mike Carey's The Devil You Know; sportswriting (Can't Anyone Here Play This Game by Jimmy Breslin, and Idol Time and Counting Coup: A True Story of Basketball and Honor on the Little Big Horn by Larry Colton); Dash Shaw (Bottomless Belly Button, The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D., The Ruined Cast); Anders Nilsen (Don't Go Where I Can't Follow,Big Questions ); Blacklung by Chris Wright; Jonah Hex (early stuff from Weird Western Tales, and the series by Joe Lansdale and Tim Truman), and many other random rants and observations too numerous to list."

Dave's next monthly pick: Dogshit

http://bookhouseboyspodcast.podomatic...

[Jim]

Jason wrote: "Dave's next monthly pick: Dogshit." o_O

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Jim wrote: "Jason wrote: "Dave's next monthly pick: Dogshit." o_O"

It'll make sense once you listen. ;)

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

Jason, of course, meant Weird Western Tales, which started out as All-Star Western, vol. 2.
Please don't yell at me, Dave. :(

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Matt wrote: "Jason, of course, meant Weird Western Tales, which started out as All-Star Western, vol. 2.
"

Thanks. I also left out a Nilsen book in favor of listing the other one twice. Dur.

[Jeppe]

Dave is totally full of dogshit

... but I have to admit that I don't really like Nilsen either.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

Jeppe wrote: "Dave is totally full of dogshit

... but I have to admit that I don't really like Nilsen either."

I'm very excited to read some of his stuff. Come on, library!

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

"Jeppe wrote: "... but I have to admit that I don't really like Nilsen either."

Matt wrote: "I'm very excited to read some of his stuff. Come on, library!"

I've found everything he's done to be interesting and worthwhile, but DGWICF was the first thing I read by him, and it was amazing, and definitely created a lot of goodwill toward him on my part. Maybe I'm reading the rest with rose-colored glasses. I can certainly see how it might not be for everyone...although you really haven't seen much of it if you think that all of his art is random looking scribbles. DGWICF is a good microcosm of the different styles he employs (mixed media, text, loose drawing, tight and detailed drawing, etc.)

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

I don't remember why we started talking about Nilsen. I don't think anyone had read anything by him recently. Oh well. Onward to more important matters! Like what I have to do to get this kid to take a damn nap today already.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Dave wrote: "I don't remember why we started talking about Nilsen. I don't think anyone had read anything by him recently. Oh well."

For the record, I brought him up because I was comparing his work to that of Dash Shaw's. I didn't know he was going to elicit such a visceral reaction, and frankly, I'm irritated that we're apologizing to you for mentioning an artist that set you off. I didn't bring up abortion, or the death penalty. I brought up an author/artist. I apologize for being passive aggressive about my irritation earlier; we'll see if me being upfront about it ends up being worse.

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

Who apologized? I don't remember it, and I didn't ask for it.

In what context was Nilsen brought up in comparison to Shaw?

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Dave wrote: "Who apologized? I don't remember it, and I didn't ask for it.

In what context was Nilsen brought up in comparison to Shaw?"

Matt did.

Both authors write symbolically. Whereas Shaw's symbols ring hollow for me personally, Nilsen's don't. I get a radically different perception of depth from each author. One makes me roll my eyes; one makes me think. I agree with Matt's assessment of BBB, and I was offering Nilsen's work (Big Questions in particular) as an example of doing some of the same things more successfully.

They're not at all the same, admittedly. Matt's comparison of Irving-style family drama to BBB makes sense to me, and that kind of thing is wholly absent from anything I've read by Nilsen.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

I think everyone needs to drink more eggnog.

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

Okey-dokey. Thanks for the explanation of context, which my little outburst during the chat prevented.

Also, fuck you Matt for apologizing to me.

Sincerely,

Captain Dogshit

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

This is why we can't have nice things.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Matt wrote: "I think everyone needs to drink more eggnog."

Amen. With booze in it.

I propose we pack our baggage neatly back up, and move on. I edited my snide remark out of the show notes (on the podcast page.)

Have I mentioned lately how much fun it is to do this thing with you guys? Cause it is.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

I have boldly reclaimed this sprawling topic thread for the truly miscellaneous, and split off mini-ep announcements/links/show notes to their very own thread, as nature intended.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

I have been meaning to do that for a while. Thanks, man. :)

[Jeppe]

Here's another incredibly silly review, this one of John Dies at the End:

"this is possibly the worst published book i have ever read. i'm sad to admit it was my ex-boyfriend's favorite book, so i read it to placate him. it took me all of about five minutes to get sick of the author's trite internet-meme-style wannabe-funny bullshit, which is sad because i believe he is the editor of cracked.com (where the writing, though sub-par at times, at least typically makes sense and is somewhat enjoyable to read). at first i thought i wasn't reading it closely enough to follow the plot, then i realized:

1) there is no plot to follow.
2) the guy couldn't sustain one storyline for longer than 50 pages, so he throws in like, 50 sorta-connected ones and still calls this shitrag a NOVEL. um, what?!

so, barf. in this dude's attempt to righteously blow my mind, he really just.. blew. i can't believe the positive ratings this crapathon has accrued on amazon. i 100% don't understand its cult internet following... wait, no, i amend that. i DO understand it. it's most likely comprised of people who don't fucking read anything but born-digital internet slop on forums and pseudo-journalistic and/or fan-fiction sites. in the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society - not a mindblowing read, but at least it's written well - there's a line about reading good books ruining you for reading bad ones...well, here's that sentiment ringing glaringly true in my own life. ha!

do yourselves a favor and stay away, far, far away from this one. just read the original lovecraft instead."


One thing is to write such an incredibly condescending and arrogant review. Another thing is to write it when your own favorite book (and, I presume, the standard to which you hold all other contemporary literature) is The Hunger Games. Ugh.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

What in the world is a "guernsey literary and potato peel pie society"? Remind me never to accept a pie from this person...blech.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

"2) the guy couldn't sustain one storyline for longer than 50 pages, so he throws in like, 50 sorta-connected ones and still calls this shitrag a NOVEL. um, what?!"

I don't think she'd like Last Exit To Brooklyn much (well, maybe the punctuation)...or Naked Lunch...or...

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

She wouldn't like Life and Death are Wearing Me Out either, for that matter.

[Robert]

If we're going to paint broad generalizations with an even broader brush, sounds like this "reviewer" would be a fan of Clean Flicks, and not the documentary, the edited films.

[Jeppe]

Robert wrote: "If we're going to paint broad generalizations with an even broader brush, sounds like this "reviewer" would be a fan of Clean Flicks, and not the documentary, the edited films."

I've been wanting to watch that documentary, how is it?

[Robert]

Jeppe wrote: "I've been wanting to watch that documentary, how is it?

I thought it was well told.

Though I vehemently disagree with the act of censorship, especially when the intended content involved is manipulated without the creators' consent, I didn't adamantly find myself disliking the individuals involved. So, that made the documentary more compelling for myself.

Plus, there is an ironic twist at the end, which often occurs when chronicling any story for any length of time.

Sure, it's no King of Kong, but what is?

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

Richmond Macabre II : More Nightmares is now available for purchase if anyone's interested. This is the Richmond-based horror anthology in which I have a story.

I don't think any ebook editions are available yet, but I do see paperback copies for sale from B&N and Amazon for around $17. Or, ask your local bookstore to get in a copy...I get royalty checks 'n' stuff, so all purchases are appreciated.

[Matt, I am the Great Went.]

Dave wrote: "Richmond Macabre II : More Nightmares is now available for purchase if anyone's interested. This is the Richmond-based horror anthology in which I have a story.

I don't think any ebook editions ar..."

Rad. Proud of you, son. What did you end up naming that story, by the way? I ended up using "Barry Boroson and the Incredible Boner Machine" for a story of my own. Fingers crossed!

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

I ended up calling it "The Murders on Monument Avenue." All spooky-like.

Also, that article in BOOM! I promised weeks ago and then forgot about is at the bottom of this entry on my business blog.

Can't wait to read your story about boners! Write what you know and all that....

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Dave wrote: "I ended up calling it "The Murders on Monument Avenue." All spooky-like.

Also, that article in BOOM! I promised weeks ago and then forgot about is at the bottom of this entry on my business blog.
..."

Ooh, that sounds intriguing. I've read some stuff from Tom de Haven before, too. Cool to see his name attached to a project along with yours.

[Jeppe]

Dave wrote: "Richmond Macabre II : More Nightmares is now available for purchase if anyone's interested. This is the Richmond-based horror anthology in which I have a story.

I don't think any ebook editions ar..."

Sounds great, Dave, congrats on being published! Do you know if there is a digital edition somewhere in the pipeline? I'm in the middle of a move to a small room, so on a strictly no-paper diet these days.

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

Jeppe wrote: "Dave wrote: "Richmond Macabre II : More Nightmares is now available for purchase if anyone's interested. This is the Richmond-based horror anthology in which I have a story.

I don't think any eboo..."

I don't know whether there'll be a digital edition. There isn't one yet so far as I know, but there is a Kindle edition (at least, haven't checked the Nook) for the first one, so it's not inconceivable. I know as much as you do in that regard, though.

[Jason, Walking Allergen]

Sounds like Dave, alright:

"But last night in Washington, I saw it; I experienced it. Watching the Redskins play at a bar in the District, amid all the cheering and happiness, another feeling existed. The hesitant excitement, the nervous smiles, and the boisterousness on the Metro after the game. People avoided talking about Super Bowl hopes. They avoided talk of the next opponent and its talented rookie quarterback. They focused on the now. The now they had in their hands. This was the fear of believing, living right before my eyes."

I know what it's like to never think your team has a chance, if they even get there, but hey, getting there is half the battle. May you taste the sweet nectar of victory.

[Dave Alluisi, Evolution of the Arm]

Yeah...I love being in the playoffs. Super Bowl hopes still seem unrealistic with a squad this young. I like the "one game at a time" approach they have right now. Seattle's going to be their biggest challenge yet: could be the third straight time the Skins have made a playoff run late in the season only to exit early at the hands of the Seahawks. Griffin seems to thrive on turning all the old, bad habits on their heads, though--started getting home wins, MNF wins, wins against playoff teams, beat Dallas on Thanksgiving for the first time, and won the division title for the first time since 1999.

That last, though, is why not a lot of people are talking "Super Bowl" yet. They're not perennial favorites yet, they're still very much a dark horse. If they can make the playoffs for 2 or 3 years running, THAT'S when you'll see Skins fans talking about the Super Bowl.