This one strikes kinda close to home - from Conan O'Brienhttp://youtube.com/watch?v=wTpOYuK_qzU
Chris
Sep 26, 2007
Conan disses MBC
Sep 13, 2007
Brownie Did A Heckuva Job!
The Evening's Acknowledgments:
We MUST give credit to Chris. He steered us off course with McManus' tawdry bit of murder/poker reportage. But, when all seemed hopeless for the MBC purists, Chris achieved redemption through food. On its way to my small colon, a certain filet mignon (paired with baked potato and grilled asparagus) made its delicious presence felt. (And that's all I'm saying about my colon for now.) Chris, thank you for an entree rare and rarely done. The food was exceeded only by your exceptional hospitality. You forced your children to leave home and you graciously attended to the tardy John T, when you could have taken our money with that greasy pack of cards hidden in your shirt pocket.
As for our conversation, it ran the gamut but its attention to Positively Fifth Street was mercifully short. I agree wholeheartedly with Peter that Mr. McManus was too narcissistic and self-indulgent to be enjoyed fully. However, there was clearly enough enjoyment to be had, as virtually everyone read this book. (Gentlemen, do you also watch reality TV in your spare time?) Thanks to Roy and Garth for their outside research into the subsequent fate of Sandy and Rick. The added detail was better than reading US Weekly.
Our descent into local politics was also brief, with a consensus that Carol Migden must first put a stop to our proliferating residential rehab units before she earns the right to buy our vote. But we'll support Chris and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation without hesitation.
New Book Selection Criteria:
Before and after our round of Liars Dice (Stan, do you want the game explained one more time??), we agreed to broaden our book selection criteria. We also agreed that one guy will preselect and propose 2 or 3 books for our selection at each meeting. Here are the selection criteria:
1. Under 500 pages
2. No chick lit
3. Book has won or been shortlisted for a major literary award, or was written by an author who has won a major award.
4. No restriction on date of publication.
5. Fiction or non-fiction.
Next Book and Meeting:
Garth has kindly agreed to host our next meeting on Tuesday, October 16 at 7:00 pm. To assist our decisionmaking, Garth spontaneously recommended Independence Day by Richard Ford and The Sea by John Banville. The group selected The Sea, which was the Booker Prize winner for 2005 and runs only 264 pages in my paperback edition.
See you in October.
We MUST give credit to Chris. He steered us off course with McManus' tawdry bit of murder/poker reportage. But, when all seemed hopeless for the MBC purists, Chris achieved redemption through food. On its way to my small colon, a certain filet mignon (paired with baked potato and grilled asparagus) made its delicious presence felt. (And that's all I'm saying about my colon for now.) Chris, thank you for an entree rare and rarely done. The food was exceeded only by your exceptional hospitality. You forced your children to leave home and you graciously attended to the tardy John T, when you could have taken our money with that greasy pack of cards hidden in your shirt pocket.
As for our conversation, it ran the gamut but its attention to Positively Fifth Street was mercifully short. I agree wholeheartedly with Peter that Mr. McManus was too narcissistic and self-indulgent to be enjoyed fully. However, there was clearly enough enjoyment to be had, as virtually everyone read this book. (Gentlemen, do you also watch reality TV in your spare time?) Thanks to Roy and Garth for their outside research into the subsequent fate of Sandy and Rick. The added detail was better than reading US Weekly.
Our descent into local politics was also brief, with a consensus that Carol Migden must first put a stop to our proliferating residential rehab units before she earns the right to buy our vote. But we'll support Chris and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation without hesitation.
New Book Selection Criteria:
Before and after our round of Liars Dice (Stan, do you want the game explained one more time??), we agreed to broaden our book selection criteria. We also agreed that one guy will preselect and propose 2 or 3 books for our selection at each meeting. Here are the selection criteria:
1. Under 500 pages
2. No chick lit
3. Book has won or been shortlisted for a major literary award, or was written by an author who has won a major award.
4. No restriction on date of publication.
5. Fiction or non-fiction.
Next Book and Meeting:
Garth has kindly agreed to host our next meeting on Tuesday, October 16 at 7:00 pm. To assist our decisionmaking, Garth spontaneously recommended Independence Day by Richard Ford and The Sea by John Banville. The group selected The Sea, which was the Booker Prize winner for 2005 and runs only 264 pages in my paperback edition.
See you in October.
Sep 5, 2007
Reminder September 11 Meeting
Just a reminder that we meet next Tuesday, Sept 11, at Chris' house. Our book is Positively Fifth Street by James McManus. Let us all remember, as we work our way thru Mr. McManus' insufferable, er, innumerable insights into the world of poker/murder/poker/murder (gosh, which theme is more exciting?), that we eagerly accepted Chris' book recommendation in reaction to the tedium of Oscar & Lucinda. So, no buyer's remorse.
Here are some discussion points for Sept 11:
1. Henceforth, should we abandon our book selection criteria in favor of a book list founded on "True Crime All the Time"?
2. Just how much did our poker skills improve upon reading this book (and, for extra credit, is this why we joined a book club?)
3. For those who were made miserable by having to read this book...is it because of the book choice or the fact that they CAN'T play poker?
With these and other weighty issues up for discussion, I can't wait to return from Cleveland and see you fine men!
Jul 13, 2007
Wherein we thank Peter for his Emu burgers and look ahead to poker in September
Many thanks to Peter for a fine evening on Tuesday. The "Emu" burgers with tamarind glaze were very tasty (darling, we all want that recipe!), and the Australian Shiraz was more than drinkable. John, take note: guests need not eat from cans heated over an open flame to feel the muse within.
While the food and drink were above standard, it's a shame that our book fell short. Oscar & Lucinda will have to rank among the poorer of our choices. Had anyone other than Roy and I actually finished the book, maybe our discussion would have been more favorable. That's a broad hint to those of you still on p. 124.
Apart from the book, though, the company also left something to be desired. With the arrival of Chris, the MBC has sunk to a new, literary low. Through force of personality, and a little charm and swagger (he does manage other people's money, after all), Mr. B succeeded in tearing us away from our usual selection criteria in favor of murder/poker/showgirls. Our next book, therefore, is Positively Fifth Street, a non-fiction account of the World Series of Poker and the Ted Binion murder trial by James McManus. Here's an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Positively-Fifth-Street-James-McManus/dp/0312422520/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8970648-5624023?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184168482&sr=8-1
(Please note that this deviation is an EXCEPTION. We return to our usual nail-biting, cliff-hanging Pulitzers immediately thereafter!!)
By special request, we are skipping August and will meet at Mr. B's residence on September 11. Given the nature of our reading material, the evening will feature discussion of the book along with a few hands of poker. As a measure of his sportsmanship, Chris has promised to drink heavily and lose graciously.
Between now and September 11, we wish Garth, John, and Tom well during their trip to Burning Man. Bring back pictures and stories for the rest of us! We also wish Stan well in Wyoming as he recuperates from his latest orthopedic intervention (hope that knee heals fast).
PS: Dan, choosing baseball over the Man Book Club is simply not good form. Next time tell us you're attending a Broadway opening. That will arouse our interest and understanding. All of us, that is, except Chris, who had the nerve to turn on the telly (I think that's Australian) during our discussion of Oscar & Lucinda....
While the food and drink were above standard, it's a shame that our book fell short. Oscar & Lucinda will have to rank among the poorer of our choices. Had anyone other than Roy and I actually finished the book, maybe our discussion would have been more favorable. That's a broad hint to those of you still on p. 124.
Apart from the book, though, the company also left something to be desired. With the arrival of Chris, the MBC has sunk to a new, literary low. Through force of personality, and a little charm and swagger (he does manage other people's money, after all), Mr. B succeeded in tearing us away from our usual selection criteria in favor of murder/poker/showgirls. Our next book, therefore, is Positively Fifth Street, a non-fiction account of the World Series of Poker and the Ted Binion murder trial by James McManus. Here's an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Positively-Fifth-Street-James-McManus/dp/0312422520/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8970648-5624023?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184168482&sr=8-1
(Please note that this deviation is an EXCEPTION. We return to our usual nail-biting, cliff-hanging Pulitzers immediately thereafter!!)
By special request, we are skipping August and will meet at Mr. B's residence on September 11. Given the nature of our reading material, the evening will feature discussion of the book along with a few hands of poker. As a measure of his sportsmanship, Chris has promised to drink heavily and lose graciously.
Between now and September 11, we wish Garth, John, and Tom well during their trip to Burning Man. Bring back pictures and stories for the rest of us! We also wish Stan well in Wyoming as he recuperates from his latest orthopedic intervention (hope that knee heals fast).
PS: Dan, choosing baseball over the Man Book Club is simply not good form. Next time tell us you're attending a Broadway opening. That will arouse our interest and understanding. All of us, that is, except Chris, who had the nerve to turn on the telly (I think that's Australian) during our discussion of Oscar & Lucinda....
Jun 6, 2007
Thanks to John and Next Book
Many thanks to John for hosting last night. I'm told that, in some book clubs, such a priority is placed on the food and drink that the actual book discussion is secondary. Fortunately, judging from last night's food service, we are in no danger of straying from our core mission. Cold and hungry, our bookmen somehow managed to choke out a few observations on this fascinating, if polarizing, novel by Cormac McCarthy.
For our next book, we have selected Oscar and Lucinda, by Peter Carey. My quick research reveals that this is a romance set in Australia , but is most definitely not Chick Lit (and therefore does not violate the Cardinal Rule of MBC). At 448 pages, I encourage everyone to start reading before July 10. Stan, if you need more time, take it from your day job and not from our company on July 10.
Peter will host our next meeting on July 10 at 7:00 pm. He has promised to serve us nothing canned or with its labels removed.
As a reminder to all, and to impose a little discipline on folks like Dean (Manchester United?!), come prepared with a book recommendation that meets our criteria (major award winner in the last 10 years, less than 500 pages, no chick lit). Go to http://www.powells.com/psection/Literature.html for a list and summaries of the different award winning books.
For our next book, we have selected Oscar and Lucinda, by Peter Carey. My quick research reveals that this is a romance set in Australia , but is most definitely not Chick Lit (and therefore does not violate the Cardinal Rule of MBC). At 448 pages, I encourage everyone to start reading before July 10. Stan, if you need more time, take it from your day job and not from our company on July 10.
Peter will host our next meeting on July 10 at 7:00 pm. He has promised to serve us nothing canned or with its labels removed.
As a reminder to all, and to impose a little discipline on folks like Dean (Manchester United?!), come prepared with a book recommendation that meets our criteria (major award winner in the last 10 years, less than 500 pages, no chick lit). Go to http://www.powells.com/psection/Literature.html for a list and summaries of the different award winning books.
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