This was an excellent overview of the Secret Service and its origins, as well as a history of the assassinations and close calls the agency has sufferThis was an excellent overview of the Secret Service and its origins, as well as a history of the assassinations and close calls the agency has suffered. She breaks down all of the viable threats to the president over the decades.
While I have no doubt that Hillary Clinton is a huge hag, the gossip about her passed on by SS agents is bullshit, as was the stuff about Bill. Of course, those Nazis didn’t like Bill and Hilary as most of them are ardent conservatives in nature and politics. Frat boy assholes and a liberal president probably won’t get along well.
These same white boys didn’t like that Bill was getting his brains blown out (figuratively, of course) in his office by Lewinski, but he was taking business calls at the same time, so what’s the problem? How was that any of their business? How was it a security issue worthy being included in this book. She never really explains this. The author points out a bit further on that the Secret Service was filled to the brim with racist frat boys, so why would the liberal Clintons give a shit what they thought of the first family?
Most of the vitriol was poured out over Trump. Surprise, surprise. He not only jack up the cost of the Secret Service as they had to follow his nitwit kids around, but Trump mad millions on the deal as the agents stayed in his over-proved hotels and apartments...more
This book was a blast to read. Unoputdownable (I love that word). If you stopped to mark every interesting factoid, the entire book would be underlineThis book was a blast to read. Unoputdownable (I love that word). If you stopped to mark every interesting factoid, the entire book would be underlined. This must have been the easiest book in the world to write, especially for such a well-known and well-connected writer.
*** Going for regular walks reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke by 31 percent. An analysis of 655,000 people in 2012 found that being active for just eleven minutes a day after the age of forty yielded 1.8 years of added life expectancy. Being active for an hour or more a day improved life expectancy by 4.2 years. *** The fact is, you can quickly undo a lot of exercise by eating a lot of food, and most of us do. *** A study of eighteen thousand runners in Denmark concluded that people who jog regularly can expect to live five to six years longer on average than non-joggers. But is that because jogging truly is that beneficial, or is it because people who jog tend to lead healthy, moderate lives anyway and are bound to have improved outcomes over us more slothful types, with or without sweatpants? *** In one well-known experiment cited by the British academic Steve Jones, a test subject ran a marathon on a treadmill while the room temperature was gradually raised from minus 49 degrees Fahrenheit to 131 degrees Fahrenheit—roughly the limits of human tolerance at both extremes. Despite the subject’s exertions and the great range of temperatures, his core body temperature deviated by less than one degree over the course of the exercise. *** As an experiment, we asked a lady who was completely blind—she had lost her rods and cones as a result of a genetic disease—to tell us when she thought the lights in the room were switched on or off. She told us not to be ridiculous because she couldn’t see anything, but we asked her to try anyway. It turned out she was right every time. Even though she had no vision—no way of ‘seeing’ the light—her brain detected it with perfect fidelity at a subliminal level. She was astonished. We all were.” *** As the American academic Marlene Zuk has put it, “Old age is not a recent invention, but its commonness is.”...more
This book is absolutely brilliant. It is almost impossible to make an English-Arabic dictionary due to the root system of Arabic words but this book wThis book is absolutely brilliant. It is almost impossible to make an English-Arabic dictionary due to the root system of Arabic words but this book works splendidly for nouns (and a few basic adjectives etc.). I wish that I would have had this in my library back when I was studying Arabic full-time. For the language geek it is fun just to page through this and read it like a collection of favorite stories or something along those lines. ...more
At the very beginning of this book, Bugliosi is giving a lecture to a to a group of lawyers. He asked them how many of them thought that there was somAt the very beginning of this book, Bugliosi is giving a lecture to a to a group of lawyers. He asked them how many of them thought that there was some sort of conspiracy behind the JFK assassination. Most of the lawyers raised their hands. He told them that he could change their opinion about this in less than one minute. He then asked them how many had bothered to read the Warren Commission report. Only a few people raised their hands. Attention everyone, do the required reading before you offer an opinion. Case closed.
I honestly didn't have much of an opinion about the JFK assassination before reading this book, but I certainly wasn't a conspiracy theorist. Oliver Stone's movie made me laugh out loud. I probably wouldn't have bothered with this huge book had the author been anyone but Bugliosi whose book And The Sea Will Tell I found vastly entertaining. Now I'm completely convinced that there isn't any credence to a conspiracy in the JFK affair. LHO did it and it was an open and shut case. He also convinces me that the Warren Commission dealt with the issue in a conclusive and comprehensive manner. Bugliosi also convinces me that anyone saying anything to the contrary is a fucking nut job or a lair.
Bugliosi meticulously examines and disarms every single kooky claim by the conspiracy nuts. JFK was killed by a lone kook working alone. Period. More than 40 years after the murder it's time everyone realizes that these are the undisputed facts of the case.
RIP JFK and enough with the crazy theories. The Oliver Stone movie was laughably stupid....more
This is definitely on my top ten list of books about anal sex, or top 20 at the very least. I don't think that I could have made it through to the ageThis is definitely on my top ten list of books about anal sex, or top 20 at the very least. I don't think that I could have made it through to the age of twelve without it because my girlfriend was getting a little bored with our intimate life back in grade school. As you all know, lubrication is of the utmost importance, so it was great to see my once-deplorable childhood habit of spitting come in so handy. I found especially useful the chapter entitled, "Making the most of fruits and vegetables."
Seriously, is this a real book? I just came across it randomly here on Goodreads and thought I'd give it one of my non-read reviews. If it is a real book, it would be perfect for Mother's Day or perhaps as a first communion gift....more
A must have for every early student to the writing game. I remember having this thin little reference by my side for a couple years in college. It’s sA must have for every early student to the writing game. I remember having this thin little reference by my side for a couple years in college. It’s so easy to access and brevity is definitely needed in most matters of grammar and style. This book made up for the fact that I had lousy teachers in high school (or that I goofed off when I had good ones).
I still firmly believe that it’s what you say that matters, not how. Still, clear writing should be everyone’s goal. If someone has to read something twice that you have written to understand it, even if it is grammatically correct, you have failed as a writer....more
My best friend here in Spain. Essential tool for the Spanish student in Spain. Much more specific for the needs of someone living in Spain than any diMy best friend here in Spain. Essential tool for the Spanish student in Spain. Much more specific for the needs of someone living in Spain than any dictionary primarily concerned with Latin American Spanish....more
A truly amazing piece of scholarship and an invaluable tool for students of the Arabic language. It is a work of beauty and majesty. Yes, I realize thA truly amazing piece of scholarship and an invaluable tool for students of the Arabic language. It is a work of beauty and majesty. Yes, I realize that I am talking about a dictionary but it's the damn truth. ...more
Why can't there be six stars? The definitive work on the works of Mozart. The book gives a thumbnail sketch on every piece that the guy wrote—somethinWhy can't there be six stars? The definitive work on the works of Mozart. The book gives a thumbnail sketch on every piece that the guy wrote—something like 615. I’m a total geek about reference books so sue me....more
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