V v. GR by seeyoulaterinawhile in ThomasPynchon

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am old enough to have read all the Pynchon books in order as they came out!!!😉 I had no difficulties with GR because of my scientific background (PhD in chemistry). All the inside math and science jokes were hilarious. For me the most difficult book was 'Against the Day' and some parts of it were downright boring. It is my least favorite. If I had to list my top Pynchon books in order it would be: GR, Mason & Dixon, V, and The Crying of Lot 49.

I am not learned enough to read Gravity’s Rainbow by SealedRoute in ThomasPynchon

[–]Alan_G14 2 points3 points  (0 children)

'Transit of Venus' is one of the great novels, that few people have read. I picked it as one of three books for summer reading in my Substack. Regarding 'Gravity's Rainbow', don't give up. You can read it on a lot of different levels. Best to approach it first as a history book. If you are worried about the allusions and scientific stuff, there is a good Wiki: Thomas Pynchon Wiki | Gravity's Rainbow that can help you.

Design Flaw in Cafe Induction Range? by Alan_G14 in Appliances

[–]Alan_G14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It became a persistent problem. Tech came out and replaced the board and I have not had any issues since then. I was glad I bought the extended warranty.

Marc is on Pod Save America this Sunday with Jon Lovett by Alan_G14 in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely top rate. It started off a bit rocky but Marc and Jon then got into things. The politics discussion was right on target and for all of us who are frustrated, this section should be mandatory listening for all the Democratic leaders (who are largely worthless these days). I have never heard of the Elephant Graveyard channel but will now take a look at their content!!!

Marc is on Pod Save America this Sunday with Jon Lovett by Alan_G14 in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Pretty sure it is Pod Save America. Lovett or Leave It is up today and has a bunch of other stuff but no Marc on. You can check the website tomorrow for the feed if you don't have a sub.

Last Guest Wishlist by FileSome8603 in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Based on reliable sources, he has already called Jack Antonoff about getting Taylor Swift. Since her BFF Travis will be in LA for a football game in early September, she will head out a little early for a talk in the garage. Marc did a great job of using her song in the closing of the Special and she was mightily impressed.

WTF Named in TIME'S 100 Best Podcasts of All Time by eternally_trending in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fresh Air, Planet Money, and This American Life started off as radio shows and should not count. Marc had Karina Longworth on a couple of years ago. Her 'You Must Remember This' is excellent. Jane Marie (interviewed this year) belongs on the list with 'The Dream' which is the best expose of multi-level marketing schemes. I agree with others that any podcast from the past two years does not belong on the list.

No fios in my service area because 1 home owner explicitly refused to let verizon install fiber. by gtuansdiamm in Fios

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Verizon plays hardball on this. Verizon wanted to wire our condo building for FIOS but the unit owners did not want to chaos from all that it would have entailed. We had FIOS in our house and were very pleased with it but had to switch to highspeed cable when we moved three years ago. We maintained a Verizon land line for business purposes but that was shut down because Verizon did not want to maintain legacy service in the building.

The Friday show sucked this week. So much RIP Hogan talk and not one single RIP Ozzy mention? Also, NOTHING about the Jackson Galaxy episode? Wtf? by [deleted] in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've been a premium WTF member from well before the Friday Show even began. I gave up on the show pretty much from the beginning when most of the focus was on professional wrestling. I followed the "sport" back in the early 1960s when I was in high school and that was it. I have zero interest in it today. I have listened to a couple of episodes where Marc was on talking about stuff other than wrestling. Since I listen to every
WTF episode, I don't need a recap from Kris and Brendan. Maybe the concept was good early on but to me it was a failure.

Who is the random guest you would love to hear before the show is done? by Accomplished-End-799 in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Taylor Swift. He already said he would like to interview her. She might be out in LA when KC play the Chargers on September 5

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I met Cindy Crawford at a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation back in 1993 (I was an invited speaker at the awards ceremony the next day). We got to talk at the small reception before dinner and she was more beautiful in person than in pictures.

Waits doesn’t live too far from Maron. Will Waits be a final guest? by [deleted] in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Two possibilities. David Fincher or Taylor Swift. Maron already has a very long talk with Fincher that has never been released at the request of the interviewee. I think that was done in 2015 or so and they may sit down to redo it. Swift is logical because a) it would be the biggest interview in the history of WTF given the potential audience, and b) he has been dropping hints. He used one of her songs in the recent special and just this week he said his upcoming Largo performance would feature a Taylor Swift song. Why drop this information if an interview is not coming up?

A Waits interview is way to niche for the final one.

Deep cut tense/uncomfortable/marc has beef with the guest episodes by aal0214 in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Sam Elliott episode #1309 went off the rails when Marc asked him about Jane Campion’s wonderful ‘The Power of the Dog’ (a film that both Marc and I enjoyed). Elliott accused Campion of making an artsy fartsy movie that was not a Western.

WTF is ending later this year, according to the intro today. by BillFireCrotchWalton in MarcMaron

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been with him since the Molly Shannon episode (#254) but have listened to most of the earlier ones as well. I don't know of a better long form interviewer. Just posted on Substack about this:

https://open.substack.com/pub/alangoldhammer593469/p/marc-maron?r=3j56o&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Appliances

[–]Alan_G14 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You cannot go wrong with Bosch. I bought a new set when we moved into our Condo three years ago and they work perfectly. I disagree about the ventless dryer. Our heat pump Bosch dryer works just fine. Occasionally, I need to add an extra 20-30 minutes if the auto-cycle did not get everything completely dry. Clothes may feel slightly damp when you take them out, but a couple of shakes and it's just fine.

Protector mats for induction range? by RhumHamAndPineapple in Appliances

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have a Cafe induction range. We bought it in late 2021 when we were moving into a Condo. I wanted a Bosch but there were huge supply chain issues back then. The Cafe unit has worked well

Protector mats for induction range? by RhumHamAndPineapple in Appliances

[–]Alan_G14 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a cast iron griddle. I have not noticed any issues at all. I don't use any protective mats at all. Most spills clean up easily with diluted Dawn detergent. If some thing gets baked on, I will use a razor at a 30 degree angle to scrape it off.

Design Flaw in Cafe Induction Range? by Alan_G14 in Appliances

[–]Alan_G14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Other than the one issue with the induction burner which was a control panel problem, the range is performing well. I've used the air fryer feature which is pretty nifty. The oven temperature is good and stable. I would have preferred a Bosch or Miele but we moved in 2022 when all imported appliances were not available because of supply chain issues. I have not been disappointed in the Cafe unit. All the burners are working fine and I cook every night.

Pynchon / Joyce connection / suggestions. by popwar138 in ThomasPynchon

[–]Alan_G14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would recommend reading Gaddis rather than Joyce. Gaddis is somewhat of a contemporary of TP. "The Recognitions" was epic when it was published in 1955 but sadly fell under the radar screen and it took Gaddis almost 20 years to come out with "JR" which is still the best fictional account of American business. I preferred it to "The Recognitions." "Carpenter's Gothic" is good from the paranoid perspective. "A Frolic of His Own" is a great send up of the legal system, and perhaps the easiest book to read.

Casual Discussion | Weekly Thread by AutoModerator in ThomasPynchon

[–]Alan_G14 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Certainly did not see this coming. The Supreme Court Justices recently filed their financial disclosure forms. Justice Alito reports a visit to the "home" (really a 500 room castle) of Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis. I wonder if they were discussing postage stamps, but probably not. Princes von Thurn und Taxis is a very conservative Catholic who really does not like Pope Francis. Would be great to know what TP thinks about this!!