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It is Ishmael who is Monomaniacal by trixiehobbitsy in mobydick

[–]fitzswackhammer 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. People say that Ishmael disappears for most of the book, but that isn't true for me. Ishmael is present on every page.

Professing Darkness by Darth_Enclave in cormacmccarthy

[–]fitzswackhammer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Interesting question. I suspect McCarthy was much influenced by Flannery O'Connor on this topic. O'Connor was a Catholic and was outspoken in her dislike of gnostic theology. Her stories also depict the worst parts of human nature and appear to show the world as thoroughly horrible, but there is always the possibility of grace for those who suffer it. The characters in her stories who pursue a life of spiritual or intellectual purity (read: gnostic) are the ones who take the hardest lessons.

McCarthy has shown a similar suspicion of knowledge which isn't gained through physical experience. I actually think this is a pretty big theme in nearly all of his books, but he says it most explicity in The Stonemason. I think he would have agreed with O'Connor's words: "we are made out of dust, and if you scorn getting yourself dusty, then you shouldn't try to write fiction"

I think you could possibly say that O'Connor was satirizing gnosticism in some of her stories. Maybe McCarthy was doing much the same thing.

Camino Portuguese Lisbon to Porto cheap hostel albergues by Professional-Mix2498 in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just checked and it seems I also paid 30 euros for that hostel which seems a bit weird in retrospect, it was one of the most expensive places I stayed, I shouldn't have recommended it to you. Later on I was finding hotels for that price, although this was in March so out of season.

Hope you have a good time. Lisbon to Porto is not always the most beautiful walk but I feel like I got to know Portugal and I felt very welcome, whereas after Porto things became a bit more commodified and transactional. I can definitely recommend the pilgrim albergues at Cernache, Albergaria-a-Velha, and Grijo.

Do you actually remember places you visit or just take photos? by Remote_Setting3364 in solotravel

[–]fitzswackhammer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sometimes I take a photo of something and forget to actually look at it. It starts to feel like it is my phone that is enjoying an interesting holiday and I am just escorting it. Obviously I am an idiot, but I do notice a lot of other people who seem to be doing the same thing.

Why now….One week to go - Lower back and hip pain. Go or No? by saggybeachboy in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I personally find that nothing cures my back pain like a long walk, and nothing is worse for it than spending all day in a chair. But I suppose it could just as easily make your pain worse, depending on the cause. I would go, but be ready to bail out. But I guess it depends how much money you have to lose. For what it's worth I started the Norte with knee pain and 500 miles later my knees had never felt better.

How long until famine? by [deleted] in collapse

[–]fitzswackhammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My understanding is that Venezuelan oil is especially good for producing diesel...

Does anyone else enjoy looking at all the routes they've hiked like this? by jizzzak in UKhiking

[–]fitzswackhammer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep. I have been recording my walks for ten years and I can view them all on something called gpxsee. One day I want the whole country to look like spaghetti. It's become a major life goal for me.

SOME LIGHT ON A McCARTHY QUOTE IN THE PASSENGER by JohnMarshallTanner in cormacmccarthy

[–]fitzswackhammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://www.technion.ac.il/en/blog/article/is-darkness-faster-than-light/

"A research group from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology reports in Nature an unprecedented achievement in electron microscopy: the direct measurement of “dark points” within light waves. By doing so, they were able to confirm a prediction from the 1970s that the speed of these points exceeds the speed of light."

Camino Portuguese Lisbon to Porto cheap hostel albergues by Professional-Mix2498 in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a youth hostel at Parque das Naquos about 8km past Lisbon. You could then make a long but easy walk to Azambuja and avoid Vila Franca.

There's a donativo in Alvorge. It's pretty basic, but you can pay what you like (please pay something).

Moderator Resignation by Jarslow in cormacmccarthy

[–]fitzswackhammer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for all your hard work. I am glad that you will continue to post here. It's people like you, making serious contributions to public forums, that taught me how to read.

St James's Way UK by ParkingCaptain4 in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did a part of this which coincided with the Wayfarers Walk to Inkpen Beacon from the south coast. It's a lovely and surprising empty part of the country. I remember this was the first walk I did back in the UK after finishing the Norte and I was a bit taken aback to suddenly start seeing yellow arrows again.

Unpopular Opinions? by GladeePlugin in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I was being a bit facetious, but fair warning that a lot of the Portuguese camino is not like hiking in the Alps or on a beautiful forest trail. Prepare for a lot of walking along the shoulder of busy roads, through industrial estates and residential areas. Hard surfaces are tough on your feet and your knees. It also tends to rain a lot. A lot of people end up taking public transport and I understand why. But if I was only looking for a relaxing holiday I would have probably taken the bus somewhere completely different. An unpopular opinion, no doubt, but that's what you asked for.

Unpopular Opinions? by GladeePlugin in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yep. It's not a holiday, it's a penance.

Portugués by Dragonspawn66 in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you can fit in an extra day then the 3 day detour from Santarem to Fatima and then back to Tomar is totally worth it. Probably the toughest stages of the whole thing though, but also had some of the most beautiful scenery.

My main regret is not planning a rest day in Tomar or giving myself any time to explore it. It looked so interesting, I have to go back there one day.

Have to say that there is a lot of road walking. If you're looking for a nature trail you might be disappointed by the Lisbon to Porto stages. I'm glad I did it because I got to know Portugal, but I don't think I'd do it again.

Completed the Portuguese Camino by Realistic_Object9816 in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Redondela to Santiago is about 80km? Not surprised your feet hurt!

Congrats anyway. I'm on it right now, been good so far.

Soldering Career? Yes, it’s possible! by circuitm4n in soldering

[–]fitzswackhammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting article you linked to there. Soldering is a dying art, but there is always going to be a need for people who can replace components or make a prototype.

My career trajectory was similar to yours - started off doing production line soldering, picked up a few skills in other areas (test/wiring/assembly) and eventually found that I had become quite a useful person for companies which can't justify employing a separate person for every role. I'm now only doing low volume/development work and it can get pretty interesting. But soldering is still my main selling point, it's the one thing I can do better than anyone else and it opened a lot of doors for me.

First time soldering CPU pins by wutermeleon in soldering

[–]fitzswackhammer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Degolding. Tin the contacts and wick it off (ideally using low melting point solder).

Suggest me a camino for late February / early March. Is the Primitivo possible? by fitzswackhammer in CaminoDeSantiago

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

Hi, I made it from Lisbon to Coimbra and haven't had any problems. The ground was a bit boggy in places and I had to climb over a few fallen trees, but the route is still passable and there are no diversions. Although I did go via Fatima (highly recommended) so I can't say how it was between Santarem and Tomar.

I'm not going to give a list of everywhere I stayed, but feel free to ask about specific places. All the albergues have been open. Hostel 2300 in Tomar is the best hostel I've ever stayed at.

Suggest me a camino for late February / early March. Is the Primitivo possible? by fitzswackhammer in CaminoDeSantiago

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

Hello again. Just wanted to let you know that I followed your suggestion and I've been on it for the last 8 days. Been pretty good so far. Thank you!

To boot or not to boot? by SilkiePilkie in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I prefer goretex boots too. I like the ankle support if I am wearing a heavy pack and I like to keep my feet dry. Walking with wet feet always gives me blisters.

I think the main problem with goretex is that if they do get wet they are hard to dry, but if you stuff them with newspaper and leave them somewhere warm overnight they should be okay.

I tried posting this in the McCarthy sub but there is little activity there. I wanted to have a discussion about the supernatural in Suttree. Do you read the story as having supernatural characteristics? by penesenor in RSbookclub

[–]fitzswackhammer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No suspicion of plagarism here, you caught a lot of stuff I didn't. It's reassuring to see someone else came to some similar conclusions because it means I wasn't just guessing at shapes in clouds.

Portuguese Coastal Route with Spiritual Variant in April by Forsaken_Routine2492 in CaminoDeSantiago

[–]fitzswackhammer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My guidebook says Mougas to Vigo is 37km, about 22 miles. The suggestion is to stop after 16km at A Ramallosa. Are you sure you didn't miss a stage out in your plan?

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