Favorite writers?

ryan_velo. said:

I would say Thomas Mcguane is my favorite writer. Among others are John Gierach, Hemingway, & wendell bery. What do you guys read?

How about Damon Runyon?

I think I have heard of him, and what about james elroy?

ryan_velo. said:

I think I have heard of him, and what about james elroy?

Check Damon Runyon out, and see what he wrote and achieved from a totally ascerbic point of view regarding just about everything from an unusual angle and perception in written journalism to his film scripts, and associations with all types of people. Never heard of West Side Story? You don't have many good writers really, a lot of great lyricists and songwriters from some time ago. Yes.
I think that Hemingway was autobiographical in his writings, and his psychological weakness was his Oedipal/ Patricidal leanings. I don't think he was a great writer, on the other hand Mark Twain was a far better observer of life. Much like our own Charles Dickens. It all depends on what you want from a writer.

ryan_velo. said:

I would say Thomas Mcguane is my favorite writer. Among others are John Gierach, Hemingway, & wendell bery. What do you guys read?

'tis been a long time since i had my head in other than a technical datasheet, manual or textbook...

if i remember right, the last book i read was Salems Lot by S.King. That was last year.

But i also recently read 'The Flying Scotsman' by the great Greame Obree and 'South' by Sir Ernest Shackleton...amazing stuff..

amazon.co.uk026 7985623 3715655Open ↗

highly recommended...my great great grandfather was the ships carpenter on the expedition..

ryan_velo. said:

I would say Thomas Mcguane is my favorite writer. Among others are John Gierach, Hemingway, & wendell bery. What do you guys read?

Gooday ryan, What you should have said is what don't you read, one of my favourites is J.K.Rowlings, don't laugh Fred, I think "Harry Potter" is a Great Escape.

The Celestine Prophecy series by James Redfield, Sacred Contract by Caroline Myss, some Wilbur Smith, in the old days Mike Hammer by Micky Spillany, any Science Fiction, there have been so many, J.R.Tolkien.

I consume Art Books especially Boris Vallejo, and Frank Frazetta, Jim Fitzpatrick, just to name a few?

My second love next to riding a bike, is painting, in oils, water colour, air brush, sculpture, wood turning, cabinet making, model making.

I've just completed a wooden model of a "Thames Barge" just like the one my "Old Grandfather Walter" used to sail around the coast of Britain.

Apart from that whatever takes my fancy at the time?

Kep the wheels inmotion, and don't look back, unless it's to see who you dropped on the last climb? TBC

Brian Cotgrove said:

I consume Art Books especially Boris Vallejo,

i had one of his books when i was a teenager...had great ambitions of becoming a graphic artist...only problem is i couldnt draw the curtains never mind a straight line...oh well..

George Orwell.
William Shakespeare.
George Bernard Shaw.

Orwell for me is the definitive writer.
Accurate to the point of being almost prophetic.

Of course our rich heritage of literature, in this country makes the likes of Joyce, Wilde compulsory reading.
William Butler Yeats - the best poet I have ever read.

Asian babes, isn't bad either (LOL !)

Brian Cotgrove said:

Gooday ryan, What you should have said is what don't you read, one of my favourites is J.K.Rowlings, don't laugh Fred, I think "Harry Potter" is a Great Escape.

The Celestine Prophecy series by James Redfield, Sacred Contract by Caroline Myss, some Wilbur Smith, in the old days Mike Hammer by Micky Spillany, any Science Fiction, there have been so many, J.R.Tolkien.

I consume Art Books especially Boris Vallejo, and Frank Frazetta, Jim Fitzpatrick, just to name a few?

My second love next to riding a bike, is painting, in oils, water colour, air brush, sculpture, wood turning, cabinet making, model making.

I've just completed a wooden model of a "Thames Barge" just like the one my "Old Grandfather Walter" used to sail around the coast of Britain.

Apart from that whatever takes my fancy at the time?

Kep the wheels inmotion, and don't look back, unless it's to see who you dropped on the last climb? TBC

Jesus Brian, I'd already [censored] my pants. Harry Potter. I hope you read it in the double locked 'Shed'. Mind I must say that the airport pulp you read will come in use to wipe your [censored] on in the chemical bog next to the 'Shed'. The other bits sound like Shed Activities, a bit like blue films, and wanking. I know that you poor buggars in London had no space, whereas in the north we had in our place we had sheds for bikes, chickens, rabbits, racing pigeons, budgies and canaries, ducks, and a large greenhouse. No wonder you [censored], i have great admiration for old gits like ye Dad, and especially the women who somehow managed with great fortitude to keep the show on the road. I'd better pack it in now otherwise I'll end up like Ena Sharples.
No chickens in London, I couldn't believe it, that was from a bloke I worked with from Bermondsey. We were sick of eating the chickens.
Will you find and answer the posting to you about Neil Stephens, Bruce Hunt, an Phil Andersons Wife, otherwise you're going on the brown knees list.

James Michener, Shakespeare, Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain......and others.......Don't have as much reading for pleasure time as I once had.

[quote="Brian Cotgrove"]Gooday ryan, What you should have said is what don't you read, one of my favourites is J.K.Rowlings, don't laugh Fred, I think "Harry Potter" is a Great Escape.

Harry Potter! Ha! How old are you now? I would have to agree with you lim, george orwell is a great writer. Most of my reading consists of mags, my favorite is the new yorker.

Ruedy said:

James Michener, Shakespeare, Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain......and others.......Don't have as much reading for pleasure time as I once had.

Why don't you read some books by Vance Packard, who realised some 50 years ago how the USA would become in future years. Don't have time for reading, absolute bollacks. Sit down, no TV [censored], no computer, peace and quiet just read.
Why the blame? Nobody stops you reading, or has Bush got the thought police in town?
Hey who cares? TV won't take responsibility when Merkia collapses in a heap, they'll just stick it up your noses.
Zap zap zap zap, on the ipod. A...D...B...C for the phalabet, an as f' cunntin. 1..9..1..ira Q for money.

Recent sources tell me that bu$h is trying to shut down librarys, book stores, and pass laws so you can't have gay sex or read books.😄

FredC said:

Jesus Brian, I'd already [censored] my pants. Harry Potter. I hope you read it in the double locked 'Shed'. Mind I must say that the airport pulp you read will come in use to wipe your [censored] on in the chemical bog next to the 'Shed'. The other bits sound like Shed Activities, a bit like blue films, and wanking. I know that you poor buggars in London had no space, whereas in the north we had in our place we had sheds for bikes, chickens, rabbits, racing pigeons, budgies and canaries, ducks, and a large greenhouse. No wonder you [censored], i have great admiration for old gits like ye Dad, and especially the women who somehow managed with great fortitude to keep the show on the road. I'd better pack it in now otherwise I'll end up like Ena Sharples.
No chickens in London, I couldn't believe it, that was from a bloke I worked with from Bermondsey. We were sick of eating the chickens.
Will you find and answer the posting to you about Neil Stephens, Bruce Hunt, an Phil Andersons Wife, otherwise you're going on the brown knees list.

G'day Fred, Mate, I'm devestated by your comments about my pulp fiction reading, not to worry though I'm past caring about such things. At least it gave you a good laugh, and that's very important, laughter is definitely the best medicine?

With regards the likes of Neil Stephens, yes he was a great toiler on the bike, and I liked his attitude to the racing, typically Australian, very much a larakin both on and off the bike, he was always willing to join in the fun, which is what life is supposed to be all about? Unfortunately he too was thrown under a shadow of the "Festina Affair", although he denied taking anything, he didn't ride as well the following season and then called it a day. I would like to believe he was clean but a contact of mine tells me there's more to it than meets the eye.

As far as Phil Andersons wife is concerned I was chatting to one of our fairly high up officials only two or three days ago, the subject of the media and our beloved sport came to the fore. Phil Andersons wife got a mention, it's his second missus, and she has the unfortunate habit of opening her mouth to change feet? That is what my contact said, I have no reason to doubt his appraisal of the sitiuation as he's not the type to make mountains out of mole hills. He said yes she's a good looking woman but you wouldn't want to cart it around in company where the subject was just cycling and nothing else?

I'll say no more as I don't know her and probably won't get a chance to, Phil lives down south and I have no desire to seek him out although he too is/was a great bike rider.

On the subjecrt of Phil's ability on the bike, in 1978 at the Australian National Road Titles, that were incidentally held here in Brisbane, at the Mount Petrie Commonwealth Games Course. Phil was amongst an elite group of riders who being "Victorians" (interstate rivalry) think that they are superior to the Queenslanders. Our local rider Robert Glinderman, who also went away with Phil to the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, which as hystory will show Phil won after falling on the rain soaked road just prior to the finish, he then turned Pro?

Back to Robert Glinderman, he was under instructions to help Phil which he did, but in the National Road Race, he was given his head to do what ever he thought fit to win the Title. The course is not extremely difficult but very punishing with the Mount Petrie set of undulations pretty tough when you have to ride them twelve times, the course is a circular one with the so called mountain along the back, it rises rather sharply and once is enough for most people to get the tongue hanging out. Directly after a steep downhill you get another followed by another, quite testing, Robert used to ride this course every day and do at least fifteen laps just for good measure. He lived about ten kilometres away at Cleveland, on Redland Bay just down the road from me.

On the day of the road race he was getting worked over by the Victorians, and New South Wales riders, the usual [censored], with one, then another attacking, with him countreing each attack. With two laps to go, a distance of about twenty five or so kilometres to ride, Robert rode away from them all on Mount Petrie, in a 87 inch gear, while all the others were struggling on much lower gears. They just couldn't believe it and were defeated long before the sprint, which they thought they could win with Phil taking the Gold, how wrong that day and what a bike riding lesson Robert handed out to them suckers?

As far as Bruce Hunt is concerned I'm completely in the dark, Bruce who, was the answer, when I asked my mate about him this weekend, sorry Bruce if your reading this, but as I said I know not from whence he came or went.

Growing up on the East End of London, my job was to look after the chooks, I also had a pet rabbit which I got from the pet shop when I was only seven. I spent many hours sitting in the chook pen just talking to the chooks and the rabbit, sad I know, but they didn't used to bash me.

I've been told that it's a no, no, keeping chooks in the suburbs, political; correctness gone bloody mad, we have the same here in Brisbane you can't have a rooster because it might disturb the neighbours, what bulllshit?

There you go Fred, if "Her Indoors" wouldn't whinge, I would probably have a whole menagery of creatures, but I'm only allowed to keep my parrots, four Indian Ringnecks, one SunConure, four Cockateils, and a bloody great big Rottweiler who if you climb over the fence will definitely bite you friggin leg right off, however if you come in through the front door accompanied by me or the boss, will lick you to death?

About two years ago I had a ferral cilmb the fence to try and get into my shed (6x5 metre) he woke up "Jasmine" and she hates getting woken up especially when I'm not there to say good girl, be nice. He tried to get back over the fence but she latched onto his [censored], he left, however, didn't take with him that he had when he entered the yard. She must have eaten the bit of meat and guarded very closely, the piece of jeans back pocket she tore in the ensuing struggle. She carried that piece of material around for about three weeks?

As he clawed his way over the fence, he left boot marks on the newly painted surface of the fence, which the Coppers Photographed, they said if he hadn't made it, would she have dome any more damage to him, to which I said who knows or cares. I didn't invite the [censored] into my yard, he took his chances and hasn't been back since? They said something about having her destroyed but I said get him to come around and see me, we'll talk it over and if he wants to make a complaint, we can also discuss that too? He 'aint been back?

Keep the wheels in motion, and don't look back, unless it's to see who you dropped on the last climb? TBC

Brian Cotgrove said:

With regards the likes of Neil Stephens, yes he was a great toiler on the bike, and I liked his attitude to the racing, typically Australian, very much a larakin both on and off the bike, he was always willing to join in the fun, which is what life is supposed to be all about? Unfortunately he too was thrown under a shadow of the "Festina Affair", although he denied taking anything, he didn't ride as well the following season and then called it a day. I would like to believe he was clean but a contact of mine tells me there's more to it than meets the eye.

As far as Phil Andersons wife is concerned I was chatting to one of our fairly high up officials only two or three days ago, the subject of the media and our beloved sport came to the fore. Phil Andersons wife got a mention, it's his second missus, and she has the unfortunate habit of opening her mouth to change feet? That is what my contact said, I have no reason to doubt his appraisal of the sitiuation as he's not the type to make mountains out of mole hills. He said yes she's a good looking woman but you wouldn't want to cart it around in company where the subject was just cycling and nothing else?

I'll say no more as I don't know her and probably won't get a chance to, Phil lives down south and I have no desire to seek him out although he too is/was a great bike rider.

Brian - just to set out the circumstances here : myself and Fred and a few others used to contribute to the Eurosport website message board.
Mainly we discussed ES's coverage of the european races - TDF, Giro etc.

Mrs.Anderson caused a lot of turmoil when she was introduced to ES as a race commentator last year.
Previously, she had done some work from the radio car - reporting gossip about the riders back to the main commentators.
Light relief and minimal stuff.

For whatever reason, ES decided that the aforementioned Ms Anderson was the seer of seers - and she landed a job doing full time commentary at ES.
It quickly became apparent that Ms.Anderson had a crush on the entire Fasso
Bortolo squad.
the commentary would run like this :

Q : Sean (Kelly) what do you think the prospects are for todays stage ?"
A : SK "It will be a quick stage etc"

Anderson "Well when I was talking to Alessando Pettachi this morning, he told me........."
All her points of view opened with "Well, when I was talking to the Faso Bortolo boys, this morning, they told me .................."

It became evident to a few of us viewers that Ms.Anderson spent most of her time with Fasso Bortolo and that this amounted to her entire knowledge of the sport - oh and her unequivocal support of Armstrong.

Another viewer conttoned on to the fact that her website also said that she had been a distinguished cycling journalist for many years !
When this was uncovered - we started bombarding ES with messages asking her to quantify her journalistic endeavours.

This all lead to a situation where Anderson was dropped after the TDF and did not get the lead commentary position for the Vuelta (which was covered by the excellent David Harmon, David Duffield and Sean Kelly).

Brian Cotgrove said:

G'day Fred, Mate, I'm devestated by your comments about my pulp fiction reading, not to worry though I'm past caring about such things. At least it gave you a good laugh, and that's very important, laughter is definitely the best medicine?

With regards the likes of Neil Stephens, yes he was a great toiler on the bike, and I liked his attitude to the racing, typically Australian, very much a larakin both on and off the bike, he was always willing to join in the fun, which is what life is supposed to be all about? Unfortunately he too was thrown under a shadow of the "Festina Affair", although he denied taking anything, he didn't ride as well the following season and then called it a day. I would like to believe he was clean but a contact of mine tells me there's more to it than meets the eye.

As far as Phil Andersons wife is concerned I was chatting to one of our fairly high up officials only two or three days ago, the subject of the media and our beloved sport came to the fore. Phil Andersons wife got a mention, it's his second missus, and she has the unfortunate habit of opening her mouth to change feet? That is what my contact said, I have no reason to doubt his appraisal of the sitiuation as he's not the type to make mountains out of mole hills. He said yes she's a good looking woman but you wouldn't want to cart it around in company where the subject was just cycling and nothing else?

I'll say no more as I don't know her and probably won't get a chance to, Phil lives down south and I have no desire to seek him out although he too is/was a great bike rider.

On the subjecrt of Phil's ability on the bike, in 1978 at the Australian National Road Titles, that were incidentally held here in Brisbane, at the Mount Petrie Commonwealth Games Course. Phil was amongst an elite group of riders who being "Victorians" (interstate rivalry) think that they are superior to the Queenslanders. Our local rider Robert Glinderman, who also went away with Phil to the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, which as hystory will show Phil won after falling on the rain soaked road just prior to the finish, he then turned Pro?

Back to Robert Glinderman, he was under instructions to help Phil which he did, but in the National Road Race, he was given his head to do what ever he thought fit to win the Title. The course is not extremely difficult but very punishing with the Mount Petrie set of undulations pretty tough when you have to ride them twelve times, the course is a circular one with the so called mountain along the back, it rises rather sharply and once is enough for most people to get the tongue hanging out. Directly after a steep downhill you get another followed by another, quite testing, Robert used to ride this course every day and do at least fifteen laps just for good measure. He lived about ten kilometres away at Cleveland, on Redland Bay just down the road from me.

On the day of the road race he was getting worked over by the Victorians, and New South Wales riders, the usual [censored], with one, then another attacking, with him countreing each attack. With two laps to go, a distance of about twenty five or so kilometres to ride, Robert rode away from them all on Mount Petrie, in a 87 inch gear, while all the others were struggling on much lower gears. They just couldn't believe it and were defeated long before the sprint, which they thought they could win with Phil taking the Gold, how wrong that day and what a bike riding lesson Robert handed out to them suckers?

As far as Bruce Hunt is concerned I'm completely in the dark, Bruce who, was the answer, when I asked my mate about him this weekend, sorry Bruce if your reading this, but as I said I know not from whence he came or went.

Growing up on the East End of London, my job was to look after the chooks, I also had a pet rabbit which I got from the pet shop when I was only seven. I spent many hours sitting in the chook pen just talking to the chooks and the rabbit, sad I know, but they didn't used to bash me.

I've been told that it's a no, no, keeping chooks in the suburbs, political; correctness gone bloody mad, we have the same here in Brisbane you can't have a rooster because it might disturb the neighbours, what bulllshit?

There you go Fred, if "Her Indoors" wouldn't whinge, I would probably have a whole menagery of creatures, but I'm only allowed to keep my parrots, four Indian Ringnecks, one SunConure, four Cockateils, and a bloody great big Rottweiler who if you climb over the fence will definitely bite you friggin leg right off, however if you come in through the front door accompanied by me or the boss, will lick you to death?

About two years ago I had a ferral cilmb the fence to try and get into my shed (6x5 metre) he woke up "Jasmine" and she hates getting woken up especially when I'm not there to say good girl, be nice. He tried to get back over the fence but she latched onto his [censored], he left, however, didn't take with him that he had when he entered the yard. She must have eaten the bit of meat and guarded very closely, the piece of jeans back pocket she tore in the ensuing struggle. She carried that piece of material around for about three weeks?

As he clawed his way over the fence, he left boot marks on the newly painted surface of the fence, which the Coppers Photographed, they said if he hadn't made it, would she have dome any more damage to him, to which I said who knows or cares. I didn't invite the [censored] into my yard, he took his chances and hasn't been back since? They said something about having her destroyed but I said get him to come around and see me, we'll talk it over and if he wants to make a complaint, we can also discuss that too? He 'aint been back?

Keep the wheels in motion, and don't look back, unless it's to see who you dropped on the last climb? TBC

Hey, you don't snitch on day to day business in Pro bike racing, do you know why? You might be riding with them next year in the same team. You have mentioned the word Sicily, well I'll tell you a better one 'Omerta', which means keep your mouth shut. Jesus, he had enough miles on the clock, I cried when he won a stage in the TDF.
Bloody Good Post Brian, perhaps it is Bruce Hunt, who is now a photograper !
I could tell you lot a story when I re-applied for my international pro licence to ride in Perth, but I won't. Please send your guesses to Brian Cotgrove.
There are only five people know the answer to this Question.

FredC said:

Hey, you don't snitch on day to day business in Pro bike racing, do you know why? You might be riding with them next year in the same team. You have mentioned the word Sicily, well I'll tell you a better one 'Omerta', which means keep your mouth shut. Jesus, he had enough miles on the clock, I cried when he won a stage in the TDF.
Bloody Good Post Brian, perhaps it is Bruce Hunt, who is now a photograper !
I could tell you lot a story when I re-applied for my international pro licence to ride in Perth, but I won't. Please send your guesses to Brian Cotgrove.
There are only five people know the answer to this Question.

G'day Fred, yes I'm aware of the code but it's hardly likely an old git like me will ever get an invite to ride the peleton today, as much as I would love to be able to match it with those guys, my ticker wouldn't stand the "PACE"

As it stands at the moment my max HR is about 178, which I can spin it up to over Mount Petrie, my tongue definitely hangs out for a few minutes but soon returns to about 140 BPM, which is what I normally ride at.

My doctor freaked out a couple of years ago when I told him of the rate, I was preparing for the Worlds Masters here in Brisbane 1994. He said don't do it or you will blow a valve, I said if that's the way I'm meant to go out well so be it? As it was, on the day, the guy who won our time trail event and set a record for the day, died just as he crossed the line. Unfortunately his poor wife took him and his medal back to Sweden? in a box?

Foolhardy maybe but one has to kick the bucket some time and I prescribe to a theory, it's better to die doing what you love most than rust out in a wheel chair?

As far as Neil Stephens is concerned he is still involved with the cycling scene down south I think in a management capacity, and appears on the box every so often. Like you, I too felt that lump in the throat when Neil crossed the line and made the rocking arms signal, to celebrate the new addittion to the "STEPHENS HOUSEHOLD".

When I look back at those things I thank my lucky stars that I lived in this era, and was able to see such heroic acheivments. I was talking to a couple of the older mates a couple of months ago, about riding hard and never saying die, and the consensus of agreement was you have to know what suffering on the bike is, to appreciate what these blokes go through, that's why it brings out such emotions?

OK that's it for now, the Boss has called me for dinner, and she who must be obeyed?

Keep the wheels in motion, and don't look back, unless it's to see who you dropped on the last climb? TBC

FredC said:

Why don't you read some books by Vance Packard, who realised some 50 years ago how the USA would become in future years. Don't have time for reading, absolute bollacks. Sit down, no TV [censored], no computer, peace and quiet just read.
Why the blame? Nobody stops you reading, or has Bush got the thought police in town?
Hey who cares? TV won't take responsibility when Merkia collapses in a heap, they'll just stick it up your noses.
Zap zap zap zap, on the ipod. A...D...B...C for the phalabet, an as f' cunntin. 1..9..1..ira Q for money.

You're an angry cuss!

What do you know of my situation to make such assinine assumptions, Dipshit?

G'day Ryan, Mate I forgot a few book titles, my Wife read through the posts and said what about.....?

So to fill in on some more, this will amuse Fred and maybe some of the others?

A really Great Read, "John Bunyan's"..."The Pilgrims Progress"..I've read it must be atleast ten times during my life...?

"Stop Worrying and Start Living" by "Dale Carnegie" excellent phyllosophy?

"The Life You Were Born To Live" by "Dan Millman"....Very profound...?

"Your Life Is In Your Hands" by "Dr. Krishan Chopra"....Worth a Read...?

"For The Term Of His Natural Life" I'm not sure of the Author, but it tells of the injustice of the olden times in Britain, when you only had to "Nic a Loaf of Bread" to be sent all the way to OZ on a one way passage?

Last but not least, "The Biggest Seller Ever" although I get stuck on some of the material at times, just can't get my mind around all of it, can't say why, but it was written a long time ago, and the translation is a bit sus at times, written in a language called Aramaic????? If you haven't had a read, it's worth a go....."King James Version"?

Keep the wheels in motion, and don't look back, unless it's to see who you dropped on the last climb? TBC

Brian Cotgrove said:

"Stop Worrying and Start Living" by "Dale Carnegie" excellent phyllosophy?

"The Life You Were Born To Live" by "Dan Millman"....Very profound...?

"Your Life Is In Your Hands" by "Dr. Krishan Chopra"....Worth a Read...?

are these self help books...?

i credited you with more cynacism than that..

"how to get rich quick by telling people stuff that they already knew"...

the only self help book i read was 'How to learn Java in 21 days' 4 years on i an still cant understand it..