Teacup Cafe XXXIX

[Mari]

Nice! Whaccha reading?

[Tessar]

I had planned for today to be the day that I can eat as much of whatever I want as I want, but honestly I'm not really craving anything or feeling super hungry today. Hmm.... I decided to make lasagna tonight though . Delicious, delicious lasagna.....

I did have a grilled cheese sammich for lunch today, along with tomato soup... which is pretty much the greatest combination. Especially when you pair it with an enormous helping of broccoli fried with coconut. I've gotten sooooo addicted to eating that. O_o It's sweet because of the coconut, and the broccoli is delicious (didn't used to be a fan but now I love it).

Oh man, you guys? Tonight is gonna be awesome. Lasagna, salad, and I'm about to call my parents (who are at the grocery store) and ask for bread sticks to go with it. YUM! I'm thinking I'll steal some fresh rosemary from the garden for the lasagna.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by Tessar

I did have a grilled cheese sammich for lunch today, along with tomato soup... which is pretty much the greatest combination.

Definitely up there. I'm just disappointed that the cafeteria here never has tomato soup when they have grilled cheese.

[katya]

Originally Posted by Tessar

Oh man, you guys? Tonight is gonna be awesome. Lasagna, salad, and I'm about to call my parents (who are at the grocery store) and ask for bread sticks to go with it. YUM! I'm thinking I'll steal some fresh rosemary from the garden for the lasagna.

I'm growing some rosemary myself, but I just planted it so it's just barely popped up through the soil yet. It's good on chicken, I think.

Originally Posted by Mari

Nice! Whaccha reading?

Reading "A People's History of the United States" cover to cover. I just finished reading Lady Chatterly's Lover and then The Great Gatsby shortly after and haven't picked up any new fiction yet, still deciding. I just read "The God Part of the Brain" the last couple days too, which was worth reading. Other than that I'm "reading" piano music. I just re-bought my Chopin book. I've been practicing a lot lately.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I'm on Crime and Punishment now. It's pretty engrossing.

[katya]

I was considering some Dostoevsky, actually. I've read C&P, Brothers Karamazov, Demons/Possessed, The Idiot, Notes from Underground, The Gambler. The Adolescent is the next on the list (or a reread of Crime and Punishment). It's not unlikely that'll be the next thing. Other than that I want to read some fantasy.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I adored Brothers K, which is why I'm reading Crime and Punishment.

Sounds like you have a strong interest in either Russian literature or existentialism. For the former, I also like Tolstoy, and for the latter, Kierkegaard.

Lolita is an excellent book, if you haven't read that yet.

A little-known but excellent short read is Gunnar's Daughter, by Sigrid Undsett.

But seriously, I'm sure everyone on this forum could give a massive number of recommendations.

[trolls' bane]

I missed how our summer reading got onto the table for discussion, but I might as well join in.
I'm hoping this summer to find some good introductory work on philosophy written by a philosopher. I was considering David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature. Also want to start reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time, which I don't expect to finish for a few years. Right now, I'm about halfway through Dawkins's The God Delusion, which I'm co-reading with a book on archaeology in California from Paleo-Indian times to present. Needless to say, this is going to be an interesting summer.

Speaking of which, I'm expected to solve America's moral decadence (or prove its nonexistence) by Wednesday for my final in Ethics, but I plan to finish it today. It's rather simple, really. All in a day's work.

[katya]

TB, I haven't read any Dawkins (but I've watched a few of his debates and heard the first chapter or so of The God Delusion), but I got to see Hitchens debate live a while back, and hang out with him afterward for snacks and drinks at a restaurant. We had a very deep and personal conversation that went like this:
Hitchens: Hi.
Me: Hi. [blush, turn away]
Also he subtly made fun of me for taking my chips home in a box.

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

I adored Brothers K, which is why I'm reading Crime and Punishment.

Sounds like you have a strong interest in either Russian literature or existentialism. For the former, I also like Tolstoy, and for the latter, Kierkegaard.

Lolita is an excellent book, if you haven't read that yet.

A little-known but excellent short read is Gunnar's Daughter, by Sigrid Undsett.

But seriously, I'm sure everyone on this forum could give a massive number of recommendations.

Yes, I have a strong interest in Russian Literature and existentialism. Dostoevsky is my favorite author (and Tolkien!). I've read Anna Karenina and I keep thinking I should read War and Peace sometime. (I've read some short Tolstoy stories too.) I'm reading a book called "Existentialism: from Dostoevsky to Sartre" which has a lot of shorter excerpts and things in it. When I finish that I'll pick up some books from the authors I liked best out of it (I've already done so actually in reading a book of Rilke's poetry, most of which went right over my head but which I liked anyway.).

I've read Lolita, but I might re-read it. There's a lot in it, I think, that you miss the first time around. I haven't heard of Gunnar's Daughter though.

[trolls' bane]

Originally Posted by katya

TB, I haven't read any Dawkins (but I've watched a few of his debates and heard the first chapter or so of The God Delusion), but I got to see Hitchens debate live a while back, and hang out with him afterward for snacks and drinks at a restaurant. We had a very deep and personal conversation that went like this:
Hitchens: Hi.
Me: Hi. [blush, turn away]
Also he subtly made fun of me for taking my chips home in a box.

I've read Lolita, but I might re-read it. There's a lot in it, I think, that you miss the first time around. I haven't heard of Gunnar's Daughter though.

I remember you telling me about that. Well, no, perhaps you told me you (and whoever else) planned on dining with him after meeting him. Sounds epic. Hopefully our new college skeptics club will affiliate with the SSA and get access to him and others as guest speakers.

And regarding Lolita, I've never read it. But the movie has James Mason in it, so all I can say is: EPIC WIN. Same goes for the original Journey to the Center of the Earth.

[katya]

I don't remember telling you about it so it must've been a while before the actual event. The debate itself was... it could've been better. Hitchens seemed a bit drunk/bored and the other guy was just making ridiculous arguments. But it's always good to have people have civilized debate about important topics.

I'm playing this song on piano: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfwuxA1G8YQ That was the first clip to show up on youtube. That little girl plays it better than I do. She's adorable.

[trolls' bane]

Originally Posted by katya

I don't remember telling you about it so it must've been a while before the actual event. The debate itself was... it could've been better. Hitchens seemed a bit drunk/bored and the other guy was just making ridiculous arguments. But it's always good to have people have civilized debate about important topics.

I'm playing this song on piano: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfwuxA1G8YQ That was the first clip to show up on youtube. That little girl plays it better than I do. She's adorable.

I think it was a while before; some months ago for sure.

[Mari]

I used to read about 10 books per week, but when reading the above, I feel like an illiterate monkey
*digs up a nice fantasy book by David and Leigh Eddings and makes herself comfortable in a chair with a cup of tea and lots of pillows*

[katya]

I get that feeling a lot too, Mari. But I'm getting a little bit more well-read every year.

[Tessar]

Just because it's not allowed on my diet, and today's the free day, I put THREE CUPS OF CHEESE IN MAH LASAGNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In addition to the various meat/veggies/ricotta requirements.

It's in the oven now. o_O I can't wait!!! There's still about 45 minutes till it's all ready to eat. Can't... wait..... smells..... so....... delicious.....


THIS IS GOIN'NA BE ONE MAAAAAAIGHTY TASTY LASAGNA, YA'LL!! GONNA DO MAH TASTEBUDS A POWER OF GOOD.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by trolls' bane

I missed how our summer reading got onto the table for discussion, but I might as well join in.
I'm hoping this summer to find some good introductory work on philosophy written by a philosopher. I was considering David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature. Also want to start reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time, which I don't expect to finish for a few years. Right now, I'm about halfway through Dawkins's The God Delusion, which I'm co-reading with a book on archaeology in California from Paleo-Indian times to present. Needless to say, this is going to be an interesting summer.

Speaking of which, I'm expected to solve America's moral decadence (or prove its nonexistence) by Wednesday for my final in Ethics, but I plan to finish it today. It's rather simple, really. All in a day's work.

Proust is on the list. Who knows when I'll ever get around to it, though; there's no point starting unless you're going for the long haul, I think, and with Proust it is a Very, Very Long Haul Indeed.

I don't know if Hume's Treatise is the best place to start with philosophy; of course, I will say any beginning should begin with the father of the whole mess, Plato.

Oh, but no movie could ever do justice to Lolita. Nabokov's prose style is exquisite, and it just wouldn't be the same without it.

[inked]

Du kanst de literatur diskuz mit Hektor being held by eine lynch mob in court!?!

FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR!

Du must demonstrat at de court! In de nam of Hektor! Ris up und kast of de chainz of de evil triumvirat vich vill enslav du!

FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR! FRE HEKTOR!

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Thanks, we already threw off Hector's chains of evil.

[Noble Elf Lord]

Originally Posted by Mari

I used to read about 10 books per week, but when reading the above, I feel like an illiterate monkey
*digs up a nice fantasy book by David and Leigh Eddings and makes herself comfortable in a chair with a cup of tea and lots of pillows*

We monkeys are happier. *sits next to Mari while listening to Nightwish, and has ice tea* It's quite summer-hot here in Finland.

[katya]

Oooh I haven't listened to Nightwish in a while.

Actually my literary taste is either one way or the other: either serious, quality "literature" or cheesy manga or young adult fantasy. Nothing really in between.