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Black and white and read all over

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Revengeofthenerds, Aug 17, 2017.

  1. Revengeofthenerds

    Revengeofthenerds
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    When I grew up I wanted to be a journalist. As a kid it was my favorite thing to run outside in the morning, grab the paper, turn to the sports section and read about the Spurs. I was a pre-teen and I knew more about what was going on in the city than most adults it felt like. I'd cut out stories I liked, human interest stuff, national news, updates on hurricanes, and hang them on the wall next to my George "The Ice Man" Gervin and David Robinson posters. I entered college as a journalism major right around the time blogs were starting to take off, and in one of my only displays of foresight to date, I saw the proverbial writing on the wall and changed majors after freshman year.

    I do something completely different now but my desk and home office is covered in things I have yet to read or am somewhere in the process of completing. Beside me is the latest volume of Popular Science, and I have a tray full of old Sports Illustrated and Popular Mechanics magazines I never throw away. On my night stand, I've just started Laurence Gonzales' "Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why" even though I'm half way finished with Jon Ronson's "Them." I have ADD, I'll go back to "Them" later, or maybe start up a third just in case.

    Between those books are a stack of ones I still want to read, "Natural Born Heroes" by McDougall and "Make Your Bed" by Admiral McRaven top the stack for easy access if I ever feel inspired.

    To me there is joy in the tactile experience of reading a book or magazine. When it's physically in front of you, when you're holding it in your hand, marking pages, underlining passages with a pen, the ownership somehow feels more real and genuine.

    So it pisses the fuck outta me when I look over in bed and see my wife watching Real Housewive's of St. Fuckyouville and learning literally nothing.

    Focus:
    What magazines, newspapers, or at this point even podcasts do you subscribe to? Television is a part of entertainment and news, but by no means is it all of it --- what makes up the rest of it for you? What are your reading habits like? Are you ADD like me and have like 4 books going on at a time or do you do it all on your kindle?

    Alt. Focus:
    I call it the airport test. You have about 10 minutes extra to find a magazine or book to read on the flight. What are your go-tos? Genre's, authors? You gotta speed read the rack. Pick quick.
     
  2. Juice

    Juice
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    I don't have cable, so I usually consume my news online. I have a subscription to the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and some others. As far as podcasts, Hardcore History, Joe Rogan, and Sam Harris are the ones I listen to with any consistency. I gave up on Adam Carolla a few years ago. Serial was... okay as are some others like it, but I found myself getting bored half way through them. As farr as books, I really enjoy non-fiction and biographies. I'm reading one on Teddy Roosevelt now.
     
  3. Flat_Rate

    Flat_Rate
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    Podcasts for me are Hardcore History and Rogan

    Reading good articles online was tough until I found longform.com and tetw.com. Both are great at distilling down great journalism from the mindless dreck that gets posted everyday.

    As far as books go I read mostly fiction, although as I get older I have been leaning more towards history and autobiographys.
     
  4. Durbanite

    Durbanite
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    As I listen to a lot of soccer podcasts, I use iTunes as I can just subscribe to them and refresh the feed once a day to get any new ones. As I'm sure many of the podcasts others will list here will be on serious topics, I'll try to keep it light. As such, many of my subscriptions are soccer-related (and many are Arsenal specific) and often humourous so I'll list them here:

    Arseblog (don't laugh) - he's an OG podcaster and has been doing them since 2004 and does 2 shows, the Arsecast (out Thursday or Friday usually) and Arsecast Extra (co-hosts with James McNicholas - usually drops on Mondays). Obviously Arsenal-related but often humourous as they usually take in some fan questions and have a broad range of guests ranging from media personalities and ex-professional players to well-known journalists. Fan-owned.

    A Bergkamp Wonderland (ABW) - more humourous Arsenal-related stuff and the "button-monkey" (Danny) and host (GoonerGimli) rip into each other a few times every show with often funny results. Numerous contributors keep it honest as there's different views and recurring guests include some ex-professional players like former Arsenal and Sweden goalkeeper Rami Shaaban (appeared twice last season), Anders Limpar (former Sweden and Arsenal winger), ex-Arsenal midfielder David Hillier as well as comedians Matt Lucas and Rob Beckett. They also had Arsenal legend Ian Wright on once! Also fan-owned. They've taken off all their old podcasts off iTunes but all the old ones are still available on their website www.abergkampwonderland.co.uk - also, I appear briefly in episode 158 so there's that.

    The Totally Football Show - a very new one but hosted by an old hand in James Richardson (former host of The Guardian's Football Weekly) with other journalists and covers football from all over Europe.

    The Football Hipsters Podcast - hosted by Kris (another regular on ABW listed above) with recurring contributors John, Drew, Ross, Danny (same one as ABW) and Josh and also covers a bunch of European leagues including Ligue 1 (Kris' speciality), Serie A (John), Bundesliga (Drew) and La Liga (Josh), so you get different views than from journalists. Also totally fan-owned.
     
  5. toddamus

    toddamus
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    Alt-Focus: The Economist. It covers a huge variety of topics, I never read it so when I do its refreshing, and it helps keep my mind off the fat person whos thunder thighs have seaped over their seat and are now touching me and will be for the remainder of the flight.
     
  6. audreymonroe

    audreymonroe
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    The most powerful cervix... in the world...

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    I am singlehandedly keeping the magazine industry alive and subscribe to: Elle, Bust, Glamour, Nylon, New York Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine (which was actually a free subscription I got when it was founded that's just been magically renewing for seven years), Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart (shut up its very soothing). I just love me a magazine and could probably enjoy reading any one that's put in front of me. I also buy one whenever I travel and people have started getting them for me as souvenirs so I have a pretty cool collection of international fashion magazines. Frankie from Australia is my favorite.

    As for podcasts, just in order of how they show up on my iPod: A Piece of Work has been fun, Girl Friday, Lit Up, Overdue, The Bowery Boys, The Dinner Party, (my friends' podcast) The Unfriendly Black Hotties, Guys We Fucked, This American Life, Food 4 Thot, My Dad Wrote a Porno, You Must Remember This, and occasionally Longform and Fresh Air depending on the guest. Plus one-offs like S Town or In The Dark.

    I try to keep to one book at a time because it helps to keep focused and actually finish them. But sometimes I'll have a subway book and an at-home book, or a heavy book and lighthearted book that I'm reading simultaneously. It's more about the order of them. I can't read too many novels in a row, or too much nonfiction. I started the year with a few 700+ books so now I'm on a short story and essay kick.

    I'm one of the only people who enjoys my commute, for perhaps obvious reasons.
     
  7. Revengeofthenerds

    Revengeofthenerds
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    Amazon: "Only 317 Survived"... it's the complete anthology of the remaining 200 (and less since it was published) first hand accounts from survivors of the USS Indianapolis.

    I've had this book on my desk for a while.

    My father served in the Navy and my grandfather, sadly, will die we think soon with his secrets from this time in history. It was a time when you kept your mouth shut and didn't ask questions, just listened to orders from your commanding officer because you were taught those orders were the right thing for you. Don't ask questions, just shut up and listen. And then do it.

    I'm still conflicted if we were better off then than we are now. But such is history. Gotta remember it, less you don't learn from its tragic mistakes.
     
  8. downndirty

    downndirty
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    I love pop-psychology, biography and business books. Right now, I'm reading Daniel Kahneman, Scott Adams, Tim Ferris for self-improvement and business. I'm a third of the way through "Rebel Yell", about Stonewall Jackson, and I'm trying to read "Sex Criminals" a graphic novel about people who freeze time when they cum (fuck you, it's hilarious).

    In an airport, any of the pop biz/psych books are worth $6. Or Paolo Coehlo....a good read, but short enough to meditate on afterwards for the rest of the flight.