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Biplane posted:what in the gently caress Digital signs that say "you must be born before XXXX to buy alcohol" have Y2K errors now.
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Jul 11, 2021 21:07
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wizzardstaff posted:Update on the "boy turns into a petrol pump" saga. Truths have been revealed! Posters in this very thread are implicated as CIA psyop agents spreading disinformation about a book that never existed! I'm Seriously though haha, what the gently caress? I *definitely* didn't imagine this book and i'm definitely not a psyop agent!
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Jul 12, 2021 11:37
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Dell_Zincht posted:I'm
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Jul 12, 2021 11:59
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Dell_Zincht posted:I'm thats what a psyop agent would say
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Jul 12, 2021 15:18
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Look at me, ma! Top of the world! But seriously, how could I be a CIA agent? I've been a KGB mole for years!
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Jul 16, 2021 13:58
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"Several people say they've heard of this book before... but isn't it awfully suspicious that they all describe the plot and events in similar ways? Almost as if they got their stories straight beforehand!"
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Jul 16, 2021 18:05
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More "identify the terrible self-published writer" than "identify the book", but can anyone remind me of a notably terrible female one some years back - e-published, unusually thin-skinned even for the type, claimed her terrible book was being filmed, may have been one of those "gods among us"-type plots? Not a lot to go on, I agree...
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Jul 18, 2021 14:14
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Runcible Cat posted:More "identify the terrible self-published writer" than "identify the book", but can anyone remind me of a notably terrible female one some years back - e-published, unusually thin-skinned even for the type, claimed her terrible book was being filmed, may have been one of those "gods among us"-type plots? Handbook for Mortals? It's discussed in the terrible book thread: Sisal Two-Step posted:
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Jul 18, 2021 14:26
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Carthag Tuek posted:Handbook for Mortals? It's discussed in the terrible book thread: Yesss, thank you!
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Jul 18, 2021 15:00
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Runcible Cat posted:Yesss, thank you! It had its own thread for a bit https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3831791
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Jul 18, 2021 16:42
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Davros1 posted:It had its own thread for a bit  Pro-click.
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Jul 18, 2021 16:51
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Just had this pop into my head and I can't remember where from.... Theocracy with a very much of 'saving yourself for marriage' type vibe center to the religion... So the Brothels (Maybe even government run) offered 2 and 4 hour marriages with an auto-divorce at the end so you wouldn't be in sin...
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Jul 19, 2021 21:39
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Trying to find a folktale/ parable that goes like this: An illiterate peasant (or similar fool-archetype character) and a scholar have a debate, but for some reason, they aren't allowed to talk. So they have to communicate by symbolic gestures. The peasant has no idea what's going on and interprets the scholar's gestures as threats and responds with threats of his own. For example, the scholar holds up two fingers to signify the duality of good and evil (or something) and the peasant interprets that as "I'm gonna poke your eyes out" and holds up a fist, which the scholar then interprets to signify (for example) the unity and power of God. This goes on for a few exchanges, with the scholar interpreting the peasant's gestures as wise philosophical statements, and the peasant is declared the winner. I think I've also seen a version where the scholar is a princess who promised to marry the peasant if he defeats her in debate. Also one where the peasant is a Christian and the scholar is either atheist or Muslim, sort of like a proto-version of those atheist professor email forwards.
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Jul 23, 2021 21:22
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ScienceSeagull posted:Trying to find a folktale/ parable that goes like this: This is really close to ATU 1699 with some examples here. Or possibly another from that page? This looks somewhat similar, too.
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Jul 23, 2021 21:42
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Thanks! That page looks like a really fun rabbit hole, whether or not the story I remember is there. It's possible that I'm conflating different tales that share a similar theme. Edit: Oh and I think I remember another variation in which the debaters hold up items (e.g. an apple) instead of or in addition to gesturing, and the peasant/fool character thinks the scholar is offering a trade. ScienceSeagull fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Jul 23, 2021 |
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Jul 23, 2021 22:06
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ScienceSeagull posted:Thanks! That page looks like a really fun rabbit hole, whether or not the story I remember is there. It's possible that I'm conflating different tales that share a similar theme. That's folklore for ya! Lots of variations and inconsistencies.
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Jul 23, 2021 22:25
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There was a cosmic horror story collection by 1 author and one of the stories was about a guy who dies, sees the other side and finds out that god is evil or something. But he come back to life somehow and was traumatized by what he experienced. there was also an evil guy who hunts him down and skins him alive in the end i think. because the evil god wanted the protagonist back in heaven/hell
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Jul 23, 2021 23:00
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Orc Priest posted:There was a cosmic horror story collection by 1 author and one of the stories was about a guy who dies, sees the other side and finds out that god is evil or something. But he come back to life somehow and was traumatized by what he experienced. there was also an evil guy who hunts him down and skins him alive in the end i think. because the evil god wanted the protagonist back in heaven/hell Is this possibly Books of Blood by Clive Barker? The framing narrative from the first and last stories could maybe fit some of those details depending on how dim your memory is.
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Jul 23, 2021 23:14
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that sounds very Barkeresque, yeahScienceSeagull posted:Trying to find a folktale/ parable that goes like this: this has a Koan feel but i dont know it, and would like to
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Jul 23, 2021 23:18
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wizzardstaff posted:Is this possibly Books of Blood by Clive Barker? The framing narrative from the first and last stories could maybe fit some of those details depending on how dim your memory is. It wasn't this one.. but this book sounds interesting. Gonna check it out thanks edit: i just found the book i was looking for in another thread. it's Worlds of Hurt by Brian Hodge if anyone's interested Orc Priest fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Jul 23, 2021 |
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Jul 23, 2021 23:22
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ScienceSeagull posted:Trying to find a folktale/ parable that goes like this: This is the variation I am familiar with: quote:Several centuries ago, a priest and a rabbi agreed on having a religious debate.
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Jul 24, 2021 00:34
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The Chad Jihad posted:This is the variation I am familiar with: Alas, if only the real debates went so well. 
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Jul 24, 2021 01:32
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The Chad Jihad posted:This is the variation I am familiar with: Thank you, that's certainly it! I wonder if the other versions I remember exist, though. Also, after reading about the abacus-eating gasoline pump boy story earlier, I had to restrain myself from giggling in the middle of a meeting.
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Jul 24, 2021 02:20
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ScienceSeagull posted:Thanks! That page looks like a really fun rabbit hole, whether or not the story I remember is there. It's possible that I'm conflating different tales that share a similar theme. Probably this story: https://aleteia.org/2018/03/02/so-a-priest-and-a-rabbi-are-having-a-religious-debate/ Several centuries ago, a priest and a rabbi agreed on having a religious debate. The Jewish people met and picked an aged and wise rabbi to represent them in the debate. However, as the rabbi spoke no Italian, and the priest spoke no Yiddish, they agreed that it would be a “silent” debate. On the chosen day the priest and rabbi sat opposite each other. The priest raised his hand and showed three fingers. The rabbi looked back and raised one finger. Next, the priest waved his finger around his head. The rabbi pointed to the ground where he sat. The priest brought out a communion wafer and a chalice of wine. The rabbi pulled out an apple. With that, the priest stood up and declared himself beaten and said that the rabbi was too clever. The Jews had won. Later the cardinals met with the priest and asked him what had happened. The priest said, “First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up a single finger to remind me there is still only one God common to both our beliefs. Then, I waved my finger around my head to show him that God was all around us. The rabbi responded by pointing to the ground to show that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and wafer to show that God absolves us of all our sins, and the rabbi pulled out an apple to remind me of the original sin. He bested me at every move and I could not continue.” Meanwhile, the Jewish community gathered to ask the rabbi how he’d won. “I haven’t a clue,” said the rabbi. “First, he told me that he was going to beat me in three rounds, so I gave him the finger. Then he tells me that I was beating around the bush and I told him to get straight to the point.” “And then what?” asked a woman. “Who knows?” said the rabbi. “He took out his lunch so I took out mine.”
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Jul 24, 2021 14:30
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sorry, double posted for some reason. My bad
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Jul 24, 2021 14:31
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ScienceSeagull posted:I found my story! It happens to be featured as a preview on the author's site: From a while back but this is interesting, because German author Arno Schmidt wrote something exactly like this, but with Goethe.
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Jul 24, 2021 15:16
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ScienceSeagull posted:Trying to find a folktale/ parable that goes like this: I'm reminded of the debate between Panurge and Thaumast in Gargantua&Pantagruel quote:Everybody then taking heed, and hearkening with great silence, the Englishman lift up on high into the air his two hands severally, clunching in all the tops of his fingers together, after the manner which, a la Chinonnese, they call the hen’s arse, and struck the one hand on the other by the nails four several times. Then he, opening them, struck the one with the flat of the other till it yielded a clashing noise, and that only once. Again, in joining them as before, he struck twice, and afterwards four times in opening them. Then did he lay them joined, and extended the one towards the other, as if he had been devoutly to send up his prayers unto God. Panurge suddenly lifted up in the air his right hand, and put the thumb thereof into the nostril of the same side, holding his four fingers straight out, and closed orderly in a parallel line to the point of his nose, shutting the left eye wholly, and making the other wink with a profound depression of the eyebrows and eyelids. Then lifted he up his left hand, with hard wringing and stretching forth his four fingers and elevating his thumb, which he held in a line directly correspondent to the situation of his right hand, with the distance of a cubit and a half between them. This done, in the same form he abased towards the ground about the one and the other hand. Lastly, he held them in the midst, as aiming right at the Englishman’s nose. And if Mercury,—said the Englishman. There Panurge interrupted him, and said, You have spoken, Mask. And it goes on from there.
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Jul 24, 2021 17:34
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ScienceSeagull posted:Thank you, that's certainly it! I wonder if the other versions I remember exist, though. I googled "folk tale silent debate" and found a variation that seems pretty close to your initial description: The miller at the professor's examination Bonus: One from Korea and one with the Mullah Nasruddin.
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Jul 25, 2021 17:35
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I apologize in advance if this is something really simple that I should already know. It's a book from the 1970s or 80s (I first read in the 80s) about space and the planets. It had a black cover, glossy pages, and really vibrant and beautiful illustrations, the best that the technology could produce at the time I'm sure. The book went one by one through the planets of the solar system, talking about the individual properties of each planet (avg. temperature, composition, atmosphere, etc.) but also went into some crazy pseudoscience and speculation about each planet. For example, since Pluto was the furthest away from the sun, it was assumed that it was coldest there, and the potential inhabitants of Pluto would be some ice-based dinosaurs or something of that nature. I remember each planet's summary also referenced its Planetary symbol. It's definitely not anything written by Stephen Hawking or Carl Sagan; I was also reading Cosmos at the same time. But I was just a wee lad and this book had pictures and wild speculation about extraterrestrial life so it held a lot of interest to me as a child.
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Jul 25, 2021 20:58
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Could it be Isaac Asimov's Our Solar System? Cover matches, and I'm pretty sure his other Science Library books were up to the presentation quality you describe.
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Jul 25, 2021 21:05
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The timeline seems about right too (published in 1988), but I remember this book being longer than 32 pages. Still, it's a possibility  e: found this on archive.org, this isn't it, but thanks for the suggestion dstyle fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Jul 25, 2021 |
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Jul 25, 2021 21:23
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dstyle posted:I apologize in advance if this is something really simple that I should already know. It's a book from the 1970s or 80s (I first read in the 80s) about space and the planets. It had a black cover, glossy pages, and really vibrant and beautiful illustrations, the best that the technology could produce at the time I'm sure. The book went one by one through the planets of the solar system, talking about the individual properties of each planet (avg. temperature, composition, atmosphere, etc.) but also went into some crazy pseudoscience and speculation about each planet. For example, since Pluto was the furthest away from the sun, it was assumed that it was coldest there, and the potential inhabitants of Pluto would be some ice-based dinosaurs or something of that nature. I remember each planet's summary also referenced its Planetary symbol. Maybe the Time-Life book on the solar system? I remember the "potential lifeforms" for Jupiter were these goofy looking balloon things and some sharp birds that killed them by popping their balloons.
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Jul 25, 2021 22:47
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Section 9 posted:Maybe the Time-Life book on the solar system? I remember the "potential lifeforms" for Jupiter were these goofy looking balloon things and some sharp birds that killed them by popping their balloons. Were these the pics? https://thomastapir.tumblr.com/post/114371806261/whimsical-wildlife-of-the-solar-system-the Easy-Bake Coven posted:I googled "folk tale silent debate" and found a variation that seems pretty close to your initial description: Thank you! Those are a bit closer to the form of the tale I remembered, but clearly part of the same tradition.
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Jul 25, 2021 22:55
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ScienceSeagull posted:Were these the pics? Yep! Edit: Oh god, lol, the Oucher-Pouchers.
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Jul 25, 2021 23:00
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Okay guys I was referred here from the GBS what is your white whale find stuff thread.Ramc posted:Okay I have kind of a tricky request. A family member of mine sent me this photo (cropped to remove people) and they are wondering if it is possible to figure out what the book on the table is. Time-wise the pic was taken around 1989 and is "probably sci-fi" spookykid posted:any info on the location of the photo? US? Canada? UK? AUS? Ramc posted:United States. (I think it is either Florida or California because it sort of looks like a disneyland/world trip but that probably does not matter.) RC and Moon Pie posted:I think that's the Orlando Sentinel on the table. Antifa Turkeesian posted:I thought it was edge staining at first, as was commonly done to paperbacks made with high-acid paper in that period to hide yellowing, but it’s not uniform in color on the section that’s already been read—I think you’re right that the pages are yellow with age instead. Xotl posted:That looks like a bar code on the back cover and they didn't start adding those to books until the mid-70s, so it's not as old as the yellowing might indicate. The book is just so tantalizingly *almost* in focus.
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Jul 25, 2021 23:05
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Oh, I just remembered another weird book from my childhood. It was about a kid who was a "worry wart," and he started to grow actual warts all over. I recall it being illustrated in a sort of garish cartoon style, a bit like Rugrats or other Nickelodeon cartoons.
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Jul 25, 2021 23:19
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Ramc posted:Okay guys I was referred here from the GBS what is your white whale find stuff thread. That front cover looks very much like the format that early Star Trek books used, before Pocket took over. None of my early copies have a back cover like that, but it could theoretically be a later printing of one.
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Jul 25, 2021 23:43
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Section 9 posted:Maybe the Time-Life book on the solar system? I remember the "potential lifeforms" for Jupiter were these goofy looking balloon things and some sharp birds that killed them by popping their balloons. This is it! I remembered the Pluto inhabitants as dinosaurs, but they were just spiky jumpy ice things apparently. It's on archive.org and it's a glorious mix of science, astrology and mythology. It's everything I remembered. Thanks so much!  dstyle fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Jul 26, 2021 |
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Jul 25, 2021 23:55
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one from my girlfriend’s childhood: - 7 sisters - each of them has to (or just does) marry a certain man - he lives in a mansion type thing - each of them has a key (she wasn’t clear on the purpose) - told from the youngest sister’s perspective It seems like it must be a version of Bluebeard, she hadn’t heard of the story before. That said, she didn’t remember the other sisters being murdered, but thinks they may have disappeared
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Jul 25, 2021 23:57
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Ramc posted:Okay guys I was referred here from the GBS what is your white whale find stuff thread. Good luck with this. The slightly lurid cover (as far as you can tell) and the yellowing reminds me of about 240,000,000 old paperbacks my old man used to have before he chucked the lot about 20 years ago. It's got the feel of Brian Lumley or James Herbert or one of those prolific horror-adjacent authors.
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Jul 26, 2021 00:20
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