text:
|View Poll Results: Which book should we read for August?
|The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan
|Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
|Wool Omnibus Edition by Hugh Howey
|The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
|A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
|The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
|Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
|A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell
|Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
|Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins
|Voters: 50. You may not vote on this poll
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|Search this Thread
Bah, humbug!
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August 2012 Mobile Read Book 1st Club Vote
August 2012 Mobile Read Book Club 1st Vote
Help us choose a book as the August 2012 eBook for the Mobile Read Book Club. The poll will be open for 4 days, followed by a 3 day run-off poll between the two* top vote getters. The vote this month will be visible.
We will start the discussion thread for this book on August 20th. Select from the following Official Choices with three nominations each:
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan
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Subjects: Children's Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Description: Book Description In this stunning collectors' edition of The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson's world is brought to life with eight full-color plates by the series jacket artist John Rocco. The edition comes in an elegant slipcase with a ribbon bookmark, rough edges, and cloth cover--a perfect keepsake for fans of this truly epic series. After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There's little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus. This first installment of Rick Riordan's best-selling series is a non-stop thrill-ride and a classic of mythic proportions. A Note for Amazon Customers from Illustrator John Rocco Dear Readers, When I was about eight years old I had the great luck of stumbling upon my father's collection of Classics Illustrated comic books. I instantly fell in love with the stories of Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, H.G. Wells, and James Fenimore Cooper. Many years later, when I became interested in illustration, I discovered the beautiful hardbound editions of these stories featuring the arresting artwork of incredible artists like N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, and Maxfield Parrish. What I love about their paintings is not just the beautiful draftsmanship, color and composition, but their ability to capture a moment that held the promise of swashbuckling adventure. That promise let me know that if I read the words surrounding that picture, I could unlock the adventure. That promise is what I tried to achieve when creating the pictures for this incredible series. My approach has never been just to describe a scene from the book, but to create an illustration that offers tension and mystery--an image that provides just enough information to leave the viewer wanting to know more. When I was asked to create images for the Deluxe Edition of Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief it was a dream come true. It was my chance to illustrate what I consider to be a new classic. The Lightning Thief has so many wonderful moments it was difficult to choose what to paint, but I knew I wanted to create a balance of dramatic scenes and quiet moments and to capture the spirit of Rick's unforgettable characters. It has been my own great adventure to help bring this book to life in a new way, in color, on the page. I hope you enjoy this Deluxe Edition of The Lightning Thief . Yours, John Illustrations from Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Deluxe Edition(Click to Enlarge) Percy and a Nereid Percy and Annabelle on their way to Las Vegas Percy at the Entrance to Mount Olympus Starred Review. Grade 5-9–An adventure-quest with a hip edge. At first glance, Perseus Jackson seems like a loser (readers meet him at a boarding school for troubled youth), but he's really the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. As he discovers his heritage, he also loses that mother and falls into mortal danger. The gods (still very active in the 21st-century world) are about to go to war over a lost thunderbolt, so Percy and sidekicks Grover (a young satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) set out to retrieve it. Many close calls and monster-attacks later, they enter Hades's realm (via L.A.). A virtuoso description of the Underworld is matched by a later account of Olympus (hovering 600 floors above Manhattan). There's lots of zippy review of Greek myth and legend, and characters like Medusa, Procrustes, Charon, and the Eumenides get updates. Some of the Labors of Heracles or Odysseus's adventures are recycled, but nothing seems stale, and the breakneck pace keeps the action from being too predictable. Percy is an ADHD, wise-cracking, first-person narrator. Naturally, his real quest is for his own identity. Along the way, such topics as family, trust, war, the environment, dreams, and perceptions are raised. There is subtle social critique for sophisticated readers who can see it. Although the novel ends with a satisfying conclusion (and at least one surprise), it is clear that the story isn't over. The 12-year-old has matured and is ready for another quest, and the villain is at large. Readers will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move. –Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (from Amazon.com)
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
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Description: "The men as they rode turned black in the sun from the blood on their clothes and their faces and then paled slowly in the rising dust until they assumed once more the color of the land through which they passed." If what we call "horror" can be seen as including any literature that has dark, horrific subject matter, then Blood Meridian is, in this reviewer's estimation, the best horror novel ever written. It's a perverse, picaresque Western about bounty hunters for Indian scalps near the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s--a ragged caravan of indiscriminate killers led by an unforgettable human monster called "The Judge." Imagine the imagery of Sam Peckinpah and Heironymus Bosch as written by William Faulkner, and you'll have just an inkling of this novel's power. From the opening scenes about a 14-year-old Tennessee boy who joins the band of hunters to the extraordinary, mythic ending, this is an American classic about extreme violence. "McCarthy is a writer to be read, to be admired, and quite honestly—envied." —Ralph Ellison "McCarthy is a born narrator, and his writing has, line by line, the stab of actuality. He is here to stay." —Robert Penn Warren From the Hardcover edition. (from Amazon.com)
Wool Omnibus Edition by Hugh Howey
Book Description
Publication Date: January 25, 2012
This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.
The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.
This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.
(From Amazon)
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
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Description: Barcelona, 1945—just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother's face. To console his only child, Daniel's widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona's guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Daniel's father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax's work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness and doomed love. And before long he realizes that if he doesn't find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly. As with all astounding novels, The Shadow of the Wind sends the mind groping for comparisons—The Crimson Petal and the White? The novels of Arturo Pérez-Reverte? Of Victor Hugo? Love in the Time of Cholera?—but in the end, as with all astounding novels, no comparison can suffice. As one leading Spanish reviewer wrote, "The originality of Ruiz Zafón's voice is bombproof and displays a diabolical talent. The Shadow of the Wind announces a phenomenon in Spanish literature." An uncannily absorbing historical mystery, a heart-piercing romance, and a moving homage to the mystical power of books, The Shadow of the Wind is a triumph of the storyteller's art. (from eBooks.com)
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
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From Amazon:
Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption.
National Bestseller
National Book Critics Circle Award Winner
PEN/Faulkner Award Finalist
A New York Times Book Review Best Book
One of the Best Books of the Year: Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, The Daily Beast, The Miami Herald, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Newsday, NPR's On Point, O, the Oprah Magazine, People, Publishers Weekly, Salon, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times, Slate, Time, The Washington Post, and Village Voice
Description: In reading this novel of interconnected lives at the fringes of the music industry, Roxana Ortega freights her breathy voice with the moral confusion and sadness of Egan's disaffected, dismayed characters. A surprisingly supple instrument, Ortega's voice can drop to a gruff near-growl, and she craftily uses her range to convey the feeling of the bottom dropping out of the characters' lives. A Knopf hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 22). Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Critics loved Egan's newest novel, describing it as "audacious" and "extraordinary" ( Philadelphia Inquirer ). In the hands of a less-gifted writer, Egans's time-hopping narrative, unorthodox format, and motley cast of characters might have failed spectacularly. But it works here, primarily because each person shines within his or her individual chapter that offers a distinct voice and a fascinating backstory. A few reviewers mentioned the uneven nature of the chapters and the different stylistic experiments within them. Yet, hailed as "a frequently dazzling piece of layer-cake metafiction" ( Entertainment Weekly ), A Visit from the Goon Squad is a gutsy novel that succeeds on all levels. (from Amazon.com)
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
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Description: The Colour of Magic is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the bizarre land of Discworld. His entertaining and witty series has grown to more than 20 books, and this is where it all starts--with the tourist Twoflower and his hapless wizard guide, Rincewind ("All wizards get like that ... it's the quicksilver fumes. Rots their brains. Mushrooms, too."). Pratchett spoofs fantasy clichés--and everything else he can think of--while marshalling a profusion of characters through a madcap adventure. The Colour of Magic is followed by The Light Fantastic . --Blaise Selby "Ingenious, brilliant, and hilarious." (from Amazon.com)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
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Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2012: How many introverts do you know? The real answer will probably surprise you. In our culture, which emphasizes group work from elementary school through the business world, everything seems geared toward extroverts. Luckily, introverts everywhere have a new spokesperson: Susan Cain, a self-proclaimed introvert who's taken it upon herself to better understand the place of introverts in culture and society. With Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Cain explores introversion through psychological research old and new, personal experiences, and even brain chemistry, in an engaging and highly-readable fashion. By delving into introversion, Cain also seeks to find ways for introverts and extroverts to better understand one another--and for introverts to understand their own contradictions, such as the ability to act like extroverts in certain situations. Highly accessible and uplifting for any introvert--and any extrovert who knows an introvert (and over one-third of us are introverts)--Quiet has the potential to revolutionize the "extrovert ideal." –Malissa Kent
(Provided by VioletVal)
Description: Amazon Exclusive: Q & A with Author Susan Cain Q: Why did you write the book? A: For the same reason that Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique in 1963. Introverts are to extroverts what women were to men at that time--second-class citizens with gigantic amounts of untapped talent. Our schools, workplaces, and religious institutions are designed for extroverts, and many introverts believe that there is something wrong with them and that they should try to "pass" as extroverts. The bias against introversion leads to a colossal waste of talent, energy, and, ultimately, happiness. Q: What personal significance does the subject have for you? A: When I was in my twenties, I started practicing corporate law on Wall Street. At first I thought I was taking on an enormous challenge, because in my mind, the successful lawyer was comfortable in the spotlight, whereas I was introverted and occasionally shy. But I soon realized that my nature had a lot of advantages: I was good at building loyal alliances, one-on-one, behind the scenes; I could close my door, concentrate, and get the work done well; and like many introverts, I tended to ask a lot of questions and listen intently to the answers, which is an invaluable tool in negotiation. I started to realize that there's a lot more going on here than the cultural stereotype of the introvert-as-unfortunate would have you believe. I had to know more, so I spent the past five years researching the powers of introversion. Q: Was there ever a time when American society valued introverts more highly? A: In the nation's earlier years it was easier for introverts to earn respect. America once embodied what the cultural historian Warren Susman called a "Culture of Character," which valued inner strength, integrity, and the good deeds you performed when no one was looking. You could cut an impressive figure by being quiet, reserved, and dignified. Abraham Lincoln was revered as a man who did not "offend by superiority," as Emerson put it. Q: You discuss how we can better embrace introverts in the workplace. Can you explain? A: Introverts thrive in environments that are not overstimulating—surroundings in which they can think (deeply) before they speak. This has many implications. Here are two to consider: (1) Introverts perform best in quiet, private workspaces—but unfortunately we're trending in precisely the opposite direction, toward open-plan offices. (2) If you want to get the best of all your employees' brains, don't simply throw them into a meeting and assume you're hearing everyone's ideas. You're not; you're hearing from the most vocally assertive people. Ask people to put their ideas in writing before the meeting, and make sure you give everyone time to speak. Q: Quiet offers some terrific insights for the parents of introverted children. What environment do introverted kids need in order to thrive, whether it's at home or at school? A: The best thing parents and teachers can do for introverted kids is to treasure them for who they are, and encourage their passions. This means: (1) Giving them the space they need. If they need to recharge alone in their room after school instead of plunging into extracurricular activities, that's okay. (2) Letting them master new skills at their own pace. If they're not learning to swim in group settings, for example, teach them privately. (3) Not calling them "shy"--they'll believe the label and experience their nervousness as a fixed trait rather than an emotion they can learn to control. Q: What are the advantages to being an introvert? A: There are too many to list in this short space, but here are two seemingly contradictory qualities that benefit introverts: introverts like to be alone--and introverts enjoy being cooperative. Studies suggest that many of the most creative people are introverts, and this is partly because of their capacity for quiet. Introverts are careful, reflective thinkers who can tolerate the solitude that idea-generation requires. On the other hand, implementing good ideas requires cooperation, and introverts are more likely to prefer cooperative environments, while extroverts favor competitive ones. "A superbly researched, deeply insightful, and fascinating book that will change forever the way society views introverts ." — Gretchen Rubin , author of The Happiness Project " Susan Cain is the definer of a new and valuable paradigm . In this moving and original argument, she makes the case that we are losing immense reserves of talent and vision because of our culture's overvaluation of extroversion. A startling, important and readable page-turner that will make quiet people see themselves in a whole new light ." — Naomi Wolf , author of The Beauty Myth "Think Malcolm Gladwell for people who don't take themselves too seriously. Mark my words, this book will be a bestseller." — Guy Kawasaki , author of Enchantment "Susan Cain has done a superb job of sifting through decades of complex research. . . . This book will be a boon for the many highly sensitive people who are also introverts. " — Elaine Aron , author of The Highly Sensitive Person From the Hardcover edition. (from Amazon.com)
A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell
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Relatively short at 181 print pages, it's the first book from A Dance to the Music of Time.
From Amazon:
A Question of Upbringing (1951) introduces us to the young Nick Jenkins and his housemates at boarding school in the years just after World War I. Boyhood pranks and visits from relatives bring to life the amusements and longueurs of schooldays even as they reveal characters and traits that will follow Jenkins and his friends through adolescence and beyond: Peter Templer, a rich, passionate womanizer; Charles Stringham, aristocratic and louche; and Kenneth Widmerpool, awkward and unhappy, yet strikingly ambitious. By the end of the novel, Jenkins has finished university and is setting out on a life in London; old ties are fraying, new ones are forming, and the first steps of the dance are well underway.
Anthony Powell's universally acclaimed epic A Dance to the Music of Time offers a matchless panorama of twentieth-century London.
"Anthony Powell is the best living English novelist by far. His admirers are addicts, let us face it, held in thrall by a magician."—Chicago Tribune
"A book which creates a world and explores it in depth, which ponders changing relationships and values, which creates brilliantly living and diverse characters and then watches them grow and change in their milieu. . . . Powell's world is as large and as complex as Proust's."—Elizabeth Janeway, New York Times
"One of the most important works of fiction since the Second World War. . . . The novel looked, as it began, something like a comedy of manners; then, for a while, like a tragedy of manners; now like a vastly entertaining, deeply melancholy, yet somehow courageous statement about human experience."—Naomi Bliven, New Yorker
"The most brilliant and penetrating novelist we have."—Kingsley Amis
"There is no other work in the annals of European fiction that attempts meticulously to recreate half a century of history, decade by decade, with anything like the emotional precision or details of Powell's twelve volumes. Neither Balzac's panorama of the Restoration, nor Zola's chronicles of the Second Empire, nor Proust's reveries in the Belle Epoque can match a comparable span of time, an attention to variations within it, or a compositional intricacy capable of uniting them into a single narrative. . . . The elegance of this artifice was only compatible with comedy."—Perry Anderson
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
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Subjects: Literature, Fiction, General Fiction
Description: With a bit of sibling rivalry, some incestuous Greek gods, and good ol' contemporary London, Phillips puts together an amusing epic journey with perhaps a bit less pizzazz than Homer. Jealous of Neil, a mortal, because Alice loves him, Apollo schemes to bring about Alice's demise, but his sister Artemis won't let dead mortals lie. Needing a hero for a journey, she enlists the timid Neil to go into Hades and recover Alice (and save the world while he's at it). Phillips's tale is a delightful flight of fancy into the world of what would the Greek gods do that is adequately abridged, though listeners may want to hear the full extent of the characters' exploits. Tom Sellwood delivers in an English accent that works well with the setting. He ably projects the various gods' and goddesses' personas through their dialogue, so Apollo's arrogance is heard as well as Ares' more aggressive personality. Sellwood is at his best as Neil, the dry and mild-mannered engineer who gets caught up in the games of the gods. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Marie Phillips, a Cambridge graduate, just 30, left her research job at the BBC to work in a bookstore, publish a blog, and write her first novel, Gods Behaving Badly . Reviewers almost unanimously praise Phillips's daring, high-concept premise and the wit and cleverness with which she recycles mythic tales and gives them a postmodern twist. Occasional complaints about forced, sitcom-worthy humor and reckless, predictable plotting creep into some of the reviews, but most critics send arrows of love her way—with nary a stab to the heart among them. Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. (from Amazon.com)
Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins
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Description: What if the Second Coming didn't quite come off as advertised? What if "the Corpse" on display in that funky roadside zoo is really who they say it is what does that portend for the future f western civilization? And what if a young clairvoyant named Amanda reestablishes the flea circus as popular entertainment and fertility worship as the principal religious form of our high-tech age? Another Roadside Attraction answers those questions and a lot more. It tell us for example what the sixties were truly all about not by reporting on the psychedelic decade but by recreating it from the inside out. In the process this stunningly original seriocomic thriller is fully capable of simultaneously eating a literary hot dog and eroding the borders of the mind. From the Trade Paperback edition. (from Kobo)
The fine print:
*Should the first vote produce a 3-way or more tie for first place, or 2-way or more tie for second, the second poll will have more than two choices.
Last edited by WT Sharpe; 07-21-2012 at 06:00 PM.
languorous autodidact ✦
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I'm fine with almost anything winning this month, but my top picks in order are -
A Question of Upbringing (sounds great and is short)
A Visit from the Goon Squad (sounds really interesting)
The Shadow of the Wind (sounds really interesting)
Blood Meridian (I loved The Road)
The Lightning Thief (I love Harry Potter and like good YA, so...)
Another Roadside Attraction (sounds interesting, written in 70s)
I've already read Wool - actually I just finished reading it very recently - and I didn't think it was all that great, but I wouldn't terribly mind it winning since that'd be one less to worry about having to read for my 2012 reading challenge (part of it is reading every selection in the book clubs this year). Wool 1, which is only about 50 pages, is actually a very good short sci-fi story, but Wools 2-5 in my opinion don't really live up to it and they take up the rest of the 450 or so pages.
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I have 5 of these on my Kindle to read soon and have zero interest in the other 5. Pretty decent odds.
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I want to read about people like me: introverts! So Quiet it is for me!
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I voted for one that I supported but in truth there were six others that really appealed to me as well. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those very close votes.
Resident Curmudgeon
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For those of you who have not yet voted and have not read Wool Omnibus, give it a vote as it's very good. Otherwise, you are risking voting for a book that you don't actually know if it is any good.
o saeclum infacetum
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Besides, there's this:
IOC Chief Archivist
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There's only one on the list that I:
-already have in calibre
-haven't yet read
-actually want to read
...so that simplified things.
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I fail to see how name calling will help JSWolf's cause. After reading a few of these threads when I joined the forum, I promised myself to never vote for any book he's pushing.
Resident Curmudgeon
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Not voting for the book you want most is creating a dishonest vote.
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My vote is for The Lightning Thief.
Close to the Edit!
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I've already read Wool, The Shadow of the Wind and The Colour of Magic, and as I'm a third of the way through Blood Meridian, that's what I voted for .
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I've read Wool already. it is really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So I needed to vote for something else and my nomination didn't make it so, I went with the Lightning Thief.
Indie Advocate
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I am shocked and outraged...........and kidding.
I loved it myself, but we can't all love the same things.
Bah, humbug!
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This looks to be another banner month with nothing but good choices.
I just noticed that The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Author) and Lucia Graves (Translator) is available at Amazon. You couldn't tell it from the Inkmesh search.
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text:
Like most people, I wasn't always a vegetarian, but I've always loved animals. If you ever have a chance to meet a cow, pig, turkey, or goat, you will see that they are just as cute and funny as your dogs and cats and that they, too, want to live and feel love.
They don't like pain. Now when I see a steak, it makes me feel sad and sick because right away, I see my dog or the amazing cows I met at a sanctuary. I've been vegan for 10 years, and it's the single-most important and helpful decision I have ever made. Physically, the effect has been amazing.
Once I went vegan, I lost the weight I wanted to lose, my nails were stronger, and my skin was glowing. I feel great, and I look better now than I did 11 years ago.
Being vegan truly is the secret to my life's joy and peace. I feel physically and spiritually better than I could have ever imagined knowing that I am doing everything I can to reduce animal suffering with simple lifestyle choices like being vegan, never wearing any products made from animals (like wool and leather), and buying only from companies that NEVER test their products or ingredients on animals.
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone Cute

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Unless you have a good hydro or dependable wind source, or an excessively large PV system, sometimes the only way to keep your off-grid power system operating is by using an engine generator. But many residential generators are poorly matched to the job, since the selection and purchase of a generator is often an afterthought. The result is the generator becoming the weak link in the system, with inefficient, unreliable performance, rather than being an integral component of a well-functioning system. Here's how to analyze your generator needs and choose the right unit for the job.
Generators serve three main roles in off-grid home systems:
"You get what you pay for" might as well have been coined by a generator owner. Even in a well-designed off-grid power system, the generator is likely to be the single greatest source of maintenance and aggravation. It's a mechanical device, rather than electrical, so it requires regular maintenance and will eventually break down—usually when it's most needed.
Ask yourself: Is a breakdown just an annoyance or will it completely disable my home's power system? The more serious the consequences of the inevitable breakdown, the greater the appeal of a top-quality commercial/industrial generator. Consider also that unless you are prepared to maintain and repair the machine yourself, you will need reliable local support when the eventual failure occurs. An investment in quality quickly pays off.
Generators for home use may be purchased for as little as $300 or as much as $12,000. The least-expensive units are designed for occasional homeowner use with power tools or cement mixers, for instance. "Contractor's specials," common at home-improvement centers, are just that—with their low initial cost, they are designed to provide temporary power until utilities are installed or to build a remote cabin. They're designed to be worked hard and then written off as a business expense when they die.
For off-grid backup, your choice will constitute a compromise between application, cost, availability, and support. But a higher-quality unit will generally have the following features:
Generators are fueled by gasoline, propane (or its cousin, natural gas), diesel, or biodiesel. The least expensive generators and nearly all portable units use gasoline, which offers some advantages—mainly that gasoline is familiar and manageable by the unskilled user. However, it's highly flammable, and fuel storage will need to be a consideration. Allowed to sit in a generator's fuel tank, gasoline will eventually deteriorate, leading to clogged orifices and preventing the generator from starting when needed. Cold-starting also requires engaging a choke. Most auto-start generators are not gasoline-fueled for these reasons. A gasoline generator may be best suited to applications where it is only used occasionally and the gasoline is drained (or run out) after each use.
LP gas (propane) is commonly used in higher-quality stationary generators. Many off-grid homes already have an LP tank and lines for cooking and heating, so the fuel is convenient and relatively safe. Propane has an almost unlimited storage lifespan. LP generators will generally start reliably down to about 10°F. Natural gas and propane burn cleaner than gasoline and diesel, and wear on internal engine parts is reduced.
With some notable exceptions, diesel generators are typically long-lived and high-quality—and relatively expensive. However, the fuel is best suited to warmer climates, as it gels below freezing temperatures. The drawback to diesel fuel is that, compared to natural gas or propane, it's a "dirtier" fuel, producing more pollution. Fuel storage requires extra care against spills and leaks, and may even be regulated. For the eco-tinkerer, diesel units may also be run on biodiesel or either virgin or waste vegetable oil, taking the appeal of "living on renewable energy" to a greater level. Vegetable-based fuels don't generally need additives to prevent gelling; the fuel is heated instead.
As a general rule, a generator should be able to supply the full charging capacity of your inverter, plus loads that typically run while charging and provide some reserve capacity. This both minimizes runtime and maximizes C-rate—the charge rate necessary for good battery care. Generators used in home systems will vary between about 2,500 watts and 20 kilowatts of continuous rated power.
Often, a generator is purchased before the power system is designed, as an early source of power for construction and water supply. The result is that the RE system designer must take the existing generator and adapt the system design to best use it—a backward approach to system design. A better plan is to consider a generator as part of the overall power system design. The preferred approach to sizing a generator starts with the battery bank.
Most PV arrays for off-grid homes will be sized to meet or exceed design loads for part of the year. This seasonal duration may cover all except the heart of winter in the sunny Southwest, or may only cover half of the year in northern climes. Battery banks are typically sized to provide two to four days of autonomy (time the batteries can supply energy without further charging), depending on the seasonal climate and other factors.
Because arrays and batteries are sized to different purposes, the array is seldom large enough to meet even the minimum C-rate needed to routinely fully charge and regularly overcharge (equalize) the battery bank. Hence the need for the generator, which can add the necessary charge current to get this done, and may be even the only contributing charging source during winter—so it should be sized to handle the job.
Typical utility power is split-phase 120/240 VAC. If you look inside a home's electrical distribution panel, you will see three non-ground wires coming in: two "hot" conductors and one "neutral" conductor. The voltage between each hot and the neutral conductor is 120 V, and the voltage between the two hot legs is 240 V. Most off-grid homes have only one hot conductor, and operate at 120 V.
An off-grid system's generator must be matched to the voltage needs of the inverter/charger. Generators provide AC output in one of four ways:
Most inverters manufactured since the late 1980s can only receive 120 V input from a generator. For most off-grid homes, this is not a problem, since 240 V loads are typically large bulk loads from water heaters, clothes dryers or electric ranges that are inappropriate in an off-grid home. With the exception of AC well pumps, off-grid homes are unlikely to have 240 V loads.
When a typical 120/240 V generator that is not capable of full output at 120 V is paired with a 120 V inverter, two problems occur. First, a 120/240 VAC generator is only capable of half of its rated output when connected to the input of a 120 V-only inverter. Second, the load on the generator is unbalanced, with one 120 V leg fully loaded and the other unloaded. This imbalance can lead to premature generator failure.
This means that the less-expensive generators are least able to efficiently back up the most common inverters. For example, a low-cost generator may be specified at 5,500 W maximum output. But the usable "rated" output is not "maximum" output. Similar to the way an inverter's continuous-duty capacity is compared to its capacity to meet larger surges, "rated" output is the level of power a generator can deliver continuously. Usually, it's about 85% of the "maximum" power, although some lower-quality generators are not even capable of their "rated" capacity. How much power is really available? First, check the rating carefully: the 5,500 W rating is likely to be around 4,700 W in continuous duty, such as battery charging through an inverter. Second, the continuous rated power is available only at 240 V, so a single 120 V inverter can only access half of this output capacity, or 2,350 W.
One solution is to use a balancing autotransformer to step down the 240 volts to 120 V before sending it to the inverter. This allows the full power and both 120 V legs to work in balance. However, a typical autotransformer for this purpose retails for more than $500, making the "low-priced" generator much more expensive.
Another solution, usually practical only in larger systems, is to use a stacked pair of inverters to both receive and produce 120/240 V power. This is a common approach with OutBack inverters. A few modern off-grid inverters, including Magnum's AE series, Xantrex's XW, and Apollo's TrueSineWave are configured as 120/240 V split-phase units. These units are able to use both 120 V legs of a generator to provide balanced charging from both hot legs. The new Silent Power SP4024 inverter can use either 120 or 240 V input. No step-down transformer is needed with any of these inverters.
Another option is to select an inverter-generator, a relatively recent development. The inverter (which cannot substitute for the RE system's inverter) is an integral part of the generator, electronically synthesizing the voltage, current, and waveform, while maintaining full-peak voltage up through their maximum load. As the 60-hertz AC waveform is not dependent on engine speed, the engine speed varies according to the load. This allows an accurate pure-sine waveform, while reducing fuel consumption and noise.
Generator models are rapidly evolving, with new models entering the market and old favorites being discontinued. Most of the reliable, small generators of years past were made obsolete by California's emissions standards and changing markets. Newer models have been developed primarily for the on-grid home standby market, rather than for stand-alone use. Standby models, intended for backup power during utility outages, are marketed as low-maintenance home appliances. They will commonly require utility power to maintain controls and charge the starting battery, and even for running block and intake heaters in cold weather—all unacceptable loads in off-grid use. In addition, fierce competition in this market has encouraged an emphasis on low price over high quality. There is a clear and unmet need for simple, reliable, commercial-grade generators not designed for the residential standby market.
The safest bet is to buy a well-respected brand, or at least a generator that comes with a brand-name engine—it will be much easier to find parts and service for a well-established brand than for some no-name model. Finding a high-quality used machine with low hours and evidence of proper care may also be a possibility. Consider also an inverter–generator, as these are gaining wide acceptance, with sizes available up to 6.5 kW. Honda, Yamaha, Robin, and Cummins make high-quality inverter-generators. All run on gasoline, but some of these brands may be converted to LP gas without voiding manufacturers' warranties.
Among conventional portable units 6 kW or less, Honda's EM or EB, and Yamaha's EF and YG series have been well regarded for years. Multi-Quip and Robin—made by Fuji Heavy Industries and marketed under the Subaru, Makita, and Baldor names—also have solid reputations.
In higher-quality commercial units, Kohler's 10ERG is a well-regarded model developed for the RV market and adaptable for off-grid use. Onan makes several adaptable units, including the RV QG 6500LP, RS 12000, and RS 20000 LP, the latter two suited to larger systems. There are some nice Onan diesel inverter/generators (the HQD series) up to 18 kW.
Notable negative comments have generally been directed at the cheapest generators, with poor waveforms, inflated output claims, and lack of long-term reliability. Also, avoid knockoffs of well-known models, especially low-cost inverter-generators now on the market. Reliability is unknown, and repair parts may be unavailable.
A PV system installer since 1988, Allan Sindelar founded Positive Energy Inc. of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1997. He is a licensed commercial journeyman electrician and a NABCEP-certified PV installer.
This article was prepared with the assistance of Roy Butler of Four Winds Renewable Energy, Arkport, NY; Tad Jennings of Power Generation Services, Albuquerque, NM; John Klesk of Cummins Power Generation, Minneapolis, MN; Terry Graybeal of Backwoods Solar, Sandpoint, ID; and Tom Bishop of Sunelco, Hamilton, MT.


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James Ellworth Rainerson was last seen by friends on the 12th of May
The Cleburne County Sheriff's Office issued the following press release:
Cleburne County Sheriff's Office received a call at approximately 4 pm Wednesday from an individual that believed they had found the vehicle belonging to James Ellworth Rainerson, who was reported missing from Cleburne County on the 15th of May 2012. Rainerson was last seen by friends on the 12th of May. The vehicle was confirmed to be Rainersons, and what is believed to be human skeletal remains were found in the area of the vehicle. Cleburne County, White County, and Arkansas State Police officers are processing the scene in a rural wooded area near Hart Road, in White County.


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Apologies if this is already posted, I did look but couldn't find anything!
Has anyone got a recipe for peanut mochi??
I have fallen in love with this snak and really would like to have a go at making my own, but I'd really like a tried, tested foolproof recipe! That's why I thought I'd ask in here :0)
Any help or info greatfully received!
arkonite babe
I found this article a while ago and I tried the recipes and they're pretty good.
I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but one of the variations is peanut butter mochi wrapped around a Hershey's kiss.
Her instructions are easy to follow. I know it's not traditional pounded rice mochi, but it's easy and really yummy! (Once upon time on this forum I said I didn't like mochi, but it's grown on me and I now I love it!)
Thanks Barb! I've book marked that page and will try when I get more rice flour this weekend :0)
Here's another Peanut butter mochi recipe:
Love the idea of wrapping it around a Hershey's kiss!
I think my post title says it all really..........
Mochi mark 2 is underway, looking better so far, I'll blog the results later!
Oh very good acronitebabe!! I hadn't checked this post in a while. Don't worry about the first time. My first ones were way too soupy and I did use sweet glutenous rice flour. Sometimes you just have to fiddle with the timing as everyone's microwave is a little different.
Now you can try making Ichigo Daifuku or Mochi-wrapped Strawberry. It's really pretty and not as hard to make as it looks. I love this combo as the sweet bean paste soaks into the tart strawberry and balances out both of them. Here a post of the ones I made.-
Now your turn! ^^
Thanks Barb! I have found another recipe for mochi which I will try when I get more flour. This one involves making the dough first then steaming so we'll see how we go!
Wow, both of your mochi look really good! I love mochi but never ever thought of making it myself. That microwave mochi recipe looks easy and makes me want to try it. Fresh ones tastes soooo much better too.
What's the "tube cake pan" mentioned in the microwave recipe? Is it the mold to make the upside-down cake?
Yes Pat, I think that's what it is though I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!
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A July 26 wedding is being planned by Kayla Matthews of Worthington and Gregory Panchik of Kittanning.
The bride-to-be is the daughter of Steve and Nancy Matthews of Worthington. Parents of the prospective bridegroom are Wally and Barb Panchik of Kittanning.
The bride-elect is a 2005 graduate of Kittanning High School and a 2012 graduate of Chatham University with a master's of occupational therapy.
Her fiancé graduated in 2005 from Kittanning High School and in 2010 from California (Pa.) University.
He is employed as a technology education teacher at Shippensburg Area Middle School.


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Attacks Shutting Down Anti-Spam Sites
from the BAD-trend dept
In the last couple of weeks three major anti-spam blacklists have shut down after losing the battle to constant denial of service attacks from spammers. I can understand why those who ran the lists shut them down (some things just aren't worth the trouble) but absolutely hate the idea that spammers might be winning the battle. Not sure of the details on any of the three sites that were shut down, but it sounds like they were run by volunteers. Perhaps it's time for a major corporation to step in and support some of these public anti-spam blacklists. If they were to do that, then they might also be able to set up a blacklist that didn't have all the downsides that many of the current ones do. We've outlined the problems of blacklist collateral damage before, but with the right set up (clear process for labeling spammers, easy ways to appeal, etc.) perhaps a better solution could be built.


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When I was 7 years old, my friends and I would play football in my backyard for hours, often with my mother watching through the kitchen window. One of the games we played was called "smear the queer." At the time I didn't know what "queer" meant. I only knew if you were brave enough to pick up the ball, you were "the queer" and would get creamed.
As I got older, I learned what that term meant, and then, in high school, I realized that I was gay. But that image of how "the queer" got "smeared" stayed with me. I ultimately realized my goal of becoming a professional football player, but being open about my sexuality while I was a player seemed far too dangerous to consider.
Recently, in a television interview, LZ Granderson, a journalist who has been honored for his efforts to combat homophobia in sports, called closeted gay professional athletes "chickens." He's not alone in demanding that athletes and other public figures divulge their sexual orientation and other aspects of their personal lives. But as someone who was closeted during my time in the NFL, I'd suggest it's not always that simple.
There is currently a movement to make it safer for athletes to be open about their sexuality. I've gladly and wholeheartedly lent my voice to this work and will continue to do so. But I think every athlete is entitled to make a personal decision about whether or not to come out.


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Ginger Syrup AND Candied (Crystallized) Ginger - one recipe!
How often do you start out making one recipe and end up with two separate treats?
Ginger Syrup can be added to soda to make Ginger Ale, or added to sparkling wine or cocktails to give them more zing. The truly adventurous pour it over pancakes & waffles with abandon.
Candied Ginger is used in baking, chutneys, and/or munched on like, well, candy. It is especially decadent when dipped in chocolate. Try putting some candied ginger, chocolate-dipped or not, on a cheese plate. Trust me, it's wonderful.
Candied, or Crystallized Ginger, as it is often called, is also a well-known remedy for nausea, motion-sickness and morning sickness.
What's not to like?
- 1 cup fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 1/8" thick
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups sugar
1.) Combine water and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil for about 45 minutes.
2.) Strain ginger slices -- they should be tender -- and reserve the ginger syrup for other uses.
3.) Place ginger slices on a drying rack, and allow to dry. It might take an hour, it might take 24. (The humidity and room temperature will affect the way the ginger dries.)
4.) Spread sheets of waxed paper* on counter and place rack with ginger slices over it. Toss ginger slices, a few at a time, with sugar until they are coated and place them back on the rack to dry again.
5.) Store candied ginger for months in an airtight container.
6.) Store ginger syrup in a tightly-sealed container and use within 2 weeks.
*I like to save the sugar that falls off of the ginger while it's drying. That's why I put the wax paper underneath the racks. The ginger-y sugar is delicious in tea!


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It can be disappointing to know that there are authorities who have no respect for traffic rules, which they are required to enforce.
An off-duty Long Beach police officer identified as Eddie Sanchez, 30, recently pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge. He was able to avoid jail time, but was sentenced to three years of informal probation, three months of alcohol awareness classes, and 20 days of community service.
Prosecutors said the officer went to a bar and was then seen swerving in and out lanes while on his way to Stanton last May 24.
Sanchez was not able to accelerate even after the traffic light turned green in Garden Grove. His engine was then turned off by another driver, claimed prosecutors.
Reports said he had a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .16 at the time of his arrest.


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In the midst of all the U.S. debt talk going on, David Cote, chairman and CEO of Honeywell, only had one thing to say. "We need to start moving," he said Wednesday on CNBC's "Mad Money."
Cote, who is also an economic adviser on President Barack Obama's debt commission, said that with the growing competitiveness in countries around the world, the U.S. needs to get going on tackling its debt crisis and on improving and expanding its energy, infrastructure and math and science sectors. Particularly in the energy space, he said big changes were taking place in natural gas, which could provide an important economic boost in the long run.
"Natural gas and shale gas are going to be important dynamics in the U.S. economy for a long time, if we do this right," he said, noting how the commodity could impact the way we think across different industries. He added that the best thing the government can do is "not over-regulate" the business and to quickly devise a standard of drilling that makes sense.
(RELATED: Cramer's Top Dividend Stocks)
Still, the CEO said the U.S. still needs to invest more heavily in improving its existing refinery capacity. "If you look at investments in refineries outside the U.S., [they're] huge."
Since 2009, Honeywell has also been engaged in steady rounds of restructuring and has focused the brunt of its efforts on Europe — which Cote said was faced withdismal growth prospects.


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A Catholic bishop has been accused of lying by the Irish Times over the case of a priest guilty of child sex abuse.
In a strongly worded story, the paper alleges that Bishop of Clonfert John Kirby was aware as far back as the mid-90s that a priest whom he moved following allegations of child sex abuse continued to abuse children in his parish.
This information, confirmed by the paper, is contrary to public statements from Bishop Kirby made just last month when he twice asserted that the priest in question did not abuse children in the parish to which he moved him.
The Irish Times reports that the priest, who was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in 1994 for the sexual abuse of one child in Co Galway, told Bishop Kirby in the mid-1990s that he had abused 17 children in the diocese.
This confession was made, according to the paper, when Bishop Kirby visited the priest while he was serving his jail sentence at Arbour Hill between 1994 and 1998.
The priest, referred to as Priest A in a recent report by the Church's child protection watchdog, admitted to Bishop Kirby in 1990 that he had abused the boy concerned.
He was then moved to another parish where he abused more children.
The paper says that Bishop Kirby declined to respond to questions from The Irish Times on whether this priest abused children in his new parish after he was moved in 1990.
The report states: "The Irish Times has independently verified that Bishop Kirby was aware of this information.
"This newspaper also asked whether the number of child abuse complaints he came to be aware of in the diocese overall was considerably higher than disclosed to a recent review or in recent statements.
"A review of child protection practices in Clonfert by the Catholic Church's child protection watchdog, its National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC), was published on September 5th last. It found nine child abuse allegations had been made against three priests in the diocese of Clonfert and another priest who provided holiday cover.
"Just one of the four priests has been convicted in the courts. He has since been laicised. The review also found that Bishop Kirby had dealt 'inappropriately' with abuse allegations."
The Irish Times reports on quotes from a press conference in Galway on September 5th when Bishop Kirby acknowledged that he had moved two priests whom he knew had abused children to other parishes.
He said he 'hadn't a clue' 20 years ago about how paedophiles operated, and thought it was a case of 'a friendship that crossed a boundary line.'
Bishop Kirby said at that press conference: "I profoundly regret and apologise for moving the priests concerned to different parishes thereby placing others at serious risk. Whilst no further abuse has been reported, this act was a grave mistake on my part."
In a 'special message' read at all Masses in Clonfert on the weekend of September 15th/16th, he repeated: "I am not aware of any abuse allegations from the parishes to which they [the two priests] were moved."
The Irish Times reports that the man referred to as Priest A in the NBSC review of Clonfert abused a total of 17 victims in the diocese.
It says nine of these were in Kiltormer parish, from where he was removed by Bishop Kirby when it emerged in 1990 he had abused a child there. He was then moved to Creagh parish where, it is believed, he claimed to have abused five more children.
Priest A also said he abused a further two children in Portumna and one other in the diocese.
The Irish Times understands that Priest A disclosed all these details to Bishop Kirby, as well as to statutory authorities, while serving his prison sentence in Arbour Hill.
The paper says that in 1994, Priest A was sentenced to 10 years, with five suspended as he pleaded guilty. He was in prison until 1998.
It also reports that Priest A gave the 17 names to Bishop Kirby after the bishop had been approached by a mother in the diocese who was anxious to know whether her son had been abused by Priest A. Bishop Kirby visited Priest A at Arbour Hill to secure the list of victims. It did not include her son.


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Eighty-one Years. Seventy-nine Movies. Two Oscars. Not One Bad Performance.
Whether it's The French Connection or Hoosiers or Unforgiven, or, hell, you name it, Gene Hackman has delivered some of the grittiest and most memorable performances of the past fifty years. But is he really and truly finished with movies? In a rare interview, the legend talks about acting, his late-blooming career as an author, and what he despises most in other men
He has the reputation, for better or worse, of being "an everyman." Whatever that means.
He may be, more precisely, an enigma-man. A silent man who speaks through his characters. He's a curious mix. On one hand, he has the gravitas of the Lincoln Memorial. On the other hand, he has the physical forgettability of that middle-management guy in the seat next to you on the flight from Rochester to Omaha.
He grew up in Danville, Illinois. His father, Eugene Hackman, was a pressman for the local newspaper. His mother was a waitress. When Hackman was 13, his father abandoned the family. Hackman was out in the street, playing. His father passed him by, just giving a wave of his hand.
"I hadn't realized how much one small gesture can mean," he once said, looking back on it. "Maybe that's why I became an actor."
At 16, Hackman bluffed his way into the Marines. When he came out, at 19, he wound up in California and took classes at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he met another struggling nobody named Dusty Hoffman. Classmates voted both of them "least likely to succeed." They decided to go to New York, where they had another acting buddy they could run with: Robert Duvall. Picture the three of them roaming the city, hustling for parts all day, hitting the bars at night. (Will someone please make that movie?)
Hackman's mother died in 1962, before he hit it big. He rarely speaks about her death, but it has been reported that she was drinking, then passed out in bed with a lit cigarette, starting a fire that killed her.
His big break came in 1967 with Bonnie and Clyde. Oddly enough, he got the role of Buck Barrow after he'd been thrown off The Graduate, for which (at age 36) he had been cast to play Dustin Hoffman's potential father-in-law, Mr. Robinson. (Hoffman was 29.) Warren Beatty snatched him up, and Hackman went on to get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Barrow. From then, he was off and running on a career that includes The French Connection (for which he won his first Oscar), The Conversation, Reds, Hoosiers, Mississippi Burning, Unforgiven (for which he won his second Oscar), and The Royal Tenenbaums.
And then there's Welcome to Mooseport, the movie that will be his last movie—unless Hackman changes his mind.
For now, he says he's retired, splitting his time between painting and writing.
GQ: You've got to do one more movie.
**Hackman: **I don't know. If I could do it in my own house, maybe, without them disturbing anything and just one or two people.
**GQ: There are so many guys who want to see you back in the movies. **
**Hackman: **Well, that's very kind.
GQ: You have to do it. Your hero James Cagney was retired forever and then came back to do Ragtime. Can't you do one more?
**Hackman: **[laughs] Well...
**GQ: Why do you love Cagney so much? **
**Hackman: **There was a kind of energy about him, and he was totally different from anyone I'd ever seen in my life. Having been brought up in the Midwest, I didn't know those New York people. I thought he was terrific. Everything he did had a life to it. He was a bad guy in most of the films, and yet there was something lovable about him and creative.
GQ: You have this reputation of the brawler. Are you still an angry young man?
**Hackman: **Probably. I hate that idea, because it's the antithesis of the creative spirit and what it takes to be a creative person. But you do, sometimes, what happens in the spur of the moment. I, unfortunately, kind of react.
GQ: When's the last time you threw a punch?
**Hackman: **A real punch? I suppose it's been ten years.
GQ: Was it at a wall or at a person?
**Hackman: **A person. It was silly. It was that traffic thing. _[In 2001, when he was 71, Hackman had a fender bender in Hollywood. He got out to inspect the damage to his car, and next thing you know, he takes a swing at the guy and has him on the pavement.] _
**GQ: Is it true that when you were a boy, your mother took you to see movies and she told you that she wanted "to see you do that someday"? **
**Hackman: **She did say that. I would have been 10. Things parents say to children are oftentimes not heard, but in some cases you pick up on things that your parent would like to see you have done. Unfortunately my mom never saw me act, so I'm sorry for that, but that's the way it is.
GQ: If you could show her just one of your movies, what would you show her?
**Hackman: **I Never Sang for My Father. I thought it was a sensitive picture about family and relationships, and I think she would have been proud and happy to see that. You're fortunate sometimes to be able to do something in life that defines who you are and who your parents may have wanted you to be.
**GQ: Your new historical novel, Payback at Morning Peak, opens with a boy who loses his father. And you have a scene in which he sees what you describe as "the sad bundle" that is his dead mother. **
**Hackman: **Yeah, they tell you not to write about your mom in books, but I don't know how you keep from doing that.
GQ: You have the father telling the boy, "Be the man I taught you to be." Are there any things that your father taught you?
**Hackman: **I had a troubled youth. [laughs] Any lines, or any comfort, direction, or things of that nature, would've come from my mother. She and my grandmother were important.
**GQ: Were you closer to your mom or to your grandmother? **
**Hackman: **My grandmother was somewhat infirm when I was 10 or 12, and we all lived in the same house, so when my mother and father were out hanging wallpaper, or whatever they were doing as an extra job, my grandmother and I babysat each other. I was too young to be left alone, and she was too old to be left alone, so I became very close with her. She was a great storyteller.
GQ: Is there a character from literature that you wish you could play?
**Hackman: **Robert Jordan [For Whom the Bell Tolls]. I like Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte Cristo—having been able to keep that terrible vengeance in his soul for so many years and then carrying out what he thought were justified events in the end. I like that as a novel. As a human being, that's not the healthiest thing.
GQ: Strange question, but—ever have a fort as a kid?
**Hackman: **I was terrified of the basement. I forced myself to go there and make a place where I felt safe. Of course, that was the spot where my dad took me to dole out the punishment if I'd been rude to him. There was a variety of junk, and I made myself a haven. Silly... But it was my space.
GQ: Back in the '70s you said, "I have misgivings about not doing more with my life. It's all congealed gravy. I wish I'd gone into something else." Do you still feel that way?
**Hackman: **I don't think so. You go through stages in your career that you feel very good about yourself. Then you feel awful, like, Why didn't I choose something else? But overall I'm pretty satisfied that I made the right choice when I decided to be an actor. I was lucky to find a few things that I could do well as an actor and that I could look at and say, "Yeah, that's all right."
GQ: You worked with Coppola on The Conversation. He's a director who has a "reputation." Tell me about that movie.
**Hackman: **He wanted Brando for that part. But it's not too bad to be second to Brando. [laughs] We rehearsed—normally you don't get a lot of rehearsal in films. We took advantage of Francis having some juice, because he'd just finished The Godfather. It was a good experience, because he's such a confident filmmaker. It was great because it was about something. It was about paranoia, the whole idea of eavesdropping. He's a very hands-on director, but after rehearsal he left me alone. But you knew what was required of you. Most directors, if sensitive at all and think an actor knows what he's doing in a film, have the good sense to leave him alone, and he did that.
**GQ: If someone were to portray you, what would be the key to "getting" you? **
**Hackman: **That's a tough one. Almost anything one would say would sound egotistical. [pauses] I'd like to think that if an actor was playing me, that he would do me in an honest fashion. I always try to approach the work in that way, regardless of how good or bad the script. When I say "honest," I say to portray what is on the page, instead of what maybe people might think of me or what I would like them to think of me in terms of personality or charisma. But just be what is asked of me on the page.
**GQ: You mean that you're an artist who is very faithful to the text. **
**Hackman: **Well, that's where the clue is to any creative process, to be able to figure out what is already there. Not to try to embellish.
**GQ: Yet you always find the details in the character. You once said that you try to find the things that aren't written there. **
**Hackman: **Yes, but what's there comes first.
**GQ: In The French Connection there is that scene where you're outside the nightclub eating that cruller, and this girl dusts you. And there's this way you take a chomp out of the cruller, then flick it over your shoulder. I can't imagine it was in the script. **
**Hackman: **We filmed that fairly early on. That was one of the clues to the character to me. That piece of behavior helped me with the rest of the film.
GQ: What's a quality in a man that you despise?
**Hackman: **Intimidation. Anybody who intimidates me, regardless of how they do it.
**GQ: Dustin Hoffman says you would often go out into the night in New York and get into a bar fight. **
**Hackman: **Dusty has a way of embellishing. His dad came to visit, and Dusty wanted me to meet him, and later Dusty said, "After you left, my dad said to me, 'Who's that guy? A truck driver?'" [laughs] Actually I was driving a truck at the time, a moving van.
GQ: This is when you were living in New York and working as a moving man?
**Hackman: **Yeah, so he nailed me pretty good on that. I never really went out looking for trouble with people. If you go out enough at night...
GQ: ...Trouble will find you.
**Hackman: **Exactly. You will have some history.
GQ: Is there advice you give your son?
**Hackman: **Advice to my son. [pauses] I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on. Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when he was at an age where he needed support and guidance. It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.
GQ: How do you want to be remembered?
**Hackman: **As a decent actor. As someone who tried to portray what was given to them in an honest fashion. I don't know, beyond that. I don't think about that often, to be honest. I'm at an age where I should think about it. [laughs]
GQ: Let's do word association. Reds.
**Hackman: **Difficult.
GQ: Bonnie and Clyde.
**Hackman: **Great fun.
GQ: Hoosiers.
**Hackman: **Passed me by.
GQ: How do you mean?
**Hackman: **I took the film at a time that I was desperate for money. I took it for all the wrong reasons, and it turned out to be one of those films that stick around. I was from that area of the country and knew of that event, strangely enough. We filmed fifty miles from where I was brought up. So it was a bizarre feeling. I never expected the film to have the kind of legs it's had.
GQ: Where do you keep your Oscars?
**Hackman: **You know, I'm not sure; I don't have any memorabilia around the house. There isn't any movie stuff except a poster downstairs next to the pool table of Errol Flynn from Dawn Patrol. I'm not a sentimental guy.
GQ: So you just move through life and shed?
**Hackman: **Yeah. It all just kind of peels off....
GQ: Sum up your life in a phrase.
**Hackman: **"He tried." I think that'd be fairly accurate.


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