1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Everybody. It's but Courtney, welcome back to the shop. By 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,559 Speaker 1: the way, how you doing, Alex? Everything all right with 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: you doing great? Bill? All right? Does anything new? Really? 4 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: That's your life? Nothing new? Okay? How about this? Are 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: you enjoying a new cigar? Old? 6 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 2: Actually, I got a weird cigar smort story from last night. 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: Tell it to me. 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 2: It's actually kind of annoying. So I'm at my cigar shop, okay, 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 2: and I'm working there and the new manager comes up 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 2: to me and says, hey, can you have can we 11 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 2: have this other guy sit in your chair? And if 12 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 2: he's an older guy, like sit in your chair? 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: Yeah? 14 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm like, I got here first. 15 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: I gonna actually see you saying that. 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 2: I actually did say because I was let just go there, vraid. 17 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: But this is previously one of the other employees kind 18 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 2: of gave me crap about sitting in this chair because 19 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 2: this other guy prefers sitting in this chair. It's a 20 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 2: both of our preferred chair this shop, and traditionally whoever, yeah, 21 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 2: it's and it's like the best view of everybody else. 22 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 2: It really is kind of the best chair, but it's 23 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 2: always just kind of ben whoever gets their first gets 24 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 2: it and the other person's a sucker, so it's like 25 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 2: that's just the right. But then they approached me yesterday 26 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 2: and asked me if i'll move into another chair. And 27 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 2: so the guy's uh seventies, so I get he's older. 28 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: We maybe give them a little respect, but still, I mean, 29 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 2: this guy still moves just fine, like it's not like 30 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 2: he's a you know. But anyway, so the like whatever, 31 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: and he tries to sweeten the deal by giving me 32 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 2: a free drink and a free cigar, so I still 33 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 2: at least got that, but it still kind of pisses 34 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 2: me off because like, now I can never sit in 35 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: that chair. 36 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: So you've lost your chair, I've lost bringing a new one, 37 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: bring in your own chair. 38 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 2: It's more the spot. Yeah, you know, boy, these are 39 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 2: really these are yeah, these are first world. 40 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 1: These are first world issues when you don't have the 41 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: preferred chair and your cigar lounge. 42 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: Well the reason I sit there though, too, is I'm 43 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 2: still working like sixty seventy hours a week on the army, 44 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 2: So it's like that's why I'm there working at night. 45 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 2: This isn't like fun Alex having a grand old time, 46 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,839 Speaker 2: Like the cigars helped me keep working I mean, do's 47 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 2: a little to do what I was doing for four 48 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 2: hours there last night. 49 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: I mean, well, at least you're putting in your time. 50 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 2: Okay, so hurting my own health to help the army. 51 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: Shop Talk number sixty one is about my favorite books, 52 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: and we'll hear it right after these brief messages from 53 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: our general sponsors. Now, why in the world on chopp 54 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: Talk are we talking about this? Well, here's why, because 55 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: I think reading is really important, and I think in 56 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: this age of cell phones and stuff, we're getting away 57 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: from reading. And so every once in a while, we're 58 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: going to talk about some of my favorite books. And 59 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: I want you to email me what your favorite books are. 60 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: We're not going to start a book club, but we 61 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 1: are going to have a shop talk slash army and 62 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: normal folks. Let's share good book ideas with everybody and 63 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 1: we'll just post them. 64 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 2: How about that and why would have meant to you? 65 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 2: Reflections on it? Don't just say where your favorite book is, 66 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 2: like go deep. 67 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: Well, obviously, yeah, what's your book? And why and everything else? 68 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: And my book is called Against the Grain. It's available 69 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: wherever you get books, and you're welcome to buy my 70 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,399 Speaker 1: book and read it, and it may be become one 71 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: of your favorites. Against the Grain by Bill Courtney. 72 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 2: You can usually you hate promoting your own stuff, though. 73 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: I almost never promote my stuff. But we're talking about books. 74 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: But my book is actually pretty good. And the forward 75 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: was written by Phil Jackson. 76 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 2: Which is pretty cool. 77 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: That is pretty cool. All right. So that's that's my book. 78 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: But here's I'm going to give you two of my 79 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: favorite books this time, and we'll touch base on it. 80 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: I'm dead serious. Write me so I can read some 81 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: book books. One, A Confederacy of Dunces. 82 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 2: Wrong answer, It should have been the Bible. 83 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: Oh my god, keep going, Okay, see it's a complete setup, 84 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: all right. Number one the Bible. Number two? Do I 85 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: need to review the Bible for you? Or can we 86 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: just move on? I thought, I think it's been very 87 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: well reviewed. So number two, A Confederacy of Dunces. Why 88 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: it's hilarious. Two the way that it was actually brought 89 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: to publication. The story itself is phenomenal because the author 90 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: had committed suicide and been gone for many, many years 91 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: when his mother found the manuscript in a trunk and 92 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: read it and thought it was amazing and got it published. 93 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 2: Really. 94 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: Yes, it has been optioned for a movie three or 95 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: four different times, and I wish to goodness they would 96 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: make a movie out of it because it would be hilarious. 97 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: But it's about it's a fictional story. But some think 98 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: it's kind of half fictional because some thinks that the protagonist, 99 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: Ignatius p Riley, is built into who the author was. 100 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,239 Speaker 1: But it's about a guy who lives in New Orleans, 101 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 1: who is a corpulent, slovenly kind of fiasco, who thinks 102 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: he is far superior in intellect and political understanding than 103 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: anybody around him, who has failed job after failed job 104 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: after fail job, a socialist girlfriend, and frequents a brothel. 105 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: And it's just his comings and goings and interactions with 106 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: his mother's girlfriend and the people in New Orleans. And 107 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: it is hysterical. So you need to write. And there 108 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: is tons of social commentary weaved into the story. 109 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 2: Is there anything redeeming in this book? Or is it 110 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 2: just a joy ride? 111 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: It's hilarious and it's uh, it's uh uh, I just 112 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: just read it. 113 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 2: It's a cautionary tale. 114 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: It is a cautionary tale a little, but it is 115 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 1: also threw his eyes. Uh, it's an interesting commentary on society. 116 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 2: Speaking of confederacy of Dunces. You use that line in 117 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 2: the that clip we featured on Instagram, okay about Max 118 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 2: and his cargetting stolen Yes, and the Confederacy of duns 119 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 2: has involved. 120 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: It was a confederacy Dunces. 121 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 2: So for those who don't follows on Instagram, that's a 122 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 2: shameless plot. Go because watch this clip because it is 123 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 2: so funny. 124 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 1: Well, it really was. It was. It's so funny. I 125 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: haven't even seen it, but it is it really I 126 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: wasn't you know. Using the compederacy Dunce as the title 127 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: of the book, I think that is an interesting I mean, 128 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: how many times have you run into what you think 129 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: is a confederacy of Dunces operating in some place? It's 130 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: just yeah. So that's a second book, and it is 131 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: absolutely a book I might have read ten times, and 132 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: I know way too much about it because I've read 133 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: it over and over again. It is nothing. I mean, 134 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: everybody's going to know it. But To Kill a Mockingbird 135 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: to me is such an important book. And I use 136 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: the word to merity often because Atticus Finch, when defending 137 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: in his defense in the courtroom said that the only 138 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: sin of the defendant was having the temerity to feel 139 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: sorry for a white woman. And I just remember reading 140 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: that and getting chills that there that there could be 141 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: a social construct where having empathy could actually be a 142 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: negative thing. Harperly is often thought to be Scout Scout 143 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: in the book, or at least to have grown up 144 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: in a social setting like what Scout did. And there 145 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 1: are so many tales that that are woven to understand 146 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, and 147 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: to kill a mockingbird stands for the degradation of so 148 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: many different thoughts, people, races, and creeds, and I just 149 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: think it's uh. I think it's just one of the 150 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: best best books ever written because of the story it 151 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: tells inside the story. So there you go, now gave 152 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:13,439 Speaker 1: me one of yours. 153 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 2: An interesting one that you probably haven't read is Coming Apart, 154 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 2: which is why this book for you. So Charles Murray 155 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 2: wrote this, and it talks about how the society is 156 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 2: coming apart. But one of the interesting examples that I 157 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 2: often cite with people is he talks about growing up 158 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 2: in Iowa in this like factory town and like the CEO, 159 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 2: and one of his regular workers whould live on the 160 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 2: same block and their kids would marry. And now that's 161 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 2: like furthest from the truth. The CEOs. You know, kids 162 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 2: are going off to Princeton and they're marrying other people 163 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 2: from Princeton. That's not true. There were, and they're driving 164 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 2: different cars, they're living in different neighborhoods. And the hyperpolarization 165 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,319 Speaker 2: in terms of income where these people don't even interact 166 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 2: with each other, you know what I mean. More and 167 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 2: how it's you know, pulling the country apart. 168 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: I would love that book. Yeah, see how this works everybody. 169 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 1: So I know everybody has a favorite book or two. 170 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: Shoot him to us. We'll talk about them the next 171 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: time we do this. You know, these two books that 172 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: I've done are fiction. My next two books i'll talk 173 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: about on the next time we do this will be nonfiction. 174 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: And one of them is something one of them I 175 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: read recently. And the guys like Nostrodamus because what he 176 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: said five years ago when he wrote the book about 177 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: globalization is actually happening as we speak, and it's really interesting. 178 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: But we'll talk about that one later. What else that's 179 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: a goodbye so shot talk Number sixty one read to 180 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: Kill a Mockingbird. A Confederate Confederacy addounces read coming apart. 181 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: There you go and send us what you think are 182 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: your books, and we'll start playing with book titles every 183 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: once in a while. If you like this episode, rate 184 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: review it, Email me anytime at Bill at Normalfolks dot us. 185 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: If you have any ideas for shop Talk, subscribe to 186 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: the podcast. 187 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 2: What else, rate and review us, become a prince and 188 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 2: reviewers you're being redund I'm just getting confused. 189 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 1: Okay, what else? Anything else? That's it? All right, chop 190 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: Talk number sixty one. That's our favorite books. What are yours? 191 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,079 Speaker 1: We'll see you next week.