The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Miscellaneous - Archives
>
Croissants, Coffee & Tea -- Part the Eighth
Rochelle wrote: "...BN's not a big box store, just a chain..."I believe in message 45 Lymm is referring to B&N as a "big box store." I think the definition and usage is somewhat fluid; that in some contexts "big box store" may be used to refer to any large retail store (that is like a "big-box" of a building rather than a small store as one expects an Independent bookstore is likely to be (although not all of them are small, either)). In other contexts, it is used more specifically for warehouse-like stores that frequently have "big boxes" within them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big-box_...
The Wiki entry above includes Barnes and Noble among its examples, incidentally.
Yes, B&N did originally specialize in textbooks and bargain books! The bargains were great fun and still aren't bad in some of the stores, but far less attractive in these days of a good secondary book market in the U.S. (facilitated by Amazon). I perceive B&N has had a difficult time strategically and tactically moving its business, including its information processing capabilities, which I consider very sad. For a period of time, major top management resources were focused on real estate acquisition and usage (rather than books?). Its "customers" may have often been publishers more than readers. Today as I move through its stores I wonder what part of the profits come from books versus the other merchandise which seems to occupy more and more floor space, including coffee shops with increasingly diverse upscale food selections.
Rochelle wrote: "I gotta have that pic of the binder!"Just go to Google Images and search on "binders full of women". Each was funnier than the last, and I had tears running down my face from laughing so hard!
Some of the best were collected here:
http://now.msn.com/binders-full-of-wo...
This is the one I originally saw:
But I like this one better:
And this is just perfect!!!
BunWat wrote: "Have you seen the binder reviews on Amazon?? Laughed myself silly!!"Give us a link, BunWat?
Thank you, ladies!I love the generations of you behind me!
Lily wrote: "I wonder what part of the profits come from books versus the other merchandise which seems to occupy more and more floor space, including coffee shops with increasingly diverse upscale food selections. "And e-book readers and e-books. And Amazon completely controls the publishing industry now. Don't have the time to even get into it.
I only recently discovered that people post funny stuff on Amazon. I'll watch for it, but if anyone sees something, we can all use alaugh. Especially me.I was not insulted by the binder remark, and figured it was just poor wording, but I knew what he meant. The "dinner at 5:00" ticked me off.
If you like the binder critiques, perhaps you would enjoy the reviews for BIC pens for her:http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revie...
☯Emily wrote: "If you like the binder critiques, perhaps you would enjoy the reviews for BIC pens for her:http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revie..."
LMFAO. Easily as good as The Onion or the KittyCity Gazette.
☯Emily wrote: "Link for the binder reviews on Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Avery-Durable-B..."
Thanks for the link, Emily. That is hilarious!
I've sent the link off to my son, who's currently volunteering for the Democrats in Vermont.
☯Emily wrote: "If you like the binder critiques, perhaps you would enjoy the reviews for BIC pens for her:http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revie..."
Thx. Funny. But I liked the for-this-moment-in-time political relevance of The Binder Reviews!
I was busy correcting papers all week so just now can post. But I had been reading your posts all week - kept a smile on my face. :-)What is odd, Mittens comments didn't really jump out at me at the time.
Binders full of women...awkward phrasing, but since I teach, I know that not everything comes out correctly when you are speaking constantly in front of people all day.
The women need to get home and cook by 5:00 didn't really bother me that much. I thought it was a bit condescending that he thought women were the ones who did the cooking, but having worked all these years, I do know that women with children really struggle with work/life balance. I thought that is what he was getting at.
And I did take a 3-4 minute break during the gun discussion so I missed the single women and gun violence connection.
But since then, as BunWat pointed out, I found out that Mittens tried to take credit for asking for those binders full of women. When in actuality, Democratic women at a couple of NGO's made him aware of the fact that he needed to hire a few women.
Romney definitely has a problem with women - at his former jobs (i.e., not hiring women unless forced to) and now with getting them to vote for him. I think he lost any gains that he had made with women after the first debate.
In fact, one of the polls from a swing state - can't remember which one - asked people, what is their #1 concern. For men, jobs and the economy. For women, 39% reproductive rights! Jobs came in second at 19%. That's how attacked women feel right now from the GOP.
As Elizabeth Warren said, in 2012, we shouldn't have to still be fighting battles for birth control.
Women know how important that is for their overall ability to live life the way they want to live it.
Binders full of women! I call it a Freudian slip, and, unfortunately, Mitt's religious background only exacerbates the context. Wow, I would have never thought I could be so opinionated and belligerently agnostic, and here I am ...
Lynnm wrote: "As Elizabeth Warren said, in 2012, we shouldn't have to still be fighting battles for birth control."
Warren for Pres in 2016?
Lily wrote: "For Dickens readers, from Zeke on the Classics Board:http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs..."
Thank you, Lily. I thoroughly enjoyed the article. Thank you again for sharing.
Lily wrote: "For Dickens readers, from Zeke on the Classics Board:http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs..."
Insightful article. I've saved it for our reading of DC
I still have an untouched copy of Vanity Fair I bought after viewing Mira Nair's 2004 film. But I'm usually pretty realistic about what I will read, and don't buy massive, ponderous books, even excellent ones. I don't have the patience I had as a student.
In the most recent film version of DC I've seen, Maggie Smith was an indelible Aunt Betsey. I picture her in that role and W.C. Fields as Micawber (different version) whenever I re-read the book.
Can we arrange to have Dickens' Christmas stories fall in December? :-)
Not good, but it will be replaced on Tues. I'll keep in touch on my laptop.
I do hope all goes well. I will be thinking of you.
Rochelle wrote: "Can we arrange to have Dickens' Christmas stories fall in December? :-)"I think we can. At least, that is my intention. I plan to give people two to three weeks before we read his Christmas story:-) So hopefully you will feel better after your knee replacement surgery and will be on a steady track to recovery.
Rochelle wrote: "Lynnm wrote: "As Elizabeth Warren said, in 2012, we shouldn't have to still be fighting battles for birth control."
Warren for Pres in 2016?"
Wouldn't it be lovely? But only if Hillary decides not to run.
BunWat wrote: "Lily wrote: "For Dickens readers, from Zeke on the Classics Board:http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs..."
That was lovely. Thanks."
Great article!
Thanks for sharing.
Ecological clothing:-http://www.independent.co.uk/environm...
I like the idea of solar powered bras and handbags made from recycled cat's fur!
Lynnm wrote: "Rochelle wrote: "Lynnm wrote: "As Elizabeth Warren said, in 2012, we shouldn't have to still be fighting battles for birth control."
Warren for Pres in 2016?"
Wouldn't it be lovely? But only if Hillary decides not to run."
I don't think Hillary will run again (I did vote for her in the primary). I'd vote for Warren! I'll be voting for her this November, in the meantime.
Rochelle wrote: "I still have an untouched copy of Vanity Fair I bought after viewing Mira Nair's 2004 film. But I'm usually pretty realistic about what I will read, and don't buy massive, ponderous books, even excellent ones. I don't have the patience I had as a student."I think if you find the patience for it, you will be rewarded. This is high up on my list of favorite novels! Was that the Reese Witherspoon movie? If so, there were aspects of it I really didn't care for (although I really like Witherspoon, but the adaptation isn't her fault; she was wonderful in The Importance of Being Earnest).
Rochelle wrote: "Not good, but it will be replaced on Tues. I'll keep in touch on my laptop."Best wishes on a speedy recovery, Rochelle!
MadgeUK wrote: "Ecological clothing:-http://www.independent.co.uk/environm...
I like the idea of solar powered bras and handbags made f..."
I couldn't imagine what kind of power women needed to generate from their bras! Figures - to power a cellphone. Is it telling that two of those ideas both involve supplying cellphone power (the other being a pair of boots)?
The cat fur handbag sounded creepy to me, until I read that it is obtained by grooming cats and knitted.
Someone (not me) could knit a bedspread out of the hair my cat sheds. She's a white cat and stuff is everywhere.
Denise wrote: "The cat fur handbag sounded creepy to me, until I read that it is obtained by grooming cats and knitted. "There are a few companies advertising on Ravelry.com that will clean and spin your cat or dog hair into yarn. The undercoat on cats is very soft, and my longhair cat Foxy produced tons of the stuff. Don't know about dogs.
It's an acquired taste.
I guess I prefer formal debates. I have a feeling though that we will be adopting that style come the next election - the Tories love to copy Americans:)What do y'all think of last night's performances? Obama seemed to have the edge although it is worrying me greatly that the polls still have them neck and neck:(
Mod
What a lovely way to use some "found" money! Have a good trip, Deborah, even though parts will inevitably be hard.
Mod
I do hope it all goes well Deborah, trip and op.
Deborah wrote: "Lily, it really won't be hard. This friends has been there for me through so much hard stuff - I owe her big time!"Good for you! Somehow, I just imagine someone so caring as yourself occasionally feeling your friend's tough emotional walk.
Mod
MadgeUK wrote: "I guess I prefer formal debates. I have a feeling though that we will be adopting that style come the next election - the Tories love to copy Americans:)What do y'all think of last night's perfo..."
The poll results immediately following last night's debate did seem to strongly give the edge to Obama, probably the strongest win of the three debates. I actually thought they did about the same. Their answers to some of the questions were almost identical, although the long drawn-out detail they gave (instead of just saying, "I agree") seemed to imply they were telling different stories. I kept thinking, "Romney did his homework before this one," because he has not been seen as particularly strong on foreign policy.
Deborah, I'm sorry to hear about your father-in-law and your friend. Lily is right - that is a wonderful use of 'found' money! I'm sure that your visit will be a great comfort to her (and I love the Pandora bracelet idea).My mother just had a second operation on Friday to remove cancerous polyps from her bladder. The first was back in March. This time they were not as large or numerous, and the prognosis seems good. The doctor filled her bladder afterwards with a chemotherapy drug (that did not get all through her system) in order to 'sterilize' it and either slow down or prevent more development. She's home and doing fine - itching to get outside and rake leaves, even though she is prohibited from strenuous activity for a while!
Deborah wrote: "When she's in remission, I'm adding a few more beads to it to celebrate her success...."Loverly! Hope counts. But, as you well know, NOW is the Present (gift). Deborah -- your tale told its own story -- look at why you had just been in Reno, too.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/20... An oldie, but just pulled up an article related to campaign financing for a friend that may be of interest to some here.
Denise wrote: "Rochelle wrote: "I gotta have that pic of the binder!"Just go to Google Images and search on "binders full of women". Each was funnier than the last, and I had tears running down my face from la..."
This is great. Too bad we can't review bayonets or horses (at least I don't think we can).
Mod
Itchy to get outside to rake leaves is a good thing. You can always design a bracelet for the two of you too. I'm sending good wishes your way for her quick healing and strength for you as you watch a loved one go through this.
Denise wrote: "She's home and doing fine - itching to get outside and rake leaves, even though she is prohibited from strenuous activity for a while! ..."Denise -- may your Mom and you and your family find healing and cures in these tough days through which you are journeying. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Deborah and Lily! Luckily, the prognosis is good, and this seems to be an easy type to contain. She also had colon cancer about thirty years ago, and has never had a problem with that since. She's 89 years old now and overall very healthy. At the hospital, they were amazed that she is on no kind of medication! Even I am on blood pressure meds.
Mod
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910
Books mentioned in this topic
The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination (other topics)House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties (other topics)
Don Quixote (other topics)
The Rifle in America (other topics)
The Buccaneers (other topics)
More...
Some resemble warehouses, like Costco and BJ's, some actually were warehouses. High ceilings with ugly bulbs hanging down. And an abs..."
BN's not a big box store, just a chain. But I remember when B&N had just 2 stores, the main one on the east side and annex on the west side of 18th St & 5th. In college we found our text books there. Later, a few times a year we went down and brought home 2 shopping bags full of bargain books.