Royal Escape from the Topic - for off topic chit chat Showing 601-650 of 2,839

[Abigail]

That’s crazy, Andrea! The only thing I can think of is that they Scarlet Letter and Georgette Heyer novels both have female protagonists. Boy do I feel shoved into a niche this morning!

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Critterbee wrote: "Hmm, well I like both authors, but I also like both enchiladas and ramen, but I wouldn't call them similar.
How do they determine similar artists? Is it based on amount of dialogue versus descript..."

They don't give any criteria for listing other authors as "Similar Artists." The other authors are just listed with their names as hotlinks for additional information about them individually that doesn't address any claims of similarity!

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Abigail wrote: "That’s crazy, Andrea! The only thing I can think of is that they Scarlet Letter and Georgette Heyer novels both have female protagonists. Boy do I feel shoved into a niche this morning!"

I know, right? Very crazy!

That's like saying Italian cuisine and French cuisine as similar because they are both food by the thinking/logic of Hoopla!

[QNPoohBear]

Is anyone else in New England? We got a little snow and a lot of freezing rain here in southern coastal New England. I'm ready for this winter to be over already!

[Susan in NC]

Here in NC some saw a little snow, but mostly freezing temps and very strong winds which made it miserable! But supposedly warmer temps on the way next week...after my poor kiddo heads back to the Midwest for school, spring break in NC was a washout, no beach time at all! :-(

[Critterbee❇]

In VA, we got about 2 inches, but it did not last long.

[Susan in NC]

Critterbee wrote: "In VA, we got about 2 inches, but it did not last long."

Best kind of snow, amirite?!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I'm back! I've been at the NZ WOMAD & had a brilliant time!

& I crossed two more things off my bucket list! Finally saw Mt Taranaki when not covered by cloud & I have a henna tattoo on my hand. (should last about two weeks)

[Karlyne]

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Here's something bizarre:

I borrowed eAudio book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne from one one of the public libraries I use via Hoopla (a US vendor that provid..."

It is bizarre! Other than both being writers, I don't see much in the way of similarities, either. Kind of like enchiladas and ramen are both food, but that's about it as far as their similarities go - as Critterbee says!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Karlyne wrote: "
It is bizarre! Other than both being writers, I don't see much in the way of similarities, either.

There have been a few complaints in Feedback recently about how off base some of the recommendations are.

[Karlyne]

& I crossed two more things off my bucket list! Finally saw Mt Taranaki when not covered by cloud & I have a henna tattoo on my hand. (s..."

How fun! Especially Mt. Taranaki, which is in the NORTH Island, right?!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Karlyne wrote: "
How fun! Especially Mt. Taranaki, which is in the NORTH..."

Yes! It looks like Mt Fuji. We made a special detour for me to see it nearly 20 years ago & it got cloud cover right down to it's base the whole time we were there. I had seen it from the air previously though.

Here is a picture of both Mt Taranaki & Te RewaRewa Bridge. There was no snow on the mountain when we saw it though.

http://www.visit.taranaki.info/getatt...

[Susan in NC]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I'm back! I've been at the NZ WOMAD & had a brilliant time!

& I crossed two more things off my bucket list! Finally saw Mt Taranaki when not covered by cloud & I have a henna tattoo on my hand. (s..."

You go, lady! Glad you had a great time.

[Susan in NC]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "
How fun! Especially Mt. Taranaki, which is in the NORTH..."

Yes! It looks like Mt Fuji. We made a special detour for me to see it nearly 20 years ago & it got cloud cover right do..."

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing- may be our only chance to see it, I read in The NY Times the other day that NZ is being overrun and overwhelmed with tourists!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

No I wouldn't say overrun with tourists. Overrun with freedom camper tourists to a certain extent. I've freedom camped myself, but I cleaned up after myself!

Lots of NZ pretty quiet still, especially out of the summer months.

& not that anyone has ever listened, but I wouldn't go to Queenstown. It's beautiful but it feels like any other resort town in the world. Wanaka is just as beautiful. not quite as expensive & much quieter.!

[Susan in NC]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "No I wouldn't say overrun with tourists. Overrun with freedom camper tourists to a certain extent. I've freedom camped myself, but I cleaned up after myself!

Lots of NZ pretty quiet still, especi..."

Good to know! There was another article about it becoming a billionaires playground (and subsequently driving up housing costs) but I didn't bother reading it, I figured I'd ask you if that was true first...

[Karlyne]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "
How fun! Especially Mt. Taranaki, which is in the NORTH..."

Yes! It looks like Mt Fuji. We made a special detour for me to see it nearly 20 years ago & it got cloud cover right do..."

We are suitable impressed and awed! Gorgeous!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

"Aaarrrgghhh housing that's a complex one - I'll answer that tomorrow. Let's just say it's not good.

[Critterbee❇]

Wow that does look like Mt Fuji, like how Mt Fuji would look before the top blew completely off. Thanks for the photo!

I understand taking a detour to visit a mountain, there is something so powerful about them. I lived within view of Mt Fuji for 3 years, and every day I was moved by the beauty and power. Every day it was like seeing it for the first time, and I would say Good Morning, Fuji-san. There is something about great mountains that cannot be taken for granted. Even at the beach, past midnight, you could see the outline of it against the stars, and it was immediately recognizable.

[Critterbee❇]

That photo has made my morning, thank you again.

[Karlyne]

Mountains are important for our health!

[Critterbee❇]

Karlyne wrote: "Mountains are important for our health!"
Where is the like button for your reply, Karlyne? Ha ha

[Karlyne]

Critterbee wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Mountains are important for our health!"
Where is the like button for your reply, Karlyne? Ha ha"

I thought afterward that I should have said "my health", but then I thought, "No, everybody's health is right!"

[Susan in NC]

Karlyne wrote: "Critterbee wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Mountains are important for our health!"
Where is the like button for your reply, Karlyne? Ha ha"

I thought afterward that I should have said "my health", but th..."

So true - here in NC we are lucky to have both beach and mountains, and I think both are important to our health - I'm always overwhelmed by the beauty and peace of both when we visit the beach and the Blue Ridge, I swear your blood pressure drops immediately!

[Karlyne]

Susan in NC wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Critterbee wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Mountains are important for our health!"
Where is the like button for your reply, Karlyne? Ha ha"

I thought afterward that I should have said "my..."

Our retirement cabin, where we spend a couple of days a week until that momentous time arrives, is in a valley between two respectable mountain ranges, the Hell's Canyon ridge to the west of us and the West Mountains to the east (ha! I know!). The peaks average between 7500 and 9000 feet and there's nothing like the sun rises and sets that happen over them. If the beauty of it all doesn't charge your soul, I think it might already be deceased!

[Susan in NC]

Sounds like a bit of heaven, so glad you are able to enjoy it now (even if it's not full time yet)!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

OK re housing and land in NZ - while the wealthy foreigners have bought large chunks of land, of equal concern is the foreigners buying homes as investments One of my husband's brothers lies in the very nice Auckland suburb of Mt Eden. At one stage 4 neighbouring houses were empty - bought by foreign investors. This contributes to the housing shortages, which has lead to overcrowding, people living in garages or in their cars. This is at it's worst in Auckland,but also happening in Wellington The govt has made some changes & has freed up more land for housing, but it will take a while for things to settle down - if they do.

[Lesley]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "OK re housing and land in NZ - while the wealthy foreigners have bought large chunks of land, of equal concern is the foreigners buying homes as investments One of my husband's brothers lies in the..."

There's still a heck of a lot of land around the Hutt Valley where state houses used to be and have been demolished because they were deemed earthquake risk. Most of these houses were on quarter acre plots of land, but now that prime land just remains empty - acres of it - and the government pays a firm to mow it!! Why don't they just get there bottoms into gear and build new houses on it!!!

Carol, you shouldn't have got me started on this, especially when I saw my taxes paying for lawn mowing of empty sections again today.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

There was something on TV last week about shortages of plumbers affecting new housing being built.

Where I am there has always been a shortage of rental properties.

A huge section of land (it really was a hidden gem)not far from where I live has just gone up for tender, but a woman I work with is a neighbour & she says it is believed there are a lot of Maori artifacts on the property which will hold up any potential building.

[Susan in NC]

Wow - I've heard the same about NY City and London, the most exclusive buildings and neighborhoods full of empty foreign-owned units and homes - greed! Forget it forces prices up for actual residents...so sorry you have to deal with this in your beautiful country, I figured it was tucked away enough to be safe. Damn Hobbit movies, now everyone knows how gorgeous it is!

[Karlyne]

Susan in NC wrote: "Wow - I've heard the same about NY City and London, the most exclusive buildings and neighborhoods full of empty foreign-owned units and homes - greed! Forget it forces prices up for actual residen..."

I would never have thought about such a housing shortage and foreign investors being a NZ problem - I blame the Hobbits, too, Susan! In Idaho, we blame the Californians...

[Critterbee❇]

I think foreign interest in New Zealand predates Hobbits!

Years ago, when I was in high school (about 16 years old) I called the New Zealand embassy in the US to ask about moving there. The so very nice gentleman who got stuck answering my questions was very patient and respectful. I wonder how many similar calls he answered.

[Karlyne]

Critterbee wrote: "I think foreign interest in New Zealand predates Hobbits!

Years ago, when I was in high school (about 16 years old) I called the New Zealand embassy in the US to ask about moving there. The so ve..."

A friend and I both checked out on-line forms a few years ago to see what requirements would need to be met, but when we realized how hard it would be to get our families there, too, we sort of let it devolve into a sweet dream!

[Abigail]

Sadly, the real estate speculator problem is a huge one here in the San Francisco Bay area as well. One estimate I heard was that a third of the condo units in the city proper are held by non-resident foreign individuals or entities. So prices have spiraled to unaffordable levels and very few units are available. Some of the speculators use their properties for AirBNB, but most simply stand empty.

[Karlyne]

Abigail wrote: "Sadly, the real estate speculator problem is a huge one here in the San Francisco Bay area as well. One estimate I heard was that a third of the condo units in the city proper are held by non-resid..."

Good grief! I really wasn't aware of the "why" of housing shortages and spiraling prices (because I hadn't even thought of it), but just figured that it was because so many people are moving to the cities. But empty housing? That's crazy!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Reading the news about the terrorist attack in London. No words.

[Teresa]

Yes and I didn't rest easy until my daughter text me that she was safe!!! Nerve racking.

[Karlyne]

The world is a crazy, scary place, and it's much worse when your kids aren't sitting right beside you!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Karlyne wrote: "The world is a crazy, scary place, and it's much worse when your kids aren't sitting right beside you!"

Yes, because these things are happening to someone's child, Could be yours.

Our boy is a shocker about staying in contact. It usually takes days to track him down. :<

[Karlyne]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "The world is a crazy, scary place, and it's much worse when your kids aren't sitting right beside you!"

Yes, because these things are happening to someone's child, Could be yours.
..."

And all mamas have the idea that as long as we can actually SEE our kids, we can keep them safe. Silly, but there it is. And I hate it when they wander off without keeping me informed. Oh, well, at least facebook helps...

[Susan in NC]

Karlyne wrote: "Critterbee wrote: "I think foreign interest in New Zealand predates Hobbits!

Years ago, when I was in high school (about 16 years old) I called the New Zealand embassy in the US to ask about movi..."

I'm with you, it's a daydream! Now the Californians fleeing high prices and swarming into Washington, Oregon and Idaho I have heard of...

[Susan in NC]

Abigail wrote: "Sadly, the real estate speculator problem is a huge one here in the San Francisco Bay area as well. One estimate I heard was that a third of the condo units in the city proper are held by non-resid..."

I knew SF was crazy expensive, but I had no idea there were so many empty units, I thought it was just because it was beautiful and a great city that a lot of tech types want to live in and that was pushing up housing prices. Live and learn!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

One of Marty's brothers is an Auckland fireman & he has moved to our little town. It's a 1.5 hour commute for him, but he is allowed to stay at the station when he is too tired to come home.

[Susan in NC]

Makes it doable, good for him!

[Abigail]

Susan in NC wrote, “I thought it was just because it was beautiful and a great city that a lot of tech types want to live in and that was pushing up housing prices.”

Well, that too!

[Karlyne]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "One of Marty's brothers is an Auckland fireman & he has moved to our little town. It's a 1.5 hour commute for him, but he is allowed to stay at the station when he is too tired to come home."

An hour and a half each way?

[Susan in NC]

Off the topic, but hope all of our friends Down Under are safe from Cyclone Debbie affecting Queensland! Be safe.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Susan in NC wrote: "Off the topic, but hope all of our friends Down Under are safe from Cyclone Debbie affecting Queensland! Be safe."

Yes I must just check our members' list as I think we have at least one who lives in Queensland.

My daughter well south of the affected area, but they had a lot of rain. So did we. There was some surface flooding on some streets in our town, but as yet, I haven't heard of any damage.

[Susan in NC]

Phew! Nice welcome for Chloe, eh?! Glad she was ok!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Susan in NC wrote: "Phew! Nice welcome for Chloe, eh?! Glad she was ok!"

Oh, I don't think it affected her too much, other than general sadness. She has been having a great time!

I missed a meeting about law & order in my town. Sounds like I should have attended. Our police station now doesn't have a receptionist. After hours the police come from a town 20 minutes away. We are at the south of our peninsula. I hate to think what the "service" is like for those at the north.