Introductions and Welcomes Showing 801-850 of 2,568

[[deleted user]]

Richard wrote: "I just realized I never introduced myself. I just sort of dropped in and started blundering about like a bull in a china shop. Well, that's typical – my social skills are a tad deficient.

Ok, he..."

LOL! same for me, glad not to be alone...Air Force brat....

[Jan (the Gryphon)]

Shall I step up as a Representative from Kansas?

I've been living in Wichita, KS for the past 35 years. Originally from Iowa, I married a man whose job took us from border to border, coast to coast. We even spent a few months in Puerto Rico. No, not military--government contractor. Anyway, when our son had been in eight schools before starting Second Grade, we settled here.

I am now a drafter and configuration management specialist (if you can spell it, you can do it.) I am also a published author of short stories and a less than mediocre poet. I used to write the grammar column for WRITING.com's Novel Workshop News.

My husband of 42 years and I share housespace with a Jack Russel terrier as our two only children have moved out and taken their trappings out of the basement and garage.

I'm usually reading in the romantic, fantasy, mystery or science fiction genres, but also read biographies and histories that interest me. Lord knows where all those cookbooks came from, as my idea of cooking is it's done when the smoke alarm goes off.

[Ken, Moderator]

Rock chalk jayhawk or hawkeye, welcome to the L&G House of Fun, Janice. That's an impressive resume you have there!

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Hi Janice.....have fun here!

[Ruth]

I have lots of cookbooks, too. I read them like novels.

[Ken, Moderator]

So what is the climax of The Joy of Cooking? The chicken diablo, perhaps?

[Catamorandi]

Hi. I'm Randi. I was here about a year ago as Cat. I have five cookbooks, and I think that I have made one thing so far. I enjoy reading (obviously), writing, and crafts. Currently, I am reading HP and the Sorcerer's Stone.

[Catamorandi]

Thank you, Gabi. I have heard the name Anne McCaffrey but have never read anything by her. The title sounds good. Most of the things I have heard about her are good. I think I'll try a book by her next.

[Ken, Moderator]

Welcome back, Randi. I've read... um... three of the HPs. For professional purposes, of course.

[Jan (the Gryphon)]

Well, y'all just have to read all 7 HPs aloud to your children. I read Tolkein to my kids, so they were thrilled when HP/Sorceror's Stone was published. They had already moved out of the house. I had to read HP to the dog.

[Nicole]

LOL! Lucky dog! Welcome, Janice.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

I read screeds to my kids at school....always do The Hobbit, but I just don't think HP is a good one to read aloud....some books are better read by oneself.

[Nicole]

Why isn't HP good to read aloud? Too much dialogue?

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

I think that might be it.......I couldn't wait to read it aloud, having enjoyed it myself....but it was just not right.

[Jan (the Gryphon)]

Ah! I suppose I enjoy doing the dialogue more than some... frustrated actor?

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

I enjoy acting out dialogue too....it's my piece de resistance! But it's like there is too much of it without enough explanation....kids tend to lose the thread. I know that some children commented that it was not as good as reading it themselves either. Yet with the other books I read aloud, they love them. And I read a varied lot! Have a look at the read-aloud bookshelf on my profile if you are curious!

[Nicole]

I'll have a look.

[Pablo]

Hello there!

My name is Pablo, I'm 20 years old and currently living in Spain, although I've lived five years abroad (one in the US and four in England). I study law and hope to work in the international law field sometime in the future. Fortunately, law school doesn't keep me away from dedicating a fair share of my precious time to reading, one of my deadly habits. Some of my favourite authors are Woolf, Salinger, Steinbeck, Stefan Zweig, Borges, Dostoyevski etc.

I love words and everything related, especially funny/ingenious word play.

[Ken, Moderator]

Hola, Pablo. You've come to the right spot. My co-host, Debbie, plays with words for a living. She's also funny (check) and ingenious (check), though not Czech (check).

I see you picked up funny spelling in England (i.e. "favourite"). If it had been 4 years in the States to one in Jolly Olde, you'd have spelled it "favorite." BTW, where did you stay in Los Estados Un-unitos?

P.S. Stefan Zweig? That name's a new one on me.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Hi Pablo! Don't listen to NE and his warped ideas on spelling....you use u's all you like.....I do!!!!

[Ken, Moderator]

U should throw it away, Pablo. Take it from me -- we won the war.

[Pablo]

Newengland wrote: "Hola, Pablo. You've come to the right spot. My co-host, Debbie, plays with words for a living. She's also funny (check) and ingenious (check), though not Czech (check).

I see you picked up fu..."

Heh, yeah, I love the British way of spelling. It stuck, I guess.

As for where I lived in the US, it was in Indianapolis, back when I was three years old.

And Stefan Zweig is one of the best European authors of the 20th century, very popular in his time. It's just a shame that not all his works have been translated into English, contrary to what's occurred here in Spain, where pretty much his whole oeuvre is available. He's one of the best.

[Ken, Moderator]

I just searched his name here on GoodReads and came up with a half dozen English translations:

Chess Story, Marie Antoinette, The World of Yesterday, Beware of Pity, The Post-Office Girl, Amok and Other Stories, etc.

So, Pablo, which title would you suggest for a neophyte in search of "the next great find" among writers? Sometimes I feel like I'll never find another Tolstoy, Turgenev, or Twain (I guess it would help if his last name ended with a "T").

[Pablo]

'Beware of Pity' if you want a really great novel (it was the first I read of his) or 'The World of Yesterday' if you're in the mood for an autobiography of sorts which perfectly reflects pre and post-WWI Europe.

'Marie Antoinette', on the other hand, is one of his best biographies (he wrote quite a lot of them).

'Chess Story' is arguably one of his best short stories, and one of his most popular.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

"U should throw it away, Pablo. Take it from me -- we won the war."

Now isn't that JUST like a man! NE....it ain't necessarily so!

[Gina]

Hi, I'm Gina. I'm new to Goodreads and this group! I'm a composition instructor in southern California. I'm looking forward to combing through the discussion threads!

[Ken, Moderator]

Hi, Gina, and welcome. Good luck with that combing. I think you'll find a lot of snarls (but more smiles).

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

G'day Gina....welcome aboard!!

[Ruth]

Hi Gina, I'm a SoCalian, too.

[M]

Hi,
My name is Melanie, I'm 18 and hail from Brisbane in Australia.
I'm new to Goodreads upon recommendation by a friend and fellow book lover.

Not much else to say except I am a photography student, addicted to music and books, love the English and German languages and am always keen for a good chat.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Hi M, from across the ditch! Welcome to the playground!!

[Ken, Moderator]

Hi Melanie, I'm from across the world, about as far as you can possibly get from Brisbane in Australia. Most people like that distance from me. In any event, welcome aboard and throw as much language and grammar as you will (the furniture is old and it's all been knocked over before, anyway).

[M]

Wow, what a kind greeting.
Hope to talk to you all soon enough.

[Ken, Moderator]

Was Two-N Helenn ever here? I scrolled back a few feet but saw no sign (neon or otherwise).

[Ken, Moderator]

Advanced years? I'm only freakin' 38!

[Ken, Moderator]

Mom told me to NEVER post a pikcha on the Internet. Bad policy. And "those girls" are always joshin' about my age -- saying I was born during the William McKinley Administration and such truck. Hilarious.

[Ken, Moderator]

There. Briefly. For you. Limited time only.

[Ken, Moderator]

Um... Jennifer Aniston?

[Ruth]

Oh, NE, what a disappointment. A picture, I thought, a picture! At long last, a picture!

Then it turned out to be that other guy who's not nearly as handsome as you.

Pouts.

[Ken, Moderator]

Aw, shucks. Actually I had a pic of myself at a teacher site, but now I'm off that site because the administrator (yes, a teacher) censored one of my posts (I made the mistake of calling the "shipping and handling" charges of his publisher the "highway and robbery" charge). Sheesh. Talk about thin skin. And teachers are supposedly knee-jerk anti-censorship (yeah, right).

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Must have been one of those liberal, tree-hugging, politically-correct-to-the-point-of-insanity ones!

[Ken, Moderator]

Or one who cares all too much about sales of his books (as if one comment about S&H would put a dent in them).

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

I hate it when unimaginative and mentally pedestrian people become teachers....

[Ken, Moderator]

Miss Pelling was my 2nd grade teacher.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Can teachers be transferred where you are Gabi? Doesn't happen here......teachers themselves decide when/where/if they move on (unless they are guilty of gross misconduct).

[[deleted user]]

I want to go to work where you are Gabi :) Where do I sign up??

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Our education systems are quite similar Gabi, and both are better than many in the US.

[Ken, Moderator]

He-e-e-e-y.

[Ken, Moderator]

Quick. Someone introduce himself or herself. This thread is being derailed by Ed U. Cation (a guy I'm avoiding this week).

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Alfalfa? Wrong thread? ????

And NE....I said better than MANY in the US....I am sure some of the Education Boards in some of your states are as good.......possibly......do you even have a National curriculum or is that up to each state/district as well?