Introductions and Welcomes Showing 301-350 of 2,568

[Sandi]

Happy birthday to you, Bunxena!

[rabbitprincess]

*finds giant birthday cake in cupboard and starts serving it up* :)

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Is it today Bunxena? Many happies!! What flavour cake is it?

[rabbitprincess]

Thanks, Debbie! I guess it is my birthday already over there. May 20, that's me.

And the cake is whatever flavour you want it to be -- that's the beauty of a virtual cake. ;) My piece is going to be death by chocolate. Yum!

[Ken, Moderator]

I'm a lemon cake (with cream cheese frosting) guy myself. Happy Birthday, Bunx!

[rabbitprincess]

Thanks, Newengland! Your mentioning lemon cake just reminded me of these lemon coconut (or cocoanut, even) squares one of my friends makes. Sooooo good...very sweet, though, so we can never have more than two at a time.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Speaking of lemons....mmmmm.....pie!!!!!!!
I make a wicked chocolate brandy gateau Bunny....and it is the 20th here so I'll TRY to save you some!!!

[Walter]

Hi, I'm Walter. I don't really do much, I have a B.A. and work in a restaurant (sadly). Every once in a while I'll write a book review for a local alt-weekly. Um...that's it really.

[Ken, Moderator]

So, Walter. What's a great book you've reviewed lately?

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

G'day Walter. Why do you work in a restaurant sadly....try it happily instead!

[The Singer of All Songs]

hello, i guess i cant avoid an introduction yeah, newengland ;P

hmm, my nickname: the singer of all songs is actually chosen after a book i was very mesmerized over. yes, i know, in retrospect i would laugh over the name too- a lame name.. but, hehs, i cant come up with a better one as of yet..

[Tyler]

i cant come up with a better one as of yet..

How about "The Muse"?

[Walter]

I was just working on one for vonnegut's last: Armageddon in Retrospect.

And as far as to why do i work in a restaurant sadly, well have you ever worked in a restaurant? (haha, sorry to be so cynical, but I'll admit, sometimes I'm happy at work.)

[[deleted user]]

Yea, more people have introduced themselves! Welcome Walter and Singer!

[Ken, Moderator]

relyt -- very a-Musing advice for Singer there. I haven't heard of a book with that title, but maybe I'm listening to the wrong stations.

Walter -- Have you read that scathing book written by the rogue chef whose name I cannot recall? Probably you know it, and I have no idea if it would make you more "sadly" or more "happily" (to misuse adverbs).

[[deleted user]]

Gordon Ramsay?

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

I did waitress in a restaurant in my misspent youth (to reduce an overdraft run up having a good time!). I was happy most of the time....unless being groped by Japanese businessmen. Dropping a stack of plates on their shoes proved an effective deterrent!
And Gordon Ramsay rocks!

[The Singer of All Songs]

nah, newengland, my books are those of fantasy, BUT, not those kind of fluffy no-brainer fantasy. i just like reading those books for a different kind-of world, very far away from any real-world likeness, a different kind-of interpretation.. and always more preferably a magical world.

so there's nothing wrong with your stations.



oh relyt, i would sooner you change your name to "The Mused" before i change mine. afterall, you were the one that was a-mused.

[Ken, Moderator]

Yeah, only relyt would spell "Mused" as "Desum." He lives in a mirror world and comes to us via the Looking Glass (like Alice).

[Stamatia]

Hello !
Debbie invited me to introduce myself in another thread, so here goes.
I'm 40, a mother of two (three if you count DH), work long hours in a bank and I'm a book addict.Any and all kinds of books (if it has writing on it I'm liable to pick it up and try to read it). My favourites right now are fantasy and romance - the kind of books that would purge my mind from everyday worries.
I live amid the olive trees, on top of a hill overlooking the Aegean, on the island of Samos. Great little island, I love it.
Love to you all.
Stamatia

[Ken, Moderator]

What??? You actually LIVE (as opposed to vacation) on a Greek Isle??? Jealousy, thy name is New England.

So, have you ever seen the B-Movie Summer Lovers starring Daryl Hannah and filmed on the Greek Isles. Sigh. Looked great (no matter the poor quality of the storyline).

Anyway, welcome aboard. Interesting that you have two kids and a Designated Hitter (DH). Didn't know they played baseball in the heat of the Aegean.

Oh. And say hi to Calypso next time you see her...

[Stamatia]

Yes, I do LIVE on a Greek Isle.You know, even though I was born here, my family had to move to Athens when I was about 4. When we moved back here in 2004 it took me about a year ( during which I was working full time ) to realise I was not on vacation. And no I don't have a Designated Hitter - we don't do baseball here only soccer and a bit of basketball. I do have a Dear Hubby though who needs as much tending as another kid most of the time.
It's been nice chatting
Have a nice time (it's 10.30 at night here what is it over there?)

[Ken, Moderator]

Well, when you posted that, it was 3:30 in the afternoon on the right coast of the Hardly United States. That means you're 7 hours ahead of us. G'night, Stamatia.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Singer of All Songs. I've read that Chanters of Tremaris series from which I suspect you derived your name. It's a good one, though the final volume was... peculiar.

You know, Newengland, my eyes deceived me a moment ago and I could have sworn you wrote "Designated Hitler." If that had been the case--my goodness--Stamatia, you lucked out having a Dear Hubby instead, even if he is like a kid at times. :-)

[Ken, Moderator]

"Now batting for all of Europe..."

[[deleted user]]

*laughing hysterically*

[The Singer of All Songs]

hey lee, i'm glad you read it and liked it. and recognize my name too!

its a relief to know that at least someone knows i dont actually mean I am the singer of all songs. haha!

yeah, newengland?? *winks* i sort of thought you had that idea when you asked me for a song or something..

[Catamorandi]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I have changed my name from Andi to Catamorandi.

[Ken, Moderator]

Is that a catamaran reference? The change was a breeze, after all...

[Julie (jjmachshev)]

All right, I've come out of the...aether (I guess) or lurkdom to join this festive frolic of prolific punners. How's that?

My name is Julie and I am a readaholic. I am also retired from the USAF after 20 years and am now working for the government (again), but this time I choose what to wear!!

I'm just having a blast here on goodreads. Am also on Librarything as jjmachshev. Hope to enjoy some erudite and educational exchanges.

all out of alliteration for the day
J

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Julie! Nice alliteration, by the by :)

[Catamorandi]

NE - As a matter of fact, that is a catamoran reference. I wanted to get cat and Andi in the same word, so I thought it was a cute play on words.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Welcome Julie...no scintillating sentences from me....I am all partied out!

[Ken, Moderator]

Catandi -- Yes, very cute mix there.

Julie -- An official WELCOME! We won't make any oxymoronic jokes about "government workers," I promise.

[Julie (jjmachshev)]

NE - Whyever not? I do all the time!!
J

[Manish]

Hi everyone!!!
I am Manish from India. Presently a student of German Language. I love either to have a book in my hand or to get stuck to the web of world (www). I mostly read books on my computer....can get easily and free of cost :)
I love the word games going on in this forum. i am looking forward to read a book in german written by some german author but I still have to improve my german to that level.
My first language is Hindi, native to India and I am trying to improve my english also. I would love to have any suggestions from anyone to help me improve my english.
:)

[Ken, Moderator]

Hi Manish, and welcome. You should be proud if you can master German. I tried and failed many years ago. It seemed like every sentence in German was as long as the Autobahn.

Anyway, the more you interact with English-speaking peoples, the better you'll be! That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Manish! How exciting-- we're becoming even more global here at L&G!

[Manish]

Thanks for the help. I am going in August to Germany to master this language. I can read books after that. I tried to read one book in German called "Momo", a story of a girl who wants to save time. It was too much for me. I couldn't understand everything but could get the story of that book.
I read books to learn new words and I learn them also but it seems that after sometime I have forgotten them. I get really irritated of this.

[Manish]

Thanks Sarah.

[Laura]

Hello Manish! I am studying German also...just beginning though. I understand that German is supposed to be easier for English speakers because they're "sister languages" but I'm pretty sure that's not true. I find it to be difficult, frankly. I have found that reading news articles is a great way to reinforce what you've learned, they're shorter and mostly related to current events...that way you have some understanding of the subject matter. Tseuss!

[Ken, Moderator]

Laura -- I've heard that same rumor about English and German being from the same Anglo-Saxon-Germanic (or whatever) branch of the lingual tree and thus easier for speakers to interchangeably learn.

Uh, no. French was much easier for me, even though it's from that "furriner" branch, the Romantic limb. I've studied Spanish and found it easier than German as well... only I kept planting French words among the Spanish (much to my Spanish professor's consternation).

[[deleted user]]

Ja. From what my linguistics prof told us, sister languages can be harder since you have to unlearn certain things.

[Ken, Moderator]

If it walks like a canard and quacks like a canard...

[Marian]

Until the Norman invasion of 1066, English (or Anglo-Saxon) a branch of the Germanic (or Norse) language was the language spoken by all levels of society. Then the Normans installed themselves as the ruling class & Norman French (A mixture of Latin brought to Gaul by Roman invaders) and Norse (Brought to the coast of Normandy by raiders from Scandanavia who settled there & inter-married with the French) became the language of England's ruling class & because it was spoken by the aristocracy, all the aristocratic wanna-be's starting speaking French & when you study English today, there are usually several several words that mean the same thing (ie "boat" "vessel" "ship" ect. - "boat" being the sam as the German "das But") So when you learn English, you are learning several languages at once. I found learning German in Hi School really easy, however, in elementary school we were taught French starting in the 1st. grade, & I had all kinds of trouble with the pronounciation. What helped me the most with learning French was the Latin that we used in Church. It also helped when I did a crash course in spanish, but I also mixed up French & Spanish words. This sounds dumb, but I've always enjoyed tracing words back to their original roots -- often they end up Latin. It would be really neat to get some kind of instruction in the Indus Valley language that is believed to be the base of most European languages.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Surely the 'English' spoken pre-Norman would have been already heavily laced with Latin, owing to the fact that the Romans ruled Britain for about 400 years?

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

So the language pre-Germanic England spoke was wiped out when the Angles etc invaded? Surely some, including Latin additions, survived?

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

I have been doing a little research. Wikipedia says:

The Germanic tribes who gave rise to the English language (the Angles, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes and perhaps even the Franks), traded with and fought with the Latin-speaking Roman Empire in the centuries-long process of the Germanic peoples' expansion into Western Europe from the East. Many Latin words for common objects therefore entered the vocabulary of these Germanic people even before any of these tribes reached Britain; examples include camp, cheese, cook, fork, inch, kettle, kitchen, linen, mile, mill, mint (coin), noon, pillow, pin, pound, punt (boat), street, and wall. The Romans also gave English words which they had themselves borrowed from other languages: anchor, butter, chest, devil, dish, sack and wine.

[Tyler]

But regardless of early influences, the major Latinization within English came on the heels of the Norman invasion, via French.

[Ken, Moderator]

Who is this Norman fellow and why was he so bellicose?