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message 101:
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Nicole
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Dec 10, 2010 10:53AM
I'll have to try that sometime! Thanks! :-)
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For all the smile-giving and receiving: 
It makes our world (and this little space) a pleasanter place.
Happy New Year from this corner of the world also. (Belated cause I had too much football to watch yesterday!) Anyone else like college and/or pros? I favor college.
New question: do you set reading goals for yourself? e.g. a certain number of books to be read or to exhaust all titles from a particular author...
I don't set explicit reading goals as such for myself. Since I read every opportunity I get, I don't need the inducement of a "goal" to read more books; and I'm more interested in the quality of the books I read than the number of volumes. There are certain writers whose titles I want to eventually exhaust --Austen and Dickens, for example. But I don't set any time frame for myself in which this HAS to be completed.
Interesting question, Reggia.No, I don't set a goal of reading a certain number of books per year, per month, etc.
(But I did, last year, hurry to finish a book so the total for the year was a nice, even 50.)
I keep a list of books I'm interested in reading someday. If I really like an author and his/her body of work is of a manageable size, I might want to read it all. Unless/until I get to a book I don't like, and then I become more choosy.
I never used to set any goals, but I did set what I considered some "manageable" ones this year because I wanted to make sure I varied my reading. Although I read all the time, I wanted to be more intentional about what I'm reading.
It's cold and snowy here! We've been having more snow this winter (and last winter) than we've had for about the 15 years preceding. We do have warmer intervals, and our snow cover had about all melted yesterday --just in time for us to be covered again by a heavy, driving snowfall last night and this morning, with temperatures below freezing, so it's laying. But as far as I know, there's no power outages in the area, so Barb and I are warm and snug indoors tonight!
I love reading. One of my favorite moments is that satisfying feeling when you've finished one and anticipate what to read next. I just finished the Girl with Dragon Tatoo trilogy. Too bad the author died and never knew what a hit he had and we'll never see more from him.
Now on Storm Prey by John Sanford (disappointing cause I liked his over books) and The Red Church on my Kindle.
Warming up to 50s here tho we have had snow in April! Killed my apricots one year.
Now on Storm Prey by John Sanford (disappointing cause I liked his over books) and The Red Church on my Kindle.
Warming up to 50s here tho we have had snow in April! Killed my apricots one year.
Hang in there, you poor, snowbound folks! :)
We're not supposed to judge books we haven't read, but I have ZEE-ROH (spelled that way for emphasis) interest in reading Larsen's The Girl... books. They just sound ugly to me. I feel too strongly about misogyny and violence against women as it is.
I enjoyed the Larsen Trilogy. They do deal with some difficult subjects and I understand folks resistance to read them. The first one is a slow start. But I find Lisbeth and other female characters very strong and inspiring. I like the fact that Larsen creates an amazing, multifaceted creature who overcomes a very rough start ~ family issues, government issues and so much more. And she does it on her own. No big strong hero to the rescue. Nice change of pace.
Charly and Ruth, I know Larsen is supposed to be making a point that mistreatment of women is a terrible thing. I know a lot of people liked the books. But I can take only so much--like maxing out on "Law & Order".Send us some dumptrucks full of snow to spread on the ground. We're dry.
Some of my Goodreads friends have liked Larsen's trilogy (and/or some of the movies), and I've read about it both on and off of Goodreads. I'd have to say I'm in the same position as Callista! Lisbeth sounds like the sort of heroine that I readily respect and admire; and I think Larsen's message is on target. But the really graphic depictions of violent sexual abuse that I understand he uses to deliver the message would, I think, be something I wouldn't want to read or view.
Covers don't mean much. One author I talked to was so mad about her cover on one of her books. It had the chars all wrong, wrong hair color and body type, etc. And like the old bodice ripper romances, most of the couples on the front did not look like or even resemble the ones in the books.
Segue? ...But, anyway: covers. Some of those things are downright embarrassing. And I would be a bit peeved if someone's cover depiction of my characters wasn't even in the ballpark.
We dealt with a lot of that in the Upper Peninsula of MI. Snowed 2 weeks straight one year. Always got 250=300 inches of snow. The year after we left they got 360! They had roof shoveling parties.
Yikes! Hope it at least looks pretty. Don' t work too hard. I have a picture of our Saab Sonnet (2 seater sports car) parked in Hancock, MI (see above) with shoveled banks on either side about 10 feet high. But when you are young you can throw that high!
LOL @ widening the drivewaySounds like some very serious snow, Syra.
Yes, the covers should match the contents.
I hope Kipahni will be safe--her and everyone else (good) there, too. It's at least encouraging that the military so far seems to be on the people's side. I hope their big march today goes peacefully. Down with dictators!!!We now have snow of our own in NM. It's supposed to get wicked awful tonight.
Charly, I just prayed for her, and for the whole crisis situation over there!
Does anyone else watch Jeopardy!? Did anyone see the human champions vs. Watson-the-IBM-supercomputer games this week? Interesting, but I'm not afraid of computers taking over yet. :-)
Callista, I don't watch much TV, but there's been a discussion of this week's Jeopardy in another Goodreads group I belong to. From what was said there, I gather that Watson's victory was hardly very surprising: it was specifically engineered for this competition, and had the advantage of being able to press the buzzer immediately to answer, without being delayed by slower flesh-and-blood reflexes. It didn't necessarily "know" more answers than the human contestants did; it just responded more quickly.No, this doesn't indicate that computers can "take over." :-) They can store and rapidly process information provided by humans who program them; but they don't have any volition or will of their own beyond their programming.
I was more surprised by how many questions it got wrong. I also didn't see the whole episode, but they shared clips and it made me wonder that it made guesses about questions it didn't know the answer to. It is interesting to think about. The folks at IBM are thrilled with how it went - of course.
Glad you enjoyed the play, Charly. I confess I've never seen that one.Back to Watson--yes, Werner, it was largely a matter of speed that gave the computer an edge. Lee, it seemed to me that the computer wasn't able to process the more complex clues. Like the final Jeopardy! answert about which city has airports named for a WWII battle and a war hero. When it was a more straightforward thing, Watson did well. Even I can get some of the things right without having all the info, just by the way the clue is worded. Like they had one about which colleges a certain writer taught at. I didn't know about the colleges, but the clue identified the person as "this Narnia author", so I knew it was C.S. Lewis (and so did Watson).
You're welcome, Charly. Glad to hear that news!
I'm glad your friend is safe, too, Charly!
Strange new trend in book covers I've just noticed: portraits of the backs of women's heads.
But golf was invented by the *Scots*!!! ;p
Sping is coming! Redbuds are blooming. Our temps are up to 70s and southern NM hit 90!
Yeah, Charly, I figured you were going for the Green reference. I just couldn't resist the temptation to rib you a little. ;)
Charly wrote: "By the way.....just wanted to let you know that I have heard from my friend Kip who was in Egypt. She is safe and back in the states and her husband joins her this weekend.Thanks for your prayers ..."
Charly, I am so happy to hear good news, I know it has been scary there for a while now.
So excited about Spring! Charly, we're taking our OSC kids out Mini Golfing next week as a Spring Break trip!
The Crucous' are pushing up everywhere and the days are getting less rainy/snowy/gray and miserable. Soon it will be warm enough to wash down the back balcony and start looking for lazyboy furniture to set out there so I can spend Saturday mornings wrapped in a blanket, a hot macciato in one hand and my Kobo in the other while the sun rises.
Callista wrote: "Charly and Ruth, I know Larsen is supposed to be making a point that mistreatment of women is a terrible thing. I know a lot of people liked the books. But I can take only so much--like maxing out ..."You are right, but what shocks me is how glossed over the violence is in the books as opposed to how vivid and terrifying it is in the movies. I am enjoying how strong Salander is - she knows how to protect herself and circumvent a social system that is not always set up to benifit or help women.
I fell again and will spend the month having MRIs, doctor appts., Spine Clinic visits, heating pad and Vicodin AGAIN, so won't be on much. Can't sit long or type.
But spring is here, blossoming trees and warmer temps. Southern NM actually got up to 90! We are in 70s.
But spring is here, blossoming trees and warmer temps. Southern NM actually got up to 90! We are in 70s.
Sorry to hear about your latest trials, Syra.Charly, Spring in definitely here for NM. Though the March winds needs to get a clue and go away now.
Syra, you have our sympathy; you're being prayed for! Hang in there.
Syra, that sucks. I hope you feel better soon and I understand your pain, don't forget ice will help with nerve pain. I was on serious painkillers until I went to a local spine clinic (Backfit) and the guy there told me most of my pain is nerve damage and ice works far better on nerve pain than painkillers and heat. Your in my thoughts and prayers.Spring is here, but the random intervals of rain is killing the atmosphere at work.
So sorry about the fall, Syra. I, too, hope you have a comfy place to read while recuperating.Spring made a brief appearance here before summer burst its way in. 97° today and my first swim of the season. I'm ready to relax and enjoy it before it gets even hotter. Have had alot to deal with these past months.
Seems like it Reggia. But we are thinking of you and sending best wishes to make it thru and get it over with. Take care.
Thanks for all the good wishes.
Thanks for all the good wishes.
Perhaps nature's original renewable energy source
Teehee. Quite true. :-)
American League east? What is that -- baseball?
People add posts to their update feeds? I wasn't aware of this. Guess that's like adding updates to one's Facebook wall... Perhaps hoping someone out there may relate to it, I dunno. For me, I used to participate in a number of forums of varying interests so I had differing venues depending on what I wanted to share.
Goodreads' default setting is automatically for our comments in our various groups to be posted to our update feed. It's possible to un-check that box, but the idea of doing so never occurred to me until Charly posted yesterday.There are reasons, I think, why the Goodreads management picked the default setting they did. True, posts in a particular group are primarily for that group. But sometimes my friend's posts even in groups I don't belong to interest me; they help me get to know the person's tastes and opinions better, and I may be interested in the subject they're posting about. A few times I've even clicked on the whole discussion to read more of it; and I've joined at least one group just as a result of reading or noticing some of my friends' many posts in it. I don't know if people in my circle feel the same way about my posts, but no one has ever complained about them.
Charly, if there is, I'm not aware of it, and didn't find it just now when I clicked on "edit my user profile." Do you belong to the Goodreads Feedback group? That would be a good place to bring up this question.
A certain Baltimore team? Ooh, that would be mine! and they're in first place? Awesome! :-D
Thanks, Charly! I'd looked in the wrong place, too.
Good call, Charly! I just returned from the Grand Canyon. We were only there for the weekend but I had a heavy workweek preparing for it. My boss seemed to misunderstand that this was supposed to my vacation and not just my scheduled weekend off. :\ Anyway, it was awesome to see and it's back to work tomorrow.How's summer going? Vacation plans anyone or just enjoying the good weather at home. It is hot here -- welcomed back at a toasty 106°.
My wife Barb and I are having a good (though busy) summer, and hope everyone else is, too! Here, our temperatures aren't quite at 106 degrees, but it's been very hot --generally in the high 80s or 90s for most of the day. If circumstances permit, next week we hope to spend a few days with Barb's side of the family, as we try to do as often as possible during the summer. (So I'll be mostly offline at that time.)
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Picture of Dorian Gray (other topics)Great Expectations (other topics)
Travels With Myself and Another (other topics)
