Random Thread of Naughty Thoughts Showing 651-700 of 7,100

[[deleted user]]

Lori don't search for spider bites online because their are some intensely gross bites. People missing whole limbs from the deadly poison. Just watch out for the deadly spiders!

[Petra X]

My son was bitten by either a scorpion or a spider when he was in kindergarten. Nobody believed him so they didn't call me until his leg swelled up. It went down quite quickly though although the area around the bite was sore for nearly a week.

[She'Davia]

At 12:47 AM on October 6, 2008 She'Davia began to cry as she felt her heart break a little...

...I will leave it at that.

[Mandy]

Random thought - I just had coffee but I feel tired, my eyes are ready to close - could be because I've been staring at my computer screen for a while now. Anyhoo, back to it.

[Jeane]

Petra X, where did you stay in Italy?
I know Italy is soooo great to be:-)
Now that autumn started all the colors are cganging and it is so different and beautiful.
And I can walk through the leaves again!!!! Love that.

[Charity]

Thanks Beth! I DID enjoy my visit to the library!!

Random thought: People really should patronize their local libraries more....libraries ROCK! No better place to see your tax dollars put to good use!!

[Linda]

I guess being ignorant until after the fact was a blessing. I kiddingly told my husband that if he had moved me to TN and weeks later I was hit by a tornado, I would have been quite perturbed with him at the very least.

By the way, one of the houses that was hit was one of the Oak Ridge Boys, who lives down the road (no name dropping). Luckily for him, it didn't hit the tree that has his face carved in it (yes, folks, you heard it here).

[Jen]

His face is carved in the tree? What a way to leave a mark. I don't know the guy, but it seems you have to have a certain level of vanity to defile nature and leave an imprint of your face.

Charity - Amen to patronizing libraries! Ours is within walking distance and we love to visit. I take Hannah once a week. I'll admit that there are some books I want to own, but so many that I just assume save my pennies, support my library and check out.

[Charity]

BTW-

The Columbus Metropolitan Library (and its branches) were named (again) as the top libraries in America. Yay!!

[Angela]

Random thought: I have approximately 80 intern hours to complete before the end of October and I have to complete my portfolio, which I have to present to the panel at my school in November to get my Masters in School Counseling. My portfolio needs to contain A LOT of papers, journals and logs. So why do I have Goodreads minimized on my computer, when I should be writing a paper??

[Charity]

Ha ha! Good question, Angela. :-)

[Angela]

Yes, excellent question!! :)

[Jackie]

Angela, I do the same thing when I do school work and sometimes even at work (ahem, like now). Anytime I need a bit of a break I go on it and read the threads. I feel like I need a break more often now due to GR. =/

[Angela]

I know!! I write a couple of paragraphs and than read a few threads, write some more... so on and so on. At work, I try not to even sign on GR because I actually keep busy... but at home, different story.

[Beth]

Charity, you'd be glad to know that we take our 7 year old to our local library wt least once a week!

[Paula]

My youngest son was bitten by a brown recluse while he was in training at Sheppard AFB. He was very lucky as they caught it early and he's fine but I sure was scared for a while! It was in his boot I guess as he was bitten on the foot. He always shakes his shoes, boots, slippers etc. out now before putting them on!

[Beth]

Back to the creepy bug stuff...Last night my son came home from a friend's house and pulled a seashell out of his pocket. I asked him where he got it and he told me he found it in the ally. It was filthy (I could see it was packed with mud) so I told him to wash it in the bathroom sink. Well, about an hour later my husband went into the bathroom and told me there was a SLUG on the sink. He picked it up with a kleenex and was actually bringing it to me to look at! I told him he better not dare bring that thing anywhere near me! Needless to say, the shell is now outside, where it belongs. Who knows what else is surking inside it!

[Emma]

Yikes Beth! Creepy bugs don't usually freak me out....unless the spiders are huge.

[Petra X]

Jeane when I was a kid we would either go to Rimini/Riccione or San Remo for the entire summer. As an adult I've been to Venice and a few other places, but never Rome.

[Beth]

I'm freaked out about just about every kind of bug. I also freak out about bats, birds, and rodents of every kind. My sons and husband get a big kick out of me running and screaming when I see a mouse outside. And if I'm out in the yard at night and a bat flies by, I'm in the house for good! I was traumatized by a bat twice when I was younger and if one ever gets in my house I think I would literally die of terror.

[Emma]

I'm pretty scared of mice. I'm kind of funny because I can deal with spiders but I'm scared of mice. I'm totally backward.

[Petra X]

Charity, libraries are a great thing for readers. For authors and independent bookshops such as mine, they aren't. By all means support your local library but consider on buying books by first-time, self-published and local authors - and buying them in local, independent bookstores too. If first-time authors, especially self-published ones are to ever 'make it' and get publishing contracts they have to show that they can generate sales otherwise no agent or publishing company wants to take them on. If everyone just borrows the couple of books the library has, then no matter how much you love it and how good the reviews, if it doesn't translate into sales it means no money for the author and no potential money for an agent. And maybe that author people so enjoyed will be so discouraged with the sales of his/her first one they won't bother writing another one. Just something to consider.

[Angela]

Oh Emma, I am petrified of mice!!! Spiders do not scare me at all.

[Emma]

Spiders freak me out if they are huge. Otherwise, I can handle spiders. But mice are so tiny and squeaky. Plus they have the element of surprise on their side.

[Charity]

There is some validity to that argument, Petra. :-)

I want to say that the vast majority of libraries are underfunded and are able to receive more money when the number of patrons goes up.

Libraries are also an excellent way to ease the environmental strain because they are able to reach a large number of people with more limited resources. And there are just some things that are more difficult to find outside of a library...specific resources, first editions, special collections, etc....without going on a mad hunt and/or spending a lot of money.

I have been MORE encouraged to read a first-time author by borrowing a book at the library because I don't have to shell out the money upfront to find out if I enjoy their writing. However, if I do like their book, I am more inclined to buy a personal copy and also buy any future books when they become available.

Like I said, I do see some validity in your post. I think that independent booksellers, used booksellers, and libraries can contribute a lot to each other. I DO patronize all three!...and would always encourage others to do the same. :-)

My previous posts about the library were just because I love visiting the library. Such a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Plus, our library has these gorgeous soft leather chairs that I love to curl up in.

[Laura]

Emma, the element of surprise on their side, LOL!

I can feel your fear, I'm sorry, but I had to laugh!!

I'm scared of spiders & mice, but only terrified of mice.

[Emma]

Hahaha, no problem! :)

[Petra X]

I used to love visiting the library, Charity, but the one on this very wealhy little island is disgusting. The library begs books from libraries in Britain pretending to be poor and we get all the old stuff. And its musty and smells. I hope this encourages people to come to my little bookshop but I don't know, I think some people are library people, some are bookshop people, at least here.

My son has recently started college and the library there is magnificent, but almost empty. I have been itching to be allowed to order for it but so far no success.

[Petra X]

I used to have a boutique and craft shop (I am really an artist and wanted to sell my own work) and if I bought a top at $6 I could sell it from $15 to $24. But books have a discount of only 40% off the cover price from a distributor. That means a book marked $9.99 costs me $6.00. If I was in the US or UK I could return unsold books for credit meaning although I wasn't making much, I wasn't losing it either. As I live in the Caribbean the shipping would kill me and I have to add on $2 a book anyway to cover it. So you can see there is no money in the book business for independents - the chains negotiate 55% discounts and greater, I know this.

You can see from those figures that if a book is costing me $6, the distributor must make its cut which I think (judging by self-published books) is 50% so they are buying it for $3 maybe. The printer and the agent will want their cut too and how much does that leave for the author who quite likely spent years working on their oeuvre? Can't be more than a dollar and change a book.

Its not an easy business for anyone except the chains and libraries both of whom decide arbitrarily which books the public shall see. The chains choose books that will make them money (more Ludlum) and the libraries choose books their patrons will want to read (Ludlum). And the independents hope that there is a gap in the market for a more considered selection that will build them a regular clientele but they also sell... Ludlum!

[Jackie]

Mice creep me out!! Spiders also, but at least they are easier to kill.

[Emma]

Good point Jackie!

[Laura]

I'm sorry for your plight, Petra, but glad you keep pressing on! We had an independent bookseller in our little small town that went under not long after Wal-Mart came here. :(

I used to love to take a look at the variety of stuff she carried, including really interesting games, etc. that you didn't see at all the dept. stores. I'm sad she's gone.

[Petra X]

Laura - I hope you don't think its all doom and gloom. Its true the financial side is a joke. I live month-to-month and cannot save and drive 12-year old vehicles which fall apart a lot. (New clutch and brakes next week for the Suzuki jeep).

However, buying books, building up my collections, looking for really special ones, buying absolutely every book I want to read is a lot of fun. Also my customers are the best people around. Just like Goodreads people, these are people who love books. And for those who don't love books I sell cookbooks and sex books, everyone likes those :-) I've had a lot of jobs in my life and I've enjoyed most of them, but a bookshop in the Caribbean is like living a dream and I'd rather be poor here than anywhere else in the world.

[Laura]

I hear ya! Yeah, your customers must be the best. All bookies are the BEST!

[[deleted user]]

Hi Petra. You make some interesting points. As a person who buys from any place that has books AND uses the library AND dreams of owning my own bookstore, I wonder how much the library affects sales. I can say there are a lot of books I simply would not read if not for the library because I only have so much money to spend and if, say for instance, the entire group wants to read a book that is not even in paperback yet, I would not read it if not for the library and maybe I would get to it someday, maybe I wouldn't. I think the library is a cornerstone for our society, if not for people who can afford to purchase $50/month of books, for kids who don't have a budget or for adults that are doing all they can to get by. I wouldn't discourage anyone from using the libary. I think plenty of people use it and still buy books and plenty of people prefer to have their own books. I would think that the internet book companies who can store massive quantities in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere would be more threatening to an indie bookseller.

Additional thought: I spend as much as I can on books (well over 200 in my collection) and will continue to buy. The library supplements what I can't afford. I would guess that is the case for a lot of people in this group, based on many discussions I have been part of.

[Emma]

I love independent bookstores, they're so quirky. I think we all need a healthy balance of libraries and bookstores.

[She'Davia]

I'm in my schools library right now. Its huge and part of the Boston Public Library Network...

....I fell asleep in Geometry today...for like the umpteenth time. So my teach made me stand in the back of the classroom for 10 of the last 15 minutes of class. It was kind of funny. She stood me behind my ex boyfriend so he just kept writing me notes on his paper asking me yes or no questions about my boyfriend.

[[deleted user]]

I don't like mice either. They don't scare me but. The worst is my garage is detached from my hosue a family of mice live in the garage so i put decon in their. My daughter opened the garage door. my dumb dog goes in found one of the dead/decon'd mice. needless to say I had to pull a dead mouse out of his mouth. Dumb dog. I was utterly grossed out since mice have so many germs.

[Jackie]

Um...GRRROOOSSSSSS to both mice and mole stories!!! I feel like I need a shower and some sanitizer after reading that.

[Beth]

You guys are really freaking me out. Emilee, you poor girl, having to remove a dead mouse from your dog's mouth! I've got chills and tingles right now! I've seen mice running out of our garage and I know my dog would love to catch one. I keep telling my husband that he attracts mice to our yard with all the plants and wildflowers we've have in our yard. If a mouse ever gets in our house (although with 2 cats and a dog I doubt it would survive for long)he's dead meat!

[Beth]

I love Regina Spektor. Does she have a new CD?

[Petra X]

Jeremy, living in a small place with a crap library I can't say how much libraries affect bookshop sales except in one sphere. The private American school (fees $1,000-$1,350 a month) has a good library and although I get a lot of parents buying books as gifts for under ten year olds, I get very few teenagers buying books from me. The public schools don't have such up-to-date libraries and I get far more teenage sales from them.

In the UK there used to be subscription libraries. I would like to see those reintroduced everywhere. Basically, adults not in receipt of Government support and under retirement age pay a subscription and borrow as many books as they want for that. Everyone else - children, the unemployed etc. get them free. The money could be distributed in part to the authors whose books were borrowed proportionately and to purchase more books of local interest. I am only envisaging subscriptions equivalent to about 25c a book, not a lot.

[[deleted user]]

My dumb dog, is always finding either dead animals or killing them. He is smart enough to know that if he gets one to hide it. I discovered this a few months ago. Everytime he eats a dead animal (mouse, squrill, bird, ect) he gets the runs which is not fun. So I found that their are some places in the yard he hides his finds. Twice a week I put on rubber gloves & hunt for dead animals so I don't have to deal with the runs!

The mole story is pretty gross too! The things our pets do!

[[deleted user]]

I personally like both big and small chain books stores. PLus the library. It's good to have a general mix of things.

[[deleted user]]

Random thought:

Which is better "ha ha" or "LOL". I like both.

[She'Davia]

I like both, but idk, I normally write ha ha in like sarcasm, and lol for like when I'm actually laughing (although a lot of times I'm not really laughing but I feel that I should be).

[Petra X]

I like hehe too. And :-) and :-D. All kinds of smiles are good in my books.

[She'Davia]

my newest favorite smile, is one that my friend texted me yesterday when she found out that I hadnt started reading Twilight yet (it was the only way that I could get her to read a Jodi Picoult book). but yeah this is the smile;

>:-@

[Laura]

That's a great one! I like the ones that start with the furrowed brow like that one

>:)

Almost looks like (GASP) a CRICKET! or a butterfly, minus the wings...

[[deleted user]]

I must be dumb I can't find the brow for the smile! ?:)