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Need to rant?
message 51:
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Emma
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Dec 29, 2008 11:33AM
I thought it was good too Jackie, but that was before I read the book, my opinion might be different now.
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I'm sure it will be different after reading the book. Books are usually always better than the movies.
That's very true. I think the one exception for me has been the Narnia series, but other wise, the book is always better.
My rant is that what flowers am I supposed to get my mother for her birthday today when all the types she likes are out of season?!
I like the Narnia movies, so have to agree with you there. I especially liked Prince Caspian...what a cutie pie!!! What type of flowers does your mom like?
Peonies, roses, that sort of thing. I'm not entirely sure what to get her. I might get her pointsettas. FAKE. GOOD IDEA.
She adores pink peonies, but I;'m not sure if I would be able to get her some.
I thought you could find roses anytime of the year, like in the supermarket or florist shop. Personally, I'm not a big fan of fake flowers, but if you can find some nice ones go for it. :-)
Roses could work, but she just got a whole bunch from her boyfriend....
I might get her fake flowers, she has many around the house.OH, SHE LOVES LAVENDER. How could I forget?
Saved By Grace wrote: "^_^You talk with people and compare books and ... well ... a great many things, and if you think they're great, you add them as your friend (just click 'add friend' under their profile info if th..."
Thanks for the tips! I will be sure to include a text message as well.
Jeane wrote: "Mark and don't forget what we really like is that in a friend request, you add a message.."Thanks for the heads up. I get tons of facebook friend requests and very few messages!
Oh, Jane Austen. There is an Austen knitting group on Ravelry and all of the people there are reading the books in conjunction with knitting items from them. It sounds like lots of fun, and a reason for books on tape. (I'm not through with enough books or knitting projects to start it, but it's on a wish list!)
Mark wrote: "Thanks for the heads up. I get tons of facebook friend requests and very few messages!"Facebook is such a lonely world. I rarely get friend requests there {sniff}.
I find this idea of internet friends all rather weird.I have people I know.
I have acquaintances.
I have people I like
I have people who have common interests.
Amongst them I may have a friend.
Only one person has asked to be my friend, I was so honoured(shocked) I accepted.
On a different subject, is one supposed to add to their list books they read before joining?
I can understand why GR members are turned off by requests from members who have a lot more friends than books.I'm one of those who has more friends than books.
Here is an explanation why that is so for me and me alone.
I majored in English in college and graduate school.Later ,I taught Literature at many different levels. You can imagine how many books I have (enjoyably )read.Like several others, I post only books I am presently reading.I do ,however,get involved in any discussion that involves books I have an interest in. I believe I have made about 100 VERY detailed comments and recommendations.
As a writer, I am ,of course, interested in finding members who might enjoy my books.I won't even mention them here, since I do relatively little self promotion. I feel if someone is interested, they can look me up and see if they feel it would be beneficial to both of us to have a book-club relationship.You can be CERTAIN if I send friendship request, I have researched your profile carefully and believe we both might profit from becoming friends.I even have a warning posted for those who may wish to ask me to become their friend. While I am not at all snobbish, and read all types of writing myself, I do not solicit those who love vampire, Harlequin romance, or science fiction. If those are the only forms of writing someone enjoys, I doubt they would find my kind of writing of interest.
While my writing is quite easy to read, it
is serious literature and is most appealing to those with a taste for classic fiction in the manner of Hemingway,Faulkner, Carver and others.
I hope this helps . Happy New Year.Without readers I"m afraid we writers are mere diarists!
Thank you for your post, Joseph! If only more authors (or in my case, creepy foreign men) applied your logic to their serial adding sprees, so many of us wouldn’t be in the middle of ranting about this particular issue.
You’ve raised some excellent points about how different people use the site as well. Many people only choose to add books they’ve read since signing on to GR and while it’s logical to assume that they’ve read thousands of books in their lifetime, they are only choosing to list and share some of their more recent discoveries. That really is the beauty of the site. So many people choose to use the site in their own different ways. And so adding friends should be done with some foresight into the type of usage you can expect from that other person.
You’ve also brought up one of my biggest complaints about serial adders: if someone is primarily reading books that don’t interest you, why bother making the connection? Because neither of you is going to care what the other one is reading or what their opinion of it was.
Ken wrote: "On a different subject, is one supposed to add to their list books they read before joining?"If what you're asking is whether you are supposed to add books that you've read prior to joining GR, the answer is whatever you want. Your GR profile is yours to do with as you will. Have fun!
I got my mum gerber daisies and she loved them! :D
Fiona wrote: "A mini-series - the one with Colin Firth. 6 hours worth of it.There was a movie with Keira Knightley. The movie was good-ish - they got the story into the two hours or whatever it was but changed..."
Yea, the mini-series is the one I loved. I have a copy of it and watch it over and over. I have seen the movie with Keira Knightley, but it was condensed so much that is just didn't have the same magic.
I tried adding the question and it felt like people copied and pasted to me what they said to everyone else - stupid generic crap like: "We have books in common! I really like your interests. We could be great friends." What interests? Which books?
I like Fiona's idea of accepting folks mostly from TNBBC!
NyA wrote: "Oh I love Colin Firth's P & P. That movie made me fall in love with the story and want to read the book. It's great. It's long but I still watch it over and over again. "I totally agree. One of the best mini-series ever, not just of Pride and Prejudice. Colin Firth was magnificently glowering. The rest of the cast was superb. I plan to watch it again, soon.
The movie with Keira Knightley doesn't hold a candle to the Jennifer Ehle / Colin Firth version. I'm sorry, but Keira Knightley? Yes, she's British, but that doesn't make her Lizzie Bennet! Ugh. I cringe. CRINGE! I also loved the BBC version of S&S much more so than the 1995 Ang Lee movie. Highly recommend it!
Becky wrote: "The movie with Keira Knightley doesn't hold a candle to the Jennifer Ehle / Colin Firth version. I'm sorry, but Keira Knightley? Yes, she's British, but that doesn't make her Lizzie Bennet! Ugh. I ..."You are so right! She did not have the bite and presence to play that part well. Jennifer Ehle was perfect for the role, and Colin Firth....well that's been established. :)
I'll definitely have to check out the version of S & S you recommend.
Please do! I hope you like it as much as I do. I do like the 1995 version, and I love Emma Thompson, but I just don't SEE her as Elinor Dashwood.
Here is the IMDB page for the version I am referring to: Click Me! ;)
Oh, daisies, perfect for a winter day! I loved the mini series Pride and Prejudice, but Colin always looked like he had intestinal issues. Nancy, don't worry, the only friend requests I get on Facebook are from my husband's former students (since I'm using his name, that's understandable). One kid put in a friend request and when I called him on it (hey kid, you're requesting a friendship with a really old chick who could be your mother) he suddenly couldn't figure out how the whole thing had come about. Haha!
ok..rant of the day..so i went to the post office...and the line was huge..like always..(but it didn't bother me..because one of my goals is to become more patient! :) ) so anyways..there was this girl(probably late 20's..early 30's) that was packaging something..and talking extremely loud..a few people looked at her..and then she got into line..yep..right behind me..she is having this extremely personal conversation about different things..and she was SO loud..you know those types..loud talkers..so up ahead of me i hear a few people in line talking about how rude it was..and i was really getting frustrated because she was right in my ear and i was sick of hearing about all this things she was talking about..finally..i just snapped..i turned around and said "no offense..but i really don't feel like hearing your whole conversation..and i'm' sure the people around you don't either." and then i turned around. She looked at me with the most EVIL eyes.. and then told the person she had to go after a minute..haha i wanted to laugh so hard. its SO RUDE. it was silent in there except for her. my sister does this alot too..and it annoys me to NO end. I can understand if you are walking through a noisy store or something..i do that sometimes..(but i'm also i'm not such a loudmouth)..but when you get up to line..the conversation needs to end..NOBODY wants to hear it..especially with how loud she was and what she was talking about..all this like stupid family/friends drama. ok..so now that i got it out..I'm DONE..over it.. :)
Oh, I hate that too! You're more direct that I would have been though... I probably would have turned around and started giving her advice on her issues. Then if she said she wasn't talking to me, I'd innocently say, "Oh, I thought since you were speaking so loudly about your problems that you were looking for help with them..."
Or maybe just discreetly write down a number for a local family psychiatrist or something and offer it meaningfully to her.
Then try not to die laughing.
hahhah your line to her would have been awesome if i could think of something like that on the spot! haha..that will be something i will do next time! haha.
Jamie, I say that I would do these things, but I'd never think of them on the spot either, really. But, If I did, I'd do it! Fiona, the Ang Lee version isn't bad, I own it and watch it from time to time. But I really like the BBC one.
Fiona wrote: "I think it's because I preferred Greg Wise/Alan Rickman!"Ah, yes. It is hard to go wrong with Alan Rickman, I'll give you that.
I need to rant...My car needs to have an emissions test done on it before I can get my registration sticker, which is due January 1st. My car is a 2002 Saturn and it has had the Service Engine Soon light on for almost two years. My brother has tried to fix the car numerous times but the light continues to taunt me. My brother gave my husband a tool with will clear up the light for a brief amount of time, so my husband brought the tool and car to the emissions station. He waited in line for almost an hour and a half and when he was next to get tested the car just died on him. He could not restart it, so the emissions people had to help him push it out of the testing area. Needless to say he was pissed! I called the State of Illinois to tell them about my situation and asked what I could do, since my car will not pass with the SES light on. He proceeded to tell me to either sell it, trade it, or just buy a new car! Really!! Buy a new car! I asked him what my options were since I could not afford to buy a new car and he proceeded to be rude for another three minutes. I was expecting that they would offer me a waiver or an extension... I finally asked to speak with his supervisor because he was being unprofessional and not being very helpful. He told me "maybe when you call back you will get to talk to them" and hung up... HUNG UP on me!!
Now I know the State of Illinois is probably not concerned about customer service, but really... HUNG UP ON ME!!!
I was pissed...
rant over :)
Angela wrote: "I need to rant...My car needs to have an emissions test done on it before I can get my registration sticker, which is due January 1st. My car is a 2002 Saturn and it has had the Service Engine ..."
oh my gosh that's horrible! I worked customer service for a professional photography company and they prided themselves on amazing customer service..you never had to speak to a rude person if you called us..i remember being nice no matter what they said to me! The only time i was slightly rude was to someone who was clearly sick in the head, who wasn't a customer, and insulted me and started blaring music in my head...anyways...so that annoys me when i hear about BAD customer service!!! I can't believe he hung up on you!? That is a big no no! It just ruins your day when you call somewhere l ike that and they are just downright rude to you. :( Hope everything with your car gets sorted out!
I adore giving perfect customer service during my work and have a smile in my voice without having to force myself. In London I was customer services represntative for Johnson and Johnson adn loved it when I would get compliments from the customers or colleagues who got compliments about my service. It goes so natural for me and I enjoy it.
OMG Angela! What an A-hole! Did you at least get his name so you could report him? I've worked in retail and currently work in insurance providing customer service. In retail Christmas time was the worse. People would just be rude for no reason. I had to plaster a smile on my face for most of the time. I learned the virtue of patience with that job, so I don't regret the experience.
Jamie wrote: "ok..rant of the day..so i went to the post office...and the line was huge..like always..(but it didn't bother me..because one of my goals is to become more patient! :) ) so anyways..there was thi..."
Good for you on shutting her up!! It's rude and annoying when people have loud conversations.
My rant was that yesterday I went to the laundry mat, where I usually take a book with me so I can get some reading done. Well yesterday there was this women with three bratty kids. They were probably around 7,8, & 9. There were jumping, running around, touching, and screaming around the place. The guy that works the counter told her several times to please control the kids because they were annoying people. I guess at one point he must have said something to one of the kids and she had the nerve to get offended. The mother and the guy ended up getting into a verbal fight outside. He told her it was her responsibilty as a mother to discipline the kids and shame on her for not doing so. She said there was a way proper way of talking to them and he wasn't doing it. I didn't get involved, but I wanted to say to her "obviously, your way of talking to them is not working lady!" I was so annoyed I couldn't get as much reading done because it was so noisy thanks to the kids.
Angela, That's terrible, I would be SO MAD! My car's check engine light is on too, and my emissions and inspection is ue in Feb, so I am worried about that now! I work at *ahem* Travelocity (no throwing stones, please!) and I can tell you that we deal with some NASTY people- both customers and other travel representatives... I'm on the escalation desk for the cruise department, and I try my best to be pleasant when I have to take over calls from customer service reps, even when the customer is being ridiculous and irrational. I couldn't imagine saying the things that that guy said to you!
Your best defense is a good offense though: Be sure to get everyone's name and ID number at the beginning of the call. That way, they can't refuse because they don't know what you are calling for and don't know that you're angry yet!
NO, I did not get the persons name! I did call back to report him and the lady asked me for his name, but I told her that I did not remember it, just that I was calling to tell her how inappropriate the entire ordeal was for me. She was very nice and apologized for his behavior. Becky- good luck with your car! Hopefully you get the problem resolved soon.
My brother did find out that it was a fuel pump, so he changed it last night and the light is off. Hopefully it stays off until Friday, so that I can get through emissons.
I'm thinking mine might be a simple fix, hopefully as simple as just taking out the battery to reset the computer. *crosses fingers*
Fiona, you know what I hate. I am always polite, especially to old people...but recently ...well the last years old people got soooo rude!You didn't????Ohhhh, you should ever say a no to a patricia cornwell book. Better two of them than none! I will have to send it to you!
Jeane wrote: "Fiona, you know what I hate. I am always polite, especially to old people...but recently ...well the last years old people got soooo rude!You didn't????Ohhhh, you should ever say a no to a pa..."
Jeane, Fiona,
Wait a minute here. I am an old person (71). I am not rude but I am assertive. I haven't got the time to be nice in the face of incompetence or ignorance. Check the latest psychological research and I think you'll find that older people tend to be too deferential, especially in the face of authority.
Scratch a rude older person and I think you'll find someone who's been rude all their adult life.
one last piece of advice. Hesitate when stereotyping.
I know that not all older people are rude there are also some very nice people. And being in Ireland I see more and more nice people. But years ago I noticed a difference. For myself I already put the majority of young young people in Belgium under rude and unpolite but older people would appreciate it when you greet them, help them or whatever. since some years I noticed (again for myself so I don't want to generalize it in everybody) that the young people stayed the same...rude, unpolite....well I would start talking more to unknown older people, sit enxt to them on the bus....because I enjoyed their company more. But while the young people stayed the same, I noticed that older people changed. Many times if I would greet them on the street it seemed like a thunderstorm was directed my way. I wuld help them on the street and many wouldn't even thank you anymore. Luckily there were still some that would appreciate it.I don't talk about assertive and I don't generalize and say old people are rude and unpolite. I don't. But for myself I noticed that many older people now in Europe seemed to be less nice, polite and grateful for help than in the past. And I find it a pity because I like older people much more than young people. I like to have a conversation with them, which with most young people that I don't know nothing interesting comes out of their mouth. Young people would suprise you when they would thank you because most don;t do it.
many old and young people are nice and elpful, but for me it has been changing and older people are going more towards how young people have been.
Ed, it is not stereotyping that I am doing. Just telling what I experience. I am living since a bit more than a month in Dublin and youu know what has made me happy the most for now? That again here people say hi to you in the street and smile. I live in a area with mainly older people ad I love it. Here again older people seem to be like I knew them years ago.... They make my day! They start talking to you on the bus and I am enjoying myself.
so Ed, I didn't say you are rude...I don't know you and don't know how you are, so not telling you that you are rude.
I agree what Bo says, but before coming to Ireland I felt like older people, a lot of them, are changing. Worse are so many young people, they stay rude and unpolite are become worse! But you know what, also that seems to be much better here.
Bo wrote: "Old people are not different from people of other ages, some are rude, some are polite and some are too damn patronising."And some are too damn clever without offering more than one-liners.
hehe.....really Ed, I hope you didn't think I was offending old people in general. They are the people I tend to look for contact more.
Happy 2009 full of reading and smiling!
Jeane wrote: "I know that not all older people are rude there are also some very nice people. And being in Ireland I see more and more nice people. But years ago I noticed a difference. For myself I already put ..."Jeane,
I get that you weren't accusing me of being rude. I also get that you are finding more receptive older people in Ireland. I loved Ireland when I was there. It seemed pretty much everyone was more friendly than I was used to.
I live in Hong Kong which has some of the rudest people in the world, especially older people but only by Western Standards. By Chinese standards they are behaving in a totally appropriate way. For if you are polite during a famine, you will get no rice. If you don't push to the front of the crowd you starve or maybe die.
Historically this has been the fate of the Chinese people. So I need to take that into account when I get shoved aside by a little old lady in a smock.
Makes me chuckle to think about it.
The reason I reacted was that you didn't say "some" old people but rather just "old people". This sounded like stereotyping to me. I tend to be sensitized to such things as I was brought up in a very intolerant family.
I appreciate your reply and am glad you are sensitive to your own experience, a talent many people lack (but not all ).
sorry about that. You know when you have an image of a situation in your head and you just write it down...not everybody sees that image to, so it is a bit out of context!
Fiona, it is true that it is sad when we get suprised after a young person saying thank you or so....and I am having that shock regularly since being in Ireland. They ven say sorry...while I am the one having to say sorry for walking against them! I am trying to watch young people again as nice, interesting people since I am here ebcause they seem diffrent to what I ahve been seeing a lot for the last four years. My boyfriend was suprised when he was on the bus and a group of young people came on the bus, completely drunk adn they left the bus later by saying thank you to the driver! In England he got bottles thrown around him, the driver calling the police......
I try to keep being polite and smile to young and old people, hoping they will do it too and not isolate themselves from others, Like I used to do too when I was studying. Just like you iona, I isolated myself from people of my age.
When I say hi or smile or something like that to someone and the only thing I get back is a thunderstorm, I jsut walk on and say to myself 'or not' after greeting someone.
Now that I see here that young and old people can still be polite these days, I decided to show them that I don't judge them by not greeting or helping them. Maybe a smile to someone will change their day!
Fiona, it wasn't only Nottingham (even if that was realy bad with gangs around you). Unfortunately he experienced a lot of that in London when coming back from his work. You know that when living in Notingham I could never understand who was the mother, daughter, kid of the daughter and boyfriend. Most of the time I would think it would be the kids of the mother but when seeing how they would act, I realized that it wasn't that simple.
Mod
Tit for Tat doesnt work with me or any of the members.
Let that be the last of it please, Bo and Ed.
Thank you.
Fiona wrote: "I wish there could be some sort of sign - do not disturb or something."Fiona, you could always do like Jo March and get a "Mood Pillow". If it's down, OK to offer refreshments, if it's up, Do Not Disturb!
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