Author Topic: The Library (Read 2049671 times)

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #16480 on:** January 23, 2016, 04:59:21 PM »

The Library

Our library cafe is open 24/7, the welcome mat is always out.
Do come in from daily chores and spend some time with us.

We look forward to hearing from you, about you and the books you are enjoying (or not).

Let the book talk begin here!

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Nothing like preparing for being glued to the house knowing a storm is coming - but trying to see if I can last one more day before I have to grocery shop - no bread for 4 days now but have not wanted to get out and it gets colder each day - tomorrow starts warming a bit - no fruit but lots of veggies, oatmeal and rice and coffee so it is not like I am starving - only inconvenienced

I wonder just how much reading actually gets done when the weather forces you indoors - seems to me I'd be roaming looking out the window and then making sure I had enough water etc. and washing everything in sight in case the electricity goes. To me what would really be awful is to be stuck in hotel in a snow area because you could not get home - as long as there is electricity and the hotel has wifi I guess you can spend your time reading from Amazon or scouring the web for what interests you. Still not the same as enjoying your family or neighborhood.

I notice both my sister and daughter who are on opposite ends of NC and my other sister in upstate NY have emailed me over and over and over today - been hours exchanging emails - you know they are feeling caged in and just want outside contact. At least when we have any snow it is gone the next day or at worst 2 days later.

Glad you are updating us PatH - the wind is what is scary and helps the cold penetrate in any crook, crick and cranny of a structure.

Steph · « **Reply #16481 on:** January 24, 2016, 10:30:39 AM »

I like Calvin very very much and have read most of his books, but he also does articles for the NewYorker and they are great.. His food one are hysterically funny.

PatH · « **Reply #16482 on:** January 24, 2016, 01:15:23 PM »

Storm's over. The sun is shining in a bright blue sky and everyone in my neighborhood still has power. Six different neighbors and I kept my walk clear, so I can walk to their houses if needed, through a lovely white channel. The wind wasn't bad here, so little damage to trees. My reading alternates between stuff for the Ovid discussion and my current sci-fi space opera.

I'll have to look for Trillin's food pieces.

louisiana · « **Reply #16483 on:** January 24, 2016, 07:40:54 PM »

Oh, Bellamarie: I am in COMPLETE agreement with your thoughts about possibly
upgrading to Windows 10. I refuse to give in and hope that we are not compelled
to do so in the near future. I am too old (87) to learn new "things".
I know that we will be subjected to go up to Windows 10 some day, but hopefully
a long time from now. (My son-in-law predicts 5 years and I HOPE SO)
Joy in Louisiana

Steph · « **Reply #16484 on:** January 25, 2016, 09:19:52 AM »

Calvin wrote a short article some years ago about Chinese restaurants and his suspicion that the signs in chinese advertised delicous foods that they did not want non orientals to have. I laughed and laughed and have always looked since then in oriental restaurants to see if they have any signs in another language.

ginny · « **Reply #16485 on:** January 26, 2016, 11:21:36 AM »

hahah, I got two of his books yesterday in the mail and the new Bill Bryson, I am set. Am in the mood for humor and fun.

I have tremendously enjoyed this break. But we were SO lucky. For some reason where we live was bypassed to the East and West, it just split. East of us and not far off they had up to 10 inches, West of us they had snow and ice, we had almost nothing. We had cold and enough snow to trap the chickens outside, now that was annoying, (they won't walk on snow) and so I had to go out and fix their ramp to make it snowless and shoo them in the first night. But after that it was not bad at all.

I don't know why people make fun of those who get bread and milk when they think it's going to snow. They are obviously people who are not used to doing without power for long periods of time. I don't get bread and milk but if you have a loaf of bread and your power goes off and you have some peanut butter you can eat for a good long time during the days the power is off anyway. You can do a lot with a fireplace and a wood stove. You can heat pots on the top of the wood stove (I realize I sound like Little House on the Prairie) but you can do a lot. I bet there are a lot of work arounds people ingeniously think up that don't have fireplaces or wood stoves, too.

And as far as milk is concerned, if you have children and you want them to drink milk and you don't have a cow in the back yard how are you going to produce it? Powdered milk? A lot of children don't like that, but perhaps if it's a choice between that and nothing they would drink it. It may be most of them drink Cool Aid or sports drinks or even pop anyway. Still I don't see making fun of people who buy milk and bread.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #16486 on:** January 26, 2016, 11:33:26 AM »

Ginny - I so agree! When we lived in a remote part of the Aberdeenshire countryside we sometimes had power cuts for up to 5 days in winter. My husband always laughs at me for stocking up, but as you say, bread and a few tins of stuff can make a lot of difference. Even now, with a late night grocery shop right on the corner here in Edinburgh, I tend to keep in a carton of UHT milk - believe me I'm grateful if I realise there's not enough fresh milk for tea first thing in the morning. I am not a great hoarder at all (except where books are concerned) but coffee. tea, milk, chocolate (and maybe a bottle of wine...) would be high on my list of priorities in a prolonged outage. And cat food, to avoid a Major Siamese Scene.

Wood stoves were great when we lived in the country - I recall heating baby food for Anna on one when she was a baby and the power was off. Our last house, which was in a small village, had power cuts whenever East Lothian got too windy (I bet they have one right now actually, it's been blowing a hooley all night and all day) - we could light our gas hob with a match, but we had no heating there that wasn't electric - miserable.

Rosemary

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #16487 on:** January 26, 2016, 01:06:01 PM »

Never did do milk - always afraid if the electricity went the milk would go bad - when my children were little it was Welsh's grape juice and a frozen can of orange juice that if the electricity went it would thaw - when I knew the storm was coming I always popped a chicken in the oven that could be eaten sliced cold or heated and for me ALWAYS a big pot of coffee so that even a small candle could heat a cup of coffee. Pails of water - get the laundry going - in came the pile of wood for the fireplace and blankets in the doorways leading to the Den so that room stayed warm - a stash of books and life was good...

CallieOK · « **Reply #16488 on:** January 26, 2016, 02:14:00 PM »

Re: power going out. I once read a suggestion of filling the bathtub to have water available for washing and such.

On my own, I discovered that shining a flashlight beam directly at the ceiling will illuminate the entire room well enough to get around - very handy for finding things in closets, for instance.

A clip-on book light makes it possible to read at night.

"Where there's a will, there's a way".

Steph · « **Reply #16489 on:** January 27, 2016, 08:20:18 AM »

I spent ten years in New England and had a wood burning stove as well as fireplaces. The wood burning stove is wonderful. You can make soup in the winter and push it to the back and keep it warm and add a bit of water now and then.. Water was the problem in our house since we had a well.. and ifelectricity went off, you could not flush, so we always filled bathtubs and sinks.. so we had a supply, then my husband bought the old fashioned pump for the well, so we could go out and use the pump, once you broke the icy surface.. I grew up in the country and my mother had an old fashioned pantry and a root celler.. so we did not depend on going to the store.. Also a dairy farmer about 3 miles away , so milk was always available. My Moms biggest things for the store were paper goods.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #16490 on:** January 27, 2016, 11:32:05 AM »

Callie, several years ago I discovered your wonderful hint about the flashlight beam toward the ceiling! Isn't that a wonderful thing? It gives enough light so you can see to make sure you don't trip or run into something by just aiming the beam at the floor. Aren't we just innovative and resourceful? You bet!

Steph · « **Reply #16491 on:** January 28, 2016, 08:54:58 AM »

I dont get many power outages where I live, but I have a note taped to my flashlight in the entry to remember this.

ginny · « **Reply #16492 on:** February 01, 2016, 05:40:57 PM »

Looking for something to read myself to sleep last night, something calm, peaceful and light, drift off stuff, which didn't need much thought: recreational 15 minutes, I thought I'd start the new Bill Bryson The Road to Little Dribbling.

That was a mistake.

I started laughing on page 1 and was in hysterics by page 6 and laughed so hard I cried, so there went a peaceful off to sleep.

Absolutely love it. In fact I'm going to reread it tonight and hopefully not laugh so much. What IS it about that man? The cover of the book alone should win a prize.

Steph · « **Reply #16493 on:** February 02, 2016, 08:39:32 AM »

See, you love him and I truly have never thought him funny.. Silly how people vary.

Frybabe · « **Reply #16494 on:** February 04, 2016, 05:43:47 PM »

Planning a road trip this summer. Check out ABE Books list of "66 Bookstores on Route 66." There are a few interesting side bars and a link to more lists. I am about to explory the literary towns list. Food for thought for a future book gathering?

http://www.abebooks.com/books/features/route66/index.shtml?cm_mmc=nl-_-nl-_-CPrpt06-h00-root66AM-341424GP-_-01cta&abersp=1

CallieOK · « **Reply #16495 on:** February 04, 2016, 08:20:59 PM »

Frybabe, I live in the same town as this one - and a couple of others that aren't on the list, which I think would be even better.

http://www.abebooks.com/archives-books%2c-inc-edmond-ok-u.s.a/27635/sf

Let me know via messaging when you're planning your trip across Oklahoma.

Steph · « **Reply #16496 on:** February 05, 2016, 08:22:29 AM »

When we traveled in the rv, we always looked up used book stores. Some of them are really remarkable.. Chataqua,NY has one across from the main part of the campus. Log cabin type and goes on and on.. There are also some wonderful library book stores here and there. I have so many book marks from so many different places. No idea how many of them are still in business.

ginny · « **Reply #16497 on:** February 06, 2016, 08:57:44 AM »

I love reading about other people's travels. I've ordered Notes From A Small Island to read it again. Really love Bryson.

Did anybody happen to see the Richard Dreyfuss movie on Bernie Madoff Thursday and Friday nights on ABC? I said all along Richard Dreyfuss could not play Bernie Madoff, he's too nice a man and it shows through in his eyes, but I was wrong. It was just extraordinary. "Heads are spinning," as Sarah Palin said the other night. They sure are.

I have literally never seen anything like it in my life. I found myself sitting there literally with my mouth open, having to remember to close it. I've ordered the more recent book on him, The Wizard of Lies, and am going over the Books into Movies to talk about it, but that thing was an eye opener in so many ways.

At the end of the 2 part series Richard Dreyfuss came out and said you've watched a fictional portrayal of Bernie Madoff now meet the real people who were involved, and each character came out and introduced the people who were the most closely involved. What Shakespeare would have made of this! A true tragedy in so many aspects.

Did any of you see it?

Steph · « **Reply #16498 on:** February 06, 2016, 10:45:33 AM »

Did not see it, but I do wish I had since you are so enthusiastic and it sounds good.

marjifay · « **Reply #16499 on:** February 06, 2016, 10:48:57 AM »

No, Ginny, I did not see the TV movie about Madoff you raved about. Wish I had. I really like Richard Dreyfuss. The movie is rated pretty high on the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) -- 7.9/10. It is available at Netflix so I put it in my queue. Thanks for your review.

I have a couple questions, one is book-related, and the other is not.

The book related one: Has anyone read THE SECRET CHORD by Geraldine Brooks. Someone in another book group recommended it. It is a fictional story of King David and sounds good, but I have a reservation: I have yet to like one of Brooks' books.

The non-book related one: Does anyone know of a good ballpoint pen?
I had been getting Bic pens, but the last ones I got were horrible-- scratchy and barely showed any ink on the page in spite of the package advertising that says "Xtra smooth" and "Ultra smooth writing" I found that it is distributed by some firm in France, but don't know if it's manufactured there. I figured it was manufactured in some country that hates Americans.

ginny · « **Reply #16500 on:** February 06, 2016, 11:02:27 AM »

If you like Richard Dreyfuss it's a tremendous performance.
Lots and lots of interviews.

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/02/richard-dreyfuss-madoff-abc-review

marjifay · « **Reply #16501 on:** February 06, 2016, 11:36:42 AM »

Oh, Frybabe, your planned summer trip to see the Route 66 and literary places sounds wonderful. A friend and I have visited several places out here in Southern California along Route 66 and bought several souvenirs along the way. Fun. I supposed there must be some places known for literary figures, but I have not checked. Will have to do so.

Have fun,

Marj

marjifay · « **Reply #16502 on:** February 06, 2016, 11:53:17 AM »

That was an interesting PBS article on the Madoff and Big Short films, Ginny. Awesome picture of Dreyfuss staring into the camera as Madoff.

Fascinating (and chilling) thought of Dreyfuss's that Madoff was a psychopath. Imagine waking up and finding your husband was a psychopath!

I plan to watch the film of The Big Short and also plan to read the book. Netflix says the film will be available in March, so that's not such a long wait for a new film.

Marj

marjifay · « **Reply #16503 on:** February 06, 2016, 12:00:46 PM »

I take that back about not liking any of Geraldine Brooks' books that I've read. I liked Caleb's Crossing, and gave it 5 stars.

Marj

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #16504 on:** February 06, 2016, 01:04:13 PM »

I saw it and like you, Ginny I was fascinated - been a long time since I was that glued to the TV and could not miss the second episode - they sure did not feature him as a psychopath but a guy who could read what people want and give it to them - the thought I had watching was, so many see the chinks in a system and crawl through not allowing convention to control their behavior - I was reminded years ago - probably 40 years ago a friend of my daughter's got a job after high school graduation in a bank that installed a new security system that involved accounting as much as steel doors - she saw a big flaw and kept trying to tell them - none of the bank management would listen to her - of course back than she not only had age but gender as their rational to ignore her - anyhow, she ends up trying to show them up by stealing thousands - took them nearly a month to realize the loss - it did not matter that she did it to prove a point and she had all the money in a paper sack - she was still convicted.

That memory was awakened watching the Madoff movie - he saw the cracks and holes and knew the temperament of investors so he acted - which to me was only an example of how morality does not enter the world of finance and banking because none of the regulators appeared to work from a sense of moral justice either - The only one was the one guy that no one would listen to.

Dryfuss did a fabulous job as did all of them - was that Blythe Daniels that played Mrs. Madoff - She could have been a look alike. It sure let us peek into a window of just how corrupt the entire banking industry including the Federal regulators - I finally saw it is really rolling the dice like a game using surrogates to roll each investors dice.

And that was brilliant to have the actual people in the story interviewed - right or wrong morally, I think if the eldest son had not been so headstrong to act out his rage that I think was based on wanting his father's approval in probably more than any parent could give or at least the son had his idea of how that approval was to manifest itself - and then to find out what he wanted was flawed - made him feel like a fool for wanting what was not there - so he was enraged - If he had given the dad the week I think some of the people hurt would not have been hurt and his handing himself over to the authorities would have been less of a media circus. I think he needed justification for turning his father in and that was why he wanted his mother to also show the same contempt as he had. In fact I think that had something to do with his committing suicide - one thing to have contempt for someone and another to betray them acting on that contempt.

The one aspect of Madoff that Dryfuss could not pull off was how charismatic and charming Madoff was - he was taller and that may have helped him give off the aura where as Dryfuss being shorter his getting the walk and look came across as an old man but still for the movie effective.

Fabulously acted, fabulous casting, fabulous story telling and a fabulous peek inside the banking and investment industry. I would like to see it again, I feel like there was so much to look into and then see it played out - hope it comes out to rent - now I want to see if there are is a book of this story. I have the book that was all the rage last year Capitol and only just started it - now I really want to get back into it - huge book but I do not think it is an expose so to speak of how the various parts of the financial world function.

Steph · « **Reply #16505 on:** February 07, 2016, 09:05:41 AM »

So many of Madoffs investors fell for the old... Millions for nothing.. When will people learn that this is never ever true.

nlhome · « **Reply #16506 on:** February 07, 2016, 09:15:05 AM »

Marijifay, I use Pilot G-2 pens, they are gel rather than ballpoint, because they write easily. I have arthritis and carpal tunnel to deal with, and when a pen scratches or catches on the paper, it actually hurts. They are more expensive, but they pay back in that I write more. This year my "resolution" was to send more written notes to people.

marjifay · « **Reply #16507 on:** February 07, 2016, 09:44:45 AM »

Great review of the film Madoff, Barb. With your and Ginny's enthusiastic recommendations, I'll be sure to watch it. I have it saved on Netflix. The Internet Movie Database says the film was written by a Ben Robbins, but I could find nothing by him re Madoff at Amazon. Amazon did have a couuple of books on Madoff by other authors, tho' that looked good, but I think I'll wait for the film.

Marj

marjifay · « **Reply #16508 on:** February 07, 2016, 09:52:38 AM »

Thanks NLHome, for your recommendation of a better pan, the Pilot G-2. I looked it up, and it looks as tho it is one of those roller pens. They are available at Amazon, and expensive as you said. The only problem I have with them is that they write such big letters. Oh, well, they do sound better than those Bic Chrystals I have. Thanks.

Marj

marjifay · « **Reply #16509 on:** February 07, 2016, 09:58:49 AM »

Yes, Steph, people do like to think they'll get a lot for nothing.

You find out quickly how easily it is to cheat you if you ever answer one of those TV ads and make a phone call to find out more. You get a huge hard sell, and when you finally can hang up you realize how they are trying to rip you off.

The only TV ad I've answered that turned out to be a good one was the Care Free Dental card. It costs me $14.95/month but really did save me big money at the dentist.

Marj

jane · « **Reply #16510 on:** February 07, 2016, 10:13:39 AM »

Marj...I'm a pen nut, and my latest reasonable favorites are available at WalMart...the Pilot Precise V5 RT. I like the way they flow as you write.

maryz · « **Reply #16511 on:** February 07, 2016, 11:14:49 AM »

I looked for "Madoff" on Netflix and didn't find it there. Or in On Demand. Guess I'll look again.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #16512 on:** February 07, 2016, 03:03:07 PM »

Goodness will you look at this - Mount Bromo in Indonesia that has erupted and the photo shows the wind taking the ash etc from the plume across the sky...

JoanK · « **Reply #16513 on:** February 07, 2016, 04:38:46 PM »

The shocking thing about Madoff was that he wasn't caught until the Ponzi scheme collapsed (as they always do -- I wonder how he planned to get away at that point?) I've heard he was investigated regularly by the agency that was supposed to regulate him, but he knew when they were coming, and invested the money in treasury bills before they got there, hastily selling them afterwards. A child would have known that T-bills couldn't possibly generate the income he was producing.

To me, not catching him earlier is as great a crime as what he was doing -- or greater.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #16514 on:** February 07, 2016, 04:54:43 PM »

No - they were not coming - he was loosing money to cover his investors - He told his sons and asked them for a week to 10 days so he could help folks with the remaining money and then he told them he was going to turn himself in - the eldest son went into a rage and free fall and decided that when his father turned himself in he and his brother would be also included so he went to his wife's father, a big attorney who told them anything more that Madoff does with the money (regardless his plans to help folks) was illegal so the sons signed papers that exonerated themselves and turned in their father to the FBI.

None of the regulatory bodies did the simple work that would have outed him nor did the banks who held these billions of dollars ever call to question the amount of money in the accounts - as he was saying, everyone only sees the benefit to themselves and he capitalized on it.

He kept this side of the business separate and had his sons running a legitimate investment brokerage as a cover. They had no idea what he was doing. He also had partners in crime who worked the 17th floor changing and creating documents at will to fool inspectors, investors, you name it.

The free fall of Bear Stearns and other banks 'too big to fail' scared his investors and they started to pull out so that the money - he NEVER had it invested in the stock market - was being pulled out - He had the money all in banks getting normal interest rates - till finally so many investors tanked on him and where he did lower returns it was not enough to cover his remaining investors.

During the movie when the real people were interviewed or their life updated there was a bit that Madoff and Martha Stewart were the ONLY two ever punished for the failures of an entire system and the criminal activity of most banks and the negligence of the various Federal Agencies.

Frybabe · « **Reply #16515 on:** February 07, 2016, 04:58:58 PM »

Like I need to buy yet another book, but...has anyone read Thomas McEvilley's The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies ? I'm thinking about it. Amazon has it on Kindle.

marjifay · « **Reply #16516 on:** February 08, 2016, 08:17:13 AM »

When I wrote that I was not sure of any literary places in California, I had forgotten about the wonderful John Steinbeck Center in Salinas, 17 miles east of Monterey. If you ever get to this area you must stop and visit it. A separate little room is set aside for each of Steinbeck's books. So interesting. They even have the truck (or a duplicate) that he drove across country and talked about his trip in his Travels with Charley book. I always say that if someone has not read Steinbeck, after visiting this Center, they will run out and get one of his books. My favorite was East of Eden. I have Cannery Row waiting to be read.

Marj

marjifay · « **Reply #16517 on:** February 08, 2016, 08:37:58 AM »

Yes, Ann, try again at Netflix for the film series Madoff. I just checked again and it is on my Netflix saved queue. They are not sure when it will be available, but I'll wait.

And, thanks, Jane for the suggestion of the Pilot Precise VS RT pen. I will try them.

Marj

Steph · « **Reply #16518 on:** February 08, 2016, 08:49:03 AM »

Ohhh Cannery Row.. A favorite of mine that I have read and reread many many times. Steinbeck was a wonderful writer. East of Eden was a good book and a great movie... Sigh.. But Cannery Row and there are two books on the people and I forget the name of the other one, It will come several hours from now.. You are going to have such fun ..

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #16519 on:** February 08, 2016, 09:59:55 AM »

I read Travels with Charley as a teenager and adored it. I always think I would like to make a road trip, then remember that for me the idea is much more attractive than the actual doing...

Rosemary

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Author Topic: The Library (Read 2049671 times)