Author Topic: The Library (Read 2347902 times)

JoanK · « **Reply #9520 on:** October 12, 2012, 12:51:31 AM »

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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My friend that I do the crossword puzzle with is a cat person. She is bedridden, so three times a week we call each other up and work the NYTimes puzzle together. Even though we have been doing this for years, her cat is still joalous, and always manages to insert himself between her and the puzzle. I'm used to hearing "I think 38 down is NO NO BILLY". Reminds me of my kids as toddlers.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #9521 on:** October 12, 2012, 04:41:00 AM »

Just catching up as was locked out by Apple (or something) - 'no data available' - whatever that means.

Barb - I had never heard of 'tailgating' so I was fascinated to read that article, thanks. As is so often the case, we think that because our countries speak the same language, they do the same things - this is so far from the truth! (In the UK, tailgating means driving right up behind someone to intimidate them - a favourite practice of some male drivers if they think people like me are going too slowly.) I don't know why we think it about N America, as I don't think we would expect people in S Africa, for example, to have lives like ours.

Frybabe - a new friend of mine, who is in her 80s, has just adopted a cat. I took her to collect it - she got it from a breeder who didn't want the poor thing any more, as presumably the cat had stopped being good breeding stock. It was not a pleasant experience seeing the conditions in which these breeding queens are kept - outside runs in very cold weather, hardly any natural light, just walking up and down their pens all day. We brought this little cat home (she is 3 or 4 years old) and she has been under my friend's sideboard ever since (2 days) though it is clear she comes out at night to eat, use the litter tray and even play with her toys. My friend is beside herself with worry, but I am absolutely confident that the cat will come round, and will then realise what a great place she has landed in - she will be spoilt rotten, the heating is permanently on, and Barbara will give her the best of everything. I just wish we could have rescued all of those poor cats. Enjoy Oscar - sounds like he is quite a character already.

In other pet news, I have been told of a Cocker spaniel who may be expecting, so I have noted my interest in a puppy. Yes, i am now officially certifiable.

Tome - that is a great idea, having a special book group for mysteries - I will suggest it at our library. I have read some of the books on your list, they all look interesting.

Barb - yes, I too have read plenty of those authors you mention - Maeve Binchy, Debbie Macomber, Joanna Trollope, Cathy Kelly, Alexander McCall Smith - & I also love the early Jilly Cooper books. I think a good romance - well written and with a plot other than just the He-Man/buxom woman story - is great every so often.

We had our book group meeting on Tuesday. The discussion about the 2 books we had read was quite lively, and we have acquired some new members, which is good. I'm not sure, however, that these ladies are going to want to read/research around the subjects as much as I had hoped - I tried to bring in some discussion about southern life, and they looked a bit puzzled, so maybe they just want to talk about the writing, which is fair enough. I'll just have to enjoy our discussions here - you people are mines of information! The next 2 books we have are "The Other Side of the Bridge" by Mary Lawson, and "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" by Maggie O'Farrell - haven't read either of them before.

Rosemary

Steph · « **Reply #9522 on:** October 12, 2012, 08:44:33 AM »

I had to laugh,, the dogs stay down on the floor,but some years ago when I still had cats as well, I had a cat who could not stand the idea of me reading, when I could be talking to her or petting or playing. She would really get into my face and was known to actually nip my fingers holding the book.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #9523 on:** October 12, 2012, 08:47:20 AM »

Ah yes, well Rosemary tailgating can have the same meaning here - driving too close to the vehicle in front of you - it all in the context - talking about good food, or school rivalries, or football, or alumni and the word tailgating comes up it means party time -

Tailgate parties have grown bigger and more elaborate but there were two happenings that started it - pickups are the vehicle of choice for many and letting down the tailgate as a buffet table was an easy natural -

The other - many alumni were pressed to find hotel space when they came in from out of town for the games and so they started arrive in their RVs and parked outside the stadium - RV Folks are always in a party mood just as Alumni want to party and touch base with old classmates and friends living in the college town. Soon the RVs were not large enough to accommodate all the guests stopping by and so tents and canvas covers were erected that became larger each year as second living, dining rumpus and TV rooms

Babi · « **Reply #9524 on:** October 12, 2012, 09:38:24 AM »

At present, my library doesn't have "Angle of Repose". They have some of Stegner's
short stories and non-fiction books, but not that one. I'll check it again when all the
remodeling is done and things get back to normal. They're doing a terrific job keeping
the place open, and when it's done they'll want a lot of new books for their new shelves.

Thanks, JEAN. I'm holding on to that site until I hear more from you. I confess to being a bit nervous about unusual requests on-line. I've been blindsided once; didn't like it!

Slow but steady on the recovery, MARYZ. It takes time, but I eventually got back full movement after my elbow fracture. Of course I was younger then, with kids, so I really had to keep using that elbow!

My hearty congratulations that your new kitty uses the cat scratchers, FRYBABE. Our cats tend to ignore them in favor of less acceptable items. Perhaps it's the scent left from your late pet that tells him 'this is the place'. CUBFAN, you are much more lenient than I. I don't mind the cat in my lap, but he may NOT get between me and the book. JOANK-

ginny · « **Reply #9525 on:** October 12, 2012, 01:41:54 PM »

Barbara, I want to be sure I am understanding what you allege here:

Then the kicker - these votes are only counted if the vote is either tied or very close - they are stored and never counted unless needed.

Are you asserting that all absentee ballots, even those from the military serving overseas, are not counted unless the vote is tied or very close? Or are you limiting this to those about which signatures there is a question (but you said those are thrown out?)

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #9526 on:** October 12, 2012, 03:04:43 PM »

I am sharing my experience here in this county - I am suggesting we cannot be the only county with this practice - I do not know what the practices are even in any of the other counties in this state much less in the nation.

Mail-in votes are verified by two workers, a Dem and a Pub to assess the signature is exactly as it shows on the Ballot request and then filed in boxes by precinct with notifications prepared by full time employees in the book picked up by Polling Judges listing all registered voters for that precinct that these voters mailed in their vote so that they do not vote twice -

The votes are stored in boxes only to be actually counted for the various candidates only if there is a tie or very close race - yes, I was as dumb founded as most of you are reading this - and trying to verify this process with phone calls we found is not easy - You are told all votes are counted - had I not been a party as one of the poll workers who worked in addition to Election Day I would not know -

In our precinct the Republican Captain was also working in the mail-in vote room while I was there - she did not return after the second day after learning what happens. We did talk on election day while we were setting up. Of course she wanted to alert as many of her folks to go ahead and early vote and arrange for rides to get Pubs in her precinct to vote in person. The Dem Captain brushed it off as something he was not going to rock the boat over. Votes are counted by precinct and the winner of that precinct is added to the winning column and so it is important to the final vote how many vote for a candidate in each precinct - the numbers are not carried forward only a win or loss

In other words if one candidate looses in one precinct by 20 votes they do not gain because in another precinct the candidate won by 37 votes and so an average number of votes could be considered. Votes are not averaged - the precinct has a win or a loss for a candidate and the win or loss is added to all the counties in the state. From there I do not know since I have never been a party to vote counts beyond my county.

I am saying, find out from someone who counts mail-in votes in your county how the process is handled. Our experience - there is a set practiced line given if you call - it takes asking a temp who is hired to participate in the process. I do it more as a volunteer but I am paid such a ridiculously low bit it about pays for my gas and lunch.

Because of this experience I urge those I know to make the effort to vote early and if they must use the mail-in ballot to take satisfaction in the fact that they have voted - like a puff Dandelion after your breath leaves, as we have no idea where the seed heads will fall we have no idea what happens after we mail in our ballot - and then further to give your vote half a chance - at least make a copy and hold on to your request form and be sure to sign your name exactly as it appeared on the request form. T slanted then do not write it straight - space between certain letters make sure you include the same amount of space - include or not a middle initial or use Ms instead of Mrs. be sure to do the same - if you write on a slant be sure you sign your vote on a slant - It is the only way they determine if the vote was caste by the person who requested the form.

JoanK · « **Reply #9527 on:** October 12, 2012, 03:16:27 PM »

"the precinct has a win or a loss for a candidate and the win or loss is added to all the counties in the state."

That REEAALY offends me. I can see not counting the write-in ballots if they can't make a difference (although it hurts my heart) because it doesn't affect the results of the election. But counting by precinct, as above, really could change the result, especially in areas where votes are low (propositions, some local offices).

JoanK · « **Reply #9528 on:** October 12, 2012, 03:21:13 PM »

I do know that Maryland only counts the write-in ballots if it's close. I'll bet it's pretty widespread. But what do they mean by close?. If it would take more votes than there are write-in ballots to overturn, ok. But if they make some statistical calculation (such as: it would take 60% of votes to go one way and that's unlikely) then I object.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #9529 on:** October 12, 2012, 03:23:31 PM »

Again Joan - find out how things are handled and counted in your precinct - these are small innocuous habits that we did not realize and when we hear the slogan one vote one man we conjure images of what that means. Find out - and do it by asking those who actually do the job - there is a set message most secretaries answering phones are trained to use - especially today when counties cut costs simplifying all person to person contact hiring workers they can pay low salaries - those hired do not think or share anything candidly - they want their job - so find out but realize you must either work yourself or find those who do this work and ask them how votes are handled.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #9530 on:** October 12, 2012, 04:42:16 PM »

Go back...Ginny referenced "absentee ballots" not "write in ballots" which would be two totally different things.

JoanP · « **Reply #9531 on:** October 12, 2012, 06:04:36 PM »

I don't know a good way to interupt this serious discussion, except to say that we have three way tie too close to call in the Vote for November's Book Club Online discussion and need to ask you to please vote again...

VOTE AGAIN Here (link to ballot box)! to break the tie.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #9532 on:** October 12, 2012, 06:05:31 PM »

Tomereader - We are talking about absentee or voting by mail not filling in another candidate on your vote.

Ah just went to hit the button and there you are JoanP - perfect - it fits - only we can depend on you, Senior Learn and our ability to push the vote button from our home - love it...

Steph · « **Reply #9533 on:** October 13, 2012, 08:55:19 AM »

Hmm, I cannot believe that it is not against the law to count all and do mean all ballots.. That is just flat out wrong. I worked at the polls in Florida, but you are not involved in the absentees at all..since we use machines for the regular votes. I have voted absentee before, but now with early voting, I vote in person..

Babi · « **Reply #9534 on:** October 13, 2012, 08:58:55 AM »

I would suppose that most mail-in votes were from people who, due to age or health,
cannot stand in lines. I would think that particular group would have some strong
opinions on certain issues, and their votes could very well make a difference.

BARB, your mention of what those answering phones are to say really struck a sore
point with me. My daughter works on-line in customer service for a large company.
The pay rate depends on how fast they can handle a call and move on. THEN, they keep
piling on phrases they insist the customer service workers use in answering and
completing a call, making it impossible for them to move up to a better pay level.
GRRR!

MaryPage · « **Reply #9535 on:** October 13, 2012, 10:11:55 AM »

The official name here in Maryland is "Absentee Ballot."

It means you have vouched that you cannot get to your assigned polling place on Election Day, and so you get mailed an absentee ballot.

These have been messed with one way or the other for years and years. If you POSSIBLY can, vote early or be THERE on Election Day. Your absentee ballot may never be counted. Seriously.

A "write-in" means you have written the name of someone else on your ballot. It means you do not put an X in any of the names listed, but you write in MaryPage Drake for President.

Please don't. Thank you.

CubFan · « **Reply #9536 on:** October 13, 2012, 10:12:30 AM »

I always vote absentee so that I don't have to worry about weather or being home on election day. In my county I know for sure that when I return my ballot by mail it is sorted by precinct, The absentee ballots are delivered to the precincts on election day. After the voting closes for the day all the absentee ballots are opened and run through the machines by the poll workers before the final count is made & sent in. It slows down the turning in of results after the polls close but all ballots are counted.

When we have occasionally had a recount because of closeness of the vote, the final results are very seldom off by more than a few votes unless there was a major problem in a clerk's office and that is addressed!

If there are places where the ballots are not being counted then the voters in that area should be up in arms. I sounds to me that such a practice is much more of a issue than any voter fraud due to someone voting who shouldn't be.

I find it very difficult to accept the fact that in this country we have places not counting ballots.

Mary

mabel1015j · « **Reply #9537 on:** October 13, 2012, 05:03:29 PM »

Ken Follett is on Booktv talking about his follow up book of the 20th century four families, Winter of the World. If you miss it, it will be online on Booktv.org?

He mentioned that he had 10 books that were not successful, Eye of the Needle was his 11th book.

PatH · « **Reply #9538 on:** October 13, 2012, 07:04:54 PM »

Well, if you insist, I won't vote for you MaryPage, but I'm sure you would make a better president than the Libertarian candidate on my ballot.

maryz · « **Reply #9539 on:** October 13, 2012, 07:15:36 PM »

I saw the Follett interview. It was very interesting.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #9540 on:** October 13, 2012, 07:18:44 PM »

My goodness, this is hard to believe, but now on the REELZ channel, Ken Follett is talking about some real, courageous women who inspired his fictional characters. It's called Journey into the Dark Ages and they will repeat it again tomorrow , Sunday, at 6:00 pm and perhaps at other times. At the moment they are discussing Hildegard, a wonderful nun and abbess, female prophet, music composer, writer of many subjects, that i first read about for a paper i wrote in graduate school for my independent study of women in the Middle Ages. she was one of the most influential women in Europe.

Jean

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #9541 on:** October 13, 2012, 08:42:59 PM »

Yes and what is often excluded in her bio is this (woman) as abbess governed an area with the as many responsibilities as a Bürgermeister and Landrat put together. If you like to listen to chant one of the better CDs is A feather on the breath of God Gothic Voices with Emma Kirkby

PatH · « **Reply #9542 on:** October 13, 2012, 08:43:17 PM »

Jean, I presume this is Hildegard von Bingen, whose music had a popularity revival a few years ago. It's really appealing if you like that kind of thing (I do). Here's a brief clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2j_t1o_g5U&feature=related

Here's a 45 min stretch for real fans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRrjFUGeNCE&feature=related

A comment she made that really impressed me--I'm paraphrasing, it's been years since I read it: women were not supposed to be intellectual or creative. She asked God, why, if we are not supposed to use these gifts, do you give them to us, and leave us frustrated.

PatH · « **Reply #9543 on:** October 13, 2012, 08:52:18 PM »

Barb, you were posting as I was writing. I'll have to look up that CD.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #9544 on:** October 13, 2012, 11:59:07 PM »

Thanks for the recommendations Barb and Pat. I will enjoy them.

BTW, that independent study was the most fun i had in any of my college experiences. The department head, a really great professor and nice guy, suggested that i talk to the only women professor in the history dept (1974) when i said i wanted to do something in women's history. Carol Ehler, the professor, happened to be doing some reading in the Middle Ages, so she suggested i look at five women of that time. We put together a reading list and every week we would have lunch at a restaurant and discuss the book and the women.

Sure beat sitting in a classroom for three hours.

Jean

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #9545 on:** October 14, 2012, 02:24:18 AM »

Just received this from my daughter - Jean you will really like this

My, my…Till today…I did not know Julia Gillard (the prime minister of Australia) or her opposition party leader Tony Abbott…but this video is so empowering to me as a woman. I love her…wow we could all use a bit of her power…but what is priceless is the look of sheepishness on this Tony’s face about half way through her talk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihd7ofrwQX0

Babi · « **Reply #9546 on:** October 14, 2012, 08:18:18 AM »

That does sound interesting, JEAN. A "REELZ' channel is not one I've head of, but
I would be very interested in seeing that program. I'll see what I can find out about it.

Oh, BARB, another occasion when I wish, wish, wish I could hear a video. I would love
to see that one.

salan · « **Reply #9547 on:** October 14, 2012, 10:10:54 AM »

Jean, I had already dvr'd that program. Sounds interesting. I have found a new program on Reelz channel. It's called Bomb Girls; and it's about women who worked in a bomb factory during the war. It stars Meg Tilly among others. It is really good. I am also enjoying two series from PBS....Land Girls, about women who worked on farms in England during the war, and another program, Call the Midwives. Have any of you been watching these?
Sally

JoanK · « **Reply #9548 on:** October 14, 2012, 04:35:29 PM »

Definately "Call the Midwives." But I haven't found "Land Girls" locally.

Frybabe · « **Reply #9549 on:** October 14, 2012, 07:39:59 PM »

I watched Journey into the Dark Ages tonight, but got a phone call just near the end of Hildegard of Bingen. I missed why she left the convent she established. It was most interesting because I only knew about her music composing.

I hadn't heard of Margret. And the Joan of Arc piece was a new theory to me. Follett said there was evidence that it was all a "staged" maneuver but I don't remember him saying what evidence.

waafer · « **Reply #9550 on:** October 14, 2012, 09:20:59 PM »

Julia Gillard is the leader of the most corrupt Government this Country has ever had and she sure suffers from misantry. Another twelve months and we hope it will all be over.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #9551 on:** October 14, 2012, 11:49:32 PM »

Barb - thank you for that link, i had seen a piece of it, but seeing the whole speech was very powerful. Woohoo Julia Gillard - as a speechmaker and fighter against sexism!

Waafer, i don't know anything about the internal workings of your government, but one of the things that we understand is that equality doesn't just bring us women with power who will be doing good things all the time, but equality also brings women who are sometimes as mediocre as men, or sometimes as corrupt as men. However she is as a prime minister, that was a heck of a speech.

And welcome to our discussion.

Salan - haven't seen Bomb Girls or Land Girls, will look for them, thanks for mentioning them. Midwives has been on Sunday nights and i have been busy with family on those nights.

Jean

JeanneP · « **Reply #9552 on:** October 15, 2012, 03:44:53 AM »

I think that only "Call the Midwife" is showing in the US at this time. The other 2 sound interesting.

salan · « **Reply #9553 on:** October 15, 2012, 05:13:31 AM »

Land Girls (PBS) comes on here on Saturday night. Our pbs station is out of Austin, TX. I can't remember what night Bomb Girls (Reelz) comes on. Both programs are very well done. Either Reelz has improved their programming, or I somehow ignored the channel. Lately it has had some interesting programs on. I am not a fan of most of what is on tv now. Thank goodness my daughter talked me into subscribing to dvr as most of the programs I do enjoy come on at the same time.
Sally

Babi · « **Reply #9554 on:** October 15, 2012, 09:04:13 AM »

Sorry to say, we do not get the REELZ channel. I'm going to check with Netflix, in the fond hope I'll find "Journey
into the Dark Ages" there.

MaryPage · « **Reply #9555 on:** October 15, 2012, 09:42:24 AM »

I have not seen the Land Girls series, nor the Bomb girls. But am hugely enjoying Call The Midwife.

Cicero said, and I remind you this was Before Christ, and, sigh, nothing has really changed since he said this:

"Our ancestors established the rule that all women, because of their weakness of intellect, should be under the power of guardians."

Do you see? You DO see, do you not? It never fails to astonish me how many women fall under the powerful sway of male lies and do not really believe that there is a strong impulse in testerone driven males to see females as a lesser species. I was fortunate in that my second and third husbands truly thought we are equal, if not superior. The first was certain males are. MOST are certain males rule. They are so dang condescending. And fiercely protective of their clubhood rights OVER us! Go back one day and watch the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings word for word. I knew she was telling the truth, because I had been through exactly the same routines with men in the workplace. Now she has been totally vindicated, but it is too late to change the outcome.

ginny · « **Reply #9556 on:** October 15, 2012, 10:50:46 AM »

I dunno, it looks to ME that in that passage, that Cicero is talking about how men can screw it up:

Quote

27]For though many things have been excellently settled by the laws, yet most of them have been depraved and corrupted by the genius of the lawyers. Our ancestors determined that all women, on account of the inferiority of their understanding, should be under the protection of trustees. These men have found out classes of trustees, whose power is subordinate to that of the women. The one party did not wish the domestic sacrifices to be abolished in families; by the ingenuity of the others old men were found to marry by the form called coemptio, for the sake of' getting rid of these sacred ceremonies. Lastly, in every part of the civil law they neglected equity itself, but adhered to the letter of the law; as for instance, because in somebody's books they found the name of Caia, they thought that all the women who had married by coemptio were called Caias. And that often appears marvellous to me, that so many men of such ability should now for so many years have been unable to decide whether the proper expressions to use be the day after tomorrow or the third day, a judge or an arbiter, a cause or a proceeding.

28] Therefore, as I said before, the dignity of a consul has never been consistent with that science; being one consisting wholly of fictitious and imaginary formulas.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #9557 on:** October 15, 2012, 04:23:35 PM »

Geez Ginny, how did you find that? I'm impressed.

Bomb Girls is on REELZ tomorrow night -Tuesday- at nine and at ten p.m.i'm looking forward to seeing it.

I had to train my husband to expect women to be equal to him and he's pretty consistent with that thinking now........but i swore that if anything happened to him, i was never going to take on another to be trained! $:-\$ LOL

Jean

Steph · « **Reply #9558 on:** October 15, 2012, 08:59:51 PM »

I like the midwife series but have never seen the other.. The Landgirls sounds neat.
I am home in Florida and it is hot and humid.. darn darn darn..

maryz · « **Reply #9559 on:** October 15, 2012, 10:34:39 PM »

Maybe it's time to think about having NC as the permanent residence, and only being in FL for a couple of months in the winter.

p.s. Glad you and your guys got home safely.

News:

Author Topic: The Library (Read 2347902 times)