Hippy Amazon
Whooshite Apprentice
I'm a Conscientious Objector in the Game of Life...
Posts: 142
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Post by Hippy Amazon on Oct 24, 2008 15:26:39 GMT -6
Dont know that show! We did have a show called "Young Talent Time", where an old guy would come on and have sing-alongs with heaps of kids... Now thats something you would never see today... In all the Political Correctness you have to wonder if we're going backwards.
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Post by Phalon on Nov 3, 2008 5:16:30 GMT -6
Remember when you could barely wait until it turned dusk, and then staying out until the very last house shut off its lights, and the streets became dark? There was no time-limit back then.
Pfft! Our town's trick-or-treating hours were from 5:30 to 8pm. Sheesh! It was broad daylight! Hubs, while taking BP trick-or-treating, heard a lot of complaints.....from the people handing out candy; one guy even suggested contacting city council to complain, and if that didn't go anywhere, to contact our state representative. (eye-roll) Our town does it up right at Halloween; many of the houses go all out with decorations, (ours included) and the complaint from many people was, the decorations lose their scare factor if it's not dark.
And they say Halloween is just for kids.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 30, 2008 22:41:41 GMT -6
Once upon a time, there was no such thing as the two-minute drill. Remember going to the library to look up information? Remember first digging through the card catalog to find out where to look for that information?
Remember libraries? And books?
Computer technology certainly has made things quicker and easier. I can't count how many two-minute drills I've done in the last week just seeking blurbs of information, most of which has no use except to satisfy my curiosity. But how sad it would be if technology would be the demise of things like books with actual pages to turn, and libraries to hold them.
My friend received an "E-Book" for Christmas. It's a small little thing about the size of an average address book, and just about as thick. It holds I-don't-know-how-many full length books; she's already got over 40 downloaded, and I believe she can download at least that many more without deleting any. All she has to do is go to a number of websites - many of the books offered are free, and download what ever looks good to her. A virtual library at her fingertips....and unlike a computer - even a laptop, she can curl up with her E-Book on a cozy chair, wrapped in a comfy blanket and read to her heart's content.....or until she dozes off, which would be the case if I were the one curled up in a comfy quilt.
It's all very cool and hi-tech sounding.....but at the same time, it made me kinda sad. There is something to me that seems so comforting about turning the well-worn pages of a book. Hearing of her E-Book made me want to read a real book, feeling, the weight of it resting in my lap, the stiff paper under my fingertips....feeling the tangible substance of it. I found the book I had been reading before the holidays; it was saved in the knick of time from being swallowing in one of my desk drawers, and I finished reading it this evening.
On to the next book in the stack....a real stack; one that teeters and threatens to topple over. I can't imagine not ever having that.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 31, 2008 17:14:38 GMT -6
I too, prefer the actual book to an eBook. However, I look at all the books I have cluttering up space that could be used for other things, or nothing at all, if I had them all on an eBook Reader instead. Plus, eBooks are cheaper than Hardcovers & Paperbacks. (Usually, for the most part.)
Two things have stopped me from going the eBook route for the time being. 1: I've not really liked any of the eBook Readers out there so far. & 2: Price.
When a Reader is finally invented that can buy books from anywhere, instead of at one place ... when that Reader looks, feels, & READs more like a book than a computer ... and when the price is more reasonable, I'll seriously consider getting one. Until then, I'm sticking with books, and cramming them into storage boxes & stuffing them into closets, etc.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 31, 2008 17:23:46 GMT -6
BTW: I saw The Kindle on Oprah the other day, and I must say, I yearn for one. But I'm holding out for 2 reasons:
1) I'm pretty much a BAMM.com girl. (But I'd still like the option to buy from anywhere I want.) 2) Price.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 1, 2009 9:27:50 GMT -6
I hated one of the comments on the site for "Kindle": "This is the future of book reading. It will be everywhere." I am a heel-dragger when it comes to change; I imagine libraries in the near future will be more of multi-media centers housing more electronic reading materials than actual books, and it makes me kind of sad. If price is a main reason you're holding out, Joxie, you may want to check out Sony's ebook; that's the one my friend got. Her husband is the king of bargain hunting; a shopaholic, we've always said he should make a career out of shopping for other people. He found the Sony at Target; here's a link which lists it at just under $300, but at the actual store he found it for under $250, and I'm almost positive my friend said she downloaded off sites other than Sony's ebook shop. www.target.com/Sony-Reader-Digital-Book-PRS505/dp/B000WPXQ2M/sr=1-7/qid=1230822060/ref=sr_1_7/176-6109379-6680554?ie=UTF8&rh=k%3Aebook&page=1I wonder if you added up all the money you spend on books in a year, if the cost of an ebook would be less expensive?
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 1, 2009 16:57:26 GMT -6
I hated one of the comments on the site for "Kindle": "This is the future of book reading. It will be everywhere."
I'd hate it if books went the way of 8-tracks, vinyl, etc. I like having options. Personally, I'd buy CDs & vinyl over 8-tracks, but there are a lot of people who'd still be buying 8-tracks if they were made available. But I guess it costs companies more than they'd make, so they don't bother.
And I think I'd buy my favorite authors & books in book form. And use eBooks for anything/everything else.
I'm sure it would.
I am as well. I usually wait for the price to come down, for improvements to be made, for enough time to go by that the item proves its worth.
I still don't have an iPod, a cell phone, a camcorder, Tivo, and a bunch of other "must-haves." I only just recently bought DVD recorders. I've wanted one for ages, but I waited until the price dropped a great deal. I was going to wait until next year or the year after, when the price dropped even more, but my TV & VCRs aren't digital, and the change happens in February ... so I got them earlier than I had intended.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 1, 2009 17:56:44 GMT -6
Okay. I like the Sony eReader as well. However, I'm sure now that Oprah has brought the attention of eReaders to the world, more will pop up that have made improvements on the negative reports in the reviews. So I'll just wait until all the bugs have been worked out. I'm sure I'll have one eventually.
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Post by moonglum on Jan 2, 2009 11:39:29 GMT -6
I'd never really given ereaders a thought. Like you two I was raised with books, and libraries were a valuable and big part of my life. Now you've gone and waved a gadget at me. Ahhhh, why did you have to do that.
They do look interesting though, don't they.
I'm with you MM, I think I would probably wait for the bugs to be ironed out, and even then I would be selective about what I read from on it. The real concern I think, is that the cheaper they become, the more people would buy them rather than 'real' books. I remember some years ago, the music stores said they would continue to supply vinyl for people that preferred it. Now you can't find a single store that supplies it.
One of my favourite stores closed last year. It was a second-hand bookshop in Maldon, Essex. I spent many hours, and pounds, in there over the years. The owner, however, couldn't continue with the high overheads of a shop, when he was selling far more stock from his internet site. It's a sad sign of the times, but at least he's still selling the 'real thing'.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 2, 2009 17:05:14 GMT -6
I'd never really given ereaders a thought. Like you two I was raised with books, and libraries were a valuable and big part of my life.
When I discovered there were eReaders out there, (many years ago), I didn't much like them, so I never considered getting one. But when Oprah brought 'The Kindle' to my attention, and I saw how much they had improved over time, I started giving them more thought than I had in the past.
So sorry. Truly I am.
Yeppers, they certainly do.
Well, I'm not so sure now. Authors get more of the pie from eBooks than from hardcovers & paperbacks. Publisher take more of the pie then, due to the cost of paper, ink, shipping, etc. So in order to help out my favorite authors, I just might go eBook first. And then, if I truly love the book, get it in hc/pb form later on. We'll see. I do like the idea of not having books cluttered on shelves & storage boxes, and taking up so much space in my house that could be used for other things.
But then again ... ... ... Let's just say, I'm torn.
It is a shame that new things weed out old things. Although I did hear that vinyl is making a comeback with teens. The sound quality is better, and they don't mind the crackles and pops.
Cool!
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Post by vox on Jan 3, 2009 5:15:03 GMT -6
I think it would be criminal if the youngsters of today relied on e-books for learning, what will happen in our schools? the younger generation would grow up and not even know what a book is (or was!), what it feels like to hold and smell a book (yes they do have a distinctive smell!
It is a very good idea for people who cannot get out and about and love reading, but let's not encourage the young to spend more and more time in front of the computers! Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh but I feel that the young spend too much time as it is in front of one screen or another! Still, let's wait and see what happens.
sorry for the rant!
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Post by Phalon on Jan 3, 2009 10:39:48 GMT -6
Less clutter....less paper....less raw materials. I wonder what the environmental impact would be going to paper-less books? Although many, (the majority?), of books seem to be made of recycled product, and the paper industry supports how many jobs? There'd be economical impact as well.
Again there is an economical impact. How sad to think that bookstores and libraries would have to shut their doors due to "progress".
No sorries, Vox; I don't think it's a rant at all, but another real concern.
I also agree about the feel and smell of a book, and remember writing something very similar in the fetish thread here a long time ago. I looked it up this morning, because.....
...I've been thinking....do you all mind if I use this topic, and some of your comments for my blog? Coincidentally, I was going to do a book review for my next entry, but this is an interesting subject to me, and I could use the ebook topic to precede the book review.
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Post by vox on Jan 3, 2009 11:41:13 GMT -6
Not at all Phalon! I think all of our concerns should be brought out in the open! I totally agree with you about the impact on industry, what would happen to the Bookbinders, proof readers, publishers etc?
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 3, 2009 18:37:49 GMT -6
Not at all, Phalon.
I too prefer books over eBooks for the most part. I do love the smell of a new book that no one else has opened. I do, however, like that the author gets more income from the eBooks, but then it does leave a lot of people jobless too. So both have their advantages and disadvantages. This topic would make for a very good blog post.
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Post by Siren on Jan 4, 2009 10:12:18 GMT -6
There are obviously things I love about computers. But I'm very old-school in many ways. And books are one of my old-school stand-bys. There is something comforting about revisiting a well-loved old book. I never catch an airplane that there isn't a Sue Grafton mystery in my backpack. There's always a book (usually one of Sue's) in my overnight bag. And my garage is stacked with books I haven't touched in awhile, but can't bear to part with. An e-reader just couldn't have the same comforting qualities that a worn, often-read book has.
I have the same worry about ebooks as I do about mp3s - there is no way that every book will be available, especially the obscure ones. And many of my favorites are obscure titles. I have several photography books, too. And an e-reader can't do them justice.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 4, 2009 13:06:02 GMT -6
Oh! And you know those well-loved books just have to be lent out to friends, sometimes making a circuit who-knows-how-big before they find their way back to their owners. Dog-eared pages, underlined passages, and handwritten notes in the margins...don't you sometimes wonder the about the stories behind them; what reason did someone find them so interesting as to mark them.
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Post by vox on Jan 4, 2009 14:28:45 GMT -6
Some people did something like that over here a short while ago, they left the book on an Underground Train, someone picked it up, read it and made a comment on the front sleeve, left it somewhere else, like in a restuarant, and someone else picked it up etc, etc, and then the story goes, it went to several people and eventually the person who originally wrote it, found it and read the comments!
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 4, 2009 19:30:35 GMT -6
There is a website where people post where they left a book, so others can 'borrow' it and then leave it somewhere else and post where it can be picked up. I can't remember the url now though. I'm sure I've posted it in a thread somewhere. Perhaps on the 'Club Read' board.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 4, 2009 19:59:05 GMT -6
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Post by vox on Jan 5, 2009 12:01:21 GMT -6
Thanks Mini Mia, will be giving that one a look!
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 5, 2009 12:48:29 GMT -6
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 5, 2009 13:05:08 GMT -6
FINALLY! After trying many different phrases in Google searches, I found the site I wanted!
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 5, 2009 13:16:49 GMT -6
BTW: I started a thread on the 'Club Read' board for anyone who wants to continue this conversation there.
Books VS eReaders
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 5, 2009 13:34:22 GMT -6
Okay ... while checking out Wikipedia's info on 'Book Crossing,' I discovered this site:
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Post by Phalon on Feb 19, 2009 9:16:44 GMT -6
Gosh, how I long sometimes for a juicy, sweet, vine-ripened red tomato....especially in winter, when the ones in the grocery all seem to be made of styrofoam in both taste and texture. Even in summer, grocery-bought tomatoes seem to have no taste....but that time of year, you can get them fresh in farmer's markets, or from the garden.....or in our case, the neighbor's garden because we can't seem to grow a decent tomato in ours except for cherries. Apparently, it's not only taste that's missing from today's grocery store veggies: a new study shows that it's missing 5-40 percent of its nutrients compared to vegetables grown 50 years ago. Bigger fruit, selective breeding, quicker harvests....even today's dirt on "corporate farms", has an effect on the nutrient content of vegetables. Here's the link to the article: news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090219/hl_time/08599188014500Dang, it makes me long for a warm-from-the-sun, juice-dripping-down-my-chin type of tomato even more.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 19, 2009 17:58:58 GMT -6
Have you tried growing cherry tomatoes inside? I've thought of doing that, but that's as far as I got.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 20, 2009 6:50:51 GMT -6
Hhmmm....I've never given it a thought, Joxie. Anything that crosses the threshhold of the door from the outside in, has pretty much been handed a death sentence in my house. Just call me The Black Thumb of Death; I've never been able to keep a houseplant alive for more than a couple of months. The girls and Hubs have been laughing at me the last couple of weeks, because I refuse to give up on a purple-leaved shamrock that sat on my porch all last summer, happy, big and beautiful. It now has just three scraggly leaves left.
I think a lot of it has to do with the lack of humidity in the house; in addition, all my sunny windows have heating vents right underneath them. That's my excuse anyway....it has nothing to do with me forgetting to water them.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 20, 2009 18:41:23 GMT -6
Yeah, I don't have plants in the house at all because I _do_ forget to water them. And that's why I haven't tried growing any type of small tomatoes in the house to eat on in the autumn/winter months. If I did do that and it worked really well, I might have even tried my hand at other food plants for in the house. A strawberry pot? I wonder how well that would work? I might pay more attention to food plants over flower and other decorative plants. Yeah. I'd forget to water them. I was just being delusional there for a moment.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 21, 2009 9:18:26 GMT -6
Oh, I get delusional all the time about the realities between what I want to attempt and what I will succeed in attempting. I usually never find out if what I succeed in attempting will actually succeed.....because all-to-often, I don't make it past the "wanting to attempt" to do something stage!
I don't think though, that strawberries would work inside the house. They need to go through the dormancy stage that winter provides. I don't know though - the plants are fairly inexpensive, (in comparison to fresh strawberries), and easy to grow, so it might be worth a try.
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Post by stepper on Mar 6, 2009 1:04:39 GMT -6
Gosh, how I long sometimes for a juicy, sweet, vine-ripened red tomato....especially in winter, when the ones in the grocery all seem to be made of styrofoam in both taste and texture. I completely understand that Phalon. We always had gardens when I was young. Nothing as extensive as a Victory Garden, but we always had a half decent garden going in the back yard. You simply can't compare the taste of something purchased to something freshly picked. I got to the point that the only garden things I like cooked are corn. potatoes, and wax rutaba. Nearly everything else I'll only eat if it's raw. But remember to wash the carrots really well. Dirt, no matter what it's attached to, does not enhance the flavor of anything.
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