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Darren New <dne### [at] san rrcom> wrote:
> Hint: All spanish is pronounced just like it's spelled.
Not letter-by-letter, though. Some combinations of letters are
pronounced differently than those letters alone would be. For example,
the 'u' in "gu" is pronounced differently than in 'gui' (where it, in
fact, is not pronounced at all). Moreover, the 'g' in "gu" is pronounced
differently from the 'g' in "gi".
The letter 'l' is pronounced differently when it's doubled: "ll"
(although official Spanish grammar considers 'l' and 'll' two distinct
letters of the alphabet, to be precise).
The letter 'c' is pronounced differently depending on the following
vocal. If the following letter is 'h', it forms its own distinct letter
of the alphabet, pronounced differently from either 'c' or 'h'.
There's a difference in pronounciation of the letter 'd' when it's
followed by a vocal compared to when it's followed by 'r' and a vocal.
The pronounciation of the letter 'x' varies according to which
(Spanish-speaking) country you are in. Maybe even inside the same country.
IIRC, there are no words in Spanish which start with an 's' and with
the second letter being a consonant. If a Spanish-speaking person tries
to pronounce a foreign word like that, he will usually instinctively
pronounce an 'e' at the beginning of the word (ie. before the 's'), for
some reason (I never understood why).
--
- Warp
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Let's add: c, s, and z have a different pronunciation in Spain, but in
many Latin-american countries, they're pronounced the same way.
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Warp wrote:
> Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
>> Hint: All spanish is pronounced just like it's spelled.
>
> Not letter-by-letter, though. Some combinations of letters are
> pronounced differently than those letters alone would be. For example,
> the 'u' in "gu" is pronounced differently than in 'gui' (where it, in
> fact, is not pronounced at all). Moreover, the 'g' in "gu" is pronounced
> differently from the 'g' in "gi".
I didn't know that.
> The letter 'l' is pronounced differently when it's doubled: "ll"
> (although official Spanish grammar considers 'l' and 'll' two distinct
> letters of the alphabet, to be precise).
Yeah. This and the "c" / "ch" are considered single letters. Like, in
the dictionary, "lk" and "Lm" don't surround "ll". I think "r" and "rr"
do the same thing, too. That's sort of what I was implying by "some of
the letters are pronounced in unexpected ways." I think the accents (as
in stress on sylables) are very consistent too.
> The pronounciation of the letter 'x' varies according to which
> (Spanish-speaking) country you are in. Maybe even inside the same country.
I'm sure stuff has drifted. It's a heck of a lot more consistent than
English, tho!
> IIRC, there are no words in Spanish which start with an 's' and with
> the second letter being a consonant. If a Spanish-speaking person tries
> to pronounce a foreign word like that, he will usually instinctively
> pronounce an 'e' at the beginning of the word (ie. before the 's'), for
> some reason (I never understood why).
Cool. A lot of the oriental languages (mandarin, japanese) have mainly
sylables with one consonant. (I.e., every consonant is close to a
vowel.) So you don't get words like "consonants", which are easy for me
to pronounce and hard for most people I know who grew up speaking chinese.
A funny story. "Hoya" is the spanish word for "cove" (as in, a bay of
water good for parking boats). When the british/americans/English
speakers took over the town next to where I live, they asked the spanish
living there what it was called. "La Hoya." The brits then said
"Hmmm... But it's spanish. Better mark it on the maps as "La Jolla".
--
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
"That's pretty. Where's that?"
"It's the Age of Channelwood."
"We should go there on vacation some time."
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Darren New escribió:
> Yeah. This and the "c" / "ch" are considered single letters. Like, in
> the dictionary, "lk" and "Lm" don't surround "ll". I think "r" and "rr"
> do the same thing, too. That's sort of what I was implying by "some of
> the letters are pronounced in unexpected ways." I think the accents (as
> in stress on sylables) are very consistent too.
Dictionaries don't show those as separate letters (anymore).
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Stephen wrote:
> On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:31:12 -0400, Sabrina Kilian <"ykgp at
> vtSPAM.edu"> wrote:
>
>> John VanSickle wrote:
>>> Oedipus complex: n. A romantic attraction towards ones own parent of
>>> the opposite sex.
>>>
>> Usually refers only to a male's attraction to his mother. A female's
>> attraction to her father is an Electra complex.
>
> Since we are showing off with our Greek. I point Andrew to the "Medea
> complex" if he wants to worry :)
I wasn't referring to Greek, but to Jungian psychology.
Freud used Oedipus to refer to both sexes of a child, but Freud. . .
well, Freud was stoned.
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Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
> Darren New escribió:
>> Yeah. This and the "c" / "ch" are considered single letters. Like, in
>> the dictionary, "lk" and "Lm" don't surround "ll". I think "r" and
>> "rr" do the same thing, too. That's sort of what I was implying by
>> "some of the letters are pronounced in unexpected ways." I think the
>> accents (as in stress on sylables) are very consistent too.
>
> Dictionaries don't show those as separate letters (anymore).
Heh. I suspect since computerization kicked in, it's harder to make that
work right. Anyway, I'm just going on what I remember of high-school
Spanish when it comes to such rules.
--
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
"That's pretty. Where's that?"
"It's the Age of Channelwood."
"We should go there on vacation some time."
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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:480e5283$1@news.povray.org...
> Gail Shaw wrote:
>
> > How much fiction (excluding web comics) do you read?
>
> In the last 3 years, I have read approximately 0 pages of fiction [not
> counting web comics, which is a very new trend for me].
>
> What can I say? 90% of my life is spent writing computer programs. I
> don't *do* much else... [Unless you count sleeping anyway.]
Geesh...
Go visit your local library sometime. Besides being a great way to spend
some time, reading books increase your vocabulary and your general
knowledge.
You might even make a couple acquaintances at the library
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"Stephen" <mcavoysAT@aolDOTcom> wrote in message
news:oh3s04lmhpfifg72n29nden5k1ovdnoqin@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:25:11 +0200, "Gail Shaw"
> <initialsurname@sentech sa dot com> wrote:
>
> >
> >p.s. if you want to improve your vocabulary -
> >http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/list/
> >
>
> or
> http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/wordpower/
> :)
Oooh... I like.
45.697 out of 50 first round. They got a bit harder from there.
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On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:16:21 -0700, Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom>
wrote:
>
>I've only ever heard it in reference to Starbucks. :-)
I've heard it in Italy
>And, incidentally, yes, Oedipus is supremely f'ed up.
His head only got messed up when he found out that Jocasta was his
mother.
>That's pretty much
>why it's still a part of the language thousands of years after it was
>written, in a different language yet.
I think that its longevity is more due to it being used as an example
of "Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad"
--
Regards
Stephen
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On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:29:43 -0400, Sabrina Kilian <"ykgp at
vtSPAM.edu"> wrote:
>
>I wasn't referring to Greek, but to Jungian psychology.
>
I know, I was just being trivial :)
>Freud used Oedipus to refer to both sexes of a child, but Freud. . .
>well, Freud was stoned.
And you need to tell that to a Stephen? :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:51:27 +0200, "Gail Shaw"
<initialsurname@sentech sa dot com> wrote:
>> http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/wordpower/
>> :)
>
>Oooh... I like.
So do I. There is always a couple of copies of Readers Digest in
doctors and dentists waiting rooms.
>45.697 out of 50 first round. They got a bit harder from there.
>
Very good, I always get one wrong, be it five questions or twenty.
--
Regards
Stephen
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Warp wrote:
> How many of the points in this list would you say apply to you?
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loneliness#Common_symptoms
All of them...? Aren't those common to everybody?
<_______<
*cough*
--
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.digitalartsuk.com
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
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GFA dpu- s: a?-- C++(++++) U P? L E--- W++(+++)>$
N++ o? K- w(+) O? M-(--) V? PS+(+++) PE(--) Y(--)
PGP-(--) t* 5++>+++++ X+ R* tv+ b++(+++) DI
D++(---) G(++) e*>++ h+ !r--- !y--
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
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Warp wrote:
> How many of the points in this list would you say apply to you?
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loneliness#Common_symptoms
Almost all of them. Why do you ask?
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Gail Shaw wrote:
> Geesh...
Interesting.
> Go visit your local library sometime. Besides being a great way to spend
> some time, reading books increase your vocabulary and your general
> knowledge.
The difficulty is finding books which are actually enjoyable to read.
Don't get me wrong, I do *enjoy* reading good fiction. The difficulty is
finding it.
> You might even make a couple acquaintances at the library
I've heard this gem before. However, given that talking is strictly
prohibited, I fail to comprehend how this one works...
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:12:20 +0100, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
>
>> You might even make a couple acquaintances at the library
>
>I've heard this gem before. However, given that talking is strictly
>prohibited, I fail to comprehend how this one works...
When was the last time you were in a library :) Now-a-days the sound
of keyboards clicking would deafen you :(
--
Regards
Stephen
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Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> Warp wrote:
> > How many of the points in this list would you say apply to you?
> >
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loneliness#Common_symptoms
> Almost all of them. Why do you ask?
I thought so.
--
- Warp
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Darren New escribió:
> Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
>> Dictionaries don't show those as separate letters (anymore).
>
> Heh. I suspect since computerization kicked in, it's harder to make that
> work right. Anyway, I'm just going on what I remember of high-school
> Spanish when it comes to such rules.
You still need to sort ñ as a separate letter between n and o, and I
doubt that's changing any time soon :)
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Invisible wrote:
> Gail Shaw wrote:
>> You might even make a couple acquaintances at the library
>
> I've heard this gem before. However, given that talking is strictly
> prohibited, I fail to comprehend how this one works...
Yeah, add that to the fact that if one is antisocial, the only reason to
be in a library is the books.
Mmm, books...tasty.
om nom nom nom
--
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.digitalartsuk.com
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GFA dpu- s: a?-- C++(++++) U P? L E--- W++(+++)>$
N++ o? K- w(+) O? M-(--) V? PS+(+++) PE(--) Y(--)
PGP-(--) t* 5++>+++++ X+ R* tv+ b++(+++) DI
D++(---) G(++) e*>++ h+ !r--- !y--
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
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And lo on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:12:20 +0100, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> did
spake, saying:
> The difficulty is finding books which are actually enjoyable to read.
> Don't get me wrong, I do *enjoy* reading good fiction. The difficulty is
> finding it.
Out of pure curiosity have you had chance to glance at any of the titles
or authors that everyone here has suggested at one time or another?
--
Phil Cook
--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:30:40 +0100, "Phil Cook"
<phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
>And lo on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:12:20 +0100, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> did
>spake, saying:
>
>> The difficulty is finding books which are actually enjoyable to read.
>> Don't get me wrong, I do *enjoy* reading good fiction. The difficulty is
>> finding it.
>
>Out of pure curiosity have you had chance to glance at any of the titles
>or authors that everyone here has suggested at one time or another?
>
I don't think that there is any point. I've met lots of people who
don't read fiction and if you've not picked up the habit by your
twenties then I don't think that there is much chance that you ever
will. Me I read the back of the cereal packet at breakfast. Over and
over :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> a écrit dans le message de news:
480f27e4$1@news.povray.org...
> The difficulty is finding books which are actually enjoyable to read.
> Don't get me wrong, I do *enjoy* reading good fiction. The difficulty is
> finding it.
So difficult that you couldn't find a single fiction book to read in the
past 3 years? Is that even possible?
Do you mean that you've already exausted a couple of millenia of world
literature and can't find anything left to read, or that you have literary
tastes so bizarre (Haskell-themed BDSM?) that books that suit you just don't
exist?
G.
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:25:25 +0200, "Gilles Tran"
<gil### [at] agroparistechfr> wrote:
>or that you have literary
>tastes so bizarre (Haskell-themed BDSM?) that books that suit you just don't
>exist?
Argg! My world view has just been enlarged. :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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And lo on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:57:58 +0100, Stephen <mcavoysAT@aolDOTcom>
did spake, saying:
> On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:30:40 +0100, "Phil Cook"
> <phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
>
>> And lo on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:12:20 +0100, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> did
>> spake, saying:
>>
>>> The difficulty is finding books which are actually enjoyable to read.
>>> Don't get me wrong, I do *enjoy* reading good fiction. The difficulty
>>> is finding it.
>>
>> Out of pure curiosity have you had chance to glance at any of the titles
>> or authors that everyone here has suggested at one time or another?
>
> I don't think that there is any point. I've met lots of people who
> don't read fiction and if you've not picked up the habit by your
> twenties then I don't think that there is much chance that you ever
> will.
I just can't imagine not reading fiction; it's just my default state of
being.
> Me I read the back of the cereal packet at breakfast. Over and
> over :)
Well they do sometimes put quizes on the back, or mazes; mazes are fun ;-)
Personally I avoid reading cereal packets. It's an odd quirk but at that
time in the morning I really don't want to know what makes up the contents
of my breakfast; or for that matter which irrating personality is
endorsing it and telling me what I should be eating with it, how I should
be eating it, and what I should be doing before and after eating it and
basically making me feel bad about just dumping it in a bowl with some
milk before conveying it from bowl to mouth with a spoon in an feeble
attempt to gain consciousness prior to the coffee hit.
--
Phil Cook
--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com
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"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:480f27e4$1@news.povray.org...
> Gail Shaw wrote:
>
> > Geesh...
>
> Interesting.
To give you an idea, if I'm not swamped with deadlines, I usually get
through 2 or 3 books a week. Those are 500-800 page books.
For a week holiday I'll often pack 6 to 8 books, and finish all of them
> > Go visit your local library sometime. Besides being a great way to spend
> > some time, reading books increase your vocabulary and your general
> > knowledge.
>
> The difficulty is finding books which are actually enjoyable to read.
> Don't get me wrong, I do *enjoy* reading good fiction. The difficulty is
> finding it.
If you're going to a library, ask a librarian. They're more likely than
anyone to know a good book in a specific genre that the library has.
You could also ask here, if you trust our opinions. What kind of fiction do
you enjoy?
Besides, if you're just borrowing the books, what do you lose by taking
something you're not sure of? Perhaps an hour of your time.
> > You might even make a couple acquaintances at the library
>
> I've heard this gem before. However, given that talking is strictly
> prohibited, I fail to comprehend how this one works...
It's not prohibited in any library I've been in. Making loud noises is
prohibited, but a soft conversation with another patron on the merits of a
particular book isn't a problem.
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And lo on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:28:55 +0100, Stephen <mcavoysAT@aolDOTcom>
did spake, saying:
> On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:25:25 +0200, "Gilles Tran"
> <gil### [at] agroparistechfr> wrote:
>
>> or that you have literary
>> tastes so bizarre (Haskell-themed BDSM?) that books that suit you jus
t
>> don't exist?
lash = do putStrLn "You've been a naughty boy haven't you?"
grovel <- readLn
if grovel == yes
then putStrLn "So you need to be whipped"
else putStrLn "Liar! You need to be whipped"
> Argg! My world view has just been enlarged. :)
Oo I've got a ton of spam with just that subject heading.
--
Phil Cook
--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com
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Phil Cook wrote:
> I just can't imagine not reading fiction; it's just my default state of
> being.
Hey, I read nothing but non-fiction until fifth grade, whereupon the
teacher forced the issue by requiring a book report on a fiction book. :-)
--
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
"That's pretty. Where's that?"
"It's the Age of Channelwood."
"We should go there on vacation some time."
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And lo on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:14:27 +0100, Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom>
did spake, saying:
> Phil Cook wrote:
>> I just can't imagine not reading fiction; it's just my default state of
>> being.
>
> Hey, I read nothing but non-fiction until fifth grade, whereupon the
> teacher forced the issue by requiring a book report on a fiction book.
> :-)
It wan't meant disparagingly, simply an Error Does Not Compute for my OS
:-)
--
Phil Cook
--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:54:56 +0100, "Phil Cook"
<phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
>
>I just can't imagine not reading fiction; it's just my default state of
>being.
>
My Rule of Life #3 (After the heavy stuff); Always have a book,
especially if using a computer :)
>> Me I read the back of the cereal packet at breakfast. Over and
>> over :)
>
>Well they do sometimes put quizes on the back, or mazes; mazes are fun ;-)
>
>Personally I avoid reading cereal packets. It's an odd quirk but at that
>time in the morning I really don't want to know what makes up the contents
>of my breakfast; or for that matter which irrating personality is
>endorsing it and telling me what I should be eating with it, how I should
>be eating it, and what I should be doing before and after eating it and
>basically making me feel bad about just dumping it in a bowl with some
>milk before conveying it from bowl to mouth with a spoon in an feeble
>attempt to gain consciousness prior to the coffee hit.
It was a figure of speech, Phil :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:02:46 +0100, "Phil Cook"
<phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
>
>lash = do putStrLn "You've been a naughty boy haven't you?"
> grovel <- readLn
> if grovel == yes
> then putStrLn "So you need to be whipped"
> else putStrLn "Liar! You need to be whipped"
>
See You Jimmie. You a perv or sumthing? :)
>> Argg! My world view has just been enlarged. :)
>
>Oo I've got a ton of spam with just that subject heading.
LOL I am a simple soul at heart ;)
--
Regards
Stephen
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Phil Cook wrote:
> And lo on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:14:27 +0100, Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom>
> did spake, saying:
>
>> Phil Cook wrote:
>>> I just can't imagine not reading fiction; it's just my default state
>>> of being.
>>
>> Hey, I read nothing but non-fiction until fifth grade, whereupon the
>> teacher forced the issue by requiring a book report on a fiction book.
>> :-)
>
> It wan't meant disparagingly, simply an Error Does Not Compute for my OS
> :-)
I took no offense. :-) I read lots of fiction now. :)
The first fiction book I read was about a family captured by the giant
AI that is built into Phobos by the now-extinct Martians. I wish I could
remember the name - "Phobos is missing" or something like that...
--
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
"That's pretty. Where's that?"
"It's the Age of Channelwood."
"We should go there on vacation some time."
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>>> How many of the points in this list would you say apply to you?
>>>
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loneliness#Common_symptoms
>
>> Almost all of them. Why do you ask?
>
> I thought so.
The "resistence to change" is the one I said no to, FWIW.
[Seriously, have you *seen* The Hair(tm)?!]
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Phil Cook wrote:
> I just can't imagine not reading fiction; it's just my default state of
> being.
I just can't imagine programming things morning, noon and night. It's
just my default state of being. ;-)
>> Me I read the back of the cereal packet at breakfast. Over and
>> over :)
>
> Well they do sometimes put quizes on the back, or mazes; mazes are fun ;-)
Er... Well I read the ingredients on things. Mainly for amusement value.
You find chemicals with names like "hydroxyethylcellulose". And you see
things like
"Cheese (20%)" [Found on a box of cheese. WTF?]
"Lemon juice (2%)" [Found on some lemonade.]
"Water, Sugar, Citric Acid, Vitamin C" [Found on some cheap lemonade.]
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Phil Cook wrote:
> lash = do putStrLn "You've been a naughty boy haven't you?"
> grovel <- readLn
> if grovel == yes
> then putStrLn "So you need to be whipped"
> else putStrLn "Liar! You need to be whipped"
Worrying fact: This almost compiles, actually...
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Orchid XP v8 escribió:
> Phil Cook wrote:
>
>> I just can't imagine not reading fiction; it's just my default state
>> of being.
>
> I just can't imagine programming things morning, noon and night. It's
> just my default state of being. ;-)
"...can't imagine *not* programming..."?
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>> I just can't imagine programming things morning, noon and night. It's
>> just my default state of being. ;-)
>
> "...can't imagine *not* programming..."?
GAAAAAH! >_<
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Worrying fact: This almost compiles, actually...
Actually, scrub that. Worrying fact: I knew it would compile without
trying it. :-.
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Gilles Tran wrote:
>> The difficulty is finding books which are actually enjoyable to read.
>> Don't get me wrong, I do *enjoy* reading good fiction. The difficulty is
>> finding it.
>
> So difficult that you couldn't find a single fiction book to read in the
> past 3 years? Is that even possible?
> Do you mean that you've already exausted a couple of millenia of world
> literature and can't find anything left to read, or that you have literary
> tastes so bizarre (Haskell-themed BDSM?) that books that suit you just don't
> exist?
I very much doubt that I've read all the good fiction already! ;-)
There's probably an ample supply of suitable stuff out there. As I say,
the problem is locating it. Obviously I don't have time to try reading
every book ever written on the off-chance that it might be good, so I
need a more efficient strategy.
Actually, come to think of it, if I *did* want to read something, our
house already contains several suitable books. I just don't have the
several months spare that it would take to read any of them...
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Gail Shaw wrote:
> To give you an idea, if I'm not swamped with deadlines, I usually get
> through 2 or 3 books a week. Those are 500-800 page books.
> For a week holiday I'll often pack 6 to 8 books, and finish all of them
Yeah, I've met people like that.
[Indeed, where I work there's a guy who every day has a different
brick-thick tome in his hand. Usually with lots of dragons and fairies
on the cover. Weird stuff...]
My question to you would be: how the hell do you read that fast?
I'm just trying to recall the last fiction book I read... You know I
think it might even have been the Duncton Chronicles... No, wait. I
remember what the last fiction I read was. And I am *not* admitting to
it in public! ;-) But anyway, getting back to my original point... when
I read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it took about 8 months to
finish it. And that's back when I was at school and had absurd amounts
of free time available for reading.
>> The difficulty is finding books which are actually enjoyable to read.
>> Don't get me wrong, I do *enjoy* reading good fiction. The difficulty is
>> finding it.
>
> If you're going to a library, ask a librarian. They're more likely than
> anyone to know a good book in a specific genre that the library has.
In my experience, librarians tend not to be very happy to see you. But I
suppose it could be worth a go...
> What kind of fiction do you enjoy?
Erm... no idea.
> Besides, if you're just borrowing the books, what do you lose by taking
> something you're not sure of? Perhaps an hour of your time.
True. I wonder where the hell my library card is? Actually, I wonder if
it's still valid after all these years. I think the last time I used it
was in 1997 or so...
>>> You might even make a couple acquaintances at the library
>> I've heard this gem before. However, given that talking is strictly
>> prohibited, I fail to comprehend how this one works...
>
> It's not prohibited in any library I've been in. Making loud noises is
> prohibited, but a soft conversation with another patron on the merits of a
> particular book isn't a problem.
Mmm, OK. I generally find the only other people in *my* local library
are stressed teenagers frantically cramming for their GCSEs... ;-)
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:480f8082$1@news.povray.org...
> [Indeed, where I work there's a guy who every day has a different
> brick-thick tome in his hand. Usually with lots of dragons and fairies
> on the cover. Weird stuff...]
Sounds like my type of stories.... <g>
> My question to you would be: how the hell do you read that fast?
Practice.
Let's see, in the last week and a half, I've reread Daughter of the Empire,
Servant of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire (by Raymond E Feist and Janny
Wurts) and 3/4 reread Magician (Raymond E Feist)
> > If you're going to a library, ask a librarian. They're more likely than
> > anyone to know a good book in a specific genre that the library has.
>
> In my experience, librarians tend not to be very happy to see you. But I
> suppose it could be worth a go...
Strange. All the ones in my local library are friendly and hapy to talk
about books. Often for too long....
> True. I wonder where the hell my library card is? Actually, I wonder if
> it's still valid after all these years. I think the last time I used it
> was in 1997 or so...
Probably not, but in general they're easy to renew
> > It's not prohibited in any library I've been in. Making loud noises is
> > prohibited, but a soft conversation with another patron on the merits of
a
> > particular book isn't a problem.
>
> Mmm, OK. I generally find the only other people in *my* local library
> are stressed teenagers frantically cramming for their GCSEs... ;-)
That sounds like the last time I visited the university library. It didn't
help that I was wearing shoes that squeeked on the floor.
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>> [Indeed, where I work there's a guy who every day has a different
>> brick-thick tome in his hand. Usually with lots of dragons and fairies
>> on the cover. Weird stuff...]
>
> Sounds like my type of stories.... <g>
Heh. I see...
>> My question to you would be: how the hell do you read that fast?
>
> Practice.
Damn. Hot Sales Girl lent me a book at work [not fiction, I might add],
and so far I've been reading it for a couple of months now. And I'm
barely half-way through. And it's quite a small book. Admittedly I'm
only reading it in my lunch break... I guess the real problem is that
the book scares me too much. She assures me it has a happy ending, but
hey...
> Let's see, in the last week and a half, I've reread Daughter of the Empire,
> Servant of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire (by Raymond E Feist and Janny
> Wurts) and 3/4 reread Magician (Raymond E Feist)
OK, very weird thing: All of the books you just meantioned are in my
mum's bookshelf. [Even though nobody in this household has ever read them.]
Gail, you're scaring me...
>> In my experience, librarians tend not to be very happy to see you. But I
>> suppose it could be worth a go...
>
> Strange. All the ones in my local library are friendly and hapy to talk
> about books. Often for too long....
They always look so busy - and so harrassed at being so busy...
>> Mmm, OK. I generally find the only other people in *my* local library
>> are stressed teenagers frantically cramming for their GCSEs... ;-)
>
> That sounds like the last time I visited the university library. It didn't
> help that I was wearing shoes that squeeked on the floor.
Heh. I never really had that problem at university... usually the place
was empty. [Background reading? What's that then?]
I'm talking about the local public library. ;-)
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:480f8c42$1@news.povray.org...
>
> OK, very weird thing: All of the books you just meantioned are in my
> mum's bookshelf. [Even though nobody in this household has ever read
them.]
They're good. Read Magician. Seriously. It's an excellent book. Technically
it's the first of a trilogy, but it stands alone quite well.
> I'm talking about the local public library. ;-)
I've never seen students at my local library. Most of the people I see there
are twice my age or more.
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>> OK, very weird thing: All of the books you just meantioned are in my
>> mum's bookshelf. [Even though nobody in this household has ever read
>> them.]
>
> They're good. Read Magician. Seriously. It's an excellent book. Technically
> it's the first of a trilogy, but it stands alone quite well.
Actually, I was thinking if anything I'm likely to try reading the Harry
Potter books [which are also reputed to be well-written]. I know a
person who is a very big HP addict. Apparently she "resents" me having
an opinion about the films when I haven't read the books. (Er, hello?
It's a story, not a religion...)
>> I'm talking about the local public library. ;-)
>
> I've never seen students at my local library. Most of the people I see there
> are twice my age or more.
Oh, those are there too, but there usually in the "Computing" section.
(I'm usually in the Mathematics section. The Computing section contains
nothing of interest - unless you *wanted* to learn how to upgrade your
PC beyond 640 KB of RAM? I gather this used to be difficult in some way...)
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Gail Shaw wrote:
> They're good. Read Magician. Seriously. It's an excellent book. Technically
> it's the first of a trilogy, but it stands alone quite well.
Actually, I recall a number of people urging me to read The Hobbit.
After a chapter or two I was bored stupid. Watching paint dry would have
been more fun.
Oddly, the LotR films are really quite good. I don't know how they
managed to get so much excitement out of such a dull series of books...
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:16:45 +0200, Gail Shaw wrote:
> Let's see, in the last week and a half, I've reread Daughter of the
> Empire, Servant of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire (by Raymond E
> Feist and Janny Wurts) and 3/4 reread Magician (Raymond E Feist)
I need to reread those again - have you read Fairie Tale? Very well
written, but also quite scary (particularly if you have kids the age of
the kids in the book). I think that one is one of Feist's best.
Jim
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:37:40 +0100, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Gail Shaw wrote:
>
>> They're good. Read Magician. Seriously. It's an excellent book.
>> Technically it's the first of a trilogy, but it stands alone quite
>> well.
>
> Actually, I recall a number of people urging me to read The Hobbit.
> After a chapter or two I was bored stupid. Watching paint dry would have
> been more fun.
>
> Oddly, the LotR films are really quite good. I don't know how they
> managed to get so much excitement out of such a dull series of books...
Well, I found the books to be good, but they are heavy on exposition. It
translated to films well, I think, because instead of exposition on what
the mountains looked like, we just had a picture to look at. The scouts
did very well, I thought, in scouting locations that evoked the images of
the books.
I hope they do get the Hobbit film(s) made.
Jim
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Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
> The scouts
> did very well, I thought, in scouting locations that evoked the images of
> the books.
Yes. Especially the place for Edoras was a superb find. (Only some
buildings were added with CGI, all the rest is real scenery.)
--
- Warp
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On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:59:50 -0400, Warp wrote:
> Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>> The scouts
>> did very well, I thought, in scouting locations that evoked the images
>> of the books.
>
> Yes. Especially the place for Edoras was a superb find. (Only some
> buildings were added with CGI, all the rest is real scenery.)
Yes, I thought that was one of the most outstanding locations they had.
Jim
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Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Actually, I recall a number of people urging me to read The Hobbit.
> After a chapter or two I was bored stupid. Watching paint dry would have
> been more fun.
>
> Oddly, the LotR films are really quite good. I don't know how they
> managed to get so much excitement out of such a dull series of books...
>
I feel that the style of The Hobbit is a little different from that of
the LotR books. I still prefer the LotR even after reading each many
times...
I actually I had to read The Hobbit at school and I did not like it at
all (as nearly everything I had to read at school actually ;-) ). Only
some years later I stumbled by accident on The Two Towers somewhere in
the basement, and got caught immediately... To the point of digging out
the other two volumes :-)
I read The Hobbit again later, and even now I enjoy it mostly for the
connections with the rest of Tolkien's books, not really on its own. So
don't judge the whole series based on The Hobbit, in my opinion...
--
Vincent
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"Jim Henderson" <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote in message
news:480f9338$1@news.povray.org...
> On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:16:45 +0200, Gail Shaw wrote:
>
> > Let's see, in the last week and a half, I've reread Daughter of the
> > Empire, Servant of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire (by Raymond E
> > Feist and Janny Wurts) and 3/4 reread Magician (Raymond E Feist)
>
> I need to reread those again - have you read Fairie Tale? Very well
> written, but also quite scary (particularly if you have kids the age of
> the kids in the book). I think that one is one of Feist's best.
No. I have a friend threatening to lend me the book. So far she hasn't made
good on the threat.
Note to self - raid the bookshelf next time I visit.
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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:480f8ff1$1@news.povray.org...
> Gail Shaw wrote:
>
> > They're good. Read Magician. Seriously. It's an excellent book.
Technically
> > it's the first of a trilogy, but it stands alone quite well.
>
> Actually, I recall a number of people urging me to read The Hobbit.
> After a chapter or two I was bored stupid. Watching paint dry would have
> been more fun.
Tolkien's writings are expansive. Lots of details, lots of words. Some
people enjoy that, some don't.
Give the Lord of the Rings a try. You may enjoy it more than the Hobbit (I
do), but you may not. Do not even try reading the Silmarillion. It reads
like a history text book.
I love the Lord of the Rings story, but I struggle to read the second book
in The Two Towers.
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