Ape's 2011 Challenge (4)

Prequel
Thread #1 (Book 1)
Thread #2 (Book 2)
Thread #3 (Books 3-5)

Books Read: 10
Pages Read: 2,909

January:
1. Wave of Terror by Theodore Odrach
2. Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock
3. The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford
4. The Medical Detective by Sandra Hempel
5. Biohazard by Ken Alibek

February:
6. The Atlantic Sound by Cary Phillips
7. The Killers Within by Michael Shnayerson
8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
9. Book of Clouds by Chloe Aridjis
10. Victorian Painting by Julian Treuherz

Well, pretty quite over here.

"Plod Master" LOLOL

I don't even know where I am in your last thread, but I'll mark my spot here. Hello!

Cindy: Yes, it got quite on my last thread there for a day or so. Nobody loves me!

Richard: Yes, with your osteoarthritis you should fit right in! :P

Luxx: It's never good to not know where you are, deary. Do find yourself promptly...

Love the cartoon!! Hope you are staying warm up your way!

#2: *snork!*

Hey, Stephen. Nice thread.

'Alloooooo! Did you know that there is a parkour gym in Chicago(?) called ZombieFit with the tag line "Fitness to survive the apocalypse"?

Well lookie here, two more lovelies livening up my desolate thread. Welcome Rachel and Amber, may you not be startled by your own voices echoing in the vast emptiness that has become my thread these past couple days.

I know, I'm turning into a real diva right? Can't imagine where I got it from...

Make that 3 now, hi Katie! *proceeds to click link*

I'm still following this thread, I just have nothing in particular to add at the moment. I'm not familiar with any zombie gyms, for example.

Zoe: Ah well, being a diva pays off I see. Nice to see you, Zoe. :)

Zombiefit: Amazing! Can't believe that is a real place.

*Looks down at protruding gut* Ummm...I think I'll just barricade myself in a Wal-Mart during the zombie apocalypse...

Hahahahaha! That's why it exists PRE-apocalypse :P

Oh, you mean it hasn't started already? *Turns on television* Hmm, no, I'm pretty certain we should start constructing that barricade now...

By the way, I'm stuck on Final Fantasy III. @#%@#$ final boss keeps kicking my ass. Lots of grinding ahead of me, it looks like...

You know it will be a workout to build a barrier. And while it's in progress you can play parkour with the construction materials.

Can't help you with that, never played it. I've only played #1, #10, and Dirge of Cerberus (which I guess is sorta 7+). I wanna play the real #7 but it's soooooo expensive >:(

*whispers* I'm actually relieved when I stop by here and there's less than 50 new posts to read. You're mighty popular for being such a shy thing, you know?

re Final Fantasy: WooHoo!! Time to level up! Is it weird that that's my favorite part of those games? I *love* spending hours wandering around battling cactuars and boosting my numbers. One of Charlie's first stuffed animals was a cactuar doll, a present from my best buddy. He knows me so well.

Katie: Parkour just makes me laugh...can't these guys just get it in their heads that they are gymnasts and go put on the spandex already? :P

Amber: Oh, I totally get the addiction of watching the numbers go up in role-playing games, but for some reason I've never enjoyed the process in the FF games. I think it's the whole random-encounter system where, having to run around in circles and being frustrated that you aren't encountering anything, and then getting frustrated when you are walking through the dugeon to the boss and KEEP ENCOUNTERING THINGS!!! I have things like Runescape to satasify my number-going-up addiction. :P

Oh I love when nerd-dom escapes into other facets of life :D

Ahahahaha! Their gymnast rebels, down with the rules. I'm gonna jump and flip on anything I damn well please! Ah, picturing a gymnast meet(?) being crashed by parkour kids is beautiful :}

Just peeking in so you feel less lonely. ;) I cannot in anyway contribute to the Final Fantasy conversation as the most complicated video game I play is Lego Harry Potter (and others from the Lego game franchise). Feel free to mock me but be warned, I may send zombies capable of parkour your way.

Katie: I actually think it'd be funnier to see a bunch of gymnast kids crashing a parkour compitition. A bunch of guys in backwards hats and baggy pants are doing flippy mctwsity tricks when a bunch of spandex-wearing boys with long hair come flipping out show them up? Priceless. >:)

(I hate parkour, if you haven't noticed. Almost as much as any kind of 'acrobatic' combat)

MickyFine: Oh dear lord, parkouring zombies just sounds horrifying. Although, like acrobatic combat, it is probably very excessive an inefficient. "Brrraaaains...brraaaains. *does flippy tricks while brain-container runs away*

They could make it to rooftops and defeat the last ditch effort to survive o_0;

That combined with one of my past dreams of smart zombies. . . . oh dear lord, doomed

Katie: It's ok, if they make it to the rooftops we can just line up some railings and picnic tables in a row that will lead them over the edge of the other side of the building. Should be fine.

Smart zombies are easy too, you just play dumb and when they realize they are smarter than you they decide your brain is unworthy of consumption and move on.

:)

Okay Stephen, have you seen the movie District B13? It's a French movie, available pretty much everywhere with subtitles. The guy who invented parkour stars in it, and the whole movie is basically one long kick-ass action sequence. It's pretty freaking fantastic, and I bet it'll change your view of parkour as guys in 'backward hats and baggy pants doing flippy mctwisty tricks'. :) This is the real deal, not some pseudo acrobatic wannabe crap. Srsly.

#25: Thank you for that, dk! I love that movie (own it, and the sequel's pretty good). I was about to hurt Stephen for his "I hate parkour, if you haven't noticed" comment. :P

Faith: I haven't, but I have seen a sort-of documentary about it once. It's hard to convince me that, while running, it's somehow more effecient to do a front flip over a fence instead of just hurtling it. The only time I was impressed by parkour was when I saw the videos of people 'running up walls' and whanot. Now that seems like a worthwhile skill.

Sara: Oh, you better watch it, I'll challenge you to a parkour battle any day. I can do flippy gymnastic tricks over picnic tables like no other! And I got a crew to back me up.

I really want those to be suckers and not cigarettes. . . so much funnier. A lot of times the flippy stuff is just showing off or because they want to. Parkour promotes the speediest and most efficient ways of maneuvering obstacles. Did you play Mirror's Edge? That's what it is, main character wasn't flipping everywhere.

Katie: I didn't play Mirror's Edge, but I played Prototype which has a 'parkour' maneuvering system and it aggravated me to no end!

Is parkour anything like base jumping? And Stephen, don't knock it just because you can't do it... ;-)

Ellie: Parkour, at least from what I have seen, involves setting up a bunch of picnic tables and then doing flippy tricks over them. I'm sure you can google videos of them. It's all rather silly to me.

There's lots of things I can't do that I don't knock, but parkour is groan-inducing and I laughed hystically when I saw a televised compitition on G4 once... lololol and all that. Quite funny! :)

I don't play video games but I do own a treadmill. I got on it a few times and felt just like those zombies in the picture upthread. Absolutely THE most boring thing in the world. I have to walk outside in nature or not at all. I've missed two days now because of the snow and am determined to don my boots and yoke up the dog for a walk...just as soon as the temp gets above zero, that is.

Sorry that you're feeling lonely these days, Stephen. I think everyone is hunkering down until spring arrives.

Donna, I'm completely the opposite. The ground has to be moving under me to make me keep going :P

Donna: I'm ridiculously awkward on treadmills. I constantly feel like I'm about to fall of the thing.

I actually look forward to my time on the treadmill at the gym. They've got really nice ones and I can read while walking. 45 minutes or so of uninterrupted book time!

All this talk of parkour makes me think of the episode of The Office were Michael, Dwight, and Andy are running around the building trying to do parkour and just end up getting hurt. Jim's response to their "parkour" is the best - "This is parkour. Internet sensation of 2004. And it was in one of the Bond films. It's pretty impressive. The goal is to get from point A to point B as creatively as possible so technically they are doing parkour, as long as point A is delusion and point B is the hospital."

Jim: Yes, and it's always safer to read on a treadmill than, say, reading while actually running. :)

Rachel: Haha! I've only ever seen 1 episode of the show, but if they make parkour jokes then I approve. :)

Pathetic yet typical of me: I get motion-sickness if I try to read while on the treadmill. Plus, I nearly trip and fall off every time I try. So, I listen to audio books while treadmilling. Good solution for a klutz like me.

I tried to watch the tvs at the gym once, but I found out the hard way that they aren't lined up right. Started running crooked and stumbled off. Never again. IPod only. -_-;

Amber: Heh heh...errr, I nearly trip and fall without the aid of bookish distractions. Those treadmills are tricky, I swear!

Katie: ROFL, why am I having such a good time picturing that? :)

For some reason I'm picturing someone running on a treadmill in front of a hanging tv...the tv starts spinning/rotating and the runner starts turning their head to follow it until they lean so far over they plop off the side of the treadmill...

...I know, I think of odd things...

6. The Atlantic Sound by Caryl Phillips



Pages: 275
Rating: 4/5

Nonfiction: Memoir, History (Slave Trade)

Caryl Phillips explores, both literally and figuratively, the transatlantic slave-trade route between Europe, Africa, and America, in The Atlantic Sound. In each of the 3 parts of the book he visits a part of 'the triangle,' Liverpool, Ghana, and Charleston, and tells the histories of these places and how they were affected by the slave trade. And he does it wonderfully!

The Atlantic Sound just sucked me in. It's one of those books you read and lose track of time, then look up an hour later without realizing you've been reading for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Despite the emotional subject, Caryl delivered it in a way as to make it readable, yet no less alarming, due in large part to his storytelling ability. His 'characters' jump out of the page at you, he really brought these historical figures to life.

Most important, in my opinion, is how the author's personality seeps through the pages. Witty, a bit snarky, and hopelessy pessimistic most of the time. Loved it.

The books is a riveting read, I came upon it 'randomly' and am so happy I did. 4 stars!

That one sounds really good! I'll have to see if my library has it.

Yep, it was another fantastic book chosen by the random number generator! It's quite a good book, despite the hideously plain cover. :)

Stephen, sounds like a good one. Will have to check my library.

Yay for the encounter of an awesome book through randomness! Sounds like a great read.

Huh. Not one I would have normally picked up, but your review makes it sound worthwhile. I'll keep an eye out for it!

Ok, I lost track of you for a bit. But I went back to the previous thread to see comments you made about my randomizing question. I basically did what you suggested Stephen, and set my books to 'cover' display, then counted the rows and so on. I did it just for fun this time, but next time I feel like I'm jonesing for new books, I might use that method on my wishlist.

I am a couple of days behind thanks to the Readathon, so I will just catch up here :)

Adding The Atlantic Sound to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Stephen.

Cindy: I hope your library has it! Mostly because I like adding books to people's wishlists. >:)

Mickyfine: Indeed! I've had terrific success with it. I think I need to create a tag in my library for the books I've chosen 'randomly' so I can track them better. But yeah, lots of great books so far, and ones I never would have read otherwise.

Faith: Yep, exactly, a book I wouldn't normally have picked up either, and it turned out great! :)

Ilana: Hope it's successful when you try it.

Stasia! Somehow I keep missing the readathons. (Unless Ellie hosts them, don't know how that keeps happening...) I hope you did well, how many pages did you read?

Randomly Generated tag in my library. 5 books with an average rating of 3.6, compared to the average rating in my overall library of 3.39, pretty good I'd say! :)

#49: Somewhere around 1600, Stephen.

Stasia: You almost read as much as I have read the ENTIRE YEAR! In one day! Before I finished The Atlantic Sound yesterday I had 1685.......

#52: Too many video games played by you, I suspect :)

Stephen. Stop playing video games and read.

Stasia/Richard: I have been reading a lot lately. I've been finishing quite a few books recently. Look!

The Medical Detective: 1/26
Biohazard: 1/30
The Atlantic Sound: 2/3

See? 3 books finished about a week apart! And they are nonfiction books! I've finished all of my Christmas games (on the console...) and my sister's game, while good, isn't really capturing me. *shrug*

Within a 20 mile radius not one library has The Atlantic Sound. 8-(

Haha, sorry Cindy. If it makes you feel any better, my library doesn't carry his other nonfiction book. :(

I like the idea of the 'randomly generated' tag Stephen. You can be sure I'll still that idea when the time comes.

Stephen, I checked back on my libraries web site.(Caryl Phillips) They have 5 fiction and 3 non-fiction. After reading summaries on both I will definately be putting them on my WL.

Ilana: Steal all you want! Good ideas are rare around these parts, so somebody should take advantage of them! :)

Cindy: Neat, my library has only 1 other book by him, which I've added to my WL, we'll see if I ever get around to it. It seems lately I almost never pick fiction books from my Wishlist...

In fact, the last time I picked a fiction book from my wishlist was when I read The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, but that was randomly generated. Before THAT, ummm, well I think it was Eifelheim which I read in August last year...d'oh!

I can read just about anything in fiction, so it's fun just browsing the shelves with wreckless abandon! :)

So, how would you feel about a lady friend in these?



Iron Shoes apparently runs a whole line of zombie fashions.

Luxx: Oh dear, if I had a lady friend who wore those I could die happy. :D

They come in several colors and shoe styles, actually. That particular pair glows in the dark.

Wow, glow in the dark zombie high heels....

I think I might be speechless...

*Sits down in shocked silence and stares into space*

#64

You should buy some and wear them on your dog walks ;)

Haha, I don't think so!

I already shuffle in a very zombie-like fasion, I really don't need any aid in that area. And besides, I don't have a glow in the dark purse to match it. :P

Go Packers!

My score prediction: Football 24, Reading 0!

#67: I expect my reading for the day is going to be like that too, Stephen.

Here you are!

But the game doesn't even start till the end of the day..
will you be busy partying till then? :)

Haha, my reading will also be non-existent. Oh the joys of working at a pizza place on Superbowl day. At least our manager is buying us a party sub for lunch.

Stasia: Hey, it's the last game of the year, we're allowed a break right? :)

Kath: How can I concentrate? It's the SUPERbowl. :P It's just a day of relaxation for me, I'll be playing video games and watching pre-game coverage and eating copious amounts of things I shouldn't. :D

Katie: Haha neener neener!

I love that you work in a pizza place and your manager is buying a party sub. :)

Stephen- How you doing? Have you read Leviathan yet? If not, it's one I would highly recommend. We are going over to friends, for the game! It should be fun!

Hey Mark, it looks interesting but my library doesn't offer it, unfortunately. :(

So, I played through the Superbowl on Madden 10. I played as the Packers of course, and won 12-0! So there is your score, it's scientifically guaranteed! Oh, and both running backs are going to get injured, Ben Roethlisberger will throw 2 interceptions in the redzone, and the Packers will bounce a 53 yard field goal off the upright. Trust me, I foresaw it! It'll happen, honest! ... ;)

It's Papa Murphy's, so take and bake, that equals no ovens. :'(

Katie: Ohhh...hm, a pizza shop without ovens. That's like an ice cream shop without...cones! "Take it home and add it to your own cone," they say!? :(

The game is starting soon, so I'll see you all...errr, tomorrow morning! Or, possibly, at half time. :)

Here ! Here !

Hey Cindy, Packers are playing great! I'm not getting too excited though, with those injuries on the Packers defense and what not...but I'm hoping they can hold on throughout the 2nd half! :)

As one of my friends so eloquently put it at a party tonight ... "I'll root for the ones in the yellow pants."

Root? Is that even the correct spelling? That's how little I pay attention to sports. Or spelling, apparently.

#78: Ditto to "That's how little I pay attention to sports. Or spelling, apparently." I'll just root for the ones in no pants.

Don't worry, Stephen, I'm not gonna post any near-nude guys on your thread. Already did that on my own. :)

Congrats to the Packers!

Luxx: I always hesitate when I type "root" as well, for some reason. I usually just say to hell with it and switch it to "cheer."

Sara: Oh dear... *walks cautiously in the direction of Sara's thread*

Stasia: Indeed! It was a fantastic game, very exciting towards the end. :)

I was hoping for a good, close game but Green Bay was cutting it a bit too close for my liking!

Stephen, #73. 2 interceptions and a missed field goal. That is really scarry.

Stasia: Yeah, I figured when Charles Woodson went down the Steelers might actually start doing something on offense. :( It did make it a much better game though, it was quite a blowout early on...

Cindy: Oh, indeed...and wasn't the missed field goal 52 yards? 1 yard away! Fortunately the 12-0 score was a little bit off...

Ick, I ate a 'blueberry' bagel earlier at about noon and have been nauseous all day. Fake blueberry flavoring stuff always does that. :(

TIP:

Avoid fake blueberry food in the future.

( and for free too!)

It's a good tip! Despite my hatred for onions, I can eat them... I prefer not to, but I can...

I CANNOT, no way no how, ever drink blueberry flavored drinks. Of any kind. The mere thought is making me sick to my stomach as I'm typing this. Ew ew ew ew ew!

interesting.....

Blueberry-phobia...or not

Take them berries straight(!), sonny....the chemicals they put in the fake stuff would probably kill a horse

........just checking in...had to be snarky

;-p

Kath: *Nods* Blueberry flavored things obliterate my stomach. Although clearly it's partially psychological. *types bent over desk* Must end this blueberry topic soon.

Some artifical cheese flavored things do it too. Then again cheesy junk food is addicting and it's probably the over-eating of said food that causes the stomach roiling...d'oh!

Jude: You mean blueberries are real? Here I thought it was just an artifical flavor. :P

I'll keep in mind the next time I'm hungry enough to eat a horse, to swollow some blueberry chemicals afterwards...y'know, just in case...

Oh what? what??? Is:

STEPHEN THE FAINTER

....in the house???

muahahahahahahah

;-)

This description from wikipedia can also describe the effect blueberries seem to have on you ... "are mainly native to North America.1 They are usually erect but sometimes prostrate"

Jude: Not a fainter, NOT! I've never fainted in my life. Nearly knocked on conscious once...I headbutted a cinder block (it was an accident!) but never fainted. :)

Lynda: Haha! Yes, that explains it! So that's why Richard always looks like he has a stomach ache whenever I visit his thread... :P

Help! Heeeelp!

Ok, is it normal for it to be IMPOSSIBLE to find pictures of artwork online? Is there a reason for it?

You see, I checked out a book of Victorian paintings from the library. Unfortantely, most of them are scanned in black and white. I keep trying to find pictures of them online but...I just can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Even typing the exact name of the painting, in quotation marks, plus the painters name, will get me nothing. Very annoying.

Is this normal? Is there a place to go online to find them? Like a database of some sort... ???

Of course, I can see why it would be difficult to 'digitize' them, but I'm assuming if they can be printed in books they can be uploaded online...right?

It depends. . . sometimes they simply aren't online--artists, museums, etc have arguments about it and copyright business and want to draw business to locations. Some are just really hard to find. What are you looking for?

Katie: That makes sense, I suppose, but I still don't understand how it can be printed without problem but not uploaded. *shrug*

I'm not looking for anything specific exactly, I just couldn't figure out why nothing was showing up in my search results. The book I'm browsing through has 177 paintings in it, but only around 20 are in color. So, there are dozens I've been looking for. =/

There are databases for works of art, but most have to be accessed through academic institutions, and they're not really "complete" image libraries.

Ah, well, they more than likely paid for the right to use the image in the book. It's strange, though, that the book uses b&w images--most books that are specifically dealing with art will use color. Unless it's a really old book, then I guess I could see that.

Luxx: Wah! That doesn't do me any good! :(

I've found a site selling art prints, though...I can't find the things I'm looking for but I'm finding it more fun to look at them there than in the book. :)

Katie: It's a crappy 'cheap' book, I think. It's Victorian Painting by Julian Treuherz. I'll probably read through it later in the month. My library has tons of these World of Art books, but I doubt I'll check out another one since the bulk of the book is in black and white...

*weary wave*

Scans for fake blueberry residue..deems thread FBR free.

*Waves energetically* Hi Kath! :P

Stephen, I finally made it to the library tonight to get my randomly generated books. I went to check out, and the book I had chosen for fiction beginning with 'Rh' literally fell apart and the librarian would not allow me to check it out. Oh, well. I will try again with a different random generation next month.

I decided to use the random generation thing for books in my personal library too. I use 1-26 for the letters of the alphabet and whatever letter comes up, I choose and author's last name with that letter. For February, I will be reading one of Anne Tyler's books.

Neat, Stasia, so what were your numbers and what did you choose?

And...Anne Tyler!? That was basically all my library had under Ty which was why I didn't pick one from those letters. :(

So, I officially have a favorite painting:

#101: I got 170-179 and chose Medical Apartheid, a book I have been wanting to read for a while now.

The Anne Tyler book came to me via Linda (Whisper), so I had better read it or I will be in big trouble with her :)

ETA: I like your new favorite painting!

I like your new favourite painting too!

Love the painting! Who is it by?

Stasia: D'oh! Why'd I even ask? That book looks great! ...my library doesn't have it though.

MickyFine: Yes, I've found plenty of "Oh! Pretty..." paintings but this is the only one I keep finding myself coming back to to look at.

Rachel: Oh! Right, I forgot! It is A Bacchante, by Arthur Wardle. :)

Dare I ask. What makes Bacchante your favorite, Stephen?

Lynda: Ha! I know what you are thinking (though admittedly I expected Sara to bring it up.) There is a seemingly limitless supply of nude ladies in victorian art, and it's not that. :P No, to be honest I'm not even sure, I just can't take my eyes off it. It's strangely addicting to look at.

And just to justify myself, another of my favorites is The Boy With Many Friends! :)

I don't care why you like it/posted it....

I love THE PAINTING!!!

you did good.......

.........now, remember to keep warm tonight...we are in for a Freezing!!

your fellow faux-eskimo.......

;-p

Hello, sweet boy! Thank you for checking up on me. And seriously, what WOULD you do if a woman showed up at your doorstep in those shoes way up above? I know. You would lock yourself in the bathroom for years.

Jude: Brrrr, yes, it is indeed quite cold already! Even Shyanne, who usually loves to run and hop about in snow up to her belly, doesn't want to stay out there for more than a few minutes. *shivers*

Terri: Yes, I would definitely need to lock myself in the bathroom... ...and a cold shower might be necessary. :P

brrr here too...

Very pretty painting Apekid

Thanks Kath. And here you all thought I was some kind of brutish dullard all this time. Ha! Proved you wrong. Now if you'll excuse me, I have important business to take care of outside in the cold.



Ugh! Uhhhh...I hink my hongue is huck...

...

Damn, you are precious!

>113 Ape: I knew kids who did that.....back in the day!!

Scalped Tongue....anybody????

;-)

I hope I'm not the only one who tried to say "I hink my hongue is huck" to see if it actually sounded right.

Damn, you are precious!

AM NOT! *blushes*

Luxx: I didn't, but I did just now. "I sthink my tongue is sthuck" might have been more accurate! *sigh* I'm glad no one is here to see me sticking my tongue out and talking at my computer screen...

>116 Ape: I did it too, Stephen. I think it's kind of like when you're told that it's impossible to touch the tip of your elbow with your tongue. You immediately have to try it to make sure.

I think how you say it might depend on how much of your tongue was stuck to the pole... if it's just the tip, you could still touch the center of your tongue to your teeth to get the second pronunciation ("I sthink my tongue is sthuck") but if too much was stuck, you'd be relying on breath to emphasize the first syllables ("I hink ny hongue ith* huck" ...*made a few changes to account for the tongue not being able to touch the teeth).

Thoughts?

...I should probably stop thinking about this and just go to bed...

You could always do field tests :P

(but, yes, reasonable conclusions. tho huck might be closer to duck)

MickyFine: Not going to do it, not going to do it, not going to do it, not going to do it..... ..... ..... *tries to lick elbow*

Faith: Wow, you are definitely more thorough than I am! :P *Talks with tongue sticking out while trying to lick elbow*

Katie: Ohhh, it can be like an experiment! Neato! *Dons lab coat and cliche scientist glasses* Ok, so who is going to be the lab monkey? >:)

#120: so who is going to be the lab monkey? >:)

I would suspect that you are!

Stasia: But...but I'm always the monkey. *Pouts*

I wonder why?. . .

Hey Stephen, nice painting! Beautiful semi-naked woman in transparent dress, a gaggle of admiring leopards, what's not to like?

Stasia: Well...I tend to break things when I'm tasked with anything more complex than lab monkey...

Ilana: You said it, not me. :P

*giggles away as has now associated Stephen with the monkey from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs*

MickyFine: Hmmm, I've never read/seen that book/movie, but I assume the monkey in question is a ladies-monkey reeking of masculinity with big muscles and a sly, attractive smile that melts all the ladies' hearts.

...no?

...drat! :P

I finished a book! I'll write a review if I can tear myself away from LT and googled-pages about bacteriophages...

Checking in to see if you are behaving :)

Whoops...errr, another science/microbial doom book...review is big...sorry! :(

7. The Killers Within by Michael Shnayerson



Pages: 293
Rating: 3/5

Nonfiction: Science -> Microbiology/Epidemiology

Staphylococcus Aureus, or S. Aureus, really shouldn't be too big of a deal. It's only found naturally in a small number of people to begin with, about 1 in 4 people, and is relatively benign a lot of times. Even when it does become aggressive, it mostly causes minor infections, and only rarely does it become deadly. It's a bad microbe, no doubt, but certainly there are worse things out there, right?

Right, sure, that was indeed the case. Then it started to become antibiotic resistant. It made those deadly instances difficult to cure, becoming infected started to feel like a death sentence. Then it started to spread throughout hospitals like an airborne illness. What do you get? MRSA! Ohhh, and that's only the beginning. Yippee...

The saddest part is how these diseases got its, mostly through sheer ignorance. Over-use of antibiotics - not just among doctors who would prescribe them for every little ailment, but also by farmers as 'growth promoters' - is what caused them to become resistant to the drugs in the first place.

The Killers Within is definitely an eye-opening book. It isn't about one of those deadly super-killers like Ebola or Smallpox, in fact it is barely about a specific microbe at all, but rather their alarming consistency in outsmarting us with their ability to work around the weapons we use to fight them. It almost feels hopeless. A miracle drug is created, the world is saved, a few years later the microbe is suddenly resistant, and the drug is useless. So you throw a new one at it. How long can we keep this up?

I have a difficult time criticizing the book, really. It's true, I didn't find it the most riveting thing I've ever read, nor did I find all of the author's commentaries credible and some of his attempts to color up the book raised a few eyebrows. At one point he describes how the 'trillions' of bacteria across the planet can become drug-resistant. Any single human can be carrying trillions of bacteria in or on them, and the world-wide bacterial total would be...well, astronomical.

Still, the actual information found in the book is well worth the reader's time and effort. Upon finishing it, I feel I have learned a lot about how crafty those little microbes can be.

Kath, Checking in to see if you are behaving :)

Ha! Right. That's like eating cake to see if it's good for you. First, no, it isn't good for you. Second, what a poor excuse to eat cake, you aren't fooling anyone with that! :P

*Cleans glasses* prior to peering sternly over them.

My granddaughter would love that painting, Stephen. She's into the big cats, especially cheetahs and leopards. I can't tell the difference, but if Ilana (#124) says these are leopards, then they probably are.

I knew there was a reason I was keeping up with your thread. You are becoming one of the cultured ones here with artwork for the masses. Was this picture in the book you had checked out?

Kath: ...*runs*

Donna: I always picture cheetahs as thin and lanky, considering they are known for their speed. Leopards, I thought, were a bit bulkier like the cats above. Also, according to Google, you can tell a cheetah by its 'tear' lines on its face, as seen here.

I've just Googled for pictures of leopards and, sure enough, they don't have them. Hey look, we learned something. Hurray for Google and the internet! :)

As for the painting, interestingly enough it isn't one from the book. It showed up in one of my Google searches for some other painting and I had to meticulously search for it to find the name!

Uh, just realized...what's the difference between a leopard and a jaguar. More Googling ahead...

ETA:

Leopard: Smaller in size, with smaller/tightly spaced spots.
Jaguar: Larger in size, widely spaced spots.

I'm assuming they are leopards, since they seem rather small and (most) of their spots seem more similar to the leopard in the picture.

Pretty kitties...

The book sounds interesting but I think I'll pass for now.

Nice review, Stephen!

Rachel: Aren't they? It was a feast for the eyes looking through the google image results of all those big cats. :)

Thanks Stasia. :)

I can't even *see* the tip of my elbow without mirrors.

They look like leopards to me.

"I hink 'y hongue i' huck" works best.

The Killers Within terrifies me. I suspect some future Republican government will stop allowing the use of antibiotics in any but their friends, and then the Great Die-Off will commence. And I suspect the author's "trillions of bacteria" comment meant, but the books wasn't edited well enough to clarify, "trillions of KINDS of bacteria."

I can't even *see* the tip of my elbow without mirrors.

Hmmm, if I lick my elbow through a mirror does that count? :D

Interestingly enough, Richard, those future Republicans would only doom themselves in the process. It's the overuse of the drugs that caused them to become drug resistant in the first place. The only way said future Republicans could horde them to themselves and maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics is to use them in moderation. That would require a Republican to exercise responsibility...so...I think we're safe. ;)

And I thought the same about the "trillions of bacteria" comment. The only problem is there is no way he could possibly know there are trillions of different kinds of bacteria. I can forgive ignorance, but I CANNOT forgive people making things up when they are writing science NONFICTION. "Trillions of kinds of bacteria" would mean he just threw the number out there, without any good reason to do so. No, it's better we pretend he had a lapse of concentration and didn't realize the number he chose was so small... *glares menacingly at The Killers Within*

Your new screen name is "Procrustes." (Go look him up.)

But Procrustes! We already *know* there are hundreds of millions of kinds of bacteria, and at the rate we're adding new and various extremeophiles we could never have suspected the existence of before now, trillions of kinds of bacteria on earth doesn't sound even a little far-fetched to me.

I'm so LATE here....

I always stick my tongue out while on LT.....doesn't everybody?

The gif up there at #122..is just another "monkey in the middle"

PSST...Chuck Prophet has a song with the lyrics "monkey in the middle"...it's a good song and, yes...that's his real name

Woot Woot!

;-p

Richard: Of course, in theory trillions isn't far-fetched at all. But for all we know we could hit a wall at 500 billion, or there could be so many you might need an entire book of 0's to print the number. Printing trillions is meaningless, as their is no way to know if it is true. Considering I read science books for facts, I don't want predictions and assumptions and all that...

I'm reading about Procrustes and I must say I'm offended. "bandit from Attica who physically attacked people, stretching them, or cutting off their legs so as to make them fit an iron bed's size." Ick! I'd never force anyone to sleep in an iron bed, and the only reason I cut their legs off is because...well, doesn't everyone hate it when their toes stick out from edge of the blanket and get all cold! ...

Jude: Hi here, hoh are you huhay?

But Procrustes! Almost every book of science fact contains many, many hypotheses that are untested, tested but inconclusively supported by the evidence returned, or simply the only thing we can think of that fits the observed facts. (EVERY book of physics; EVERY book of astronomy....) So what about *them*, eh little mister? Stephen Hawking's book A Brief History of Time ain't non-fiction? YOU go tell him. I'll hide and watch.

>134 Ape:: Thanks for all the research on those spotted kitties. I can now talk knowledgeably about the big cats with Sadie, who I'm sure knows all this stuff. She had a cheetah party last year on her birthday. My daughter made a beautiful cake...of a leopard, and we all got an earful of the differences then. Obviously, it didn't stick with me.

Okay, now back to the scintillating talk about microbes...

Richard is right. Lots of science is theoretical. However, I am confused about your bacteria thingy. Is the author talking about Staphylococcus Aureus when he made his comment about 'trillions' of bacteria across the planet becoming drug-resistant or is he talking about bacteria in general?

Richard: There is a reason I don't like physics and am weary of astronomy. The last two astronomy books I've read? The Planets about the planets in our own solar system, and First Light, about a telescope and it's observations. No theory, NONE!

And yes, much of science is theory. That's part of what makes science so fun. I just don't want to read about it. When I pick up a book on, say, an ebola outbreak in country X in year Y, I don't want to read a 15 page chapter on how the outbreak began only to have the author say at the end "Or, well, at least, that is how person Z thinks started...probably...maybe..."

*Curses and breaks things* Nooo, I don't care what person Z thinks! Wahh! :( If you don't know the answer, just say so! :(

That's the fundamental problem with people. They don't know how to say "I don't know." How'd the whole big giant universe become what it is today? I don't know. You see, if people could say that, we'd be rid of things like religion.

Scenario 1:
Person A: Hey, how'd we all get here?
Person B: Hmmm, I don't know.
Person A: Huh...well, maybe we should investigate!
Person B: YEAH!!!

Scenario 2:
Person A: Hey, how'd we all get here?
Person B: Hmmm, well I sure can't explain it.
Person A: Maybe it was a magical man in the sky!
Person B: YEAH!!!

...*sigh*

I'm not saying we shouldn't PURSUE the answers, nor that we shouldn't share ideas, but you also can't pick the best answer and say "I think this is right." You throw darts at a target blindfolded all you want, I just don't want to read about it unless it is proven fact. Hard, physical, lucid science = happy Stephen. Theory, assumptions, fill-in-the-blank science...meh...

Donna: See? Who says my thread isn't educational! :D

Rachel: He was referring to microbes in general, I believe. I didn't mark the page it was on so I'm not sure where it was. :(

Who says my thread isn't educational!

I say your thread isn't educational! (says the girl who's still trying to lick her own elbow)

ETA: I am so late on catching up on threads, but why, oh, why is there a semi-naked woman cavorting with big kitties? Is that a challenge to post nastier bestiality pics?? 'Cause, mister, you're sooo on if it is! >:)

Hi There!

How are things in Ohio? I'll be heading there in June to see my grandson in his dance recital. He is very excited about learning to dance.

*waves* Hi Stephen! Caught up on your threads finally!

Sara: It's a beautiful painting! And she isn't semi-naked, she's semi-clothed! ...

Linda: Hello, it's going good I suppose. It was quite warm yesterday and the sun was shining. I even went outside once without a coat on. Of course I later learned it only reached the upper 30's...but it felt warm...

Ohhh, a dance recital. Now you know I don't believe that for 1 second. I know what you and Terri are up to. First Terri plans to be in Ohio in April and now you and June? Ha! I find it very unlikely that two 75ers JUST SO HAPPEN to be in Ohio of all places just a couple months apart. Nope, I know what's going on here! *Nails doors shut* :P

Tammers! Nice to see you around, I hope you are well. How is Java liking the cold now that it's been here for awhile? Shyanne is so over it, she's not interested in running around and playing in it much any more. She just shivers and doesn't stay out for more than 10 minutes at a time...MOST of the time. :)

They are the advance team....

I suspected as much...

*Hangs up giant sign that says Stephen does not live here! in his front yard.*

#152: I am sure that will convince them!

*waves fingers* This is not the Stephen you're looking for...

I think Java is getting cabin fever- she needs a lot of time to play and its just too cold and snowy outside. I can't wait for spring!!

Stasia: I know, I'm a mastermind when it comes to this kind of thing. *Paints a big giant red arrow pointing to his house below the sign* That oughta do it. 8-)

Jim! Can't you build me a rocket ship thingy to shoot me to the moon? That should keep me safe, I think...

Tamara: Ha, yes, that sounds about right. Shyanne is hyperactive because she isn't running around burning all the energy off outside.

I beat another game. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is finished, took me 9 hours and 46 minutes, which is pretty impressive for an open-world game on the DS. Why can't Nintendo make more games like this, hm?

(eyes roll @ #150) See-through doesn't count as clothes. :P

#156: You beat a game in 9 hours?? It took me days/weeks/months (depending on the game) to finish them. I'm impressed!

Sara: Oh, I've had the game since December, but as you play the game it logs how long you play, so it took me 9 in game hours to finish, but multiple weeks of real-time playing. I'd consider that about average for storyline-oriented games, and there is still plenty of things to do in the game.

Here are a few of the finish times I remember from the games I've this winter:

Killzone 2: 6 hours
God of War 3: 8 hours
Prototype: 10 hours
Darksiders: 16 hours
Final Fantasy III: 25+ hours (and still playing)

Borderlands was HUGE and took a very long time to finish, but it didn't have a gameplay time stat. :(

Ah, that makes total sense then. I figured you were some kind of chain-gamer who could finish off one game in one sitting then move on to the next, and the next, and the next. I haven't played any of the ones you have, but I've always wanted to play Final Fantasy. Oh well, there's always "eventually." :)

Sara: Oh no, although I love games I'm definitely not one of those play for 15 hours straight fueling one's self with energy drinks and Doritos until their eyes bleed types. I rarely player for longer than an hour at a time, and usually not even that much. The only game I've ever played for multiple hours at a time was The Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion. I could literally play that all day without realizing it...

The Final Fantasy games are great, although they take a lot of time to finish and usually you play them a lot even after finishing them. I think I have upwards of 50-70 hours on Final Fantasy XII, and nearly 100 hours on X. It gets pretty crazy with those games. You definitely get your money's worth though! :)

I know chain gamers. . . however, they make money by playing them right after release and reviewing them. So, they're forgiven in my eyes. Most of the time I don't play more than 2 hrs at a time, but a few slip past that. Like Kingdom Hearts. I love that game ~_~

I loved the first Kingdom Hearts! I didn't like the 2nd one so much though...I think because the first one had characters from movies I watched as a kid, but the ones in KH2 were mostly cartoon that wre too new for me to have watched. =/

Hey hey, I saw a perfect example of Bad Science the other day. I was watching Head Rush (It's Mythbusters, but instead of commercials they show little clips of weird/interesting science facts.) They were showing a clip about butterflies, and how they fly so erratically. It was an interesting nature science clip, with a lot of interesting information about butterflies. They can't fly straight, at all. Interesting, right? They then showed how an engineer built a robotic butterfly that could fly in a similar erratic way, which was quite a marvel considering how such a complex flight pattern is so difficult to emulate.

So, you see, that's a very interesting science tidbit. It's all 100 percent fact, it enlightened me, I became more knowledgeable about butterflies and robots and human technology all at once. That is what I want from science. So what went wrong? At the end of the clip, they said this (paraphrasing, of course):

Scientists believe butterflies fly erratically to send a signal to predators, saying "I'm too fast to bother with, go find someone else to eat."

*Sigh* Okay class, can anyone explain to me the flaw in that theory? This is an easy one.

Time's up! Actually, I have a review to write. Here's why the theory is flawed.

Butterflies fly erratically. Yes. Predators prefer easier prey. Yes. However, to think that butterflies intentionally fly erratically to deter predators makes very little sense. You have to make the following assumptions:

1) That butterflies are fying erratically intentionally.
2) That predators are deterred by erratic prey.

One is easy to disprove. Do butterflies fly in straight lines when no predators are around? No.

Two isn't very hard either. I've seen cats hunt butterflies. They love them. If anything, the erratic movement is ATTRACTING. Butterflies are bright and colorful, and they are very slow. What is harder to catch, a fluttering butterfly or a horse fly zipping about?

Plus, this theory is ridiculously easy to test. Put several predators in a room with a bunch of flying insects. Leave them in there until most of the insects are gone. If the butterflies live the longest you have proven your theory. If the insects disappear at the same rate you got nothing.

Until you have done the above, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! :(

So you see? I just hate theory. It's meaningless. The science is good. The facts are good. The "so we think maybe..." I could care less about. Now, a book review...

8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway



Pages: 240
Rating: 5/5

Historical Fiction

I write reviews for every book I read. It's not that difficult most of the time. I say what the book is about, what I liked and didn't like about it, and maybe whether or not I think other people should read it, and then I'm done. Easy.

I'm at a loss as to what to say about The Cellist of Sarajevo. I lack the words to describe it.

I can say it is one of those books that you know, even when you are in the middle of it, will stick with you for a long time. It is one of those book that, upon finishing the last page, you sigh deeply and feel like you've experienced something rare and extraordinary. I can say the author is masterful at his craft. I can say his book made me want to cry, and that it made me thankful for everything I have.

I can say lots of things, I suppose, but I can't come close to conveying how exceptional I feel this novel is.

Hi, Stephen!

Anytime an LTer gives a 5-star rating, I'm on that book like white on rice (except if it's brown rice, or wild rice, which really isn't rice at all, I hear). Point is, The Cellist of Sarajevo just went on my read-sooner-rather-than-later list. Thanks!

Karen O.

edited to spell Stephen's name correctly!

Wow! that is some review young man@@ I will be putting that book on my wishlist for sure.

I was blown away by Cellist when I read it several years ago. I still get chills when I think about it. I think your review said so much in few words. A well-deserved thumb to you, Stephen.

The Cellist of Sarajevo must be fantastic! I'll def. be looking for that one!

Stephen, I can't remember the last time you gave something 5 stars. The Cellist of Sarajevo is also going right on my WL (right after I thumb your review)!

I am not waiting any longer to read the Cellist. Will be heading to the library tomorrow. My thumb to you Stephen.

I'm another big fan of Cellist, Stephen. So glad you found it too!

Add me to the list of Cellist fans too, Stephen!

Wow, thanks Karen, Kath, Donna, Rachel, Pat, Cindy, Joanne, and Stasia! Awww, I must be one lucky guy, feeling so much love from so many lovely ladies on Valentines Day. :)

there are some funny L4D valentines that I think you'll appreciate. . . Here's one:

Haha, awww, why didn't I get any Valentine's cards like THAT in elementary school? :P

I, unfortunately, can't play Left 4 Dead because it's only on the 360.

They brought Dead Rising 2 to the PS3 though! :)

Oh, Stephen,
Happy Valentines Day!

Thanks, Cindy!

Not a lot of 'celebrating' going on at my house. I'm just curling up under the blankets and having a lazy day. My mom and sister are out with their respective boyfriends though! *shrug*

Ah, but alas, the Holiday Gods hate me. Just before last Thanksgiving I had an infected tooth that needed pulled. Last Christmas, I had another toothache and my computer was on the fritz. Fortunately those turned out to be okay. Martin Luther King Jr. day was met with a spewing of racial slurs on the part of my mother's boyfriend. *sigh*

And now, on Valentine's day, my cd player has died. WAH! Granted I have all my music uploaded onto my computer, so I can still technically listen to music, but I can't listen to it while I go to sleep like I do every night! :(

Oh well, I guess this means I get to take it apart and see if I can 'fix it.' It's still turning on but it's just not 'catching' the cds. It's a 5-disc changer and there is something wrong with whatever it is that 'grabs' the cds and pulls them back to the laser. Sounds fixable to me! ...

Sounds fixable to me! -- But of course! (rolls eyes) Just remember to unplug it first. ;)

Loved your review of The Cellist of Sarajevo Stephen. Very touching. It's been on my bookshelves for a while and I've heard nothing but good things about it, will have to fit it in soon

ETA: I figured out a way around the author touchstones problem, yay!

Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope you are able to get your cd player going again. The cd player in my car is on the fritz too. When its really cold in the morning it refuses to play anything, but once it gets warmer it works fine unless it is summer, then it won't work if it gets hot. It's such a diva!

Sara: Actually, I might need to leave it plugged in so I can hit the disc change button to see what isn't working. I promise I won't touch anything though!

And as for the eye-rolling, bah! I take everything apart once it dies anyway. I mean what the heck is the point in just throwing something away, when you can take it apart and see what's inside!? :D

Ilana: Thanks, it's definitely a good one. :)

Kath:

Rachel: Happy Valentine's to you too! A diva you say? Have you tried feeding your cd player a Snickers bar?

*Sigh* Sorry, sometimes I just need to get those lame forehead-smacking comments out of my head.

But yes, finicky cd players are no fun. I've had this one since I was in high school, and it has always given me problems when switching to disc 1. It has a 'demo' button where there is some pre-programmed propaganda about how great the CD player is, with some demo music and stuff, which I assume is supposed to be played in-store. It may be that I wasn't supposed to get this model, I don't know. *shrug* Regardless, sometimes it likes to play the demo instead of whatever CD I have in. Blasted thing!

Blasted thing! Can't count on anything sometimes. I will take a look at if for you when I get there.

Gee thanks, Kath. So it'll be your fault when I'm shaking nervously and accidentally jam a screwdriver into an electrical outlet. :P

I wished we lived closer- I'd bring you some baked goods today. . . :)


glitter-graphics.com

Aww, thanks Tammers! :)

It was indeed a very happy Valentine's day. I sat inside reading, and wound up finishing (exactly) 100 pages. Ah, I know, it must sound sad to outsiders. "You spent Valentine's day reading a book!? Aww, your poor thing!" Bah! It was a day well-spent, if you ask me. ^_^

Nice way to spend your Valetine's day. Your hands on your loved one all day long is something not too many people can brag about.

Sending healing thoughts to your CD player.

Good morning, sir! Loved the Valentine. I hope your CD player is behaving.

Lynda: Oh, indeed, that is definitely a nice way to put it. :)

Hello, Luxx. :) Well, the cd player hasn't fixed itself overnight, unfortunately. Unfortunately-er, there was apparently some drama in the family yesterday as well, so I might not get around to it today either. Maybe tomorrow. I plan on taking pictures so when I'm electrocuted to death there will be pictorial evidence of my demise. Neato. :D

9. Book of Clouds by Cloe Aridjis



Pages: 209
Rating: 3/5

Book of Clouds is one of those lucid, dream-like books that I always find myself getting wrapped up in when I wind up reading one. There isn't much plot to speak of, it simply accounts a woman's experience living in Berlin and struggling with loneliness, as she works transcribing a book of a local historian. But the prose is teeming with poetry and metaphor, which fills the reader's mind with vivid imagery and reasons to not want to put the book down.

I confess, I didn't like the main character. That may have been intentional, considering how much I liked Aridjis' writing, but I found her character's rude and condescending demeanor very off-putting. Of course, it makes sense considering she is clearly a bit loopy at times, but it limited my enjoyment during certain sections of the book.

Still, it was a worthwhile read. It's also one of those books that would be perfect for group discussion. I'm calling it 'average' but I can see others liking it more.

Hmmm. Not sure I want to read this one (women struggling with loneliness isn't quite the thing for me these days). But the title is so lovely that I may look it up eventually for that reason alone. I left you a reply on Jude's thread by the way. Sorry to hear about your CD woes. Tech is great, except when it breaks down, which it's of course prone to do, right. :-|

Yea, It has a teensy romantic subplot sort of, and I accidentally started it on Valentine's day... D'oh and *grumbles*

The Cellist of Sarajevo has been languishing on THE LIST for a while now...your review might just give me the boost to read the darn thing!

Book of Clouds???? I'm leaning toward Ilana's opinion.....have been struggling with my own issues of "loneliness vs misanthropy" lately....but I'm game for anything

Sorry for da CD woes...my Discman died-the-death last year and I was sooo sad......hope you either get the thing fixed or..............*fill in the blank*

;-)

Jude: Yes well, I tend to be self-destructive when I'm feeling like crap so Book of Clouds was probably perfect for Valentine's Day, for me! :P

If I don't get it fixed, I'll see if I can't find my old 'boombox.' I listen to music with headphones as I go to sleep at night (and I realized last night without it how helpful it is) so size really doesn't matter...I hope... :)

Although I'll miss being able to load it up with 5 CDs and not having to worry about making changes for awhile.

i have a radio/CD/Cassette player that i listen to at night..i keep the radio on all night long because it's so quiet out here...and too much quiet makes me nervous...like too much noise...go figger.... i listen to WOUB from Athens.....good stuff in the wee small hours......

good luck on the CD Player Front....over & out

;-)

I have a tv in my room... and a nook. That sure covers the bases... and yes. I am spoiled. I admit it.

I'm kind of the opposite and I need it to be really quiet when I fall asleep but after I'm unconscious I can sleep through quite a bit. Might I suggest a beast such as an iPod if CD Player is not wounded but dead?

Just waving as I pass through, Stephen!

Behave yourself today...

Jude: Never heard of WOUB, but I listen to Skeletonwitch from Athens... ... ... *awkward silence*

Kath: I have a TV in my bedroom as well, but no satellite box. Just an old Nintendo 64! :D

MickyFine: Oh, an MP3 player would be nice. I had one in high school but it died, and I just can't afford such things right now. I've 'window shopped' online, but can't seem to find anything that's right for me either. It seems like there are two types of MP3 players, REALLY TINY 'mini' ones that only have 2-4GB of space, or GIANT HUGE MEGA ones with more space and features than I'll ever use.

I have 15GB of music on my computer, and some of that is at 128kbps, so I'd need a good 20-25GB one that doesn't cost a fortune. I don't want/need video/games/internet/etc, but I can never find anything that's big on size and small on useless expensive extras.

But it doesn't really matter right now, I can't afford one regardless. Maybe come spring when I will (hopefully) get back on my feet again...

*Waves* Hi Stasia! :)

Kath: *Ahem* Right...

When you have money, you should try ebay. Bidding for used 30gb iPods starts pretty low. . . around 10-30 dollars. Not sure what they finish at, but it's worth a try.

Yes, Katie, I do love buying things used. Especially tech, since people always have to have the latest and greatest so they sell their 2-months-old still-amazing stuff for practically nothing. :D

I'm alive!

And by that I mean, I didn't die! Woohoo.

Ok, so here is what I started with.



Not bad, I suppose. Yes, you'll notice a little booboo in the front. I broked it trying to look in from the front. The good news is, with the broken door, you get a better view of the disc changer



You see, those gray things come out (pushing open the spring-loaded door that I broke) and spread out for the disc to be inserted. Then, some little 'arm' thingy inside pulls the appropriate gray-flap thingy back to the laser.

So it's simple, all I have to do is pull the side panel off. You can even see it in the above picture, that side panel should give me a good view of the whole disc changer thing. All it has 4 screws. Big deal.

4 screws unscrewed. Lots of pulling and yanking on panel. It's not coming off. *grumbles* Upon closer inspection, I realize it is screwed into the back as well (3 more screws) and it's attached to the back panel, which I have to take completely off as well (6 more screws.) Eventually I get the back panel off, and start yanking on the side panel and...

NOT COMING OFF! Upon closer closer inspection, I realize it's screwed into the BOTTOM as well. 3 screws later and...



... ...@%!$# what is that %@$& plate doing there? It's in the way. I can't see the disc changer.

*sigh*

So, upon closer inspection (again) I see that the whole bottom half of the CD player, the disc changer itself, actually detaches from the upper compartment. So, the other side panel needs to come off (9 screws) and...

...it's a no-go. While the 2 parts are unconnected, they are tied together with wires, so I can only pull them so far apart.

Still, this gives me a pretty good view of the disc changer.



And, I FIXED IT! Oh wait...err, well, kinda. I figured out what's wrong with it, at least. The 'claw' that comes up and grabs the gray flap thingy is not working. Before when I turned it on, I could hear gears grinding but nothing happened. I discovered it was latched onto one of the gray flap thingies and not letting go. I unlatched it and I can watch it moving back and forth like it's supposed to, but as soon as it latches onto a gray flap thingy it starts grinding again. Maybe the gears are stripped? Maybe the motor is burned out/weakened somehow?

I dunno, but it's dead. *mourns*

My husband would totally appreciate your fix-it-yourself spirit and that is why I still have a half hoping washing machine in my house :) But as long as I can still do the laundry, I have nothing to complain about. Good luck!

It's definitely to have someone around who can fix things! Unfortunately I'm mostly clueless in that area. However, I figure if the things already not working, it can't hurt to tinker with it a little! :)

The 'claw' that comes up and grabs the gray flap thingy is not working.

That sounds like something I would say...

The Claw! The Claw is our master. The Claw chooses who will go and who will stay.

Terri: Good thing I didn't mention button that triggers the release mechanism. ;)

Jim: This is ludicrous...

interesting day you have had, I see....

:) Sorry, Toy Story flashback with all the talk of The Claw!

Sorry to hear the CD player is dead. For a replacement, I second the ipod recommendation. I looove my 8Gb nano. My music library is around 25Gb, but I just rotate what music I put on it. When I gets tired of something, off it comes and something new goes on.
Isn't taking stuff apart fun? Back in the day of the VCR, I took ours apart several times to fix it when it would decide that it was a good idea to eat the tape of the videos. Dvds are much easier to deal with! :)

Good thing I didn't mention button that triggers the release mechanism

That's what she said...

#208 *hysterical giggles*

I was going to hum the funeral march for your CD, but I can't because I am giggling at the Toy Story picture!! (Nice one Jim!)

Oh, Stephen, I was thinking of you the other day. Keith, my son who is frighteningly like you, told me he had finished over half of a large book in one day (which is not like him). It was The Walking Dead Compendium Vol. 1. Within minutes, he had ordered the next (I don't know how many) individual books from Amazon, and was wishing he had forked over the $3.99 EACH for next day delivery. All I can do is shake my head.

Kath: Oh yes, I'm getting too old for all this excitement. :P

Jim: Indeed! I think I've only seen the movie once but I distinctly remember that scene. :)

Rachel: Hmmm, rotating songs could be a possibility. But I'd constantly have the desire to listen to a song that isn't on there and be frustrated, or not listen to a cd in ages and then all of a sudden want to listen to it the day after I removed it. D'oh!

Terri: That's what she said...

Exactly! I mean, if women were as easy to figure out as broken cd players, I'd be...errr, well, probably in the same position, but with less headaches! :P

Hi Berly! Nice of you to stop by, hope someday soon you can be energetic enough to do that more often. :)

Terri: Haha, yes, those books do look good. I wish my library carried them!

I have a 30GB, but around 60somethingGB of music. I run into that problem, "Darnit! Not on here! >:( At home!" every once and a while--but I've gotten fairly adept at knowing what to leave off. Especially stupid skit tracks that are just talking. Anywho, if those are cheaper, I say it's not that pressing of a problem, especially when an 8GB holds around 2000 songs.

Hmmm, well, I'll have to look into them again here in a couple months.

Started Cellist of Sarajevo this afternoon. Thanks for the review.

Ugh. So. Far. Behind. Like the painting way back up there somewheres. v. leopardy.

See you in another 150 posts...

*wanders off grumbling about stupid RL stuff leaving no time for LT stuff*

Teehee Jim- I love toy story!

Cindy: I hope you like it!

Amber: Hi! RL Stuff is for losers, boooo! "Cool" people spend all their time alone on the computer, like me...

...oh wait, perhaps not... ;)

Hi Tammers!

I just realized, a bit late, that The Cellist was my 100th review posted on LibraryThing! Neat.

Congratulations! Your certificate is in the mail.

My daughter has to come up with a quote for her senior yearbook and I thought the claw one would have been good, but she said no. When she is my age and looks back she will wish she had used it!

The mail? You know my address!? Ahhh!! *Runs around in circles screaming hysterically*

We all know it. We just pretend not to. To humor you, you know..?

Yeah right, Kath...

...

*Nervous laugh*

...

*Locks doors*

*Hopes Stasia, Terri, and Linda are the navigators*

Oh, and hi Kim! Didn't realize we cross-posted. :)

Stephen, I am enjoying the Cellist.

Enjoying your reviews Stephen. I've already got The Cellist of Sarajevo on my tbr pile. The Clouds book I'll pass on.
Sorry to hear about your cd player, those claws have a lot to answer for.

May your CD player rest in peace. :) All that means is possibly a new toy??

#230: We may get lost on the way, but the Three Musketeers will find you. . .eventually :)

No worries.. we will bring donuts

Cindy: Yay!

Kerry: Thanks. More people should have The Cellist in the tbr piles!

Valerie: Alas! I can't afford new toys right now. :( Maybe later this year though.

Stasia: Hmmm, I suppose if I didn't tell you where I lived, you'd get lost and find me. But maybe if I gave you my address and EXACT directions you'd get lost and never find me. Yes, brilliant. ...WAIT! No, you're tricking me. NICE TRY!

...

Kath: Mmmm, donuts...

#236: All you have to do is tell us your house is close to a big ugly church. We will never find you - or the church for that matter :)

Great review for Book of Clouds, Stephen! I really enjoy those dreamy books, so on to the wishlist it goes! (I would've had to add Cellist too if it wasn't already there.)

So does this mean your house is open for visitors?

Stasia: *Nervous laugh* Heh heh, funny you should say that. Errr, NOPE! Definitely not big ugly churches around here... I think either I or the church would burst in flames if we resided in close proximity.

Hi Laura! Most definitely not! *shudder cringe* Nope, no visitors...umm, I'm think I'm coming down with something and I could be contagious. *Pathetically weak fake-cough* ahuh ahuh ahuh.

10. Victorian Painting by Julian Treuherz



Pages: 207
Rating: 3/5

Nonfiction: Art

I'm not going to post an official review for this book because I don't know enough about the topic to be a proper judge. I wasn't even sure I was going to count it for my challenge, but there was quite a bit of text and I spent so much time admiring the art, so it still took me awhile to read.

I just want to note that I found the book very informative. Some of the paintings I looked at while I was browsing the book didn't interest me at first, but upon reading about them I became more fascinated by them. I doubt much of the information will stick, there were just too many artist names to keep track of, but I did find the text illuminating and helpful.

The major downside was that many of the pictures were printed in black and white. Of 177 paintings that make an appearance, only a little over 20 are in color. It was rather annoying to have the author comment on a painter's use of color and be presented with a black and white picture.

So, I'm lumping it in with an average rating. I'll look into more books in the future for sure, but I'll be sure to check and see that it is printed in color.

Bummer about the B&W pics in an art book. Doesn't make any sense, but there you have it. Glad that you enjoyed it enough to revisit the topic!

And if you're coming down with something I'm still okay to visit - we can just share germs. :)

Yea for a Non-Fiction book tho! I haven't read a non-Fiction book in a really really long time. Hopefully I can change that this year. My goal will be 1...haha Shouldn't be too hard to attain? Watch me fail. :)

Hopefully you will get something for Christmas? If that's too far away, lets hope for your birthday, unless that is past already as well, then that just stinks!

Laura: Share germs!? But what if they exchange genes and become drug-resistant superbugs!? EEEK!

*ahem* But yes, I'll definitely be trying more art books. The problem is many of the books my library has are HUGE. Big huge giant tomes of utter massiveness. So big they don't even fit on the shelves properly, and have to be shelved sideways. It's difficult finding one I can actually carry out of the library.

Valerie: I read a fair amount of nonfiction, actually. In fact, this year I'm perfectly even. 5 fiction and 5 nonfiction.

I think the key is finding a topic you are interested in. For me it's microbiology/disease outbreaks. Other times it's about finding that perfect author. Have you tried Mary Roach? She's great. :)

>243 Ape:: Have you tried Mary Roach? She's great.

LOL, Stephen, that line would have been hilarious if one didn't know that Mary Roach (ugh, what a name) is indeed a terrific author. Hey, maybe those humongous art books will give you (more) muscles!

The main reason I'm posting here is to have proof that I've stuck with you this entire thread. It's been fun.

I hope you don't take this the wrong way but I did a double take when I saw you had read a book on Victorian Art. Was this a choice based on your random selection process? I totally agree with your frustration about having colors discussed with a black and white picture for illustration. And now you have me thinking I should check out the art books at the library. I haven't looked at them in ages.

I got a graphic novel out of the library today called Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine that was recommended somewhere (that I can't remember at the moment). It looks good. Have you ever read any GNs by Tomine?

Stephen- It looks like you've been reading some good stuff. I take it, you liked "Cellist"? I see you are starting Perdido Street station. I have that one in the stacks and was going to be my next Mieville.

I agree with you that a book about art with b&w images is a disappointment, regardless of whether you know anything about the subject or not.

Have you considered taking up a collection so you can get a new CD player? Maybe you could put a PayPal button somewhere... don't know if they'll work on LT, but it might be worth a try. ;-)

Donna: Glad you've been able to stick with me, Donna! And...muscles? But those things look so heavy, how will I be able to lift my arms if they have big fat muscles hanging off them!

Ok...was that logic flawed? Sorry. :P

Pat: Hehe, hey, I know I have an immature/childish sense of humor, but I swear I'm not like that all the time! ...only...ummm, maybe...95 percent of the time... :)

Actually, the reason I picked up an art book is because Ellie once asked me what my favorite piece of art was, and I didn't have an answer. She recommended an art book to check out but, of course, my library didn't have it. So I went in and picked out whatever looked the most interesting, and Victorian Painting was it!

My library has TONS of those 'World of Art' books. They are nice because they are so compact but...errr, I don't think I'll be checking out any of the others. :(

I checked for Tomine books but, of course (again), my library doesn't carry any. It seems like I've exhausted my library's supply of graphic novels that interest me. Everything else seems to be super hero comics (batman, spider man, super man...) and Manga, which I do not like.

Hey Mark. Cellist? Hmmm, I don't know if 'liked' is the appropriate word. :) I've never read Mieville, and astonishingly my library only carries one other book by him, so it might be my last regardless of whether or not I like it. :(

Hey Ilana, oh no no, no paypal donations. I am stubborn when it comes to taking things from other people. I tend not to do it. Except food from my mom, which I sort of need to survive in my current unemployment/poverty. Mmmmm, cinnamon and raison bagels...is it breakfast time yet? *drools*

I keep telling all of you that I have a GPS now! I hardly ever get lost any more! (although I'm pretty sure she's tired of yelling "Make a legal u-turn as soon as possible!" you can almost hear her frustration. I need to give her a name...)

#250: "Stasia" is good :)

Terri: Haha! I can hear it now. "Make a left turn at the next intersection. No, I meant you other left. *exasperated sigh* Please make a legal u-turn as soon as possible." :P

Stasia: Mmmm, I dunno, I think GPSs are more robot than human, I'm not sure it's a good match. You could definitely share a last name with the GPS though, you sound like family! :D

#252: You who are always accusing me of being part robot is not sure it is a good match?! LOL

Thread #5 is up: CLICK HERE!