Ape's 2013 Challenge (1)

Hello everyone, and welcome to my first thread of 2013! This will be my 5th year on Librarything and 4th year in the 75-book challenge group, and I suspect it will be little different than previous years. My prediction for the year calls for lots of books, lots of book chatter, and just enough absurdity and perversion to scare half my initial visitors away.

Like every year I will now say that the numbers don't matter, that I'm not going to focus on how many books I've read and that I'm just going to enjoy the ride. I will then, only naturally, begin calculating when I need to finish my first book and whether or not I'm setting the proper pace to finish the challenge, and promptly freak out at the end of January having read only 4 book and remedy the situation with a load of short books and graphic novels. I would like to think that it will be different this year, but I doubt it.

I'm looking forward to another year with all the wonderful people I've met in this group, and to meeting new people if there are any more that aren't frightened by me. Whatever the case, I'll be here jabbering about various obscene things and meticulously tracking every page I read. I hope you will join me!

Books read: 1
Pages read: 425

January:
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

For those you didn't join me last year, here are my 2012 stats. It was a dismal year where reading is concerned and I truly hope I do a bit better this year. Errrrr, I mean, not that the numbers matter or anything. *Ahem*

~~2012 Reading Stats~~

Books Read: 75
Pages Read: 19,168

Average book size: 255 pages

Average pages read per day: 52
Average pages read per week: 367
Average pages read per month: 1,597

On average, I finished a book every: 4.8 days

-Totals-
Male authors: 63
Female authors: 12

Fiction: 59
Nonfiction: 17
(It adds up to 76 books because 1 book was both)

Owned: 30
Library Checkout: 45

-Rating averages-
Male authors: 3.3
Female authors: 3.0

Fiction: 3.3
Nonfiction: 3.1

Owned: 3.3
Library Checkout: 3.26

-Genres and Subjects – Total read-
Graphic Novels: 17
Horror: 14
Humor: 11
Science: 10
Disease: 7
Biology: 6
Zombies: 6
Apocalypse: 5
Fantasy: 5
History: 4
Thriller: 4
Science Fiction: 4
Biography: 3
Mystery: 3
Historical Fiction: 3

-Genres and subjects – Average star ratings-*
Humor: 3.54
Zombies: 3.50
Thriller: 3.50
Disease: 3.42
Apocalypse: 3.40
Science: 3.40
Graphic Novels: 3.35
Biology: 3.33
Science Fiction: 3.25
History: 3.25
Fantasy: 3.20
Horror: 3.14

*Genre/subjects with less than 4 books read were removed, as the averages were horrendously high with so few books to average out. Those include: Biography, Historical Fiction, and Mystery. Each averaged out to 3.66 with 3 books.)

Ha, graphic novels to the rescue!

Well, I know I will be ridiculously behind on your threads before too long, so I am dropping in while I have a chance!

Tanglewood: Haha, yes, literally, I read 2 graphic novels in December to boost my numbers, and I wouldn't have even been close had I not read the Sandman series in June/July, and I only read those because I realized I was way behind at the half-way point of the year. :P

Stasia: Awww, c'mon, you should visit me more often. What is more important? School, your financial future, family, real life friends, or me? Okay fine, when put that way I don't sound as important, but if you don't read my thread you might miss something important! Like I might attend another meetup, or forget to wear pants, or both! Hopefully not at the same time.

In your case, I can almost guarantee that your meetup and the lack of pants would be at the same time, Stephen :)

Hey! I read a comic book in December, too! Oh wait, you knew that, I'm disoriented from all the threads...

Hello!
Thread found. I'll be back next year.

I'll be following you for another year :) Maybe I'll even be able to keep up with your thread ... but maybe not ;-0

I refuse to look at your thread until 2013.

Wait....DOH!*facepalm*

.

(commence stalking and creepy laughing)

Richard: Yes, you did. Do I need to start illustrating my posts now so you can understand them? :P

Katie: I'll be waiting!

Hi Chelle! I'm very followable. I'll leave a trail of bacon bits.

Rachel: You really put up a stout resistance. For a second or two...

Kath: Cuuuuute!

Sara: You stalk me? I'm...flattered. :)

>13 Ape: That would the-opposite-of-work, indeed. You'd never see me again, so file and retain for later.

I think the word for that is not work.

Or workn't.

No, "Not work" is so pale and knock-kneed a locution. This would anti-work. Although "workn't" has a lot of charm. How could we use it to make it cool, and therefore irresistible to your liberrian gal pals? THEY could really launch a new word.

I find most things become irresistible when they are covered in either chocolate or cheese.

"Either" being the operative word there. And having just visited the dead thread, I see some seriously mulish behavior going on, so we've got planning time.

Definitely "either." Cheese and chocolate isn't even fun to TYPE in the same sentence, although I bet we could google some recipes that have them both.

I hear guys with abs are popular with ladyfolk, maybe we can find one and get him to tattoo it around his pelvic region. Of course, he might be hesitant about tattooing workn't in that particular area, but that's where your seductive charm will come into play. That, or you can distract him while I hit him in the back of the head with a large stick. What do you say?

Hmmm. I think we'd have more success if we bribed him with lots and lots of sex. And made it a HENNA tattoo. Since you don't like men That Way, I nobly volunteer to offer the bribe.

No, no, thanks are not necessary.

Fantastic! Your selflessness is so admirable.

It really and truly is. That Richard, he's a keeper!

'Bout time you found your way over here. :)

*modest blush* I live to service...I mean serve!

Hey Laura, where's your thread?

*waves*

Just passing through, attempting to get caught up on this group AND the tail end of 2012... a seemingly insurmountable task... o_O

Yup, it's not even 2013, and I'm already late to the party. And now the lurking begins...

How can I be behind on a 2013 thread when it is still 2012?! Seriously?!?!? : )

Laura: He's a role model, I one day hope to be selfless like he is right now. I don't know if I'll ever be as good as he is though.

Jim: Yeah, I know, I waited all the way until 2-days-until-2013. Sorry I'm late. :P

Richard: Here.

Fiath: Hi! Yeah, trying to keep up with 2 groups is ridiculous, which is why I waited until yesterday to hop over here.

Hi Luxx! *Smooches*

Kim: I'm always fine with women's behinds. I mean...women who are behind...

Nice save, Stephen. . . You do realize that Kim is a black belt, right?

Yes, but she said it's only for self-defense, so I'm safe being all sweet'n'innocent and whatnot. :P

Uh huh. Right. Yep, I believe that part about you being sweet and innocent.

(Do I have 'born yesterday' stamped on my forehead somewhere?)

*Hides Sharpie Marker he used during Stasia's last nap* Uhhhh, nooooo...

You forget that I do not sleep. I know I have not been around much, but I thought it best to remind you now. Before you get into too much more trouble . . .

Me? Trouble? Surely you jest, I'm the most well-behaved young man...ummm...ever! ;)

That lie is not going to fly either!

It's not a lie, it's all just...perception... :P

Of course it is. How silly of me not to realize that ;)

:P

Guns, Germs, and Steel is quite wonderful so far. It's going incredibly slow though, mostly because I'm having a hard time paying attention to what I'm reading. It's not that the book isn't keeping me interested, it's that the information is so fascinating that I find myself pondering the implications to what I just read, only to realize that I have 'read' 2-3 paragraphs without comprehending a word. Between having to re-read half-pages and frequently stopping simply to digest what I have read a bit, progress has been very slow. It's wonderful, but slow.

This morning I got to the 'germs' part though, and I read a couple things that were...errr, ill-conceived. I hope it doesn't shake my faith in the rest of the book. =/

I read GGS in chucks along with other fiction books for just that reason.

What theories are you having issues with? The science is probably starting to get outdated, as the book is over 15 years old now.

Um, Oops. I mean. You didn't see me here! *Runs back to 2012*

I can quote the main passage the had me eye-rolling, but basically he said this: When Myxomatosis was introduced to Australia to kill exterminate rabbits, it killed off 98 percent in its first year. However the next year it killed less. And then less the next year. It got to the point where it was only killing a small percentage of rabbits, and then became ineffective.

His reasoning is that Myxomatosi consciously evolved so as not to kill it's source of reproduction. It realized all the rabbits were dying and that if it killed them all it would die out as well, so it had to adapt and kill less rabbits.

I know its nitpicky, but it's a ridiculous explanation and if he doesn't know why Myxomatosi became less virulent how can I trust his explanation for the spread of food production? This is why I like hard observable facts like "Myxomatosis killed huge percentages of rabbits but quickly became inneffective" and not theortical guesswork like "because Myxomatosis wanted to kill less rabbits."

I liked Guns Germs and Steel, but I don't know that I got a lot more out of the book than I got out of the documentary. GGS was very repetitive. :)

Yes, I've noticed some repetition as well. I was so over the Food chapters by the end of it, because I'm pretty certain he ran out of things to say half way through it.

Hi!.... i'm jenn.... you crack me up... thought you'd like to know.... ;)

Hello Jenn! I do have a tendency to either make people laugh or run away screaming in terror. I'm relieved you are the former. :)

>40 Ape: That's probably a victim of Popular-Science-Syndrome (i.e. Gotta make this concept really simple for the dumb-dumbs)

>41 The_Hibernator: I liked the documentary, but I didn't get more out of it than the book ;-) It depends on what order you read/see them in.

That would be a reasonable explanation, except he explained immunity and disease resistance a few pages before, so it wouldn't have made much difference to say that the disease killed off susceptible rabbits, leaving resistant rabbits to reproduce and create a population of Myxomatosi-resistant offspring. *Shrug*

Black belt checking in here to make sure things are under control. Well, at least as good as its going to get....hands Stasia a hankie to wipe her forehead. Gives Stephen the once over with her Tiger Eyes (Don't ask me, that's what my Master calls them. Think, "I mean business, all scary like.)

>46 Ape: It is also possible that the Myxoma virus that infected those 2% of rabbits was less fatal than the other 98%, and those rabbits lived long enough to reproduce and pass the less-fatal virus to their offspring, who lived long enough to reproduce, etc. This is now known not be true in this particular case, but it's a perfectly acceptable theory depending on how much information you have. I don't think it's any reason to discount Diamond's knowledge on other subjects.

Kim: Oooooh, are Tiger Eyes like Cougar Eyes? :D

Nora: That's true, but he made it seem like it was a conscious choice on the part of the virus. It was completely absurd, the way he worded it.

Absurdity and perversion will get you a star in my universe. At least it will get your thread starred.

Guns, Germs and Steel is a book that I've tried to read twice now and I never make it through the introduction. Maybe I shouldn't try it on audiobook. Judiciously visual skipping may be required.

Happy New Year,
Maryann

*swoops in and gives Stephen a smacker on the cheek and swoops away again*
Two can play that game, sunshine. And I didn't get any cactus-related injuries while I was doing it. ;)

Nice to see you *cough* up and running for another year, I promise to try and read along as much as possible!

49. Well put. About the virus making a conscious choice. Not the other thing. Tiger eyes, silly boy. NOT cougar eyes. Although come to think of it, my mother always said it was okay to look but not touch. : P

Hi Maryann! I have a book that I've had the same problem with. I've started The Isle of Stone twice, but between the opening rape scene (*Blanch*) and the author decision to use modern military terminology to describe military ranking of the time, I've never made it very far past the first chapter...

Ellie: I miss you! *Tries to preserve smacker with potentially toxic chemicals*

Kim: Well with my social anxiety and insecurity, I need to be touched by not looked at. *Sigh* Now what am I to do with this blindfold? :(

That sounds like a book worth avoiding. Sometimes I get annoyed with myself when I find I'm holding a book that's meant to be entertainment to the same standards as non-fiction. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse tried my patience on that account - if the character was named Alys in 12th century France, darn if she wasn't named Alice in 21st century France. The whole cast was like that. I managed to get past it for that book. Of course, I didn't have to contend with an opening rape scene.

@40 Um, yes, where was the editor. I suppose the 1918 flu epidemic ended because the virus met a few nice people and decided it was time to quit. Yup, putting the "pop" back into "pop science."

I was hoping to get around to Labyrinth soon, maybe.

I'm a super-awesome-amazing pessimist and tend to love books like The Road (one of my favorites), but rape scenes and animal abuse are two things that I have a difficult time reading most of the time. Opening a book with one is definitely not a great start!

Katie: Haha, yeah, I don't mind simplified science for the less knowledgable, goodness knows I couldn't read anything in astrophysics if it weren't for the popular science version of the subject, but there is a big difference between simplifying and...ummmm...wrongifying.

Stephen: Never fear my little munchkin, I'm getting a little... wait... *whispers* a little bored with my blog at the moment... *ssssh* so I might be around LT rather more again this coming year! Also, reading better books I hope, because this year's been waaaaaaaay too heavy on the YA novels and the fluffy books. I need some proper reading fare!

Yay Ellie's coming back more often!!! (oh, shhhh!) : )

See, it's reactions like that that make me miss LT. Also, I can sometimes spend about 8 hours on a review over on the blog and it's a little disheartening when all you get is ten pageviews and a spam comment, y'know? Over here people ENGAGE with stuff and kill the spam comments with flags and general derision. Love. :)

So this is where you have decamped to, Stephen! Nice crowd.... you wouldn't happen to be offering any Hors d'oeuvre here would you, I am feeling slightly peckish racing around trying to work my way through the threads. I see you offered Chelle a trail of bacon bits but I can't seem to see any around here....

.... wait a minute..... is that some kind of a trap.... *gives Stephen the suspicious eye routine*

Oh fer pete's sake, another thread on which I'm behind and it's not even the right year yet!
Well, Stephen, I like to be consistent. I'll start behind and just stay that way. :-|
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you!!

Ellie: Yay! Errrr, I mean, sorry you are bored with your blog... *Lights subtle fireworks* Ahem...

Kim: HURRAY! :D

Lori: I have packets of Splenda...

EBT: Thank you! Don't worry, I'm thick-skinned, it won't bother me when you...when you...when you ABANDON ME!!! *Breaks down into tears*

*rolls eyes and hands Stephen a hankie*

T-thank y-y-ou. It's just...I don't h-handle rejection very well...and I just...I...WAHHHHHHHHH!! *Buries face in a pillow*

I am not going to reject you, Stephen. There, there. I might slap you upside the head a time or two, but never reject you.

Does that make you feel any better?

That depends. Do I get to wear a helmet?

No, decidedly not.

Then...NO! *Pulls leve, which opens a trap door beneath Stasia's feet that drops her into a padded room full of giant fluffy pillows and butt-pinching clowns* Muahahaha!

WTH Stephen?!

I'll go sit in the corner with the others who are already hopelessly behind on your thread. We'll have cocoa and plot your demise admire you from afar.

#70: I would not drop. My hips would hold me up. In which case, I will come hunting for you with a maniacal gleam in my eye. You better start running now.

You are spared for now - I am off to beat up on the nasty generals in Defenders of the Realm (with my daughters).

Kathy: I think the surest plot for my demise would involve admiring me from close. I'd probably melt under the pressure, and then the puddle would explode, covering everyone in liquified Stephen-sludge. That, or I would just cry a lot.

Stasia: I don't know, this sounds fun. *Removes clothes*

The crying part sound entertaining. The sludge just sounds messy, and I for one do not want to clean up someone else's house! So I'll stay over here plotting your long-distance demise.

That's okay, the explosion will vaporize the hideous mess that's already here and, ultimately, the place will be cleaner in the end. It's science!

In that case...

*gets extremely close (wearing a haz-mat suit)*

Dang. I leave you alone for a few hours and look what happens.

Ugh, god. I know what Stephen sludge is. o_0

(hides behind Unruly and eats the free--they had better be free!--Splenda packets, paper and all) Num num.

Splenda?! What?? I told you, Stephen, *stevia* is the way to go! *bangs table with high heel*

(snort) Here here! And packets of ketchup while you're at it.

Happy New Year, Stephen!

Kathy: Ha! I think the haz-mat suit eliminates all my fears of human contact, so I'm not sure this method is going to be very effective. Plus I love microbiology/epedimiology, so that haz-mat suit might have terrible side-effects. *Waggles eyebrows*

Kim: *Continues misbehaving even when you are here* Hm, what were you saying? :P

Sara: Yes, I regretted posting that post before I even posted it because I knew someone would make that connection. *Shakes head*

Richard: I don't use much of either, so it matter not to me...

Sara: I have cups of KFC honey mustard sauce you can lick, so long as I get to watch. ;)

Thanks Kathy! I was asleep of course, but I'm sure watching a shiny ball drop to signify nothing of particular importance was, ummmm, exciting for everyone who bothered... :P

Happy New Year!

Thanks, and the same to you. :)

Since my son won't sleep since he is sick, I thought I would check out other 75ers. :)

。☆ 。☆。☆
★。＼｜／。★
Happy New Year!
★。／｜＼。★

Bright blessings for a new year!

Dude. Did I forget to say Happy New Year to you yesterday? HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Melissa: Ha, I'm an early bird so I'm usually up before the sun rises. LONG before the sun rises.

Thanks Kath and Morphy...and maybe Rachel too, even if she forgot me yesterday because she doesn't love me. :_(

Happy New Year, Stephen! I hope you have a great reading year. I'll try to stop by more often.

Happy New Year, I guess.

I haven't been scared off yet, Stephen. Happy New Year to a fellow Ohioan and Buckeye fan!

I being brave and/or foolhardy and attempting to follow your thread this year because you were always so entertaining over on Nora's last year. The insane volume may swamp me, but I shall give it my best effort.

So, on that note, HAPPY NEW THREAD!

94? already? When I was here the day before yesterday you were still hiding in 2012!

Well, I can see there are already some interesting discussions going on. You just made me curious to have a look at Guns, Germs and Steel. I had to LOL at the passage you wrote out about the Myxoma virus and the rabbits.

I suppose the 1918 flu epidemic ended because the virus met a few nice people and decided it was time to quit. Yup, putting the "pop" back into "pop science." That would describe the interpretation of that paragraph well. *grin*

Stephen--You don't like to watch the shiny ball drop? What is WRONG with you?! : P Hubby and I did, clinked our champagne glasses and then ran outside with all the kids and popped streamers and noise makers. Now we have colorful confetti in the street. Happy New Year (again)!!

Thanks Mark! I'm already experiencing Thread Overload, but the group usually settles down a bit after a couple weeks so maybe I'll be fine.

Nora: Bah humbug! Are you officially joining the group now? I'm disappointed I couldn't post on two Nora Threads at once. :(

Lynda: Thanks, and I'm glad you haven't been scared off after all these years!

Leah: I'm always happy to have new minions...errr, I mean, threadies? Yes, threadies. Don't worry, I promise it'll calm down after a bit, 90 posts in a couple days is pretty crazy. 0.0

Hi Bianca! *Hugs* Glad you could join me again. :)

Kim: Thanks! but no, I don't really get the point. *Shrug*

>96 Ape: You can still post on my old thread. I'm not mean like some people.

Ok, everyone can relax, I'm here! And first thing we need to do is put a stop to the crazy amounts of posting. 98 posts and it's not even noon on the first day in January? Seriously Stephen?

*bustles over to arrange Canadian corner*

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Stephen!!!!!

Hi Micky! * Heads over to help Micky arrange the Canadian corner.*

Nora: :( Is that why I'm being ignored? I genuinely don't want to post on my old thread because if the link gets buried people can't find it. Kathy, for example, didn't see the link because there were so many posts after I had moved to the new group. =/

Micky: Sorry! I'll try to keep everyone quiet. *Gives everyone party noise-makers*

Thanks Lori! :)

What ARE you thinking, young man, not applying the Post Limiter (TM) to your thread?! Must keep the hoi polloi out, you fool! I mean, two days and you're over 100 posts! The idea! Outrageous!

Hey hey hey, YOU are ready for a Thread #2, mister! Now that is outrageous...

*snort* I have been here for nine, count 'em NINE, days, so of course I have a lot of posts!

Still here.
Quiet, but here.

Hi Stephen. You dont scare me. (Much, anymore...)

:)

Remember way back up there where you were discussing "cougar eyes?" Well, "cougar eyes" are those looks that Kath and I give you over the tops of our glasses.

So there.

Richard: Yeah, but the group was less active when it was first created, I joined during the flood of January Firsters. :)

Ellen: Did you know that if your fingers are on the wrong keys your name becomes Ekkeb?

Megan: Fantastic! Now, if you'll sit very still, please. *Pulls out giant needle attached to gianter syringe* Try not to blink, okay? I only need a little sample, and I don't want you to hurt yourself. *Starts pointing needle at Megan's eye*

Terri: Ohhhh...I didn't know that. I thought they were more of an authoritarian "I'll show you whose boss" kind of...OHHHHHH, cougar eyes. *Light bulb* Of course! I never realized they were the same thing. Well I'm still scared stiff by them, only for different reasons now. :P

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!

#108: Ha ha! Read that way to fast. January Fisters, huh?

And no, NO KFC MUSTARD. :P

Thanks Linda!

Sara: Awwwww, what about the BBQ sauce?

#56 cammykitty,

I can see this is one of those threads I'm going to be perpetually behind on but I had to tell you that your influenza comment made me do a spit-take. At work, no less.

It's okay Maryann, look, it's already quieter. I knew it would calm down quick. :)

Okay, so it is the 2nd day into the new year and I already have a confession to make. I stopped into the local Dollar Tree and bought a few $1 books. I told myself I was forbidden from even going into the store until I was either employed or volunteering at the local library...but... *Sigh* I know, I'm worthless, weak-willed and cowardly. Go on, you can say it, I'll just ignore you with my nose in my new books...

Speaking of which, for a few cents more than $4 I bought:

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
The Lizard King by Bryan Christy
Notes for a War Story by Gipi
The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury

The Lizard King looks the most interesting (even if it has a poor rating here) as it sounds like something I would like. I was surprised to see the Gipi graphic novel, I read Garage Band a couple years ago and really liked it so I couldn't pass that up for a dollar. I've been trying to get back into the groove of reading bigger books again, and The Swan Thieves is over 500 pages so I thought that would be nice to have on hand. The Raymond Khoury book...ummmm, well, I bought that one because the cover was shiny. :P

Hi Stephen!
Now that it's the new year I can come back. . . but I'm just not gonna have time to read all those messages above me *sigh

Wait...Sara likes KFC mustard? Really? Gawd I must have a pound of it mouldering in my fridge! Sara honey? Where do you want the vile spoodge? I don't like it, but they give it to me anyway, so I'll pass it on to you!

Hi Urp! I mean Ape! I drank some fizzy death-juice in your honor last night. Up for hours feeling vomitous. It was, I think, "Mountain Dew" or some other appallingly fluorescent greenish-yellow effluent.

What I won't do to please the boy I plan to screw. (Not you, dear, the one who brought the fizzy death-juice.)

Hi Katie! I'm sure they are all full of wit and charm, so they are definitely worth reading. Or they are all horrible and contain genital jokes. Hmmm, still worth reading, I say! :P

Richard: Weird, I also had a Mountain Dew (today), because Dollar Tree had them for - you guessed it - a dollar. Also also I was feeling vomituous last night after I ate some horrible disgusting 'Italian sub,' from a pizza shop, that was heated so the Italian dressing mixed with the pepperoni grease to make some stomach-churning concoction that I found entirely unpleasant.

But it was free food, so I ate it. :P

Oh, and I actually really like KFC honey mustard (not sure about regular mustard.) I'm not a huge fan of KFC chicken, but if they bottled the honey mustard and I would totally buy it.

Yeah, free = good when you're flat stony broke. Pepperoni, more's the pity, has that effect on me these days no matter what. I love it, but the pain isn't worth it.

I don't like chicken a whole lot, but when it's fried I'll eat it. The KFC is next to one of the grocery stores I shop at, so the occasional nugget makes its way into the car. The dog lives for it!

I'm a big fan of boneless chicken, but cooking with bones in meat alters the taste quie a bit and, in chickens' case, I'm much more a fan of the boneless flavor, which is why I'm not a huge fan of KFC's chicken. You can prepare boneless chicken breast in just about any way imaginable and I'll probably love it.

Have you tried KFC's Chicken Littles? They're amazing, and I'm not remotely ashamed to admit it. :)

I'm the exact opposite- I prefer all poultry bone in. Dark meat all the way!

I just don't want to eat bird meat. Not pleasant for me. I do eat the chicken littles, they're what I order and the dog gets about half of 'em. She insists.

Wow. I'm craving KFC now. Which sucks, because all the KFC's within a 5 mile radius of our home went out of business recently...(my dad and I went on a KFC hunt for my nephew and we drove all around town to all of the KFCs that we knew existed and they were all boarded up!)

Leah: I'll have you know what after at least 12+ seconds of staring at an empty comment box I have decided to be mature for once and not make the "I like ladies who prefer the bone in." Wait, I just said it didn't it? Crap!!

Richard: Perfectly understandable, pigs are much more delicious. :)

Rachel: That's horrible! If it makes you feel any better, Logan obviously only has 1 of any given restaurant (if they have it at all) and since I'm 10-15 minutes outside of town, it's not really worth it unless I'm already in the area. On the bright side, of course, if you are already in town then just about every restaurant imaginable is probably about 2-3 minutes away at the most. :P

Believe me, the list of funny and inappropriate things that come up in a regular ole day of farming is almost endless. I mean, have you ever seen a chicken neck without feathers on it? It's amazingly suggestive.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that sees penises everywhere.

...or maybe I am...

Nope. I mean, I see an inordinate number of ACTUAL penises on a regular basis, but it's because farm animals don't know how to keep their privates... private. Especially cows and horses. I keep trying to explain to them that they have destroyed my delicate sensibilities and the likelihood that a mere mortal man will impressive me ever again, but they don't care. They are heartless that way.

This is exactly why I only hit on women with gerbils.

Wow I was only going to comment on my own habit of buying books because the cover was shiny.... but then I was distracted by chickens and bone in and dark meat.... and defeathered chicken necks.....and the people here on the children's side of the library are looking at me weird as I laugh out loud.... and blush at the same time...while trying to fiure out how to explain to my Lilly why mommy keeps laughing so loud!

I really needed that after returning to work today P: THANKS GUYS!!

>108 Ape: OK, that's done it. I am scared!
Thanks for the nightmare fodder.

Happy New Year, Stephen !

Jennifer: I have found the penis jokes are just good for the soul, and I am always happy to provide one. Errr, a joke, that is...

Megan: You are most welcome. *Brandishes jagged, broken chicken bone* And just wait until I tell you where I want to put this!

Cindy: Thanks, happy new year to you too! :)

Dagnabbit, now I'm craving KFC!!! There's one about a mile down the road from me and I haven't eaten dinner yet, so.... I'm torn on what to do. It's nearly 8pm and I'd feel bad going out in 20 degree weather this late at night just for fried food, but if I eat any more chili I may go insane. Oh, DECISIONS!

#111: No bbq sauce either.

#115: Nope, can't stand KFC anything--KFC water (you just know they dunk their "chicken" carcasses in it), KFC napkins... nothing KFC. XP

But I actually do like mustard. It's yummy. :)

All this condiment talk is making me, well...



You're welcome. ;)

Gross, I hate KFC! If I must get fried chicken, I suppose Popeye's is the best, but I'd rather not subject myself to any of it. I can do most fast food, but fast food fried chicken is just so yucky.

I do love how you guys are always talking about peni. That's what I come here for.

Thanks, everyone. I no longer feel odd for writing about fear and dislike of sheep on my own thread. Heavens, what odd...creatures...we are. (Yes, I almost said *birds* instead of creatures, and cringed, but then I had to write it anyway here, obviously.)

Ha! I love how we buy the same books from the Dollar Tree - my most recent purchases from said store are essentially the same as yours.

Still haven't tried the Chicken Littles, but I mean to remedy that very soon.

Stephen, you have once again edged us closer to the end of the world. I own and quite liked The Swan Thieves. So it's January 2nd and the world's already doomed. :P

>126 Ape: And I just giggled out loud.

Hi Stephen, I HATE KFC! Do I get thrown out now? However, I am not a great fan of this burger fast food chains anyway.

Great book haul you got yourself there. I am curious what you will think about The Swan Thieves I read that book last year and thought it was great, but be prepared it is a very "quiet" book :).

Soo, you have been succesful in digging your own little cavern under Rachel's cupboard under the stairs? Have you been able to fit all your stuff in? And what about your dog? I am sure I have seen mentioned a dog somewhere in your previous threads *grin*

>136 MickyFine:, 137 Glad to hear some people liked The Swan Thieves. I bought it because I thought it sounded interesting, and I loved The Historian. However, when a good friend of mine said she didn't enjoy it, it killed my motivation to wade through a 500 page book. I'll have to give it a go later this year.

Laura: Oh, I hope you went with the insane route, you'd fit in a lot better than you already do on my thread in that case! ;)

Sara: Oh, I'm sure all those chickens died of natural causes. :P

Kathy: I don't blame you, I don't even like 'good' fried chicken, let alone the fast food variety. That is to say, fried chicken with the bone, but as previously mentioned I'm a boneless chicken whore (don't take that out of context) so I'm fine with things like chicken strips at fast food restaurants.

Jennifer: Sheep make terrific hats. :)

Amber: Ha! They still had that naked-lady book in, Venus something-or-other, but I still couldn't bring myself to take it to the check-out counter. *Shudders*

Micky: Sometimes you DO have good taste, it seems. :P

Bianca: I don't blame you for not liking KFC/fast food. The quality is generally terrible, although I think there are occasional exception. I love KFC's Chicken Littles, Burger King fries, and Dairy Queen ice cream is amazing even if it isn't "real" ice cream. Their Waffle Bowls are delicious.

I tend to like 'quiet' books, as opposed to action-packed ones, so that is a very good thing. :)

138: At least it has HUGE text, that'll probably make it read fast regardless. :)

I can't believe you mentioned Dairy Queen. Now I want some. Sigh. Does yours now have the Orange Julius menu, too? I nearly peed my pants when I found out that ours does, I was so excited.
Oh, and agreed about Burger King's fries - the best.

No, no, no. Burger King fries drool, McDonald's fries rule.

Amber: I don't know, I haven't been to Dairy Queen in a very long time. *Shrug*

Morphy: I would have agreed a few years ago, but Burger King introduced new fries and they are pretty fantastic. Unlike McDonald's fries, which are soft, floppy, and salted to death. :(

Hi Stephen, I'm here and not a zombie in sight! Excellent. I have to go with Morphy on McDonald's fries...when they are first out of the fryer. It's only when they sit out that they get soft and floppy. They closed the Burger King near us so I haven't tasted the new fries.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Donna! New Burger King fries are awesome. They are about as dry-tasting as their old ones, but strangely addicting anyway. :)

>139 Ape: *eye-roll* I think you got that sentence backwards, my friend. :P

When it comes to fries, I'm a big fan of Arby's curly fries. Do you guys have Arby's down there?

He Stephen, Donna is right you are already on post 146 and still no guts on the floor or any brains on the ceiling. *Peeks carefully around* just to make sure :)

Micky: Seems it, taste good have do you sometimes. Are you sure that's right?

Bianca: It'll likely stay that way, I see no zombie novels in the near future. :)

>148 Ape: I knew you were going to do that. :P

Day 3 of the new year and I'm already late to your thread, Stefano. Still ..... better late than never right? Hmm...no zombie novels in the near future? Does this mean it's safe for me to remove my zombie-repellent poncho?

Oh, yes, Arby's fries are excellent. But Rally's curly fries are The Business.

Micky: Maybe I knew you would know I was going to do that...

Caro: Oh, I don't know, zombie-repellent ponchos are multi-purpose so it doesn't hurt to wear one around these parts.

Amber: They are good. This conversation is making me realize that, no matter how bad the fast food is, the fries are still very edible. :)

Agreed.... i like arby's curly frie the bestest!.... and now i' m gonna have to go and get some for lunch.... i'm too lazy to go out again tonight.... and stuffed from my eggplant parmesan....

I have never had the pleasure of reading a zombie novel.... any recommendations?

Heck, I like Walmart's 2lb bag of seasoned fries roasted in the oven. I just want fries is all.

Are there ANY threads where they aren't talking about food??????? What if I had made a New Years Resolution to go on a diet? Where would I be then? (I didn't, of course, but I could have).

I'm a boneless chicken whore (don't take that out of context)

But... I HAVE TO!!



You dirty boy.

And, I like BK fries, but the BEST fries are at Five Guys. The cajun seasony ones.

Darnit. UnrulySun beat me to spamming your thread with pics. Oh well. Have another. :)

I'm not a fry person and I don't eat fast food, but I will say that when I'm being naughty, 5 Guys fries really are out of this world.

Jennifer: Well, World War Z is the most commonly read and highly rated zombie novel, but it's a chunkster and it can feel a bit dense at times, especially if you aren't into zombies. I recommended Day by Day Armageddon to Richard when he asked, it's shorter, easier to read, and highly enjoyable in my opinion, which makes it a great way to dip your toes in the waters without diving headfirst into a genre that might not be to your liking. :)

Richard: Their unseasoned ones are terrible! ...or is it Save-a-Lots unseasoned ones? Either way, it's easily remedied by, y'know, seasoning them, and then they are delicious of course.

Terri: There are worse things we could be discussing, you know. ;)

Kathy: It's a bad farmer that can't even keep boneless chickens in their pen! :P

Sara: I don't know, I might not eat THAT chicken even if it was boneless...

Leah: Oh dear! I totally read that wrong. "When I'm being naughty, 5 guys really are out of this world." *Slaps forehead* Then again, I suppose if we weren't talking about fries someone could definitely say that, hmmmm, I'm sure it's innocent and that wasn't their intention at all. :P

If I have to claim my absolute favorite fries, it would be waffle fries. No restaurant in particular, just waffle fries in general.

Yes!! Waffle fries are amazing.

Are you insane!?! 5 guys would be like herding needy cats- all wanting what they want and heading in no particularly helpful direction.

Morphy/Amber: Agreed! My only experience with them, sadly, were the crappy school-lunch-food waffle fries we had in high school...and they were pretty freakin' delicious.

Leah: Thanks, now I'll never look at crazy old cat ladies the same way again...

Did you know that if your fingers are on the wrong keys your name becomes Ekkeb?

LOL -- actually, I did know that! Having done it more times than I can count.

As it turns out, Ekkeb is my evil alter ego.

As far as zombie novels go, I admit that I've got a hankering to try out Warm Bodies :)

Ellen: I want an evil alter ego! You all better watch out for...Dyrphrn...or Steogeb!

Rachel: I almost read that once, when I was requesting book from The Big Library, but never got around to it. Doesn't being in love with a corpse (walking or otherwise) make you a necrophiliac?

One of those books I have got on my TBR pile already for some time :)

Doesn't being in love with a corpse (walking or otherwise) make you a necrophiliac? Yeah, I think so. And if I am not mistaken Jeffery Dahmer was one as well. At least that's what my son explained to me some time ago :)
Apparently, they made a movie from the book as well.

Evil alter ego? Wait until you meet my one *grin*.

About the necrophilia, I was hoping that Warm Bodies was funny. That's the point. A zombie romance? :) It could be really fantastic...

Bianca, the movie is very new. I'm not even sure it's come out yet.

>168 drachenbraut23:, 169 Movie comes out 1 Feb 2013

Dyrphrn...sounds like a Cthulhu Mythos character.

I didn't want to say in front of Stephen that it is a "zombie romance". Apparently when he ordered it at the library he didn't notice. So, he may even would have given it a go *grin*

I think it could be really funny as I find it hard to picture that concept!

I don't think the mvie is out yet, but I have seen it mentioned - somewhere - or maybe Alex told me.

Warm Bodies was just okay, a little funny. I'm not sure I'm excited about the movie but I'll probably see it eventually.

I thought Breathers was funnier but it was also less cutesy.

common Stephen....you'll read a humorous romance, right?

ETA: 173 Just ok? That's too bad. So much potential.

Yes Stephen, we could start a group read with you, then Rachel and I could discuss all the romantic elements with you - DON'T you think that would be fun? hehe
And why not a humorous romance can be fun. I only need to think at the "The Corpses Bride" by Tim Burton. :)

Yeah... it had some really clever moments at the start but the last half was pretty juvenile. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was a sharp departure from the beginning.

Humorous romance... Stephen, surely you like The Princess Bride??

@167 Um yes, but being in love with a werewolf just means you like hirsute men.

>152 Ape: We're spiraling here, Stephen.

Saw the trailer for Warm Bodies in theatre a couple months ago and laughed really hard through most of it. I may give it a whirl when it comes out on DVD...

Yhprom. Sounds Jewish. Perhaps a golem?

Anyone other than me have to type it out forward first?

> 176 well that doesn' t sound to brilliant. You mentioned Breather being a better book, who is the author?

> I just watched a couple of trailers on youtube LOL. I think I give the book definately a go. He Stephen do you join in?

Well, and if you should be worried about an allergic reaction to the "romance" bit of the story. Resuscitation isn't a problem as you know *grin*

Sorry, apparently the book brackets don't stick when posting from a phone. I just remedied it. Breathers is by SG Browne.

Holy crap that was a lot of posts since I was last here. :o

My issues with the romance genre stem from my social anxieties/insecurities and regular struggles with loneliness and depression. Reading romance novels tends to really get me down and feeling terrible about myself, and they can really send me into a downward spiral of self-loathing.

I don't mind romance in novels, as much, but when it is the central focus I just don't want to bother. And the romance genre is completely off-limits for me, because it's just porn-in-text and I can not read through books with constant sex scenes. It's like an animal rights activist reading a book that has animal abuse in every other chapter. It might not seem like a big deal to you, you might even think it's funny...but from my perspective, it very much is NOT funny. =/

I've liked a lot of books that have a romance as a central theme. Things like, say, Waterloo Station, The Translator, The Solitude of Prime Numbers, In the Skin of a Lion, etc. I'm not completely close-minded...but...I'd rather just avoid it as much as possible and save myself the grief.

As if my self-esteem isn't low enough already.

*hugs Stephen* Better?

Sort of.

*Checks to make sure Micky didn't steal his wallet*

*Bear hugs Stephen while Bianca prepares to duct-tape him to a chair*

Ready for the group read Stephen?

Noooooooooo...this chair is really uncomfortable.

Damn, i am so far behind...i saw "penis", "KFC", and The Historian

Pensis look cute, but aren't necessary to Human Life

I have a good recipe for Oven Fried Chicken that would beat KFCs butt

The Historian gave me a Gag, when i first read it....i haven't read it a second time....who knows??

Over and Out..

Great, Jude, you're making my penis feels so unloved! :o

Though I guess I can sympathize. I did say that I like my chicken boneless, at least.

>184 Ape: Of course I didn't steal your wallet. I may have snagged some chocolate off your person though. *feeds chocolate to passing zombie*

Nope, the chair is VERY comfortable! The reading chair is SO comfortable that you don't want to come out of it anymore.
:) :) :)

Oh my good grief, the gerbil comment in #126... Bahahaha, oh Stephen! :D

Not only did I start giggling in the middle of the shop, but I then reached all the foodie talk and my stomach started growling in the most horrendous way. Time to go find sustenance, methinks...

#182: I feel you on your issues with reading romance novels--even as someone who has 'smut' as a primary category in my library, there are definitely still times when reading all that love and deep feelings of connection nonsense makes me feel awful. It sucks when depression interferes with my ability to enjoy lighthearted, supposed to be entertaining reading!

Micky: Good riddance! *Gives Micky a bucket of choclate* Take it away, take it away, please! *Suffers chocolate overdose*

Bianca: I'm uncomfortable in any chair if romance is being discussed...

Ellie: You visited! Yay! :D

Willowsmom: Yes, it sucks. You're a mother, though, so I'm assuming the feelings are quite different.

>156 UnrulySun: I love Gary Larson!
>194 Ape: what christmas cracker jokes would look like if they were images.
>182 Ape: sex scenes in books are ok with me so long as they are loving and intellectual. As that's the way I ...um...operate...in that area. I dont get rampant multi partnered sex for the sake of it in a book or in real life.
(eek, did I give to much away there? Ah well- Im sure no one is reading this)

>193 Ape: I ran across a factoid the other weak that said the amount of chocolate that is lethal to a human is about 10 kg. I'm concerned if you've eaten that much. *puts hand on Stephen's forehead*

I only got 1 hour of reading on this book since I was checking it out in the bookstore, but try The Nimrod Flipout. It's an antidote to romance novels, which btw is a subgenre of fantasy.

@196 & I'm so happy to see the 10 kg factoid!!! I've calmed people down several times when their lab eats a hershey bar by telling them this fact. The toxicity of chocolate is 1 ounce per pound of dog - so the average lab would need to eat 85 oz of chocolate to die. I always suspected that if I could eat 1 ounce per pound of my own body weight, I'd be in the hospital too - not even factoring in the size of my stomach which could never contain that much chocolate in the first place.

Hmm, by that estimation I should have ODed several times by now. It feels like I eat my body weight in chocolate several times a week.

Stephen (aka Steogeb), I feel fairly certain that you have an evil alter ego. You simply must have.

Just thought I would check to see if you have read any books yet. I thought not - although with all that time taped to the chair, I would have thought you could at least sneak one in!

Hi Stephen, belated wishes for a happy new year. I obviously like both absurdity and perversion cause here I am signing on for a third year!

Megan: Compared to what I say in an average day, I think you are fine. I'm somewhat opposite, actually. Personally, I don't see why anyone can't enjoy their sex lives however they like. In general, so long as everyone involved in a consenting adult then it makes no difference to me. Shockingly, orgasms feel nice, and I don't see any reason why people can't enjoy them with eachother, so long as there is an ounce of disease protection involved.

On a personal level, my crushes tend to be more intellectual, in that I tend to like people for their peronalities as opposed to their bodies. I like smart women, and bookish women, and smart bookish women, and science-y women, and I don't really care what they look like.

I understand that's not the case with the vast majority of people, and I see nothing wrong with other people's choices when it comes to sex. I mean, I'm a 24-year-old virgin, I'd die (or something) without...errrrr...'visual aids,' and that industry isn't exactly intellectual. ;)

On a personal level, my crushes tend to be more intellectual, in that I tend to like people for their peronalities as opposed to their bodies. I like smart women, and bookish women, and smart bookish women, and science-y women, and I don't really care what they look like.

Agreed, I love the way you look at that. Excactly my view. Always was like that :) Ahem, but obviously we exchange "woman" for "man" *grin*.

Micky: It's okay, most of the chocolate had non-chocolate filling or peanuts, so I'm sure it only totals to, like, 9.5kg of chocolate. *Passes out*

Katie: Haha! Well the tags certainly look...interesting.. :P I always thought the antidote to sex was reading books in public about how to cure genital warts.

Kathy: You must have a high chocolate tolerance.

Ellen: I'm far too sweet and innocent to have an alter ego, for sure.

Stasia: I'm currently reading Guns, Germs, and Steel, which is very dense and slow-going. I'll probably finish it sometime over the next couple days though.

Hi Judy! I'm glad you are here! *Hugs*

Bianca: Yeah, if I were to list all my celebrity crushes, they are all incredibly nerdy, and I tend not to like the celebrity themselves but the characters they play.

It seems incredibly rare. A lot of times you see people mooning over a celebrity in a movie and you think "Awww, they like the nerdy guy/vampire/socially awkward scientist," but then you see them mooning over the same guy in a different role and you realize it is their BODY that they like, not their personality.
You can't really like an actor for their personality, since their job requires them to develop a different one for every role that they play. *Shrug*

I like nerdy characters as well and I always seem to be the one who likes the characters no one else likes.
Actually, there are quite a few actors I do like and I enjoy to see how they take the challenge to transform themselves into the roles they are given.
For example I do quite enjoy Johnny Depp, Gary Oldman and for the females Helena Bonham Carter, because IMO they are very versatile actors.

Johnny Depp is a genius! I'm not a huge fan of movies and whatnot, so I guess I can't really make that claim, but I'm always amazed at how thoroughly he transorms himself. He's one of the few actors that genuinely makes me forget that I'm watching a movie with the same actor.

Ooooh, Johnny and Gary are two of my favorites, too. I wish I could say that it's solely for their talent (and I agree that they're both very talented), but I can't ignore the fact that they're both unbelievably gorgeous, too. Clearly Stephen is a much better person that I... :)

Ummm, definitely not. You are a married to an awesome physicist guy, are the mom of a lovely boy, with amazing baking and sewing skills, and who is an educated classicist. I'm unemployed, uneducated, and am only skilled at stopping porn viruses from killing my computer. Yeah, should I start bowing now or later?

Stephen, unemployed - yes. Uneducated? Well, that's a question of interpretation. Uneducated IMO are people who don't do anything to aquire more knowledge -the means of how they are doing it are irrelevant - Definately doesn't apply to you. Another *glare* in your direction - be patient you will find something which will suit you eventually.

And stopping porn viruses from killing your computer? IMO a great skill *smile*

Amber is still better though. :P

1) You know how to kill the porn viruses?! Spill, bitch! Errrmmm, not that *I* need the info, but I have this friend....

2) Johnny Depp is intelligent, talented, creative, and fascinating.

And I couldn't care less, because he's EFFING HAWT. Man looks like that, I don't even care if he can speak anything but football. *dazed sigh imagining happy times with Le Depp*

3) 10kg of chocolate. I doubt if I've eaten half that in my life to date! I'm at the lowest imaginable risk for chocolate toxicity.

I wonder if there's a lethal level of carrot cake. THAT might be an issue for me.

#212 by @richardderus> 10kg of chocolate. I doubt if I've eaten half that in my life to date! I'm at the lowest imaginable risk for chocolate toxicity.

I wonder if there's a lethal level of carrot cake. THAT might be an issue for me.

Well hello there, wonderful carrot cake loving person. I'm with you. If someone said I could never have chocolate again it would hardly phase me (except for a moment of silence for mint chocolate chip gelato) but I could eat carrot cake every day.

I know what you mean, Richard. I, personally, always get those nasty viruses whenever I download innocent videos of puppies playing with toy ropes, and kittens jumping in and out of boxes. I swear, I don't know why people have to put porn viruses in those files, sheesh!

Okay, so I decided this year that I didn't want to write reviews. It can be somewhat exhausting and I just wanted to start noting down a quick sentence or two about my books here, maybe a list of pros and cons, and if anyone cares at all the book could always be discussed right here.

And then I finished my first book, and as I typed up my 1 or 2 sentences I somehow ended with 4 paragraphs. *Sigh*

So, my first book review of the year coming soon...

1. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond


(Larger image)

Pages: 425
Rating: 4/5

Nonfiction

Where so many authors for such a long time have spent an ungodly amount of time and dead tries writing vast histories of countless places across the globe, Jared Diamond has done something different. He doesn’t want to know what happened, he wants to know why.

Why did Europeans colonize other countries instead of other countries colonizing Europe? Why didn’t Africa become technologically superior and at a faster rate, and how did so few small groups of Europeans manage to systematically wipe out entire populations in the Americas instead of the other way around? The obvious answer is that they had better weapons and armor, but why did they have better weapons and armor? The answers are quite fascinating!

The book would be a 5-star read if I didn’t nearly throw the book out a window at having to read the same information over and over again. He has an obnoxious tendency to repeat himself multiple times, and not just a sentence or two but whole pages of information that just seems copy-and-pasted. The latter half of the book feels like the first half of the book, only reformatted and arranged differently. Anything interesting that was said towards the end of the book was slightly spoiled by my incessant frustration at having to read page after page of repeated paragraphs.

Overall I found the book to be incredibly enlightening, however. I don’t think I’ll forget what I read here for some time (and not just because it was pounded into me with nauseating repetition) and I think it will forever alter my perception of the history of human civilization as a whole. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I know better than to get into an argument with you, Stephen, so I'll just concede that you're correct - I'm awesome.

The repetition problem seems to be rampant in some historians/scholars. Just poor editing, I think.

Oh yeah, and you always agree with me! I forgot about that. Yep, super awesome, for sure. :)

Stephen, great review :) Gone onto my wishlist! I enjoy the "why's" of something.

To come back to these porn viruses. I absolutely despise them and I would be glad if I could figure them out in advance. Only a few month back, I was following some crafting links for children (with Alex) openend a site which was supposedly on "How to make simple christmas stars" and voila absolutely disgusting porn came up. Alex turned hastily around shrieking and shouting meh, baah and all sorts of things and I just closed the site.

The repetition problem seems to be rampant in some historians/scholars.

This is a style some people take in order to drive home a point more thoroughly. I found that I'm very repetitive when I write grants - I figure that only a couple of people on the committee will REALLY read the grant, and the others will skim. Therefore, by repeating the main point I'm more likely to get it through to them. :) But I don't think that's a very good strategy for writing a book. I think most of the target audience will not be skimming-for-main-point.

Porn has never touched this computer.

Bianca: Those are terrible, ugh. I once had a porn virus that replaced every advertisement on any page I visited with banner ads for pornographic websites. It was very awkward, indeed...

Rachel: That makes sense, but you are right in that it's not a very good strategy for book writing. I admit every time I saw the word 'food production' in the last 50-ish pages I skimmed the paragraph. Ugh, I was so sick of re-reading the same thing for the millionth time. *Head smack*

>213 leahbird: My moment of silence would be for Reese's Peanut Butter cups, and Little Debbie Nutty Bars.

I would, however, soldier on and simply increase my carrot cake intake. *noble profile* But I shall endure.

>215 Ape: Wonderful review, Stephen!

I would refuse to live if the holidays weren't filled with baked goods made with pumpkin. *Drools*

Thanks, Richard. :)

>215 Ape: Yay! First read of the year and it was a good 'un. :D

Yeah, and I'm really liking my current read as well, so it looks like a good start for the year. :)

What is your current read Stephen? Is it something from your book haul?

It's The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer, one of the $1 books I've bought from Dollar Tree. :)

just lurking

eta: glad you read a book. And a dense one, at that! xo

*Sets tracking device on Ellen with an alarm system so every time she visits strobe lights turn on and rave music plays*

Just checking in to see how things are with you, Stephen. Great review of Guns, Germs and Steel. I won't be reading it because, like you, I have no tolerance for obnoxious tendencies of writers to insist on repeating themselves to get their point across. I expect that behavior pattern in professors, teachers, medical professionals, etc but not in my reading.

> 219 - Rachel, when it comes to grant writing, I total get the need to repeat one self, almost at to the point of sounding like a robot, to get your point across, given the intended audience of the grant. That is about the only way to get their attention.... besides the alternative of hitting them over the head with something something heavy, which really doesn't help the grant case in the long run. ;-)

#215: Guns, Germs, and Steel does sound interesting, but I doubt I'll be able to fit it in this year. Too busy reading about incestuous siblings and dog-killing Englishmen--and, surprisingly, they're both kids books.

#220: Why, yes, porn has never touched this computer either. Ever. I swear. Never. Stop laughing, Stephen. :P

I have had Guns, Germs, and Steel in the BlackHole for years now and it will probably be a lot more years before I get it read. I am glad to see that you liked it despite Diamond's propensity for reiterating what he has already iterated.

@204 That's not the antidote! That's the ultimate deterrent!

As for your review on Guns, Germs & Steel I think I'll stick with the PBS special then!!! Once I hit that second copy-paste page, I'd be moaning "where was the editor."

> 227 :) Looks like another interesting read to me.

Lroi: Oh, it's VERY worth reading despite the repetition. The first 75 percent or so of the book is amazing 5-star-worthy material. :)

Sara: Nope, I do not believe it for a second. I suspect your computer is some sort of porn vortex, and that penises are burned into your monitor. :P

Stasia: Yeah, I've owned it for a couple years or so and it's taking me this long to read it, despite the fact that I've been eagerly anticipating getting it started for years before I owned it...

Katie: Oh no no no, it takes second place to me, for sure. I'm cocky when it comes to my sex-deterring powers. 8-)

Bianca: It's nice to read something fast-paced. I read more pages in a half-day of reading yesterday than I did the entire time I read Guns, Germs, and Steel (over two weeks.) I always seem to forget that genre fiction is great for blazing through pages.

I gave Guns, Germs, and Steel 5 out of 10 stars and it was mostly because of that tedious repetition. BoooOOOooring.

Yeah, I probably did the book a lot of favors by skimming the repetitive bits. :)

For your seething oceans of lady librarian fan-girls.

Wait, Stephen has an ocean of lady librarian fangirls? Where?

Hehe, I am confused now as well!

Richard: Is that a sign? I want to go there! Where is it?

Micky/Bianca: Yeah, no fangirls here, unfortunately. Richard still thinks I'm capable of being likable. *Shakes head* How the man has managed to stay out of the loony bin this long is beyond my comprehension.

#235: I totally agree--my computer is a porn vortex. As for penises being burned into my monitor... :D I got a horrible mental image with that one I won't share with everyone.

#238: Where are the triple X's for that sign?

Triple X's? Do you think it's it like a nerdy strip bar? Uhhhhhh...I change my mind, I don't want to go. *Blushes*

It's always good to keep burning penises to yourself.

Sorry Stephen. I keep trying to visit but there are all these beautiful women screaming for you outside and I had to elbow my way in. : )

Oh, nice try, but I know they were screaming and running away. :P

No, no. Don't panic. They were trying to get IN!!

#238: Why isn't the sign on? WHERE'D THE GORGEOUS LIBRARIANS GO?!?!

Kim: Hmmm, it must have been a rabble of angry townswomen...

Katie: I've never been in a library that didn't have several, so there definitely shouldn't be any shortage of them. :)

*phew* That hot chick from the Phoenix Public Library system was really goin' at it with the tall Head Librarian from University of Dayton. You'd better send security, they're gettin' down to the foundation garments and I know how you feel about nudity. *applies bandages to his scratches from the clamoring hordes' scratching and clawing*

I am NOT a librarian, but I think you are adorable - well, I just have to agree with Amber there *smile*

Richard: Uhhh, oh, ummmmm, *Locks self in a distant room and covers eyes with hands*

Bianca: Nooooo...that's only because I gas people with "Make Stephen Appear Adorable Even If He Isn't" gas when they walk through the door, so it's all just an illusion.

Well, that sounds like a fab gas. Can I borrow it?

Okay I lied, you and Amber are obviously delusional and I just didn't want to hurt your feelings. *Sigh* I'm sorry I have to do this, but it's for your own safety. *Pulls out 2 straight jackets*

"delusional" - very strongly disagree with you Stephen. You are wrong - and we are right :)

Oh, this new jacket is comfy - thanks, Stephen!