Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

MR tsunami warning ....

here it comes .....

brace yourselves .....



Alert over, condition green, you may now debrace.

Good news from down under:
"WELLINGTON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand and Australia canceled tsunami warnings on Wednesday after an earthquake struck the south of New Zealand, causing minor damage but no injuries."
http://www.reuters.com/article/world...56E2P120090715

:groan:

[montsnmags]

I think I'll just stay up for the scheduled 11:44pm update to the current warning, and then go to bed.

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I think I'll just stay up for the scheduled 11:44pm update to the current warning, and then go to bed.

Marc, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this doesn't adversely effect you and yours. I lived in Florida long enough to be wary of any hint of hurricanes. God speed.

[RickyMaveety]

I finally signed up on Facebook today, and then started reconnecting with some old friends. One of them, Rob Anderson, has become a world renowned artist (Time Magazine and everything). I knew he was talented, but I haven't seen him or talked to him for 40 years, so I had no clue.

If any of you appreciate great art, he's on the faculty of a classical art school in the San Francisco area, and some of his art is on their website. His studio site is under construction. His work is awesome, mind bendingly beautiful.

It was just too cool to hear from him after all these years!!!

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

I finally signed up on Facebook today, and then started reconnecting with some old friends. One of them, Rob Anderson, has become a world renowned artist (Time Magazine and everything). I knew he was talented, but I haven't seen him or talked to him for 40 years, so I had no clue.

If any of you appreciate great art, he's on the faculty of a classical art school in the San Francisco area, and some of his art is on their website. His studio site is under construction. His work is awesome, mind bendingly beautiful.

It was just too cool to hear from him after all these years!!!

That is cool, Ricky. I recently got on Facebook too - story on why in the "Facebook" thread, wherever it went. Anyway, a bunch of people from high school found me. I can't decide if it's flattering or disturbing that people who totally ignored me in high school now send me hugs, smiles, fairies, and drinks on Facebook.

[Peverel]

Just got off the scales - have been dieting for 2 weeks - have managed to loose 4 lbs (just under 2kg) - am permanently hungry and starting to like the taste of rice cakes lol

But I have lost weight YAY!!!!!!!

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

I finally signed up on Facebook today, and then started reconnecting with some old friends. One of them, Rob Anderson, has become a world renowned artist (Time Magazine and everything). I knew he was talented, but I haven't seen him or talked to him for 40 years, so I had no clue.

If any of you appreciate great art, he's on the faculty of a classical art school in the San Francisco area, and some of his art is on their website. His studio site is under construction. His work is awesome, mind bendingly beautiful.

It was just too cool to hear from him after all these years!!!

I'd be interested in seeing his work Ricky, do you have links?

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

That is cool, Ricky. I recently got on Facebook too - story on why in the "Facebook" thread, wherever it went. Anyway, a bunch of people from high school found me. I can't decide if it's flattering or disturbing that people who totally ignored me in high school now send me hugs, smiles, fairies, and drinks on Facebook.

I like to think they just grew up. I was one of the "ignored" in high school. Basically, I barely said a word to anyone about anything until I got into college. After that, they couldn't shut me up. However, I realized at some point that, since I never spoke to any of them, there wasn't much incentive for them to speak to me. It's the proverbial two way street.

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

I'd be interested in seeing his work Ricky, do you have links?

Here are two links. He does mostly portraits in charcoal.


http://www.rattlesnakeinamovingcar.org/pages/exhibition.html#

and

http://www.robandersonstudio.com/

He was (is) one of the nicest, most decent people I ever knew. He said he wanted to live in an old Victorian house in SF and be an artist, and now, he lives in an old Victorian house in SF and he's an artist. I love it when people I like realize their dreams.

Here's one of his that I really like:

[yvanleterrible]

Nice work. Combination of realism under surrealist lighting, striking.

His work against aids is inspiring.

[zelda_pinwheel]

yippee !!! gallimard FINALLY has got off their bums and reduced the price of the ebook of l'élégance du hérisson !! i've been waiting to read this for a year but there was no way i was going to pay 19€ for the ebook. now it's priced at 7.22€ (same price as the new paper pocket edition, so still too expensive if you ask me, but better than before anyway) so i've just bought it and calibre is converting it to epub as we speak.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by Peverel

Just got off the scales - have been dieting for 2 weeks - have managed to loose 4 lbs (just under 2kg) - am permanently hungry and starting to like the taste of rice cakes lol

But I have lost weight YAY!!!!!!!

Congrats!

I've found that by eating a lot more fibre and protein, and drinking a lot more water than normal, I'm losing about 2lb/week without getting hungry!

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

yippee !!! gallimard FINALLY has got off their bums and reduced the price of the ebook of l'élégance du hérisson !! i've been waiting to read this for a year but there was no way i was going to pay 19€ for the ebook. now it's priced at 7.22€ (same price as the new paper pocket edition, so still too expensive if you ask me, but better than before anyway) so i've just bought it and calibre is converting it to epub as we speak.

Is it any good? I saw it (in English) in a bookshop recently and thought it look very, very interesting. The title alone caught me eye, and the back cover blurb did make me want to read more. (What I would normally do at that stage is skim through bits of the book, but as not everyone with me at the time was interested in hanging around looking at books, I decided not to )

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

Is it any? I saw it (in English) in a bookshop recently and thought it look very, very interesting. The title alone caught me eye, and the back cover blurb did make me want to read more. (What I would normally do at that stage is skim through bits of the book, but as not everyone with me at the time was interested in hanging around looking at books, I decided not to )

"is it any?" yes, it's probably any at least sometimes, depending on the value of "any".

more seriously, i saw it in the library a year ago (or more, maybe...) and the title caught my eye because i have a particular fondness for hedgehogs. and obviously at the library you can take any book that catches your eye without worrying if they're any good, since they're free and you're going to give them back afterwards anyway. however, as usual i borrowed 5 books (the maximum you can take) and read others first, and by the time i got to that one i only had time to read about 10 or so pages before i had to return it. i wanted to extend the loan but since it was reserved by someone else i couldn't. the 10 pages i read were enough to make me want to read the whole thing ; whatever else you can say, it's gorgeously written.

i've since discovered that it was the smash hit of 2008 (i don't really pay much attention to book reviews ; i will read them if i come across them but i don't seek them out, because i prefer to make up my own mind about what to read in general, and my taste doesn't always match the critics'... so i am mostly unaware of what are the latest smash hits) and now it's being made into a film. depending on whom you ask it's a treasure of a book (the readers and booksellers) or a trite, consensual caricature of the eternal struggle of the "people" vs. the "elite" whose 2 main characters are antipathic and whose story is unoriginal (the critics). like i said, i don't care much to follow the critics, so it's possible i'll end up hating it but at least i'll make up my own mind. in any case, i think it's worth reading it. although i've no idea how good the translation is. and it's been quite a while since i found a recent ebook in french i was actually interested in reading, so i'm really looking forward to reading something written this century for a change (not that i don't enjoy the classics, it's just that from time to time i like to vary my pleasures).

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

"is it any?" yes, it's probably any at least sometimes, depending on the value of "any".

Fixed my post!

more seriously, i saw it in the library a year ago (or more, maybe...) and the title caught my eye because i have a particular fondness for hedgehogs.

Same here, although I'd never really call them elegant

and obviously at the library you can take any book that catches your eye without worrying if they're any good, since they're free and you're going to give them back afterwards anyway.

I haven't borrowed any books from either of my local libraries for ages

I might have to give it a try (the book, rather than the library )

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

Fixed my post!

it's not nearly so funny that way !

Same here, although I'd never really call them elegant

that expression is explained in the book, but i'll save you the surprise.

I haven't borrowed any books from either of my local libraries for ages

I might have to give it a try (the book, rather than the library )

yes, do ! then we can compare notes and decide whether we think it's brilliant or rubbish.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

it's not nearly so funny that way !

I know - but it means I feel a little less daft!

that expression is explained in the book, but i'll save you the surprise.

Thank you!

yes, do ! then we can compare notes and decide whether we think it's brilliant or rubbish.

I've just found an excerpt on the web, and i like the style

However, it looks like I'll have to buy it as a pbook, as I really don't think my very limited French is up to reading novels with

I have shot an e-mail to the UK publisher asking if the translation will be available as an ebook...