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Post by susala on Sept 26, 2011 11:53:01 GMT -5
sgtjer, I'd never heard of George Pelecanos so I googled him and I've seen some of his work. I'm a big fan of Treme.
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sgtjer
Not so new Crapster
Linen
Posts: 281
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Post by sgtjer on Sept 26, 2011 19:45:50 GMT -5
Hi susala ....
Pelecanos' crime novels are set in Washington DC. He's a genius with character development, knows how to pull on your heart strings.
Dennis Lehane says of him "Pelecanos always tells the truth about his characters, their strengths and especially their weaknesses.
I have to tune in to some of his TV work.
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Post by Flying Horse on Oct 2, 2011 19:53:44 GMT -5
Have you been Brandwashed as a consumer?
Buyology author Martin Lindstrom examined the lengths to which companies will go to target you with marketing ploys in his latest book, Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy. In his book, Lindstrom gives a shocking behind-the-pscenes account of just how deceptive, tenacious and indefatigable companies have been with their mraketing ploys.
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Post by Coldwarrior on Nov 10, 2011 20:18:59 GMT -5
Today I saw a commercial for Citgo where a guy is supposedly asking hard questions to a spokesperson at Citgo. The Citgo lady says that Citgo has "returned" over 22 billion dollars to communities around the country. She didn't say how long it took them to do it nor what the money was used for. I suspect the amount was spent on salaries, utilities, taxes to local governments and other normal business costs. But many would assume that Citgo donated the funds to some worthwhile public service to help the communities. Those people might have a warm fuzzy feeling that buying the Citgo products is sort of a charitable duty. Technically, what she said was true but the intention to mislead was the lie. Sometimes what is left unsaid is more important than what we hear.
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Post by susala on Nov 12, 2011 14:10:03 GMT -5
As someone mentioned on another thread recently, Virginia Slims told women "You've come a long way, baby" and sponsored women's tennis tournaments while selling them a product that would kill them.
Money rules.
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Post by susala on Nov 15, 2011 11:20:48 GMT -5
I just finished listening to American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson on audiobook. It's his autobiography and he won a Grammy for the recording. It was very enjoyable. He's had an interesting and, in some ways, a very inspiring story.
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Beck
New Crapster
%%Calm%%
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Post by Beck on Nov 21, 2011 18:25:00 GMT -5
I don't have one particular favourite book but I have a couple of authors that I love. Lee Child, Jack Higgins, earlier Clive Cussler, earlier Stephen King... I am also a big fan of the Harry Potter series.
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Post by daphne87 on Nov 22, 2011 19:29:06 GMT -5
Oh gosh -- I love books! Current favorites are:
The Hunger Games (Trilogy) The Host Ender's Game (series) and also Ender's Shadow (accompanying series)
I'm getting ready to start reading my very first Anne Rice novel....
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Post by Macbeth on Nov 23, 2011 16:10:47 GMT -5
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.....brilliant.
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Post by susala on Nov 26, 2011 8:17:31 GMT -5
To Kill a Mockingbird is wonderful but it's actually one of the few books, imo, that's challenged for quality by the movie. Either still brings tears in my eyes.
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Post by susala on Nov 26, 2011 8:21:15 GMT -5
Daphne, I looked up The Hunger Games. It looks pretty good but sci-fi/fantasy is not really my thing. Anne Rice is absolutely Queen of the Vampire Novel so I'm sure you'll enjoy her books!
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Post by Macbeth on Nov 26, 2011 19:09:15 GMT -5
I believe that the film of To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the few that actually stays most faithful to the book.
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Post by Coldwarrior on Dec 1, 2011 16:18:16 GMT -5
Finished reading "Bloody Mohawk" Can't remember the author and I can't find the book. That happens frequently. For those who enjoy history, It is the story of the people who lived in the Mohawk valley from colonial times through the Revolution.
Now about half way thru Colonial America by Jerome Reich. This is everything you ever wanted to know about America as a colony. Every sentence is a fact and the book covers pretty much everyting in the lives of the colonies, north, middle atlantic, southern atlantic and the south. It helps to understand how we became Americans and why our government was created as it is. This is more of a scholarly research than a story. I think this is an interesting book but not particularly appealing to everyone. You gotta love history and be able to make the connections between now and then. Why we do things in a peculiar American way. That is left for the reader to figure out by knowing the past.
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sgtjer
Not so new Crapster
Linen
Posts: 281
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Post by sgtjer on Dec 2, 2011 16:20:40 GMT -5
A recent book that will stimulate your senses: "Let the Great World Spin" by Colum McCann. Great characters, speaking in the first person, you get to "know" them. Fiction, but surrounding historical events in NYC in the 1970's. My first read of his books, but I will have to read the others now. If they're anywhere near this good, I'll be sublimely occupied for the rest of the winter.
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Post by Coldwarrior on Dec 3, 2011 4:24:10 GMT -5
sgtjer If you read the Bloody Mohawk book you would be out touring your area. From what I read in the book the state of NY is pretty good about erecting historical markers and there are a lot of them. With the destruction of the forests and construction of buildings it's hard to imagine what a particular place you are standing on witnessed in the past. But it did and sometimes because of the terrain you can understand why events turned out the way they did which can't be fully understood from reading.
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sgtjer
Not so new Crapster
Linen
Posts: 281
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Post by sgtjer on Dec 5, 2011 16:18:12 GMT -5
Coldwarrior .... I remember reading "Drums Along the Mohawk" in high school, it's set in our back yard.
I've done quite a bit of canoeing along the old Erie Canal .... and there are a number of hiking and biking trails in most towns along that historical trail.
Pretty country, as is much of upstate NY, not what most people envision.
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Post by susala on Jan 16, 2012 17:04:40 GMT -5
I'm listening to James Garner's autobiography, The Garner Files, on disc. I'm disappointed that Garner didn't choose to do the audio but it's been very interesting, so far.
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Post by daphne87 on Jan 17, 2012 7:27:59 GMT -5
I am currently reading the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson -- I'm a huge fiction reader!
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Post by susala on Jan 17, 2012 7:47:26 GMT -5
Is it sci-fi or fantasy, daphne?
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Post by daphne87 on Jan 20, 2012 20:52:29 GMT -5
Fantasy. My sister and I share a kindle account, so she orders a ton of books and then tells me which ones she likes the best. She raved about this series and I do like it. I just wish I had more time to dedicate to reading these days. I've been on this series for weeks and there's still one more books to read!
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