Nice people thread part 6 - thrice by twice as nice :)

lostinrates

Hahahaha doozer dog two!


Please, please be careful though. I have heard some horror srories aboutcthem in recent years from people who love the breed, so keep an eye out.

vivatifosi

Haven't had full net access for a few days, but wanted to stop buy to send my best wishes to silvercar at this terribly sad time.

LydiaJ

Doozergirl wrote: »

What a sensitive soul he has. Does he have a professional to
work this stuff through with? It would be nice for him
To have someone else to trust and share his fears with, especially if there is a chance that he doesn't want to share everythung with you, to protect you, iyswim. Especially losing the comfort of a primary teacher.

He refuses to talk to a professional at the moment. I think his decision to start joining in with things at school again was because he realised it was the only way to get himself discharged by his psychiatrist. :rotfl:

He knows that I will organise one for him the minute he's ready for it, though, and he's had several conversations about one thing and another with one of my male friends whom I totally trust to respond appropriately. Also, just last weekend he had quite a detailed conversation about the accident with a guy he really didn't know well but felt that he connected with, which I was very encouraged by. The man had been in a road accident himself, and DS was swapping stories with him when we were visiting the family. Fortunately the man was able to handle the conversation sensitively - or maybe that's not just fortunate but down to DS being a good judge of who's a good person to confide in.

vivatifosi

zagubov wrote: »

And another called Mutants which is absolutely riveting (although a factual book)!

Thanks zag. That's a book I'd like to read. I've seen it on the shelves and quite fancied it so it's great to have a trusted review from the NPT.

Have added thoughts on Jelly's selections in the body of the text (easier to edit that way) in purple.

lemonjelly wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Science-Ben-Goldacre/dp/000728487X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342725680&sr=1-1[/URL]
Goldacre's lambasting about poor science (or more, poor journalism of science) & the implications of peoples misunderstandings/misconceptions of science, & associated moral panics. Goldacre goes to some length to demolish suggestions around the MMR scare, & other associated health scares. His passion for the subject comes across!

This one's been on my to read list for ages. Bloomin' thing is so popular though it never stays on the shelves long enough.

Then, in line with the economy I read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whoops-Why-everyone-owes-one/dp/014104571X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342726016&sr=1-1[/URL]
Great book this. Readily accessible discussion & examination of the financial world, & how it developed culminating in the GFC occurring in 2008. Very readable. Very informative. Very enlightening.

Glad you enjoyed LJ.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Predictably-Irrational-Hidden-Forces-Decisions/dp/0007256531/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342726601&sr=1-1[/URL]
Dan Arieley's first book. Admittedly I read this after reading The Upside of Irrationality a year or so ago, which imo was a better & more informative book. Arieley's brand of behavioural economics, & how this affects our decision making is enlightening & on occasion very suprising - yet bizzarrely logical at times...

Tis funny, I read this one first and enjoyed it more than the other. I wonder if its because they cover some of the same ground, so you aren't as surprised when you get to the second one. I did of course read them the wrong round because I ordered the wrong book upon your earlier recommendation:o.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flat-Earth-News-Award-winning-Distortion/dp/0099512688/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342727058&sr=1-1[/URL]
Anyone who has been watching events in the Levenson enquiry, or who has an interest in reading accurate journalism should read this book. A fascinating examination of how the journalistic world has been drastically altered for the worse ever since the 70's (or even earlier). Whilst the E&S hasn't a great deal of kudos on here from posters, reading this did give me cause to pause & have some consideration as to why certain reporters are percieved how they are nowadys.

I would say this is one book everyone should read. It just gives such an insight into how opinions are manipulated. I read it as a library book and rarely, it is one that I want to buy in order to own for reference.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Book-Heroic-Failures/dp/0571277284/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342728210&sr=1-1[/URL]
I had The Book of Heroic Failures as a kid. Loved it. This timely update by Mr Pile reminds us being a complete failure can still mean you're a success...Hilarious

I soooo want to read this!

lemonjelly wrote: »

Part 2...


http://www.amazon.co.uk/12-Books-That-Changed-World/dp/1844560872/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342728662&sr=1-2[/URL]
I remember watching the TV series this book was based upon. Really enjoyed the TV series, so when I saw the book in the works, jumped at the chance to read it. Fascinating insights into the rules of association football, the magna carta, the abolition of slavery, and woman gaining a number of rights and equalities, amongst other thigs... A pleasureable read, as I learned something on every single page.

Saw the TV series so probably won't get round to reading the book, what a terrible admission from a library person:o.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rules-Game-Pierluigi-Collina/dp/0330418726/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342730464&sr=1-1[/URL]
Frank has raised the profile, & issues faced by referees on this board, & I take my hat off to him for what he has endeavoured to do with explaining & discussing contentious issues. This book is one I've owned for years & only recently got round to reading. It is a little dry, but very very enjoyable. It is a fascinating insight into highs & lows, Collina's decision making, the role of the referee in football. Reading about referee's preparations was fascinating. Truly gave me a new perspective on the man in the middle. Essential reading for sports fans.

Not my kind of book, but thought I'd mention that the recent Merson autobiography is getting very good reviews amongst my co-workers.

I am about to finish this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Lynne-Truss/dp/0007329067/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342732172&sr=1-1[/URL]
A witty look at how misuse of grammar & punctuation affects us (mainly, how it affects people who are sticklers/pedants). Useful also as a reminder of good practise - especially if I intend to become a grammar/punctuation nazi...

If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy Balderdash and Piffle, about how words enter the language; plus the Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth, which is very funny.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Balderdash-Piffle-Alex-Games/dp/0563493364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343209196&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Etymologicon-Circular-through-Connections-Language/dp/1848313071/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343209244&sr=1-1

PasturesNew

How many hours/week do NP spend reading books?

Me: 0 hours. I don't read, ever.

PasturesNew

It's hot, hot, hot out there.... should be off to the beach, but that means I have to get the car out to drive to Tesco to buy a sandwich ... or starve.... and if you're sitting on a beach you do need some nibbles or you go a bit mad especially as everybody around you's scoffing.

That's where this place is a fail - I don't have a kitchen/food to hand. In my own home I'd have made up a big batch of salad to eat over 3-4 days and I'd simply be selecting stuff into some tupperware. I'd most likely have: a small crunchy lettuce, grated carrot, boiled eggs, tiny tomatoes, cucumber, grated cheese, sliced peppers, pasta salad, potato salad and some crisps. Yesterday I made a packet of couscous up (only needs a kettle) and I had a banana already ... and I bought a tuna crunch sandwich at Tesco while I was buying sun cream and a lilo.

CBA to drive to Tesco.... might just go and see how I get on sitting there, alone, in my little tent.... for hour after hour ..... without food

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

How many hours/week do NP spend reading books?

Me: 0 hours. I don't read, ever.

Depends on the week. At least five hours i would hope (baths, waiting at station, a bit before bed). But there have been weeks where i have been able to read for a lot longer. Its just my favourite thing to do, even when i don't remember the book.

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

How many hours/week do NP spend reading books?

Me: 0 hours. I don't read, ever.

I spend a lot of time reading, but not necessarily books. I read the Economist every week without fail, that's a couple of hours. I also spend about 1/2 hour a day looking through the google news headlines and looking and stuff I find interesting. Books, it depends on how engaging they are. If there's a book I like I'll get through it really quickly, so will go to bed early to read then wake up early to read. As I don't have as much time as I'd like, I also listen to talking books in the car for about 3-4 hours per week. This is dead time that I'd only otherwise spend listening to the radio so its an easy gain.

In the car, I've recently listened to these:
Asne Seierstad, 101 Days: an insight into the second gulf war and the build up to it, but told more from the person on the ground's viewpoint. Seierstad is best known as the author of the Bookseller of Kabul and treats her subjects very sensitively. Very well narrated.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hundred-And-One-Days-Baghdad/dp/1844081400/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1343210981&sr=8-4

Tim Moore, Continental Drifter: Moore follows Thomas Coryate's footsteps round Europe. Coryate was the first travel writer and the man who brought the (eating) fork to England. The narrator on the talking book was very annoying, but I stuck with it as I found the story interesting. Would recommend, but only as a book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Continental-Drifter-Taking-First-Tourist/dp/0349114641/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343211162&sr=8-2-fkmr0

Tim Butcher, Blood River: this travel book follows Stanley's journey along the Congo River. It's a very sad story about how the Congo has failed to reach its capabilities as a country laden with natural resources and has no functioning government and people who were poorer than their parents (without even mentioning baby boomers;)).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-River-Journey-Africas-Broken/dp/0099494280/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343211394&sr=1-1

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck: one of the greatest novellas of all time, beautifully read by the narrator. I think it was this version:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mice-Men-John-Steinbeck/dp/1405509120/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343211562&sr=1-1

I did have Dimbleby's Russia lined up as my next talking book, but it doesn't get great reviews, so back to the drawing board.

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's hot, hot, hot out there.... should be off to the beach, but that means I have to get the car out to drive to Tesco to buy a sandwich ... or starve.... and if you're sitting on a beach you do need some nibbles or you go a bit mad especially as everybody around you's scoffing.

That's where this place is a fail - I don't have a kitchen/food to hand. In my own home I'd have made up a big batch of salad to eat over 3-4 days and I'd simply be selecting stuff into some tupperware. I'd most likely have: a small crunchy lettuce, grated carrot, boiled eggs, tiny tomatoes, cucumber, grated cheese, sliced peppers, pasta salad, potato salad and some crisps. Yesterday I made a packet of couscous up (only needs a kettle) and I had a banana already ... and I bought a tuna crunch sandwich at Tesco while I was buying sun cream and a lilo.

CBA to drive to Tesco.... might just go and see how I get on sitting there, alone, in my little tent.... for hour after hour ..... without food

Just for now the premade slads or small bags might be worth buying. My other hot weather food is gazpacho, which is of course basically liquid salad. I make up a jug, stick it in the fridge and pour out a glass at meal times.

Tonight we (lord and master is home because speial girl has the vet today for shoulder xrays and i was meant to have the neurologist tomorrow before that fel
L through) are talking about eating the one succesful kohlrabi and some beet root (they are actually very good now i look at them) and some other bits and bobs from the bug eaten garden with some white fish with lemon butter and a wine cooler to drink.

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

Just for now the premade slads or small bags might be worth buying.

I know... and they're on my mind when I walk into a shop.... but then I get a serious case of the Tightwads when I see they're £1.50.


And it still requires the car drive to Tesco. Also, fuel's giving me the warning that I'm out of fuel... so that then also means the next time I take the car out I have to fill it up.... and I'm too lazy to fancy that today.

lostinrates wrote: »

My other hot weather food is gazpacho, which is of course basically liquid salad. I make up a jug, stick it in the fridge and pour out a glass at meal times.

I've never had that.

lostinrates wrote: »

Tonight we (lord and master is home because speial girl has the vet today for shoulder xrays and i was meant to have the neurologist tomorrow before that fel
L through) are talking about eating the one succesful kohlrabi and some beet root (they are actually very good now i look at them) and some other bits and bobs from the bug eaten garden with some white fish with lemon butter and a wine cooler to drink.

Never had a kohlrabi, wouldn't even know what it looks like without Googling. Beetroot is interesting stuff.... but there's the fear of beetroot stains when you go within 3' of it. You can grate beetroot.... but that sounds massively messy!