The Sword and Laser discussion

Veronica is off on maternity leave but Brea Grant from the Reading Glasses podcast is here. yay! Brea gets to know pigeons, our legion of Richards and kicks off her pick for December, Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. We also need your help uncovering the mystery of Boxing Day.

http://swordandlaser.com/home/2020/12...
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Tom, GDI starts in a few minutes. My brain can't handle listening to Sword & Laser on Soundcloud and Good Day Internet on Twitch at the same time. Veronica would have given us enough time to listen to both...

Just kidding.
(view spoiler)[not kidding (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[really, just kidding (hide spoiler)]

Mark wrote: "Tom, GDI starts in a few minutes. My brain can't handle listening to Sword & Laser on Soundcloud and Good Day Internet on Twitch at the same time. Veronica would have given us enough time to listen..."

Haha. I was hurrying to get it in!

Boxing Day isn't just a British holiday, it is also a holiday in many countries of the British Commonwealth (existing and former) i.e Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa etc

It is arguably bigger than Xmas in Australia. Xmas Day is traditionally just for immediate family, but Boxing Day is our equivalent of Thanksgiving. It's when you get friends and extended family over for a family feast (which is usually a barbecue outside. Being Summer here after all)

It is also the biggest shopping day in Oz as well (our equivalent of the US' Black Friday. Which we also have) All major shops have their biggest sales to get rid of excess Xmas leftover merchandise.

It is also the start of 2 of Australia biggest sporting events. The Boxing Day Test (Cricket) and The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

I really enjoyed the discussion of PotS. I just finished the book and found it a downer. Hearing Brea's enthusiasm made me reevaluate that. I always like it when people talk about why they love something. Was really interesting to hear why it was such an important book for her.

Hey I’ve heard of that race. But for the life of me, I don’t remember why, or context. Besides when the occasional America’s Cup is run, I really don’t follow Yacht racing. Although I do find it fascinating to watch the short ones that turn into a bit of a chess match with tacking decisions.

I don't think we got a definitive Yay or Nay. But are we doing Finding Baba Yaga: A Short Novel in Verse by Jane Yolen as an official alt pick?

John (Nevets) wrote: "Hey I’ve heard of that race. But for the life of me, I don’t remember why, or context. Besides when the occasional America’s Cup is run, I really don’t follow Yacht racing. Although I do find it fa..."

It is the only yacht race aussies take an interest in each year. Mainly because it starts in the spectacular Sydney harbour on Boxing Day. Families picnic along the shoreline and watch the start.

It is huge for my state as it finishes in Tassie's capital Hobart and the boats are the backdrop to Tassie's biggest New Year's Eve celebrations which are held on the docks.

Tassie Dave wrote: "I don't think we got a definitive Yay or Nay. But are we doing Finding Baba Yaga: A Short Novel in Verse by Jane Yolen as an official alt pick?"

Looks interesting.

Boxing Day is a holiday in Canada as well. As Dave says, when I was growing up it was the day we traveled around town seeing the extended family we didn't see on Christmas and it's also a day of huge sales similar to Black Friday.

Tom, you mentioned on the podcast that you mostly only do audiobooks and you usually do not do the Kindle. I am an audiobook book only person too. I only do the 1 book a month Audible subscription but I go through way more books a month than that.

I have found that it is actually cheaper in most cases to buy the Kindle and add the Audible narration. Then to just buy the Audiobook on Audible.

Perfect example is the current book, Parable of the Sower. It is $19.59 for the member price on Audible but only $10.99 for the Kindle and $3.99 for the Audible narration. So you save $4.59 and get the Kindle.

I have found almost all books that have Audible narration to be that way.

I only do the Audible membership to get an expensive new book that it is not an option for.

Dolly Parton's favorite Octavia Butler book is Kindred

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/bo...

Mark wrote: "Dolly Parton's favorite Octavia Butler book is Kindred

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/bo..."

I didn’t need another reason to love Dolly, but it’s nice to have one. 😊

Related, a comment she made back in the 1980s:

Interviewer: What do you think of all these “dumb blonde” jokes?
Dolly: I don’t mind, I think they’re funny. I also know that I’m not blonde.

Dolly is, for so many reasons, a national treasure.

All hail Dolly! Can she just rule the world already?

Also, boxing day isn’t much of a holiday in the UK. Maybe it was different once, but now its really just the day after Christmas, and and an excuse for a sale, meaning anyone in any retail related role will likely be working.

When I was little, I used to think boxing matches took place on boxing day, and that was where the name came from.

Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth wrote: "When I was little, I used to think boxing matches took place on boxing day, and that was where the name came from."

With the amount of alcohol drunk at extended family barbecues, I'm guessing a few backyard boxing matches take place in Oz on Boxing Day 😉

Dolly really is fantastic. Going to Dollywood as a kid is a treasured memory of mine. Have any of you visited her theme park?

I only got to listen to the beginning of the podcast as I walked the dogs this morning (stopped at Bare Ya Sword), and I was amused that Brea rejected a book that was too dark for 2020 and instead chose Parable of the Sower.

Based on the bleakness of PotS, I’m assuming that a character in that other book comes alive and kills you seven days after reading it.

Chris wrote: "Tom, you mentioned on the podcast that you mostly only do audiobooks and you usually do not do the Kindle. I am an audiobook book only person too. I only do the 1 book a month Audible subscription ..."

Good to know! I'm also an audiobook person, but I get most of them through Libby now & I downgraded to Audible+ with 4 credits saved up. I am hoarding those credits. Ha!

As for Wizard of the Pigeons, I have both my original copy and the new one. I do like the cover of the original one.

image uploader

The text of the original one, tho, is a teensy hard to read now.

Pulling out my costuming gear now to go with the Kindle version of the book...

Odin commands you to read Wizard of the Pigeons! The Lord of the Ravens says buy Wizard of the Pigeons now!

Bringing sexy back.

I think this should be a new requirement of all opinions expressed.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Pulling out my costuming gear..."

You pull that off so well! A little too well... which is the real you? Methinks it may be the mage...

William wrote: "
You pull that off so well! A little too well... which is the real you? Methinks it may be the mage..."

< jedihandwave > Mages don't exist < /jedihandwave >

Chris wrote: "Tom, you mentioned on the podcast that you mostly only do audiobooks and you usually do not do the Kindle. I am an audiobook book only person too. I only do the 1 book a month Audible subscription ..."

That's interesting, though I never exceed my credits somehow so the economics doesn't quite work out but if I do I'll keep this in mind. Good trick!