flight paths discussion

Where is everybody? What have you been reading? What fun Summer Stuff have you been doing? Did everyone who lived in the path of the Great Heat Wave of 2011 survive?

(My only excuse for silence is that I've been feeling antisocial. Sorrys!)

Lots of Reading to do !

And learning to walk again !!

I have been reading & trying to survive the heat. Mostly the latter. Thinking has become difficult.

Sounds like HRO Ze Grande Salami is feeling lonely for not everyone has joined that flight path. Don't worry,cherie, enjoy your vacances francais. Keep in touch.

What do you mean Ice about learning to walk again?

Ellie, you have the right idea.
Thinking, though sometimes necessary and sometimes fun, is highly overrated. The trick I learned in the desert is to make yourself as comfortable as possible with mint tea and a book and move as little as possible.

The weekend brought our first 'hiking' you might say, trip, since our walk up the mountain earlier in the month. 2½ hours of gentle strolling, ending in a few blisters and sore feet because I wore the wrong combination of socks.

Isnt that the way, how, after a grand endeavour, like your mountain trip, we are slightly less mindful of our self care.

I don't mind admitting that I sometimes play my gender stereotype and prove myself a first class (village without the The) The Idiot .

I just made a rather long comment on another thread that dissappeared when I posted. So here is a short comment.
There seems to be a number of glitches, with inbox and comments. We need a contingency plan.

just now noticed that my comment on comparing books has appeared. Short comments tend to post right away but the longer ones there is a pause.

I still think we need a contingency plan, in case GR does an atlantis.

I would be very sad to be without GR & especially a few groups like this one now that I have it.

Ellie wrote: "I would be very sad to be without GR & especially a few groups like this one now that I have it."

me too.
and I guess the appropriate attitude is to use and appreciate it while we have it, and make sure we have the email adresses of those we have come to love.
Maybe I am too suseptable SP? to paranoia, but its an uneasy truce I have in the first place with any kind of overly sophisticated technology.

I suspect any issues with GR is just a hiccup. They probably need to increase their bandwidth. I don't think that would explain problems with comments not posting properly, though, unless the site crashes before you've finished and you have to re-access.

Kinkajou said>>>>GR is the only site where I directly interact with other people (I'm assuming you're people and not aliens or something ;)). Despite my general lack of desire to be sociable in real life, I do like being here at GR and chatting with y'all.<<<
Yes! I feel the same way ( even if we are all aliens)
Sometimes I think its when I have too many tabs open that I get "temporarily unavailable". But there have been issues around posting, and recommending books, and shelving. It could be they are still adjusting to new influx of people from the site that closed.
Hopefully, as K says, just growing pains, or as HRO states, just a hiccup.

Mag: I think perhaps I am both. A person and an alien.

What site closed?

an alien person, or a personable alien?

Some other large booksite that was in fact just an adjunct to a larger social network, shut down. It was mentioned in the GR feedback group.

Thanks & thanks.

I think I'll choose a personable alien.

thats so much more friendly.
sometimes I think that I was just born in the wrong timeframe. or maybe its that this life seems so alien sometimes.

Perhaps I am the closest to (being) an alien !

Why?

Uncloak the avatar !

Rethinking this, probably only 2 of the group know.

Oh, duh!

Sorry.

Kinkajou wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Why?"

Psst, Ellie, he's a talking bear! ;)"

It is interesting how talking polar bears have become quite prominent in fiction in recent years.

I am not clear where the 'point of origin' is - certainly 'His Dark Materials' made it more mainstream.

To my knowledger, the environmental concerns go back at least some 20 years.

I think this also goes to show that 'why' is often a good question to ask.

Ice wrote: "Kinkajou wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Why?"
I am not clear..."

for some reason I am somewhat derailed in a laughing way, by the little list above, can somebody reply to this and see if I can get my name added to the list?

dont you find how a more interesting question than why? ( Ellie: no offense)

'why' is regressive because ultimately we never know just why, whereas 'how' is the way it is, easier to approach and explain. Unless its something like electricity or high techn. I know to press here and click there and how to pick up or follow procedure, but in spite of of all explanations, its still a miracle to me that these things work as well as they do, with the ultimate result of connecting us all in defiance of time and space.

Legally I can become a Resident Alien !

Magdelanye wrote: "Ice wrote: "Kinkajou wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Why?"
I am not clear...."

Paradoxically Yes and No.

Which wont really help you !

There is a clue in my profile.

Sometimes I consider why GR, and in particular FP, reduces the social (anti) barriers we often raise in RL.

Apologies for the undocumented abbreviations.

Kinkajou wrote: "Ice wrote: "Sometimes I consider why GR, and in particular FP, reduces the social (anti) barriers we often raise in RL.."

Perhaps the anonymity. We c..."

yas AND even more is the illusion of instantaneous rapport enabled by the fact that on line, we dont have to deal with all the distracting physical details that may inhibit or skew our responses.
Our connections here are not of the body/mind but of the spirit/mind.
We allow each other to be whoever they want, wheras in RL we generally try to get each other to be who WE want.
and thats powerful!

Kinkajou wrote: "Magdelanye wrote: "Kinkajou wrote: "Ice wrote: "Sometimes I consider why GR, and in particular FP, reduces the social (anti) barriers we often raise in RL..."

What I do love is that we DO derail into touchy subjects, but not in a mean=spirited way, in the spirit of inquiry, with respect. For ex. the reviews are no holds bared and we none of us in this diverse group anyways are trivial readers.

I am sure if we all were to meet up we would make an eclectic group of people and having already introduced ourselves online be more tolerant of one another.

I also suspect that all though we might all be reading it would not be quiet.

I do think that people who read a lot tend to be more tolerant. Just by reason of our reading-we're used to looking at the world from a variety of perspectives & are more aware of the range of past experiences & baggage that people carry with them beneath the iceberg tip shown by what they say/do.

In order to read as we do, it is necessary to suspend judgment, at least temporarily, & enter into someone else's world which entails tolerating language/actions/different cultural beliefs, etc.

So yes Kinkajou I think our being tolerant is related to our being "such great readers"!

As well as being generally great people.

btw, I thought I was the only one who actively posted while sleeping.

Ellie wrote: "I do think that people who read a lot tend to be more tolerant. Just by reason of our reading-we're used to looking at the world from a variety of perspectives & are more aware of the range of past..."

We are agreed then. People who read are ready for anything especialy greatness, with a willing patience for the obscure.

One of my special skills (developed on the night train fom Florence) is sleeping while standing. I can also carry on a conversation while sleeping, but the computer is another kind of skill altogether.

Somepeople sleepwalk their whole lives.

I've been very non-participatory of late, mostly due to an anti-social phase. Sorrys! :)

But my silence is also because I also picked up a second part time job. And this week I'm starting a third part time job, and I'm interviewing for a fourth. (All told, it will only be about 40 or 50 hours a week, the equivalent of one full time job, but it's going to take some adjusting and juggling.)

So...I'll shall be significantly absent in the future. Happy reading everyone.

Good luck HRO: sometimes financial support takes priority. I hope the work you're getting is all bearable (maybe even nice) but we'll miss you. Check in when you can.

Ellie wrote: "Good luck HRO: sometimes financial support takes priority. I hope the work you're getting is all bearable (maybe even nice) but we'll miss you. Check in when you can."

And I hope that you will acclimatize quckly to the extra workload, and keep us informed of your progress and your reading.

I'll never catch up on all I've missed around here, but I'm doing a quick check-in this morning. :)

Nice to find you here HRO.
Yes we have been having fun zipping around on the various flight paths. The great thing is, here there is no space or time, so if you miss a thread, you can slways grab it from right where you are.

You can but in anytime and you are not interrupting.

Hows the new job?

Magdelanye wrote: "Nice to find you here HRO.
Yes we have been having fun zipping around on the various flight paths. The great thing is, here there is no space or time, so if you miss a thread, you can slways grab i..."

all quiet on the flight board tonight.
Now a whole month has slipped by and theres still some major adjustments to be made as we settle into the new cycle.
I am wondering how everyone is doing, HRO with her new jobs, Ellie with her superfisor, Ice still on vacation, Kink swamped with responsabilities, Mellissa's family health issues, and is Max a father yet??? Bird Brian and Ian have been rather quiet lately, working on reviews. Tuck and Judy and Ann and KJ we need to hear more of....and all the silent ones who Im sure have their own opinions, you might consider its time you spoke out on some of the issues that we have raised here.

Most of all, I hope everyone is safe and warm and into a good spell of reading.

Hi-sorry I'm so busy trying to keep my job I've let my priorities slip!

This week I have an observation coming up (probably tomorrow). Will let you know when I hear the results.

Keep your fingers crossed!

No, I haven't fallen off the planet yet. Sorry to be so quiet, but life has pulled me away from GR :( I am looking forward to my weekend so I can do some catching up.

Family health issues remain issues. Significant other slowly recovers from leg surgery, mother remains elderly and frail. Adult stepdaughter unexpectedly moved back in this week. Whaddya do. . .

I'm still wanting to help out with the shelving here, and I'm still longing to participate more again, and . .

Maybe catch someone online this weekend, Magdele . . wait--how do you spell that. .oh yeah Magdelanye ;)

Happy flying.

Job has been especially demanding

Job was especially terrible today. :(

Indian summer today, in the mid-70's, not a cloud in the sky. Visited a village called Rocamadour, which is built into the side of a huge rock cliff. This is an active Christian pilgrimage site and has been a part of France's history for 1000 years. An amazing place. We sat in one of the many chapels and just breathed in the history and vibrations.

My daughter & I went to the New York Comic Con yesterday-exciting, crowded, exhilarating, exhausting. Still recovering.

Hi everyone. I'm sorry...I basically fell off the planet about six weeks ago. This has just been a really rough year, and I finally totally crashed & burned. :( I'm slowly making my way back to life. The problem with falling apart is that you end up with a lot of pieces to pick up.

I'll work on getting caught up on Flight Paths this week. Looks like you've been having fun without me.

I've been thinking of you a lot, HRO, especially the past few days. Glad you're back-you were definitely missed-but so sorry for the tough times you're having.

Ellie wrote: "I've been thinking of you a lot, HRO, especially the past few days. Glad you're back-you were definitely missed-but so sorry for the tough times you're having."

me too.
Hope that you have been able to rearrange those pieces in a new and peasing way ;-) and look forward to new flights of fancy from your inimitable much loved self.

So, I totally failed on that promise to get caught up. :( Gah, I hope 2012 is a better year than this one has been!

I'm glad Ice was able to step in and take up my slackedness. I know the map is still my responsibility, though. I'll see if I can figure out who needs to be added.

Hi HRO: good to see you here!

Her Royal Orangeness wrote: Gah, I hope 2012 is a better year than this one has been! "

I'll second that motion.

sometimes I feel I will never get caught up, my motto is, just carry on

Magdelanye wrote: "Her Royal Orangeness wrote: Gah, I hope 2012 is a better year than this one has been! "

I'll second that motion.

sometimes I feel I will never get caught up, my motto is, just carry on"

Let's make our motto for 2012 'Keep on keepin' on'

Here's some theme music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-l91O...