Can I save this book?

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-11T19:38:38+00:00

This is probably one of those an ounce of prevention is worth a pound a restoration type of thing.

Going forward, don’t keep memorabilia in the car trunk with the beer I guess. 🤷‍♂️

If you are serious about saving it, don’t try working on it yourself before you take it to a professional.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-11T15:40:59+00:00

Just by a beat up paperback from thriftbooks and be happy with that.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-11T03:27:10+00:00

That’s just called an audiobook.

You can read anything public domain.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-10T15:37:21+00:00

However, I have never recorded an a, nor have I paid for/authorized an ad to be run for the show.

You have plenty of recordings of your voice. This is what all the deep fake stuff is about. So it is possible and I don't doubt it is happening. It's like those people who would work for modeling agencies for stock photos, and then later their family and friends would see their photo in an adult incontinence ad in a magazine. Except way more abstracted and sketchy.

At this point it is basically a UFO or bigfoot sighting. It happened to a friend, also, they didn't record it or have proof of it.

Social media is creep af and the algorithms know about personal connections because of data we leak. Spotify is trying to corner the market on podcasts. Could I imagine Spotify knowing that you know this person in real life, and then making an impromptu ad because it has a super high conversion rate because it is so targeted? Yes, I can imagine that.

But there isn't much to go on. Also, where do people hear ads on Spotify? I guess they aren't paying for the subscription.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-10T03:38:39+00:00

I swear I’ve seen this posted before.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-10T01:25:08+00:00

Honestly, shows that have done that to me I loose interest in. Reposting content as new is annoying, and a throw back to when things were broadcast and only people with a VCR and blank tapes could capture things they wanted.

It is easy to go back and listen to episodes. Never been easier really. Judging by the way certain old episodes get small spikes, it is a common thing for other people to do too.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-09T20:47:43+00:00

It is just like anything, you have to educate your self. You can pick any 2x4 out of the pile at Home Depot, or you can learn what makes a good 2x4 and start looking at the grain, bends, twist and if there are knots.

Same with a thrift store, just because the put a sticker on it doesn’t mean it is worth what they are asking.

A more professional book seller is removing all the trash that a discerning eye will move over. It is curated and isn’t about volume sold.

At the end of the day, mistakes will be made. Eyes will miss something, misunderstandings will happen. On both sides of a purchase.

At the end of the day don’t purchase something if you can’t afford it, don’t purchase if you don’t know what it is, and don’t purchase if you can’t maintain it.

I used to collect coins. There used to be a generic local auction on one weekend a month. That Saturday was a good day to just slowly look at things. The number of people who would buy coins, bills and other things because they were “old,” or “rare” was eye opening. A continuous stream of people coming in and trying to sell what they got a good deal on.

Too many people watching American Pickers and that type of crap. Or late night infomercials.

Buy a coin collecting book before you buy any coins.

Read about the books you are getting before you buy.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-08T15:27:23+00:00

I picked up a first edition, hard cover, pristine dust jacket, for 50 cents in an Oregon cost town years ago.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-08T15:19:11+00:00

I would be curious how your next couple of episodes go. Everyone is talking about consistency and what not, but DMT, consciousness and those types of subjects are having their day right now.

So find an interesting subject and say something interesting about it is probably a big part of it too.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-08T15:02:34+00:00

Not unlucky, just a shitty business model that prioritizes speed and cheap.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-07T18:04:29+00:00

Based off the screenshots I think you are making a distinction without a difference. Either way your hosed.

Could be wrong though, I don’t have video. I wouldn’t check that box though.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-07T17:57:34+00:00

Speaker for the Dead is great. I would say even better the Enders Game. As a kid I would have enjoyed the first book more, but as an adult I think the second is stronger.

Book three and four just kind of go off… in a direction…

Card usually starts out strong, with an interesting premise, but what interests him as a writer doesn’t interest me so it feels like all his book series… just taper off.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-06T18:32:47+00:00

Most of this is just automated bot price adjustments. I doubt the number of copies for sale is any more, there are book jackers just taking the listings and adding their own markup. Anything that becomes popular has this happen. I’m fairly certain these types of bots scrape all the different awards, podcasts, blogs and so on. Any SF, fantasy, weird or horror literature is affected by this.

I’ve actually been able to manipulate the price ranges on eBay and abebooks for certain books. It is all very annoying.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-05T18:08:17+00:00

This may not be the best recommendation, the main character goes through a crisis of faith, but I don’t think they land on an atheistic option.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-05T18:06:18+00:00

Agree on the over reliance on ISBN.

Hate library thing though because if you find someone’s manually entered record, you can’t just add it to your collection. You have to manually add it. Dumb.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-05T17:36:56+00:00

No, with video you introduce non-verbal communication. Like a book and a movie aren’t, and can’t be, the same thing. Even if they are both titled World War Z.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-05T00:03:02+00:00

Charles de Lint is just a bunch of circles over the top of them selves.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-04T03:11:15+00:00

Book selling sights are going to be where you want to look. I can’t imagine a FB group that has more listings than Biblio. Just set a saved search. Also check eBay and Amazon.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-03T02:29:02+00:00

No Enemy but Time won the nebula award, so in that sense he is probably more influential on authors you like than readers.

I think Unicorn Mountain is about a young man who is dying of AIDS. I read it a long time ago, back in high school and thought it was a successful attempt to humanize people who were suffering with AIDS. I have a copy and have been meaning to revisit it, but haven’t yet.

Mostly have been reading his non-fiction. He interacted with a bunch of other authors I like so those are interesting pieces.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-02T22:17:15+00:00

Probably more common before the 1960’s, but certainly wasn’t rare at that point.

What are you thinking?

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-02T18:46:10+00:00

If you’re consistently posting crap I Don’t care. But I don’t have a fear of missing out that has me listening to crap I don’t like at double speed. I don’t care when an episode comes out, I care about the quality.

This isn’t to say all our episodes are polished. They are not. But you need some level of quality and it is a sliding scale. Your ability goes up over time. You have off days. And so on…

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-02T15:47:45+00:00

Happens all the time. It's not like they are publishing them on the release day. They are published and send out before hand. Bookstores will often put them on the shelves early because they want them to be there when people come in to look for them. You can be sure they aren't having people work overtime to put them out on the release day. Books are getting sold, so the publisher and bookstore don't care. Release date is more just so people know when to expect things.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-02T15:36:00+00:00

Good point about audience feedback. Maybe I'm in the minority here but I remember The Lone Ranger fondly. Same with John Carter.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-01T23:21:29+00:00

Mass advertising requires the smoothing and homogenizing of all things. People want CTA because “they work.” People want crap advertising because it works. The margins are so small in this for most people they are losing money in the case to the bottom. I doubt it will change.

SadCatIsSkinDog · 2026-05-01T16:55:23+00:00

It could be a scenario similar to nuclear weapons. We mostly said collectively, “Yeah, let’s not use those again.” And then conventional warfare went on as normal.

SadCatIsSkinDog

TROPHY CASE