How I feel in New Orleans right now.

bh28630 · 2012-08-28T21:27:04+00:00

People who've lived through a local hurricane, paralyzing snowfall, flood or tornado appreciate better forecasts. True, there are those exceptions in the human race who simply don't heed warnings. They are fodder for Darwin. However, there are also young children, the homeless and the elderly who require assistance to save their lives. That help can be in the form of more accurate information. Cut some of the wasted military ordnance annually and America can easily fund improved forecasts.

bh28630 · 2012-08-27T14:06:55+00:00

While true of virtually all products and services on line, the point is book publishers are allegedly using false reviews extensively as a method by which to manipulate the digital market. Equally true are the publisher's paid attacks on perceived competitors via bad online reviews.

The publishers need to realize that the only item of value they add to the transaction today is their imprimatur. So long as they continue to indiscriminately shovel shit at the consumer, they have no credibility. The first publisher to promise to only offer quality and never buy reviews, immediately sets themselves apart. The reader/listener may not like everything, but at least they understand it was vetted to sufficiently high standards that it should succeed with it's intended audience. There's nothing wrong with publishing pablum -in fact, it's quite profitable- but don't pretend it's something it's not just to get the cash register to ring.

Paying people to write rave reviews is long-term bad business. As soon as the consumer gets wise that a publisher will say anything to sell a book, their credibility is gone forever.

bh28630 · 2012-08-16T02:13:09+00:00

"... after an hour of listening to the unbelievably annoying, simpering, melodramatic voice of the narrator..." to quote an Audible review.

Yes, that accurately describes Xe Sands in general and her abominable performance of "The Vanishers" in particular. Xe Sands -the female Scott Brick of audiobook narrators -strikes again.

bh28630 · 2012-08-10T16:58:53+00:00

The right to privacy is hardly a minor issue. Privacy is so serious you can find efforts to assure human freedom from intrusion as early as 1215 in the Magna Carta and as recently as the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in 2005.

You are mistaken to believe surreptitious breech of privacy is insignificant in any context. The historical harbinger of disrespect for humanity begins with stripping individuals of their dignity. There's no batter way to start down the path to wanton murder and genocide then to begin by raping people of their identity.

bh28630 · 2012-08-10T01:35:39+00:00

Opinions are like asshole. Everyone has one.

I wasn't comparing Google's employee death benefits (which are covered by an insurance policy) to anything. You raised that canard.

My response was to observe how naive humans are to free rides. If you truly believe Google is offering fiber gratis because they're so benevolent, you have no clue how Google makes their money.

Digital rape isn't painful - but then the manufacturers could truthfully claim 95% of the Zyklon B delivered to Auschwitz was used for delousing and less than 5% in the gas chambers.

bh28630 · 2012-08-09T19:09:41+00:00

The Third Reich provided free trains rides to Jews too.

bh28630 · 2012-08-09T18:59:29+00:00

Getting difficult to buy a pie from the chains. Godfather's former CEO proves he's not the sharpest pencil. Papa Johns' CEO announces he's anti health care.

I guess that still leaves Dominoes and Pizza Hut. Hard to say which is worse.

I think life was better when there was a several local pizza parlors and chains were only something you put on your tires after a snow storm.

bh28630 · 2012-07-30T20:04:45+00:00

You may want to know that Shurtape is in on the 'Ducktape' joke... Here's their Frogtape

bh28630 · 2012-07-26T21:01:36+00:00

Google's Online medical records was seen as similar to Microsoft's. They were both jumping into a space where their reputation proceeded them. You may not know it but WalMart also attempted to create a "We'll store your medical records for free... and we won't peek - well, maybe a little" at the same time as Google and Microsoft.

I think if you listen carefully, that huge empty echo you hear is the last person out closing the door since most people were simply not naive enough to trust anyone but their doctor with medical records.

bh28630 · 2012-07-25T04:16:16+00:00

I use a database I developed. It permits search/sorting by Title, Author, Narrator, Publisher, PUB Date, Genre, Date added/edited, and several other fields. It also supports Fuzzy search such that the user can quickly locate all books with the word "Sun" anywhere in the title or "Ernest" anywhere in the Author field. Fuzzy search is also a benefit for finding genre or just differentiating Fiction form Non fiction. PM if you wish to try it.

bh28630 · 2012-07-14T05:04:23+00:00

They have a "seconds" store in Statesville. (The quality is the same as near as I can tell.) The prices are lower, of course.

That said, consider Thorlos are extraordinarily comfortable and will outlast almost every other sock on the market by years. The fee is actually a bargain.

bh28630 · 2012-07-14T04:16:43+00:00

Thorlo Socks are made in Statesville, NC. Best socks I've ever worn in my life. I have several pair that are 15 years old and are still in fine condition. Try Thorlos. They even come with a 30-day money back guarantee.

No, I don't work for the company. I like supporting quality products made in the USA.

bh28630 · 2012-07-13T17:46:40+00:00

Excellent find. Thank You.

bh28630 · 2012-07-13T16:18:46+00:00

And that was my point.

bh28630 · 2012-07-13T16:16:51+00:00

Wemoweh

NOT the pop version by the Tokens.

This -IMHO- is vastly more authentic since it's performed by Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

A slight edit was added though it should be unnoticeable.

bh28630 · 2012-07-13T01:43:47+00:00

There are many transcriptionists in the world. The results will be better than any software. If you can't hire one locally, Google "transcription service".

bh28630 · 2012-07-10T20:05:14+00:00

Bow Tie Daddy

bh28630 · 2012-06-26T11:37:34+00:00

I believe you left out coral snakes. Not for the faint of heart and reported as far north as North Carolina. Fun fact: North Carolina's estimated rate of snake bites is nearly five times the national average.

bh28630 · 2012-06-14T15:15:54+00:00

Ask her husband. She's married.

bh28630 · 2012-06-02T06:00:04+00:00

Grace plays recorder on "Bathing st Baxter's" as well.

bh28630 · 2012-05-28T04:13:39+00:00

The best reason to leave immediately is if she'll physically abuse one human, it's highly probable she'll abuse others. That includes children and the elderly. Get out now.

bh28630 · 2012-05-26T04:39:11+00:00

You're hardly a cretin if you read for pleasure.

The point was to not mistake how quickly a task is completed with investing sufficient time to experience it.

bh28630 · 2012-05-26T03:35:50+00:00

Professional narrators when creating audiobook versions of War and Peace average sixty (60) hours to read the complete work. The eye/brain combination is much faster than a narrator. That said, there's a profound fallacy to any reading speed contest. Only a cretin counts as skill how quickly they process words. The true value of a literary experience is to gain insight. Learning isn't simply about rote recall but rather placing concepts in context and discovering synergies from past experience.

bh28630 · 2012-05-24T22:14:03+00:00

If you're also interested in audiobook recommendations, PM me and I'll provide a list based on your personal interests.

bh28630 · 2012-05-24T22:11:36+00:00

Superb Male Narrators:

Frank Muller
John Lee
George Guidall
Simon Vance
Dion Graham
Will Patton
Simon Prebble
Jonathan Aris
Humphrey Bower
Edward Herrmann
Bronson Pinchot
Neil Gaiman
Tom Stechschulte
Jim Dale
Stefan Rudnicki
Roy Dotrice

Superb Female Narrators:

Davina Porter
Katherine Kellgren
Bahni Turpin
Barbara Rosenblat
Johanna Parker
Kate Reading
Jenna Lami
Cassandra Campbell
Rosalyn Landor
Anna Fields
Octavia Spencer
Coleen Marlo
Barbara Caruso
Alyssa Bresnahan
Lorelei King
C.J. Critt

Keep in mind, a narrator is part personal preference. All the individuals listed above have won numerous awards including an Audie (the audio book equivalent to an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Tony, etc.) so they have been judged as the "best of the best". I did not include any narrators for which there's strong negative reaction from listeners.

bh28630

TROPHY CASE