Rb, Muffy, thank you for letting us know about your meeting. I'm also sorry I couldn't make it but, Rb, "NON-SHOW-UPPERS" is a little harsh, since we said we couldn't be there. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/frown.gif" width=15 height=15>

I really hope to make the second meeting. Is it too logistically (chronologically?) nightmarish to try to pick a time that Fan could be with us and not have to be up at 2 a.m.? Or maybe that's not a problem for Fan, being a student. (?)

Maybe a Sunday afternoon? Would that work for anyone? I have some "down" time when everyone else is watching football on Sundays. If that doesn't work, evening is fine, too, but I'm NOT able to be there on 12/24, 12/25, 12/29-12/31. Otherwise, I should be able to make it. Also, I turn into a pumpkin by about 10 p.m. central.

Sorry Ceas, I'm a harsh kinda guy! I want you to know, you were missed. I got an e-mail that told me the BBC wouldn't go down with the ship. So I'm a little more optimistic, than, lets say an hr. ago. Anyhow. YOU GUYS make the date...Most likely I'll be there...SUE hasn't abandoned Harry that I know about?

*as the mouse trys to get away, the cat, scarfs him back in time, for another bat around*...........<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/wink.gif" width=15 height=15>

Ceashel- don't you worry about me!! You don't have to fix a date that's fine for me but all you folks have to get up that early (or stay awake) I'm perfectly fine with 2 am or something of that kind, after all I don't have to go to school at the moment (until the middle of JAnuary ) so it's really fine with me... Just let me know the date (if you've already fixed one??) and I'll be there!! Hope to cu all soon!!..

Sunday afternoon could work -- then it wouldn't be so late for Fan, either. As for my own schedule -- just tell me when, and if I can, I'll be there. Mostly I'm around.

I'd have to say, we should try and accomodate Fan's time-frame. I can't figure it out. I do know, when she is waking up, I'm probly hitting the hay...So, if someone could figure it out??? So it's not anyone's witching hr. or worse...

**And Larry if your reading this...Hitting the Hay means going to sleep...not talking happy hay here...<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>...now I think of it, you do sleep extra good....<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/zzz.gif" width=20 height=24>

Anytime anyone wants to know what time it is, anywhere in the world, try this: http://www.worldtimeserver.com

(BTW, it being 2:10pm Eastern US time now, it's 8:10pm in Germany)

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by muffy on Dec 21, 2001 ---</FONT></center>

Thanx muffy , I didn't know the time difference.. Sunday is fine with me,too but don't worry about the time.. I already said that because I'm on holiday I can get up in the middle of the night or get up early.. I'm really looking forward to the BBC meeting!! (is Sunday already fixed?)

Thanks, Muffy, that helps.

No, Fan, nothing's ever" fixed" around here until it's over. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15> This Sunday's out for me, anyway; they changed the party time at my dad's house from Monday to Sunday afternoon, and I have to be there. Probably his last Christmas, and all that.

IF Sunday, Dec. 30 would work for the majority of those who missed the first one (Pamram, can you do a Sunday?), I propose 1 p.m. pacific, 2 p.m. mountain, 3 p.m. central, 4 p.m. eastern, 10 p.m. German time. Just a suggestion; gentle wo/men; let the schedule conflict begin! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/looney.gif" width=15 height=15>

Sounds good to me Ceashel! So this Sunday is out off question ? (Just asking because I don't wanna miss the BBC meeting again) -
A rather stupid question:BUT if Sunday and if the 30th ,have we already agreed on a book we want to talk about?? (Or is it Harry Potter Volume 2 ??)
I suggest the book "Moon Palace" ,if some of you know it, please tell me what you think about it, personally I like it a lot but I would be interested in other peoples opinion.. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>
Hope to see you all soon! (There's a never ending number of books we can talk about.. For example "Death of a salesman" ;I think it's very popular in America isn`t it??)

You'd be amazed at how few readers there are in the U.S., fan -- especially when it comes to Literature.

Fan, we're actually meeting on the first Harry Potter book, because so many of us weren't able to attend that first HP meeting. But then we'll need to decide what to read next.

Muffy's right about U.S. reading habits. Many don't read at all. Many who do read, read for escapism: romance books, fantasy, horror, sci-fi, detective fiction, etc. I'm not excepting myself. I love good detective fiction. What I hope the BBC will be for me is a place to explore with others all kinds of books: real fiction "literature," fantasy at the Harry Potter level (which pretty much means, Harry Potter), non-fiction, etc. And occasionally some of those genres listed above. I don't have much day-to-day contact with people who READ. I hope that's along the lines others are thinking.

So far, the books suggested for later are: lcj suggested The Demon-Haunted World--Science As A Candle In The Dark by Carl Sagan and you (Fan) suggested Moon Palace by Paul Auster. I just started the Sagan book, and so far, like it very much. Will have to check out the Auster book.

Pamram, Madame Founder Sherry, Muffy, others: when shall we meet on The Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone?

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by Ceashel on Dec 26, 2001 ---</FONT></center>

My own reading preferences are entirely eclectic, Cea. As with music, I don't care what style it is, as long as it's real and it's good.
That was one of the things I enjoyed most about going to college, was that dialogue about ideas, books, etc. It can be really amazing to find out what different people get out of the same books, too.

And then sometimes it can be downright bizarre, how different perceptions can be. When I was in college, we read Toni Morrison's "Beloved." Discussing it in class, one woman described it as "an uplifting and spiritual book about re-incarnation." No one in that class, except for me, seemed to think that it had anything in it relating to slavery or brutality -- and I was challenged to find any mention or description of either.
From my own point of view, I was hard pressed to find anything at all about re-incarnation, whereas slavery and brutality seemed to me to be very near to the heart of the story, and I had no trouble at all finding some reference on nearly every page.

Go figure.

I never managed to convince the other class members, either. As I recall, the teacher simply didn't call on me after that -- at least, not about that particular book.

But to get back on topic for a minute -- RB had a book he wanted to do, and I have a book I'm reading now that I think is worth sharing (and would like a chance to talk about).
It looks to me like we already have a pretty good list of books that could come up after HP, and we could just go ahead and read all of them. I'd also be more than willing to do a single follow up HP session for the remaining three books in the series, rather than a separate meeting for each one.
And them's both my cents.

Good Scents, Muffy. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15> I need help and prodding to keep from being too shallow in my reading these days, and have little external pressure locally. Not only for "deep" writing, but also for "smart" writing, which can be, but aren't necessarily, the same.

I'll help keep a list. (I am the List Queen in my home.) Don't tell the other Blunderites; it's probably not Kosher. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/blush.gif" width=16 height=16>

Kosher??

I'll be the judge of that!!!

If it looks like boiled chicken... smells like boiled chicken, feels like boiled chicken... well then by golly, there's a bowl of Matzoh Ball soup sitting around somewhere just waiting for you to add some salt (grandma never salted nuthin'!!)

now... go read a book by chiam potok, and take two sam levenson's, and then call me in the morning!
oy vey! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/rolleyes.gif" width=15 height=15>

Actually, I could go for some Eli Wiesel right now, myself. But then, maybe that's just me.