Midweek linksies

[oursin]

More whingeing about public libraries: have finally cracked and zapped off an email pointing out that what we want in public libraries is what isn't on the shelves in Waterstones, however the only way to acquire books in this category is to purchase ex-library stock copies via www.bookfinder.com.

Zoe Williams, The psychology of debt favours the

Comments

[mrissa]

I had exactly the same reaction to Mickey Spillane's death: "Oh, how sad for his loved ones...he was still alive?"

[nessreader]

I was stunned when I saw EST's name in the TLS; again, because I thought he'd be dead/retired. Roads to Ruin is one of those books I pick up every time I see a stray copy, because it makes a great gift IMO.

A Waterstones range is chosen on a different basis from a librarie's. A shop's goal is profit making; if a topic isn't selling, it does not get represented. People honestly do not appreciate this - partly because of PR put out by the book trade to the effect that bookshops are community resources of data. They are, yes, but not as their primary thing.

[nessreader]

library's. *is horrified*

[serrana]

I kind of like librarie. It's like reverie, only with more books.

[nessreader]

:)

I don't know, it looks dangerously like Bad Spelling for the sake of Quaint. It's in the region of: Ye Olde Librarie wythout Netwyrk Acksess.

[jonquil]

The git fails to mention two important facts about ginkgo:

* Ginkgo fruit stinks to high heaven; it is VITAL to plant a cloned male tree if you don't want your neighbors to hate you forever.
* The leaves rot very slowly; you will have to rake and not just wait for Nature to do your work for you.

Other than that, fabulous trees indeed.

[carandol]

And is there anything to stop them being all over the country in a few years, out-competing native species? You'd think people would be a little more cautious these days about introducing non-native species into new environments. Especially at a time when the native species are going to be struggling with climate change anyway...

So much so

[artname]

Imagine having a tree which drops balls of week-old cheese on the sidewalk.

Re: So much so

[movingfinger]

I would buy that. Cheese is a big-ticket item in my food budget! Another ewesful application for the Vegetable Lamb.

[movingfinger]

The ginkgo has come to be a symbol of love (and the union of marriage), indirectly from the Goethe poem. Goethe was thinking more of his own dual nature when he wrote, but people seem to be interpreting the poem very differently nowadays.