DEBORAH CROMBIE: So how are we all surviving the ad onslaught in the run up to the midterms???
We don't watch much broadcast TV, so have at least mostly been spared ads there. (I love The Voice, but watch on Tablo, which gives you commercial skip the next day.) But we do like to watch things on YouTube, and the ads there have been relentless and inescapable. You can't fast forward--you can only wait for the little disc to count down until it allows you to skip, and often they are bundling three or four ads in that space. And of course if you're not fast enough on the button, the cycle starts all over again...
And then there are the texts!!! We might be able to choose not to watch TV or YouTube, but sometimes texts are actually important and we can't just ignore them or shut off the app. I can take some responsibility for the number I get because I'm on donor rolls, but Rick is not and he gets almost as many as I do.
I feel guilty, too, because many of these texts are from people I'd like to support but I'm already doing what I can for my state candidates, and I will vote. (Friday!)
Has anyone devised a coping strategy, other than infinite patience?
Now, for a couple of brighter notes, I had to share a photo of one of the gorgous pots on our front porch, which I mentioned the other day.
I have two of these, courtesy of our local hardware store, and goodness did they perk things up after our blistering summer. I'm trying to take half an hour every day just to sit outside and admire them.
And here's another cheery thing. There is a huge profile of James Daunt in the October 19th issue of The New Yorker, titled "The New Age of Reading." It doesn't seem that the magazine allows gift articles (or at least I couldn't figure out how to do it,) but here's the link if you're a subscriber. If not, it might be worth a trial just to read this piece.
I've been a huge fan of Daunt Books since long before Daunt became CEO of then-failing Waterstone's (and now Foyle's and Blackwell's as well) and now CEO of Barnes & Noble. The original Daunt's in Marlebone is one of the most gorgeous bookstores you could ever hope to visit, and I also love the Daunt's in Holland Park, which has been my "regular" when I'm in London. (A funny story about that store--quite a few years ago I was in London when one of my books had recently come out and the shop had several copies on display. I took them to the counter and asked them if they'd like me to sign the stock (as we do in the US) and they looked at me like I was absolutely bonkers. In the end I had to show them ID to prove that I wasn't just some crazy lady who'd wandered in off the street and wanted to deface the merchandise!)
After a slew of articles in the last few months, including "The Age of Reading is Dead" in the August issue of The Atlantic, The New Yorker piece offers a much needed rebuttal, as well as an in-depth look at the man who seems to have single-handedly saved bookstores on both sides of the Atlantic.
What do you think about the state of reading, dear Reds and readers? I know we exist in a book-centric universe, but I see positive signs everywhere.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best as schools begin to place more emphasis on reading once again. It is heartwarming to see children reading books and learning to treasure them . . . .
ReplyDeleteJoan, my granddaughter LOVES the Scholastic Book Fair!
DeleteOur public library is busier than ever, but I'm not sure if book circulation (including Ebooks) is up. But there are people of all ages who read talking, discussing, meeting almost all the time. It's heartening to see so many community members coming together.
ReplyDeleteMy library is the same!
DeleteOur local library has been closed for a several years long renovation, but I saw yesterday that the hoardings had come down even though the library is not yet open. I'm very interested to see what they've done.
DeleteI don't get many ad texts, and when I do, I Spam and Block them. Leaving nothing to chance (or nefarious actions by a certain amoral administration), I walked downtown and voted yesterday!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to report that reading is alive and well in my family from age zero through late thirties all the way up to my oldest sister. I'll look for that Daunt article - we get the print New Yorker.
Also, lovely flowers! I put my veggie garden to bed yesterday, but my hanging pot petunias are still happy, as are the herbs in the herb garden. I'm planting the garlic this afternoon.
DeleteYou'll love the article, Edith!
DeleteI don’t watch TV much at all and the few texts I have received have been from other states directed to my children who are in our phone plan. This election cycle has been rather blissful. (Now I will probably get inundated!) I will vote on Election Day.
ReplyDeleteAs for reading, I have had more people asking me what I am reading and for recommendations than ever before, but they are all in my age group. I do my part by gifting everyone in my extended family books for Christmases and birthdays and pray that they read them and/or pass them along to someone else who will. I’m also a regular contributor to our community library, basically a room size version of a Little Free Library.
The community library sounds like a great idea, Brenda!
DeleteDebs, the flowers are glorious! I'm getting so many texts from politicians. I figure it's part of the season. (I'm still writing my postcards to encourage voting--really cannot wait to be on the other side of this!) Like Brenda, I give everyone books. I'm so happy that our grandkids are reading!
ReplyDeleteYay for you on the postcards, Lucy. I couldn't manage that this time but think it's such a great idea. I'd love to get a nice postcard instead of the horrible anti-Talarico misinformation mailers we are getting in our our mail every day! There is a big stink now over the illegality of one of them.
DeleteThank you Lucy for doing this - it does make a difference.
DeleteDebs, the flowers are beautiful! I have some lovely blue delphiniums in a pot on the back deck that are going strong, I love them so! SO many political texts. I wish I had the money to support them all. Mostly I just type stop but the texts keep coming. I am going to vote early this year, probably tomorrow. In my circle of friends we are all readers. I support my local independent bookstores when I can, and definitely my local library. New Independent bookstores are continuing to open up in New England and the US which is wonderful! We get the print New Yorker magazine so I will look for the James Daunt article.
ReplyDeleteDo read the James Daunt piece. It's fascinating and so encouraging.
DeleteDebs, the flowers are gorgeous! A half hour might not be enough time spent admiring them.
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a very strong social pull to belong to book clubs. Lots of clubs have been in existence for years, but it seems more people are joining them. Irwin just joined a men's book club. Their choices are not my taste, and thus far only one book has been a book he has enjoyed, but I think the social aspect will keep him in it.
I could join a bookclub but prefer to choose my own books and not have to read something that someone else has chosen to read at this time.
Our three grandsons read. The oldest is not a big reader, but the youngest is never without a book, and audiobooks are his jam!
Debs, I hope you are feeling well and that your recent health issue is resolved. Take care.
Thanks so much, Judy. I will write you! I've never joined a book club either, but last month I read along with Kris Atomic's online book club and it was really fun. (Kris was doing book blogging long before the narrowboat adventure.) I loved the book, too, SOPHIE, STANDING THERE, by Meg Mason.
DeleteAds – living in Canada, we are fortunately (for some reason) immune from campaign ads. I am sure some algorithm says ignore these people, they are not the 51st state. Thank heavens for all of that.
ReplyDeleteReading – it seems there are more and more book clubs and the little book boxes around (2 things – there, coffee has not clicked in yet). So many people are surprised at how we can have 10 people and read the same book and it is all free from the library. (Yesterday’s book was Liberty Street by Heather Marshall – all rated it excellent). Chit chat in many social sessions seems to revolve around books – or food!
Voting – US politics confuses me no end, so we will skip how the government functions and move to how you vote. That is the logistics part, not the for-who part. How can you all be voting on different days, and not in an advanced polling day – or is this advanced polling? Do you get your voter ballot in the mail and then just turn it in? There is a Cdn reporter Katie Simpson who reports out of the US, who explains things well for the uninformed – I need to ask her.
Flowers – made my day!!!!!
Busy day, and the weather person is promising that between today and tomorrow we might drown. Oh joy.
It confuses Americans, too, Margo! Every state has different rules for voting. Some states, like Oregon (I think), have had only mail-in voting for years. Ohio is an "all of the above" state, with absentee ballots we can mail-in (but have to request ahead of time), walk-in voting at the Board of Elections, drop-boxes for absentee/early ballots at the Board of Elections, and Election Day voting at the polls. Early voting started here two weeks ago. I have almost always, with two exceptions, voted at our local polling place. We see neighbors there, and get our "Ohio Voted" stickers to wear proudly. And we feel like we are doing our civic duty. But I think we are going to the Board of Elections next week, instead.
DeleteTexas is similar to Ohio except we don't have drop boxes. My daughter and I always vote together at our county election headquarters, and then we take a selfie with our "I Voted" stickers.
DeleteCalifornia gives all voters a mail ballot. There are still some in person voting venues like community centers. Voting goes from Octobet 8 Nivrmber
DeleteOctober 8 -November 3. We have drop boxes in a lot of locations, libraries, community centers, and even local shopping centers.
DeleteI don't get many ads on text to the best of my knowledge. But I get tons of spam calls about my "overdue taxes" with offers of help. I guess these ads think I've forgotten that I did my taxes and got my return back in March.
ReplyDeleteI generally ignore most ads. I don't support any candidates with lawn signs or campaigning for them because ALL politicians are liars. Some are just better at not getting caught lying until after they are elected. THEN they couldn't care less about what they promised you.
Billy Connolly once said (though the quote was actually from someone else): "Politicians get money from the rich and votes from the poor by promising to protect one from the other."
Yes, I do vote but that's the only support I give any candidate...unless of course they have an (R) next to their name...those enemies of the state can kiss my oversized gluteous maximus and do without my vote. My Facebook page has to remain free of political stuff due to one of the sites I write for but I am not neutral.
However, I try not to damage whatever calm I have inside me by paying much attention to ads, texts and all that other stuff that makes life an exercise in futility. I have bills to pay, books to read and TV shows to watch. And that which intrudes on those pursuits is not stuff I want to actively involve in my life.
Well said Jay.
DeleteYes, trust you to put it in a nutshell, Jay!
DeleteBeautiful flowers, Deb. I spent a lot of time reporting political texts as spam and this year I'm not getting as many. The Hubby is flooded with them, though. Mostly he deletes - but it doesn't seem to stem the tide.
ReplyDeleteBased on the number of books I sold at local markets over the summer I can believe reading is still strong.
I report as spam, Liz, even the candidates I like, because they are driving me crazy!!
DeleteYour flowers are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sick of the political ads. The ones on repeat here are in our Governor's race and the congressional race across the river in Washington's third. The challenger there has created some truly disgusting ads that dehumanize both trans people and immigrants. I'll be glad when the election is over. I dropped my ballot in the library book drop on Sunday. All the libraries in Multnomah County are official ballot sites. I got the notification on Tuesday that my ballot was accepted.
I get lots of texts every day from different candidates. Unfortunately I also got my property tax bill yesterday. No extra bucks here.
I'm glad to hear good news about reading. I read that article in the Atlantic and generally feel discouraged as more and more people seem to be leaving reading (and writing and grammar) behind. Our attention economy is changing our brains. I'm not a New Yorker subscriber, but glad to hear that article exists and will definitely look for Daunt's if I make it back to the UK in the next year or two.
The New Yorker piece would definitely cheer you up, Gillian. Maybe you can read it at the library, or pick a copy up at a Barnes & Noble--surely they carry The New Yorker?
DeleteOh that's a great idea - I am pretty sure my library carries The New Yorker (why wouldn't they!! :) :)
DeleteYour flowers are glorious and made my morning!
ReplyDeleteAds, oh God, here in GA they are constant and ugly. My husband and I voted Absentee as he is handicapped. Then he drove me to our local library which is an early voting site and drove around while I went in to drop them in the drop box there. The mail here is problematic. Then later we each got an email saying that our ballot had been accepted. So good.
The other good sign is that the lines around the library are huge and constant. GA is out in force and voting early. I only hope it all goes the right way and away from our current local government. We have been lucky in our Senators and I want it to stay that way.
I belong to a book group that has been going on for over. 50 years. I haven't been in that long but I love the women even if I don't love all of the books. When I am out and about, I see people reading everywhere . In my family, it's sort of a disease. We all read constantly and share. They thank me for recommending all of yours (all the Reds) to them.
Crossing fingers for you in GA!
DeleteDeborah ~ Thank you so much for adding a "postscript" photo of your lovely plants that grace your front porch! The colors are beautiful and so representative of autumn ~ bright oranges and vibrant purples. I love it! You brightened my day.
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of Youtube and it does frustrate me when in the middle of reading a story those pesky ads jump in. My index finger impatiently waits to hit the "skip" button.
I don't usually engage in political discussions on public sites but I will just say that it's difficult for (often new) candidates to enter the political arena it seems without being willing to get their hands dirty. Even the well intentioned are going to be questioned about everything by the armchair critics. And the swirl of opposing opinions can be mind boggling. Common sense, reasonable discussions and the moral compass seem to have left the building. :-/
P.S. Every Christmas and birthday we give our goddaughter books as part of her gift. We always write a personal message inside and sign and date it as well to encourage her to keep reading, reading, reading. My reading sources include young girls her age as well as the staff of bookstores who are always helpful in keeping me up to date. Hurrah also for CEO's who rescue our bookstores!
DeleteWe gave our daughter books every Christmas and birthday, and have continued the tradition with our granddaughter.
DeletePS Our daughter still gets books, too. And she gives books to me! It's half the fun of Christmas.
DeleteI'm not sure who gets the greatest thrill out of gifting a book...the giver or the receiver. A lively exchange between myself and a close friend's granddaughter made me feel so encouraged about the love of books being passed on from generation to generation. If I was able to add another room to our living space I would love it to be a library...book shelves filled with great reads from floor to ceiling, cozy seating and lighting to fit the mood. Sigh...I can visualize it in my head and it's lovely. I am chuckling over the story you shared with us about your offer to autograph your books on display in a bookstore. "No, truly...I AM the author." :-) :-)
DeleteEvelyn, that was it exactly! It was rather embarrassing but my friends, who vouched for me at the time, and I laughed a lot about it afterwards. And somewhere floating around in England are some signed copies of...I think it was Where Memories Lie?
DeleteI almost hesitate to bring this up, it is so ugly. But here in Ohio, our gubernatorial candidates are a wealthy tech magnate running against a female who was head of the state Health Department during COVID. So it has been an interesting race all along. But now the disgusting wrinkle. The female is open about having been sexually abused as a child. A few days ago, the male started running ads featuring her own birth mother calling her a liar. That is the same birth mother who sided with her husband, the candidate's stepfather, when the candidate got help for her abuse, and stayed married to him until his death. She and the candidate had not spoken since the day when the candidate was twelve that the courts permanently took her out of their custody. Even as the public raised an outcry, he is standing behind those ads as somehow appropriate. To my mind, this is a new low in public discourse.
ReplyDeleteMy life experience makes me believe the reports of the death of reading are highly overrated. I am in a book club and I find myself talking with others who participate in book clubs all the time. I visit libraries often, and I rarely find them less than packed. I see posts on Facebook from younger friends talking about the book series that their little ones have fallen in love with. I consider the biggest threat to reading the decreasing attention spans of our modern times, but I have faith in good books to overcome that.
The story about the female candidate who was sexually abused is all over the national news. The male candidate is a bully, a sex denier, and out to demean and degrade women. Any republican women voters who support him should be aware he is a dangerous person and will do nothing to support legislation for women. I worked in child abuse through our local children's hospital (years ago) but it was common for the wives of sex abusers to ignore the truth about their husbands. And in most cases the wife was abused as a child herself, so she sees the abuse of her daughter as something that is ok.
DeleteIt's a new low in election history, Susan, to be sure. Sigh. Taking victim blaming to new heights.
DeleteSusan, yes, we are very aware of what's going on in your election. It is indeed a new low. We can only hope that such tactics will backfire.
DeleteSusan, I am so angry about that ad! If I could, I'd go vote again just for the satisfaction of marking my ballot for her. And Susan and Karen, did you see the big snub he got in Cinci yesterday? The Bengals did us proud!
DeleteI did, Flora. My Michigan daughter, a rabid Bengals fan, posted the video on Facebook.
DeleteOh, that's heartening!
DeleteDebs, the flowers are so beautiful in the photo. In real life they must be spectacular.
ReplyDeleteI love the story about visiting the London bookstore and offering to sign your books they had on display.
We are primarily a blue state so we don't get many repug (opps misspell repub).
We have initiatives (where individuals can get enough signatures to put it on the ballot). We have more initiatives to vote on than candidates. We have one to tax billionaires but if another ballot measure/initiative is approved then the billionaire tax measure is cancelled out (even if it was approved).
I am not aware of James Daunt or the bookstore but will definitely check it out.
Our Barnes and Noble and Warwicks, our locally owned bookstore, are always packed with people. Books are making a major come back apparently.
I'm glad to hear your bookstores are doing well! I explained a bit more about James Daunt in a comment below.
DeleteYes, reading is such a connector now--and it seems, suddenly?, like a whole raft of people has discovered that reading is "cool." Going to my paper New Yorker right now. As for the elections, ARGH and since I am in MA, my political texts are minimal. Debs, you much be inundated. ANd you all in Ohio and Michigan, sigh , it is shocking and embarrassing and someday it will be over.
ReplyDeleteTexas is insane, Hank, and I think we may set a record for the most money spent on a senate race.
DeleteDebs, those spectacular flowers must be a balm to soothe your soul and take your mind off your recent health issues. I fully support floral therapy! A dear younger friend just had a double mastectomy so I had a bouquet sent to her. I was hoping it would cheer her, but she has sent me two videos of them, so happy for the gift. If only we could fix more things with loveliness alone.
ReplyDeleteWe also subscribe to The New Yorker, but I have been too busy lately to pry it away from Steve to read the issue with the Daunt piece. Thanks for the nudge, Debs.
My husband has gotten into the habit of reading again, after a few years away from it. For awhile he was getting physical books from the library, and then one went missing, so now he has finally embraced the idea of electronic books. Scouring Libby for his next read while in the middle of his current book now, too. The waiting list for some of the titles he wants to read has just floored him.
I love Libby. It's worth the wait but yes, so many holds at times! I'm sure that you and your husband probably know this, but you can also subscribe to Many
Deletemagazines on Libby! It truly is a gift!
The power of flowers, Karen! They really do lift the soul. I should have added a photo of our our patio bougainvilleas, which didn't bloom all summer because of the heat but are now a blaze of color!
DeleteI wish my husband would take up reading novels again. He was a big reader when he was younger but now it is all online stuff...
Steve majored in English Lit at Brown because he was such a big reader, but these days he has turned more to nonfiction, including history and politics. I miss giving him my favorites, like Reds' mysteries!
DeleteRick was a big sci-fi fan and still talks about books that he loved, but doesn't seem interested in trying anything new. Very frustrating.
DeleteDebs, I'm a big SF reader as well, and I wonder if he feel away from those novels when the trends changed? SF is much more susceptible to literary movements than other genres. I love space opera, and for years it was almost impossible to find new books in that subgenre.
DeleteDo a comp check against the old books he loved - he may be surprised to find more available today that match his tastes.
Julia, did you read E.E. Doc Smith? I couldn't tell you anything about the plots now, only that I loved them.
DeleteJulia, the last fiction I gave Steve was A Fountail Filled with Blood, just last week.
DeleteI have to warn everyone , if you sign up for the New Yorker, you will forever get emails from them. I’ve tried unsubscribing so many times, and they just keep coming. I had to mark them as SPAM.
ReplyDeleteI record some things from local channels, if I’m not quick enough on the FF, they assault my ears. As little as I’ve seen, it’s still getting wearing.
Whoever declared reading is dead doesn’t know my wide circle of friends and acquaintances. We ALL read, in all forms available (including audio), and are always passing around recommendations.
We only get the digital New Yorker, so when the Daunt piece popped up in my inbox yesterday I immediately sat down and read it.
DeleteMy daughter belongs to a book club and all of her friends read, and also we have a terrific new independent bookstore here!
I think I assumed that everyone would know who James Daunt is! After years running his own very successful bookstores in London, he became CEO of Waterstone's, Britain's biggest bookstore chain, and rescued it from bankruptcy, Waterstone's is now thriving and expanding. Daunt is now working the same miracle with Barnes and Noble, which had been edging towards financial disaster before Daunt took over. This is a man who loves books and bookstores--he won't put in a new store in either chain if there is a thriving independent that might be damaged by the competition! His ideas about what makes a bookstore work are fascinating and he is--obviously--one of my heroes.
ReplyDeleteI have been a Barnes & Noble fan since forever, and have read their Nook format over Kindle ebooks by a margin of about 50/1. Their devices allowed other formats, too, not just ePub, so I could still read Kindle, Overdrive, Libby, Google, and other formats on one device. I hope his policies include still supporting electronic formats.
DeleteAnd they just bought the two remaining Joseph-Beth stores.
I didn't know they'd bought Joseph Beth! I remember so well my visit there--and meeting you!! It will be interesting to see what changes B&N makes. Will the stores still operate as Joseph-Beth?
DeleteYes, that's the plan, so far. And my beloved Bronte Bistro will continue to be one of my favorite restauarants, inside the Cincinnati store.
DeleteSorry I've been away for weeks and weeks. I was in the US for a month for my uncle's 80th birthday, among many other visits, and since I got back, I've been busy catching up on life here in Bern. Thanks, Deb, for the magnificent flowers, which cheered me up. Since I live in Switzerland, not Texas, the flowers on my balcony are starting to droop and go to seed now that November is close, but I can still enjoy some of them. As for the future of reading, while I was in the US, I was in the Newton (MA) public library on a Sunday afternoon with the friends I was staying with, and it was chock-full of people of all ages reading, asking questions about books, and checking books out. It was very encouraging.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, my photo has disappeared, and I seem to have become a guest instead of a regular. I guess that's what I get for missing so many weeks of commenting.
DeleteHi Kim! So nice to see you back! We had missed you, and missed updates on life in Bern!
DeleteKim, I wish I had known you were in Massachusetts! I would have come down to see you!
DeleteYeah good to see you back here Kim Hays!!!
DeleteI wish I could have come to see you, too, Kim! Missing you here at Bouchercon. — Pat S
DeleteDeborah, your flowers are gorgeous! And I love the view of your porch you posted on facebook--two porch swings!!
ReplyDeleteOur local readers aren't slacking off here in northern Ohio--and I have a friend who drives 2 hours for a book club once a month. I have been slacking off on reading--too much tension over the current state of the world. I thought that would ease some when I voted first day of early voting here in Ohio. And yes, way too many texts. I can't fund every candidate that I'd like, unfortunately. The other side doesn't stop with the texts no matter how many I delete or mark as Spam. I admit to sending rude responses purely to vent some of my frustration.
Flora, Rick said someone in our neighborhood said, "Oh, your house is the one with the jungle on the porch." :-) We do love it, and I'm so happy to see it looking pretty again after the summer.
DeleteLuckily I've never gotten any political texts but the amount of mail and phone calls is ridiculous. We don't answer if we don't know the number but it doesn't seem to decrease the calls any. The TV ads are constant and since we live right on the border we get ads for both states. By the end it's hard to keep track of who is actually running in my own state.
ReplyDeleteI think our ads are bad but at least we're only getting them for one state!
DeleteI take a book with me wherever I go in case of wait times or to enjoy reading as I eat a meal. Invariably, a young server will ask what I'm reading and tell me their reading habits. At the doctor's office, my doc always checks to see what I'm reading. I think that is why I like hardbacks/paperbacks over eBooks. You can actually SEE that it is a book and not wonder if it is a book, news, social media that is consuming a person's time.
ReplyDeleteI volunteer at the library and it is always heartening to see the volume of books that are checked out by our younger readers from picture books to young adult novels. The demographic our library serves is very diverse and these folks are very focused on making sure the younger readers have programs and resources at the library to help them grow into adults who read. -- Victoria
Victoria, I try to take a paper book with me for waiting times, too! I don't want to be one of those people sitting in the doctor's office with their face in their phone, even though I would probably be reading on Kindle. And people are interested in what you're reading!
DeleteVictoria, my three kids and my daughter in law, ranging from 26 to 40, are all readers and, interestingly, far, far prefer reading "real" paper books than ebooks. One of them once told me a screen was too much like work and school.
DeleteJulia, that's Kayti exactly. And she buys hardbacks!
DeleteI’m on the flip side. I much prefer reading a book on my phone while waiting anywhere. I always have it with me and that way I am not cramming a book into my purse. I never thought about what anyone thinks I’m reading (social media, newspaper or book). I guess I just thought they’d think I was reading a book! — Pat S
DeleteSo many political texts about all of the CA propositions! I will be in Ohio next week and am not looking forward to the ads.
ReplyDeleteJudging by how full the rooms are here at Bouchercon, reading is alive and well! I remember being at my first Bcon in 2014 (Long Beach, natch) and I loved seeing Sue Grafton sitting and reading a book during a break - not checking emails or scrolling.
Lisa, so glad to hear B'con is going well!! We will want a full report!
DeleteI was at that Long Beach con too, and Sue Grafton was "just" another attendee in attitude. In fact, she initiated a conversation with tongue-tied me on an escalator that continued for maybe 10 minutes after we got to the space. Friendly, curious, writer-to-writer. What a terrific person she was.
DeleteLisa, where are you? I’m here, too! — Pat S
DeleteI promise I will find you today, Pat! Grace, Danielle and I were just talking about you.
DeleteI am also in MA. Since very few people have access to my primary e mail address, I receive paper versions in the mail. During the primary in Sept I was inundated with the large cardboard versions of the candidate’s mailings and texts. I think a small forest must have been decimated by the number I received. I also had multiple copies sent by many of the candidates. I wish they kept better records of who is getting these so they don’t waste all that paper. It is also annoying because I am the one who has to recycle all this material. In some ways, at least a text doesn’t require additional physical activity, just a finger to dispose of the message. It’s a waste of time and money since I don’t even look at them, they go directly into the recycling container.
ReplyDeleteI told a friend that I would vote for any candidate who promised to eliminate political mail.
Another issue this year has been the nine referendum questions on the ballot. They are written in such a way that it is very easy to misunderstand what they are describing and vote the wrong way.
Last night a radio broadcaster was trying to explain to his listeners what each one was in simpler language. Afterwards someone called in and told him that he had misinterpreted one of the questions and its effect if passed. This broadcaster is also a lawyer.
Since I live in MA residents are also inundated with media ads from NH.
The campaign of one of the Maine candidates used a company that set up ads to be shown in Portland. What they didn’t realize was the company was airing the ads in Portland OR not Portland ME.
Given the number of book groups people seem to belong to, I don’t think there is a lack of readers.
Sometimes there may be a narrow focus on what is read.
I have worked in a library for a long time and there is a great demand for books to be read for a book group. The one fault that I see is that frequently the choice is for a book that is on the best seller list which is already in high demand and, therefore, harder to get in time for the reading and discussion. I usually tell the patron that they should tell their group to select another book by the author so that they will still be able to read something by the author but sooner than the popular book.
I have always been a big reader but I don’t belong to a group because I really don’t like to analyze the details of what I read, it just seem too much like homework and would take away the purpose of enjoying the story.
Anon, I'm in Maine, and believe me, we ALL got a laugh when the news broke about $20,00 spent on ads - in Portland, OR. I guess it goes to show candidates and PACs ought to go to local ad agencies first...
DeleteOur local paper always does a "clear language explainer" for the ballot issues. I find it very helpful, especially when things are worded so no means yes and yes means no.
We just got back from a month's visit. Virginia to Texas for 3 weeks or so, then Texas to N.Dakota for a little over a week, then back to Virginia. Road trip. The worst political ads were in Texas, of course. That Paxton/Talarico race is nasty. I'm looking at my mail-in ballot for Lexington: just 9 things/people to vote on. I think I can manage that, compared to over 100 in Harris County, Texas, my former home.
ReplyDelete100, Pat! The election workers ought to give voters an intermission and a chance to buy snacks for that!
DeleteMostly get
ReplyDeleteSort of adjacent to the flood of mail we're all getting; today on The Indicator from Planet Money, they interviewed a start-up guy whose business is to "moneyball" political donations. Instead of having donors dump their funds into the biggest names in the news, Oath - that's the name - aims to advise donors where their money can make the most difference, statistically. The founder says, “Our comprehensive strategy where we optimize for the marginal impact of every dollar really resonates... A majority of donors are interested in the strategic value of the seat, rather than the personality.”
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting, and may wind up being a game changer for political donations, in the way Act Blue was in 2008.
Interesting, Julia!
DeleteDebs, your flowers are beautiful, no such thing up north at this time of the year.
ReplyDeleteIf I rely on the numbers of all ages Bouchercon participants , the reading is healthy.
It’s very nice to meet so many smiling, friendly and interesting people.
By chance, I met Grace in the lift of the hotel yesterday. I was so glad, she looked healthy and she told me she was fine.
That's great to hear, Danielle! And so glad the conference is going well.
DeleteDebs, your flowers are so beautiful. You have such a gifted touch in making the world around you a vision anyone would want to sit and spend time soaking in. Of course, I love your craftsman style house, and you really know how to make it shine.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch much news these days, except maybe some of the evening news before supper. We don't watch the major stations much either, so I can avoid the political ads quite a bit. But, they do seem to pop up on the Internet. I usually mute until I can either skip them or they're over. Political ads have always played on the vulnerable material of an opponent, but they have become so disgustingly personal and cruel now. It's all a part of the atmosphere of hate let loose in this country.
Debs, I did read the New Yorker article about James Daunt and found it so encouraging about the state of reading. I will confess that I didn't know who James Daunt was before reading the article. It's hard to believe a giant in the book world like him got by me. However, I got the impression that he's more concerned about promoting books and reading than himself. I loved his attitude he expressed about the Barnes and Noble Stores, stating something to the effect that the success of the stores could not be a formulaic approach but needed to be more individualized to the area in which each store existed. Smart man. I read above in Karen's response that the two Joseph Beth stores are now under his control. I think that will be successful change. I'm looking forward to seeing the changes at the Joseph Beth's in Lexington, KY and the Barnes and Noble in Evansville, IN.
Thank you, Kathy! And it's that "personalization" of the book stores and letting the staff have more control of the offerings that have made Daunt's changes so successfull. I need to visit our nearest B&N with that in mind. After Daunt took control, B&N closed an old and low-traffic store (which had lost it's adjacent Starbuck's, a death knell) and opened a gorgeous new store in a much better shopping area. And the store has it's own coffee shop! I love buying books and magazines, then sitting down with a tea or coffee to peruse them.
DeleteHere it's endless glossy paper (hence not recyclable) flyers in the mailbox, one of which for a candidate who is nasty and untruthful about the woman he will probably beat. Too late: I already brought my ballot to the drop box at city hall and am trained as a non partisan poll monitor.
ReplyDeleteSusan, we are getting horrible glossy mailers every day, The misinformation is so ridiculous that it would be laughable if the stakes weren't so high...
ReplyDeleteOnce in England I met two ladies carrying my book. I asked if they’d like me to sign. They looked horrified and said “No thank you!”
ReplyDeleteSo funny, Rhys! It's apparently a different book culture. Although I know that readers do queue to get their books signed at UK literary festivals.
DeleteEveryone and I do mean everyone I know is an avid reader. Perhaps all this "nobody reads anymore" nonsense is like all the constant and consistent lying we are bombarded with all day, everyday.
ReplyDeleteI agree Gretchen. Every bookstore I go to is packed with readers. I see more people in bookstores than other places. Except maybe coffee shops.
DeleteSorry to be so late today. Sick again! Debs, I have been taking pictures of flowers on my daily walks. My reading ebbs and flows. Still am an avid reader and I am more picky about what I read these days. Your flower photos are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteDaunt Books is on my bucket list. I visited Waterstone books in London and James Thin bookseller in Edinburgh. I recently found out that my Sixth ? times great grandfather owned a bookshop in Glasgow.
Diana
It’s so much fun to read all of these! I could reply to every single one, but just let me tell you how much you all mean to me. It’s like checking in with you all, and I envision your faces every time I see your names.
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