Displaying Digest #20090755.

 
The autodidactic part of me has initiated a process whereby every third
book I read, I read a classic that I don't know. So I'm taking 'Three by
Vonnegut' with me to Captiva Wednesday.  The collection includes: Cat's
Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions.  Since all the
Vonnegut I've read so far are just short stories, I'm wondering which
one of these would be the best first read for a newbie?
 
I just finished a book that I cared about more than almost any other for
the past several years: 'Let the Great World Turn Spin' by Colum McCann.
The connective tissue involves Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between
the two World Trade Towers in 1974, but the book is steeped in humanity
and a wonderful homage to NYC.  At one point I was gob smacked that I
had such an emotional reaction to something relatively early in a book.
And I can also concur with iddiots who've touted the recent documentary
about Phillipe Petit 'Man on Wire'; but don't be misled, the book is not
about him or the walk.
 
While I have your eye, I'd also recommend Mary Karr's latest memoir,
Lit.  While it isn't necessary to have read the first two, Liar's Club
(another of my all time favorites) or Cherry, this one is even more
brutally honest.  She has been a poet for much longer than she's been a
memoirist, so her language is exquisite and totally unmannered.  The
real deal here.
 
the ice is slowly melting......
Donnie 

 
It's been a long time since I first read them, but I would recommend reading
them in the order they were written, which is how you have them listed.
Cat's Cradle remains my favorite Vonnegut novel.  I'll be teaching a short
story unit using Welcome to the Monkey House later this semester.  A great
collection!

Jeff

On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 10:30 AM, Don Abrams  wrote:

>
>
>  The autodidactic part of me has initiated a process whereby every third
> book I read, I read a classic that I don=92t know. So I=92m taking =91Thr=
ee by
> Vonnegut=92 with me to Captiva Wednesday.  The collection includes: Cat=
=92s
> Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions.  Since all the
> Vonnegut I=92ve read so far are just short stories, I=92m wondering which=
 one of
> these would be the best first read for a newbie?
>
>
>
> I just finished a book that I cared about more than almost any other for
> the past several years: =91Let the Great World Turn Spin=92 by Colum McCa=
nn.  The
> connective tissue involves Philippe Petit=92s tightrope walk between the =
two
> World Trade Towers in 1974, but the book is steeped in humanity and a
> wonderful homage to NYC.  At one point I was gob smacked that I had such
> an emotional reaction to something relatively early in a book. And I can
> also concur with iddiots who=92ve touted the recent documentary about
> Phillipe Petit =91Man on Wire=92; but don=92t be misled, the book is not =
about
> him or the walk.
>
>
>
> While I have your eye, I=92d also recommend Mary Karr=92s latest memoir, =
Lit.
> While it isn=92t necessary to have read the first two, Liar=92s Club (ano=
ther
> of my all time favorites) or Cherry, this one is even more brutally hones=
t.
> She has been a poet for much longer than she=92s been a memoirist, so her
> language is exquisite and totally unmannered.  The real deal here.
>
>
>
> the ice is slowly melting=85=85=85=85=85.
>
> Donnie
>
>
>
>
>=20 

 


--- In iddiots@yahoogroups.com, "Don Abrams"  wrote:
>
.... So I'm taking 'Three by
> Vonnegut' with me to Captiva Wednesday.  > Donnie
>

You know that Captiva and Sanibel Island will drain your intellectual hunge=
r.  Be prepared to come back with a sack of sea shells and a full tummy fro=
m the restaurants.
The sun will fry the need to read, at best you will read the T-shirts in th=
e souvenir shops and the menu at the Dairy Queen or Chee'Burger Chee'Burger.

But, seriously, have a relaxing time. I hope you catch up on the reading to=
o.

COUSIN STEVE 

 

> --- In iddiots@yahoogroups.com, "Don Abrams"  wrote:

> The sun will fry the need to read, at best you will read the   
> T-shirts in the souvenir shops and the menu at the Dairy Queen or   
> Chee'Burger Chee'Burger.

You could also read the tee-shirts the women wear - more fun than the  
souvenir shop. do the Bubble Room for giggles, and while you're  
waiting to get a table, watch the sunset across the street.
If you drive through Jacksonville, shout at me!

bobt 

 


--- In iddiots@yahoogroups.com, "Don"  wrote:
>
> Interesting, Professor. As you know, I've been out of the biz for 12
> years or so and times sure have changed. .......

>Does CV pay carriage fees to Disney as they
> claim, or not as Disney claims. Gimme some truth. All I want is the
> truth.
> If CV doesn't get a slice of local avails, do they get a piece of the
> national spots from Disney?
>

Don,
The Disney ABC group has a large number of channels. As far as fees go, the=
 big daddy of all affiliate fees would be the ESPN slice. It is known in th=
e industry to cost north of $4.  I don't know if that includes the secondar=
y ESPN channels, like ESPN2...and perhaps a handful of others.
Cablevision claims to have 3.1 million subscribers =3D $12.4M per month X 1=
2 months =3D $148.8 million dollars per year just for ESPN. That doesn't in=
clude The Disney Channel, Disney XD cartoons, ABC Family, SOAPnet....
But, those are just the nationally delivered cable networks.
WABC is a broadcaster, not a satellite delivered service, so it is all on n=
ew ground here, plus WABC took their two digital feeds Eyewitness News Now =
and Live Well off too,  is there value to those two additional channels? Ne=
gotiations must get complex when the additional digital feeds are part of t=
he contract.=20=20
Regarding ad revenue, both the national cable network and the local operato=
r sell their own inventory of ads. Cablevision can not touch a broadcast fe=
ed, so they can't sell nor insert local ads on a broadcast station.=20

I wish both sides the best in hammering out their commitment to the public.

Too bad the government didn't foresee the need for digital antennas last ye=
ar when they gave out coupons for digital to analogy conversion boxes. If w=
e all had A/B switches to shuttle back to an antenna to receive the broadca=
st signal over the air, there would be a nothing for a broadcaster to negot=
iate, it would keep the perceived cable fee lower. But, why would a municip=
ality intercede? Higher cable fees could translate to higher franchise fees=
 for the municipality. Why would a politician be motivated to speak out...t=
he media outlet might not support their re-election bid.
The tentacles are in many pots on this issue called Retransmission Consent.

I hope that answered your query.

COUSIN STEVE 

 
It's been 40 years since I read (all) them.=C2=A0 I remember loving Vonnegu=
t but not Breakfast of Champions

--- On Mon, 3/8/10, Don Abrams  wrote:


From: Don Abrams 
Subject: [iddiots] Vonnegut
To: "idd" 
Date: Monday, March 8, 2010, 10:30 AM


=C2=A0=20





The autodidactic part of me has initiated a process whereby every third boo=
k I read, I read a classic that I don=E2=80=99t know. So I=E2=80=99m taking=
 =E2=80=98Three by Vonnegut=E2=80=99 with me to Captiva Wednesday.=C2=A0 Th=
e collection includes: Cat=E2=80=99s Cradle, Slaughterhouse- Five and Break=
fast of Champions.=C2=A0 Since all the Vonnegut I=E2=80=99ve read so far ar=
e just short stories, I=E2=80=99m wondering which one of these would be the=
 best first read for a newbie?
=C2=A0
I just finished a book that I cared about more than almost any other for th=
e past several years: =E2=80=98Let the Great World Turn Spin=E2=80=99 by Co=
lum McCann.=C2=A0 The connective tissue involves Philippe Petit=E2=80=99s t=
ightrope walk between the two World Trade Towers in 1974, but the book is s=
teeped in humanity and a wonderful homage to NYC.=C2=A0 At one point I was =
gob smacked that I had such an emotional reaction to something relatively e=
arly in a book. And I can also concur with iddiots who=E2=80=99ve touted th=
e recent documentary about Phillipe Petit =E2=80=98Man on Wire=E2=80=99; bu=
t don=E2=80=99t be misled, the book is not about him or the walk.
=C2=A0
While I have your eye, I=E2=80=99d also recommend Mary Karr=E2=80=99s lates=
t memoir, Lit.=C2=A0 While it isn=E2=80=99t necessary to have read the firs=
t two, Liar=E2=80=99s Club (another of my all time favorites) or Cherry, th=
is one is even more brutally honest.=C2=A0 She has been a poet for much lon=
ger than she=E2=80=99s been a memoirist, so her language is exquisite and t=
otally unmannered.=C2=A0 The real deal here.
=C2=A0
the ice is slowly melting=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6.
Donnie
=C2=A0 

 
Wow. Remember when they charged 25c/sub/mth?  Thanks for the detailed
peek behind the 2010 curtain. Very enlightening, Cuz.

> The Disney ABC group has a large number of channels. As far as fees
go, the big daddy of all affiliate fees would be the ESPN slice. It is
known in the industry to cost north of $4.  I don't know if that
includes the secondary ESPN channels, like ESPN2...and perhaps a handful
of others. 

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