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We’re Talking Fiction: They Say It Didn’t Happen . . .

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Once Upon a Comment

It was a dark and stormy comment. No, no, not really. Everyone was quite cheery. Joe and Nneka walked in talking about Nneka’s first attempt at fiction. Romance, Sci-Fi — It was mentioned that SF ii the proper term these days. — Fantasy, Mystery, Detective Stories, Chick-Lit, Children’s Books . . .

We talked about snuggling with a good book on a rainy day, under a comforter with jazz playing in the backgound. Some of us lament the fact we hardly ever have time to read these days. We also gave Monique more challenges to write about on her insurance blog.

Who knew that Starship Troopers was a book? Who guessed it was required recommended for the marines?

And did you know that Aliens is “Jaws on a spaceship”.

Lee Child’s hero, Jack Reacher, makes Jack Bauer look like a wimp.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie . . . is a wonderful book!

If you give a blogger a comment, she’ll want a link to go with it. And if you give her a link, then she just might get inspired.

“Blogging makes you smarter.”

“I’ve always felt guilty about it, but I think Hemingway is a great writer and I hate his books.”

We shared some links:

Some of the Books and Authors

Babyji by Abha Dawesar
Greg Mandel detective novels.
“The Great Gatsby” and “Murder on the Orient Express”
Lord of the Rings
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
In Her Shoes is by Jennifer Weiner
Elizabeth George and Nelsom DeMIlle
Lee Child
“All We Know Of Love”
Robert Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land”.
“Black Beauty”.
Farmer in the Sky, The Star Beast, Tunnel in the Sky, Starship Troopers
The Time Travelers Wife and The
Poisonwood Bible
Mary Shelley’s original Frankenstein
Robert Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land”
Ernest Hemingways’ “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
Ender’s Game
“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
the mystery series by Sue Grafton
Plebas
Charles Dickens
Douglas Adams book Last Chance to See
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Utopia, Thomas More
Sophie’s World, Jostein Gaarder
Competitive Strategy, Michael E. Porter;
The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
Nevil Shute On The beach

Thanks to everyone for the cool links and for being part of the conversation.

See you next Tuesday? I sure hope so.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

WANT TO GUEST HOST AN OPEN COMMENT NIGHT WITH ME? PICK A THEME AND TELL ME ABOUT IT.C’MON IT’LL BE FUN!

The Mic Is On: We’re Talking Fiction Books . . .

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

We’re Talking About Books . . . What’s Your Favorite Piece of Fiction?

Fiction

We might also talk about

  • favorite authors
  • What we’re reading now
  • What we read on vacation
  • What we read as a kid
  • Whether we like mysteries, detective stories, romance, suspense, science fiction, or westerns
  • How many books we read last year
  • And, whatever else comes up,

including THE EVER POPULAR,
Basil the code-writing donkey.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: Let’s Talk About Fiction . . .

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Yes the Mic Will Be on Tonight

Join Us Tonight for Tues. Open Comments

The Topic is: Fiction

What is your favorite fictional book? Who is your favorite author? We can also talk about what we’re reading now, what we used to read as a kid, and everything in between. Do we like mysteries, detective stories, romance, suspense, science fiction, or westerns? Do we prefer to read online, in print, or listen to audio books? How often we read, and whatever else comes up.

Oh, and bring a link to your favorite author of fiction books.

The rules are simple — be nice.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Thanks to Week 68 SOBs

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muddy teal strip A

Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

muddy teal strip A

They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this badge’s validity, send him or her directly to me. This award comes with a full “Liz said so” guarantee. It is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

deep purple strip

Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame. Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

$100 Million in Ideas . . .

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$100 Million Got Us Thinking

We came right out of the box talking about what we would do with a $100 million. Trisha first gave a nod to taxes and figured the $50 Million left would be enough to design and build a house, adopt a few kids, and start a non-profit.

Marti said she’d buy lots of land with starry skies.

Joe didn’t think he could dream quiet that high.
When he did he finally said he would buy a machine to count the money so he didn’t have to count it himself.
Then he would hire two lawyers to watch each other and a third to watch the accountant.
Then he would hire someone to fire the two lawyers and accountant and hire replacements

Andrew would get out of debt to law school, build a dream house, and give a chunk to charities and church.

Char would pay the taxes, give family gifts, knock down her house and build a new one, donate to her favorite causes, set up a non-profit for children, and continue to work.

Robert would build a planned community in a beautiful forested areas for missionaries when they’re home on leave.

Renée had conflicting thoughts about hiring an investment consultant.

Rick had obviously thought about it before.
1. Get a lawyer.
2. Get another lawyer.
3. Get a good accountant.
4. Set up a couple of corporations to work through.
5. Give Habitat for Humanity an anonymous donation.
6. Never tell anyone.
7. Keep working.
8. Pay any debts.
And go from there – but not in that order.
Oh, and never go to strip clubs with half a million in the back seat of my car.

Vincent would pay Sylvester Stallone not to make any more Rocky sequels; start a trust for respite care and education of kids with disabilities; make sure his familiy owned their homes and safe cars; and invest.

bj would put away a bit (not much, enough for a nice country cottage) and use the rest for a foundation that offers yearly prizes for the best manufacturable and marketable alternative energy gizmo, gadget or other tool.

Becky said community development would be her thing with a vineyard and winery as part of the plan for the “destination” store.

MamaDuck wants to set it up in investments so that she was living on the income from the invested money. She figured there would be enough of the interest to allow for charitable pursuits and such too. She’d leave the main balance (minus taxes) intact for her children…..

Two Knives would fulfill her fantasy of owning a trinket shop on the beach. She’d sell soft drinks and get to know the locals. Open late and close early. Since it’s so much money, she might even buy U.S.-made trinkets.

Francie would work and share. She’d give some to charity, some to family and friends first. She’d set up a non-profit for them. Then maybe she would fund some scholarships.

Meikah Delid thinks like Rick.
If I had $100M, I’d do the following:
1. pay off debts
2. give sums to those who badly need it, esp. ill people
3. trust fund for the kids
4. buy a rest house by the beach or lake
5. travel around the world
6. save the rest and live as if I don’t have lots of cash (is this possible?)

Ben would still work, but as an angel investor helping successful entrepreneurs get funding.

Tim Johnson is going for world peace, curing disease, feeding and sheltering homeless people, and a Harley.

Nnenka would start a school that offers a holistic education for children and parents.

GP would invest and buy land in her dear Montana to build an equestrian center, and expand that B&B with more room for us to visit.

Minic would pay off anyone who is feeling like an owner, keep a little and give the rest to us all.

David Leggett would donate the $100 Million to Compassion International, a foundation that needs support to care for children, and he might buy some photography equipment..

Here are the links we shared

Thanks to everyone for the cool links and for being part of the conversation. Bring more links next week and we’ll post them again.

Oh and me? If I had $100 Milion?

I’m on a cruise ship city where there are condos and stores and every morning I wask to a different city. I get off the ship to visit lands I’ve never seen and converse with the people who live there. Sometimes we dock in a port for a week or two. I can sleep in my own bed and still enjoy the native culture.

Sometimes we stay only for day trips.

I work via wi-fi as the ship travels.

You’re welcome to join me.

See you next Tuesday? We sure hope so.

–ME “Liz” Strauss and Sandy Renshaw
Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

The Mic Is On: $100 Million Winners . . . !!!

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

What Would You Do With $100 Million?

Cash

We might talk about

  • when we would claim the money
  • When would you claim the money – right away or after you get your ‘ducks in a row’?
  • how much money $100 Million is really worth
  • whether to hire an investment consultant
  • whether to work or run a business
  • what we’d buy
  • where we’d travel
  • what we’d give away
  • what we’d do about expectations from friends and relatives
  • And, whatever else comes up,

including THE EVER POPULAR,
Basil the code-writing donkey.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?