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Name Your Car Day – October 2, 2011

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

By Maria SassenachD

 

Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang, Chugaboom, Herbie, Kitt. What’s in a name?

Welcome to National Name your Car Day. Unfortunately, no one is credited for establishing this holiday. But, since I have recently named my new car, the PBS Blog Team asked me to write a few words…

Giving a boat or ship a name is a centuries old tradition that started out of a combination of fear and superstition. As history proves, the oceans and seas of the world are well known for their treacherous storms, claiming the life of many a sailor. Early Europeans believed that naming and blessing a boat in honor of the God that was popular at the given time, protected them from potential harm while at sea. The more romantic explanations contended that since a ship carried and nurtured its crew on the ocean, its male crews called it a “she” because they depended on the ship for life and nourishment like they once depended on their mothers. Others called the ship a “she” because they said it was as perverse as their wives or their mistresses. But we aren’t discussing boats are we? But you get the gist….

General Lee, Eleanor, Greased Lightning, Nellie Bellie, Mother, Misery, (First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones, Christine (Stephen King)…

It is normal to see personalities in inanimate objects and possessions.  (Check out the Club Member Thoughts Discussion Forum,  people have named their GPS units).  The car is no different. Sometimes the personality in the car is reflected in its owner; sometimes the personality is to do with the function and style of the car itself. Also, people think that naming a car can reduce the risk of incidents on the road. People spend a lot of time in their cars and describe them as ‘part of the family’. A research poll revealed  that 33% of car owners regularly chat with their automobile, talking to them about day-to-day matters, their frustrations on the road, relationships and personal problems.

My first car was a Pontiac T-1000 Hatchback, 4 speed (it looked like a Chevette). Her name was Mighty, for My-T. “Hey, there’s my ‘T’ in the parking lot.” That’s how it started. She was a small car but feisty in traffic. I hated her at first, but soon grew to love her. She was great on mileage, cheap on gas, easy- peasy to parallel park! She never complained  once when  I would sing off-key to songs on the radio.  I only replaced two clutch cables in her 12 years. She was very useful in my moving 10 times during my early 20’s. I rewarded her with regular maintenance and wash and waxes.

Some names are more subtle than others of course – the car as a phallic symbol and a symbol of male power, escape, freedom, the car is often featured in teenage rebellion stories to signify young people taking the wheel for the first time. Generally, the car is linked with male rites of passage rather than female ones as, of course, there are so many phallic signifiers associated with the car. Perhaps none more so than the Plymouth Fury in Stephen King’s Christine. Dorky high school student Arnie Cunningham restores a dilapidated car dubbed Christine by its elderly owner, Roland D. LeBay. As he buffs, polishes and replaces worn parts, Arnie grows in confidence and arrogance and in love with the car. Christine, meanwhile, takes on a life of her own, jealous of all who come in between her and Arnie; people are met with murderous consequences. A bonus, the ruthless killer Christine also fixes her own dents and scratches after her murder sprees. Muahahhahaha! I did find oodles of articles regarding psychology, men and why they use the female form for cars…Very sexual…we’ll save that for another day.

I went on a fact finding hunt for Name Your Car Day. I emailed everyone I figured wouldn’t think I had totally lost my marbles and posted on Face book…And MY PBS Peeps helped,  here are some of my findings:

People often name a Car due to its color:

Baby blue, Blue Bean, Blue Bullet, Old Blue and Smurf (a Toyota corolla)

Cathy W. (Firefly) has a Jeep JT which is called Betty, named after a special lady. A Jeep Patriot called Blue because of the Raspberry Blue color. Her old Saturn was called Bruiser because of its Black and Blue color.

HeatherLeah W. (HeatherLeah) had a 1984 Chevy called Georgie Blue (Facebook blue) that she bought from her grandparents.

Red Rover, Red Boy, Rosie (which is a very popular name), Pepper (color of a Dr. Pepper can)

The Pickle, Kermit, Green Goddess, Lil’ Cucumber, my husband’s old Dodge Dart was Myrtle the Turtle.

Susan R. (Sue-in-AZ) had an old bright green car called Green Bean, AKA Bean. Her current car is without a name due to its lack of personality.

Sunflower, Goldilocks, Biscuit, Banana (light yellow 71 Volkswagen square back)

The Silver Beast, Silver Bullet, Bernard (think big brown car-St. Bernard)

Heather S. (literati) Maggie, short for Steal Magnolia. Since she is pretty Pearl and from the South.

Others name a Car after its Make or Model, or characteristics.

Non (“Its a shorter version for Neon”), The Oldsmeller  (For an old Oldsmobile), Tha’ Cutdog (For a ’93 Cutlass), Bonnie (Because it is a Bonneville), Rover (For a Land Rover), Monty (A  Monte Carlo), Musty (A red ’92  Mustang), Rolla (A friends  mom’s Toyota Corolla”), Thumper (Named for a VW Rabbi”, a reference to the rabbit in Walt Disney’s movie Bambi), Charlotte (A Spyder convertible, a literary reference to E.B. White’s book Charlotte’s Web), Alexander Beetle (VW beetle, another literary reference to a poem by A.A. Milne), Jean Claude (A friend’s Grand Am…now called ‘Jean Claude Grand Am”), James (my brother likes to tell his Jeep Jimmy “Take me home James!”).

Jami S. (strwbryfairie) her daughter named their Chevy Truck Mon Cherie and a ’75 truck Lucy. Other vehicles include Beast, Blue Monster and KC (for the KC lights)

James L. (JimiJam) had a vehicle called the Funky Chicken, a van called Frankenstein and his parent’s car was dubbed the “Derp Mobile” because it was always breaking down and it was stupid to be seen driving it.

Leonora L. (Nora) Had a Zipper, because she was always zipping around fast in it. Her last car was the Ouch-mobile due to damage.

Kaila K. (mamakaila) secretly has named her Mommy mobile JM (after John Matthew of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books by JR Ward)

Sonal S. (ComeGo) once had a car named Basanti, named after a cabbie’s car in an old funny movie, Sholay.

 

 

 

 

Rhage

Oh, I guess you are wondering what I have named my new car. It is a 2011 Kona-Blue Mustang Convertible named Rhage.  This name was chosen because I am a huge fan of JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Rhage just seemed to fit it and me. Rhage is always around but sometimes very quiet. He is level headed until he gets really angry and then his Beast (Purple Dragon) is released. Kinda like me. So this is the closest to a purpley-blue (my favorite color)  color dragon that I can get. Plus it fits on a license plate and I don’t think the Arizona DMV will question it. My favorite character is John-Matthew (Like Kaila) but that just was creepy since those are the names of my husband and son. Zadist would have fit, I love his character, too. But as Mary S. (kilchurn) pointed out, I might have creepy people following me home…Or following my husband home (LOL) while of course I am a huge Outlander fan, the Mustang, well…um… just doesn’t fit the Jamie Fraser personality, even though Jamie did have a way with horses.

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

So tell us, what is your Car’s name?

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Posted in Holidays and Special Dates | 12 Comments »

Banned Books Week – Sept 24 through Oct 1

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

By Tammy (lildrafire)

 

 

Wouldn’t life be grand if every book you picked up, every television show or movie you watched, every magazine or newspaper you read was sanitized?  No worries about being exposed to profanity, violence, sexual situations, unsavory lifestyles and the sort.  Grand?  I think not!  Life is nothing more than an accumulation of experiences of every sort, and if a person cannot physically experience all life has to offer, both positive and negative, there is media of every kind, especially books, portraying other’s experiences, both fiction and non-fiction, for everyone to enjoy, to to learn from or just to experience secondhand what the creator intended.  There are people who would love to prohibit you from having any of these experiences that you might choose.

In 1982, the American Library Association, or ALA, recognized that many of the best books were being pulled from library shelves, not only in schools, but public libraries, as well.  Their astonishment and concern about censorship demanded they take action and they did, through the creation of their Office of Intellectual Freedom and the formation of Banned Books Week, which is September 24th through October 1st of every year.   Calling attention to the threat on free speech in America, the effort to educate the public and highlight books that are challenged and banned every year has become a national event, provoking many to pick up books that they would probably have never explored just because it had been placed on a challenge list.  Quite the opposite effect the censoring parties intended!

Many people, myself included, consider it a double-dog dare to read a book once it has been challenged or banned!  We automatically think “How dare they take it upon themselves to decide what is best for me!”  We are stunned when we read a news story, like the one last year, where The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was “sanitized” by taking out the word “Nigger Jim” and replacing it with “Slave Jim.”  What did this do to the statement Clements was trying to make with his novel?  Did it change the message?  Many people believe it did, while others believed that replacing the word opened the novel up to a whole new group of people who otherwise would not have read it.  You decide what you believe.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the top banned books of this country.

 

To what end do we let those who would decide what is appropriate regulate what we consume in the printed word?  Communities decide upon standards of decency, which may or may not compel them to challenge or ban certain books from the shelves of their schools and libraries.  Books are challenged for varying reasons, but the most common reasons are profanity, violence, drug use, and sex/sexuality.  This past year, two of the most challenged books were extremely popular young adult literature that most of us are familiar with- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Twilight by Stephanie Myers.  The Hunger Games series is a trilogy about a futuristic society that annually forces a group of teens, two from each of it’s 12 districts, to fight to the death for the purposes of entertaining the Capital and intimidating the districts.  There is quite a bit of violence in the novels, but there would be no story without the violence.  It is essential to furthering the story.

So why is Banned Books Week a big deal?  Because it strikes at the core of who we are as Americans who value liberty.  The rights our forefathers had the insight to include in the Constitution guarantee authors the liberty to put their thoughts to paper without censorship from those who would restrict them, as well as giving us the right to consume these thoughts without restriction.  As our world changes, from paper to digital, even more intellectual content becomes available, which means even more distribution of a profusion of ideas and experiences to be found in stories and novels and poetry.  We must be diligent that these ideas are not censored by those who would like to purify our world to fit their definitions of propriety.

Some of the classic novels that are on banned books lists are To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and Animal Farm by George Orwell and Call of the Wild by Jack London, all beloved classics that deserve a read.  You can find an extensive list of the most frequently banned and challenged books at the ALA website, www.ala.org and at the Banned Books Week website, www.bannedbooksweek.org.  The Banned books website is also featuring a “Read Out” this year, where individuals can upload videos of themselves reading aloud from banned books.  Find more info on their website about this activity and more.

 

So, what can you do, the average PBS reader, to commemorate Banned Books Week?  It’s simple!  Read a banned or challenged book today!  Celebrate your freedom to read what you choose!

 

Below are some Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century

 

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Posted in Holidays and Special Dates | 6 Comments »

Interview about the Cruise for PBS Members Feb. 2012

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Interview by Elizabeth B. (Cattriona)

It is my pleasure to interview two members, Mary (kilchurn) and Cheryl (Poncer), who have organized the first ever Cruise for PBS Members, coming in February, 2012 on Carnival Cruise Lines.

 

Elizabeth: First off, tell us a bit about yourselves.

Cheryl: I have been a PBS member since October of 2005. PBS has filled a special place in my life. I was one of the first Tour Guides and am now honored to be a Tour Guide Assistant Coordinator. I have found great books and great friends here. I am really looking forward to spending time with some of them on the cruise and the PBS Team. Mary has been a member since June of 2007. Mary is very active not only as a Tour Guide Leader but as a Book Image Approver and in the Games Forum. She has been an amazing help organizing the PBS Cruise and has become a dear friend.

 

Elizabeth: What is the PBS Cruise? 

Mary: It is a Cruise (on a ship) to the Bahamas (islands off of the coast of Florida) for PBS members that has been organized by the PBS Tour Guides.

Cheryl: We are going on a ship to the Bahamas with PBS members on a Cruise, organized by PBS Tour Guides 😉

 

Elizabeth: Where and when is it? 

Mary: The Cruise takes place on a ship and we depart from Jacksonville, FL on Saturday February 4th and return Wednesday February 9th.

Cheryl: A Really Big Ship.

 

Elizabeth: How did the idea come about? 

Mary: It was Cheryl’s idea – we were paired-up as Diva buddies, in the (PBS Games Discussion Forum) last June and met for lunch.   As we were leaving she told me she wanted to put together a Cruise for the PBS Tour Guides – it has spiraled from there.

Cheryl: For years I had seen people posting in the PBS Forums about organizing a cruise for members. I kept waiting to see an announcement for one so I could sign up. When I realized that if I wanted to cruise with other PBS members, I had better do something, I mentioned it to Mary. She took the bait, and as they say, the rest was history. Not to mention, I took my PBS nickname from Ponce de Leon!

 

Elizabeth: How did you get involved?

Mary: Um – I was dragged in kicking and screaming?  Seriously, I volunteered the minute Cheryl said “I want to put together a Cruise for PBS Tour Guides.”

Cheryl: Another Tour Guide member, Elizabeth R. (Esjro), came to Atlanta for a business trip. While she was here Mary, myself and some other PBS members planned a dinner out with her. We invited some members from the PBS Team and we broached the idea to them. They were all for it and it was a go from there.

 

Elizabeth: Will PBS benefit from this Cruise? 

Mary: We are hoping that PBS will get some pocket change from this.

Cheryl: Yes, PBS will benefit. If only that the Team will be joining us on board and will get to meet the Cruise-goers. They can get lots of great feedback, in person, from lots of great members.

 

Elizabeth: Will there be special activities or will everyone just be reading in deck chairs? 

Mary:  You mean reading in a deck chair on a cruise ship is not special?  We are hoping to have enough attendees to do some special things. We are hoping to have enough attendees to have a cocktail party the night we set sail. There will be a presentation by the PBS Team where the attendees will have a chance to ask questions and make suggestions about the site.  We are also going to have places reserved so that the various PBS groups that have formed in the PBS Discussion Forums (Divas, Belles, DOS) and the various volunteer groups can have some private time to hang out.  We are also planning to have a “Live-Real-Time” White Elephant Swap.

Cheryl: There will also be a Genre Dinner. That should be great fun.

 

Elizabeth: What’s a Genre Dinner? 

Mary: A Genre Dinner is where you are seated with others who read the same genre of books as you.

Cheryl: At the Genre Dinner, the Cruise attendees will be seated according to the genre they pick. It will be a great way to meet other members who read like books and get to make new friends. Of course if someone picks 19th Century French Poetry as their genre, we may have to seat them at the Romance table.

 

 Elizabeth: Will there be any special guests? 

Mary: Several members of the PBS Team will be sailing with us.

 

Elizabeth: How many PBSers will be there? 

Mary: Right now we have just over 100 members booked

 

Elizabeth: Can I bring my spouse/kids/mom/partner? 

Mary: You can bring anyone you want.

Cheryl: Sure, you can even bring your imaginary friends with you.

 

Elizabeth: How many books should I bring? 

Mary: Hmmm.  Books are heavy and airlines charge by the pound, but bring at least 1 Wish List book for use in the Elephant swap.

Cheryl: Unless you have use of a Sherpa. Then bring many books.

 

Elizabeth: Does “exposure to ocean breezes, suntan lotion and fruity drinks” make a book unpostable? 

Mary: Ocean breezes are fine, but suntan lotion and fruity drinks might lead to staining….

 

Elizabeth: I’ve never Cruised before — why should I come? 

Mary: It isn’t so much about the Cruise as it is about the people.  I am so excited to finally be able to put faces with names of people with whom I have been interacting for years.  The Cruise part is just a perk.  Also, where else could you sit on the deck of a large ship, drinking a margarita with friends, talking about good books.

Cheryl: I’ve never cruised before myself, so that will be something new for me. I, too, am looking forward to laughing and hanging out with lots of PBS friends I have never met before.

 

Elizabeth: How can members sign up to attend? 

Mary: They can contact our Travel Specialist, September Holstead (800.727.7601 ext. 229) or fill out the registration form online (you will still need to call to make your deposit payment).  Please note that September is in the office Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Elizabeth: Is there a sign-up deadline? 

Cheryl: You can book through January, but after September 30th, we can’t guarantee the pricing from Carnival.

 

Elizabeth: What are you most looking forward to about the Cruise? 

Mary: Meeting everyone! (and a day at the spa)

Cheryl: Meeting everyone and the food!

 

Elizabeth: What have you learned in the process?  

Mary: READ THE FINE PRINT!

Cheryl: Then read it again!

 

Elizabeth: What has surprised you the most?

Mary: The amount of detail and information necessary to book a cruise was surprising. I’ve cruised before and I don’t remember it being so involved.

Cheryl: All of the details that go into planning an excursion like this. And all the hard work and support of the Tour Guides who have volunteered for the Cruise Committee. They are even more awesome than I knew.

 

Elizabeth: What’s the one thing you’d like PBS members to know about this Cruise? 

Mary: Be there! or be SQUARE!

Cheryl: There will be free hugs and unlimited opportunities for laughter and good times.

 

Elizabeth: Thank you, ladies! Those interested in more information on the PBS Cruise can check out the special thread at the top of the Club Member Thoughts in the Discussion Forums, titled “2012 Cruise for PaperBackSwap Members“

 

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Posted in Announcements, Holidays and Special Dates | 9 Comments »

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Monday, September 19th, 2011

ARRR…..thar be Pirates about!!!!!

By Gail P. (TinkerPirate)

 

Today, September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. And, who better to blog than I … PBS’ very own pirate … TinkerPirate!

My fascination with pirates started when I was but a small child growing up in a small town just about smack dab in the middle of Illinois. For a child surrounded by fields of corn, soybeans, and wheat, the possibility of an encounter with the denizens of Davy Jones’ locker was pretty much slim to none. But, the Fates had other ideas.

 

It was bowling and beer that led to this unlikely encounter. Family friends owned the town bowling alley and the local Budweiser distributor had a free hand when it came to giving out tickets for Cardinal games. At least once a year, those tickets came my Dad’s way and the whole family would hop into the old green station wagon and drive the 90 miles south to St. Louis for a game. For some reason, it always seemed to be a Cardinal vs Pirates game. And, for reasons still unknown, I always rooted for the Pirates. OK, admittedly, these were not “real” pirates, but the seed was still planted.

 

The attraction to pirates was nurtured through my childhood by a love of old movies. Seriously, who could resist Errol Flynn stabbing the main sail with his dagger and then riding the sail down from the crow’s nest to the fighting below on the deck in “Captain Blood”.  And, then there was the classic of “Abbot and Costello Meet Captain Kidd”. And, what about Bob Hope in “The Princess and the Pirate” or Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” (Come on, everybody sing “For I am a Pirate King! And it is, it is a glorious thing to be a Pirate King!”)?

 

I hit a slump as I made my way through nursing school and then joined the masses as they slogged through Monday-Friday work and household chores Saturday-Sunday. But, all that changed in 2006, when my inner pirate got rejuvenated by Johnny Depp agreeing to bring Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride to life! It was also the year my daughter badgered me into joining PBS.  And, the second swap I tried was aboard the S.S. Stupidity!  Pirates AND silliness!!!!  I was HOME!!!!  I had found my PEOPLE!!!!

 

OK, so this brings us to today’s holiday.  Why have an International Talk Like a Pirate Day?  I say “Why not?”  Or as it is stated on the TLAPD official website “The best explanation came from a guy at a Cleveland radio station who interviewed us on the 2002 Talk Like a Pirate Day. He told us we were going to be buried by people asking for interviews because it was a ‘whimsical alternative’ to all the serious things that were making the news so depressing.”  Unfortunately, that is just as true today as it was 9 years ago.

 

So, clear your throat, take a deep breath, and practice some piratey words with me:

 

Arrr! – This is essentially the pirate equivalent of surfer-speak “dude”. It can mean pretty much anything you want it to mean.

Bilge Rat – Think ex-husband/ex-wife, used car salesman, or politician.

Grog – Just what you think … alcohol … but primarily rum.

Keelhaul – A rather unpleasant trip under the hull of the ship usually used on bilge rats because they so obviously deserve it.

 

But, before I release you to practice your new found pirate-linguistics on your unsuspecting friends and coworkers … and, perhaps, a bilge rat or two, may I offer a little insight into pirates?

Why YES, TinkerPirate! Please grant us some of your wisdom!

Well, if you insist……

 

Pirates were not all burly men. Despite being of the “fairer sex”, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Grace O’Malley were fearsome pirates. For example, Bonny, Read, and an unknown male pirate were the only pirates on board the Revenge to defend their ship when it was attacked by a British Naval vessel. The rest of the pirates were drunk below decks. When cowardly louts refused to come up to fight like men, Read shot several of them through the hatch; thus saving the British several yards of hanging rope. Grace O’Malley was known to commanded 3 galley ships and over 200 men. In her spare time, she was also the chieftain of the Ó Máille clan in Ireland.

Not all pirates were lawless men who owed allegiance to no country. The difference between a “pirate” and a “privateer” was in the eye of the beholder … or more accurately which side of the boarding you were on. If you were the person with the “letter of marque” by a government and you were doing the boarding, you were a privateer with a legal right to board, plunder, and scuttle merchant ships of the government’s enemies. If you were the boardee, they were pirates.

 

Pirates were surprisingly democratic with specific rules governing pirate life. Black Bart’s Pirate Code of Conduct went something like this:

  1. One pirate, one vote – even the captain didn’t get a bigger say in who would be plundered next
  2. Share and share a like – everyone got a fair turn at the booty
  3. No gambling for money – obviously, this code was written before the advent of cruise ships and river casino boats
  4. No lights at night – pirates needed their beauty rest
  5. Keep your weapons clean –a dirty cutlass is a rusty cutlass
  6. No boys or women on shipboard – well, I guess that must be why Bonny and Read dressed like men
  7. Don’t even think about calling in sick during a battle – Read seemed to take that one personally
  8. No fighting between pirates – save your energy for plundering
  9. Early workers comp – lose an arm…..800 pieces of eight
  10. Musicians available for entertainment – except Sunday….even for pirates!

 

If you would like to learn more about pirates (and you are lucky enough to live in Denver), go see Real Pirates at the Museum of Nature and Science! It is a truly wonderful exhibit chronicling the only pirate ship to ever be positively identified. You will discover who the pirates were, get to touch real pirate artifacts, and find out what it took to be a pirate.

Before I go, I have to leave you with a little information about some land-locked pirates I had the misfortune of encountering while living in Chicago. It’s a towing company that was immortalized in Steve Goodman’s song The Lincoln Park Pirates (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daDQLptd5TI&feature=related)

 

The Pyrates by George MacDonald Fraser

Fluffy: Scourge of the Sea by Teresa Bateman & Michael Chesworth

Expedition Whydah by Barry Clifford & Paul Perry

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

 

The Pirate Life by John “Chumbucket” Baur & Mark “Cap’n Slappy” Summers

 

AND AS A REWARD FOR MAKING IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS BLOG…

I have an autographed copy of The Pirate Life that I will give to a lucky PBS members who comments here on the Blog. A winner will be chosen at random. The winner will be announced on September 27th. Good luck!

 

 

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Posted in Holidays and Special Dates, Musings | 26 Comments »

We Wish You Peace

Sunday, September 11th, 2011

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 



Posted in Holidays and Special Dates | 1 Comment »

Winners of the PBS 7th Birthday Contest!

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

We promised presents and here they are!

Congratulations to the following 7 members that won 7 credits each for the Happy Birthday contest.

 

 

Sarah B. (sarahlou8794)
I’ve been a member since July 1, 2009

 

 

Kimberly T. (kthorvaldson)
I’ve been a member since 7/17/11. Thanks for the great site! Happy birthday!

 

 

Amee E. (ambeen)
I’ve been a member since 8/15/07! 4 years and 17 days!  Happy Birthday PBS!

 

 

Lottie W. (cleostarr)
8/15/2011 I am new but I do like the site. ^^

 

 

Lizz D. (ladyd2206)

I’ve been a member since Jan 3, 2009, and I’ve loved every second of it. This site is just awesome. Happy birthday, and I hope many more are to come!

 

 

Nora J. (4jsmom)

I’ve been a member only since 3/17/2011. I’m so glad I found out about it. It definitely feels just like it’s Christmas all year long, when I find a book in the mail from another PaperBackSwap member.

 

 

Stephanie

Happy Birthday, PBS! What an FANTASTIC milestone! I have been a member since 3/12/07 and have LOVED every minute of being a member! Enjoy your day ~ we are all blessed to have found you!

 

 

And thank you to everyone for your comments, well wishes, support and most of all for your membership!  We look forward to another great year at PBS!

 

 

 

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Posted in Contests, Holidays and Special Dates | 3 Comments »

VostromoScope – Virgo

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

By Greg (VOSTROMO) 

 

 

Ruling planet: Mercury
Birthstone: Sapphire
Element: Kevlar
Sign: “Be Prepared To Stop”

Virgo is in an interesting position in the Zodiac, coming immediately after Leo, the most forceful of astrological characters — it’s as if “The Biggest Loser” was sponsored by Hostess, maker of HoHos, DingDongs, and SnoBalls: you respect the dedication though the frustration seems impossible to endure. Just a glance at some famous Virgos — Cameron Diaz, Claudia Schiffer, Raquel Welch, Rachel Ward, Sophia Loren, Sean Connery, Keanu Reeves, Hugh Grant — reveals why even the Virgo birthstone is blue.

Virgo is generally considered a warm, welcoming, accommodating sign, which would sound like a bad joke if you didn’t know about Mother Teresa, who, let’s face it, did some decent things without once going into Victoria’s Secret. Indeed chief among the characteristics of Virgo is dedication to service and sacrifice (though I suspect more than a few minds were changed on the way down to the bottom of the volcano). Etymologically “virga” is associated with youth, freshness and inexperience — which is what makes Charlie Sheen’s September birthday so puzzling! — and those born under this sign are almost never found under anything else, at least until college.

Virgos are also held among the more logical and analytical members of the Zodiac, and often enjoy participating in groups gathered around a central idea — AV Club, for example — though they often take great care pondering the ins and outs of topics, the thrusts and counter-thrusts of angles of entry to subjects, before opening their positions to further probing. If you meet a Virgo who seems ready and willing to go head-to-head with you without at least some preliminary manipulation, he or she is probably no Virgo at all! Emotionally, though, Virgos tend to be somewhat private and often keep to themselves — some people go their whole lives without ever encountering one on a deep level.

Lastly, this sign has graciously lent itself to one of the great vaudeville jokes of the age:

Distraught girl: “I’ve lost my virginity!”
Man: “Do you still have the box it came in?”

 

This month’s Forecast: To avoid misunderstandings, speak only French on the 19th. Those aren’t raisins. Today is the first day of the rest of your week.

 

 

The Virgo Club by Suzanne Power

 

Virgo Implants by Carmen and Theodore Peregrim

 

John Virgo’s Snooker Trick Shots by John Virgo and Jim Davidson

 

How to Live with a Virgo a Survival Guide by Daniel T Darmdy

 

Women Set Free by Wendy Virgo

 

Demeter’s Dilemma by Lucinda Mitchell

 

 

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Posted in Holidays and Special Dates, Musings, VostromoScope | 3 Comments »

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