• Chapters/Indigo

    From William Hyde@3:633/10 to All on Tue Nov 18 16:50:56 2025

    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the resulting
    trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit tiring.

    However, there are times when the flesh is weak but the credit card is willing.

    Long ago I got a chapters rewards card, and for those with such the
    company offers a 20% discount on purchases made in your birth month. I
    tried to order from them online years ago, but gave up when their
    software and my then-computer proved incompatible.

    I am happy to say that their website is fine now, and the selection
    broader than before. Prices are usually higher than amazon, but with
    cheaper shipping and the 20% cut they were in effect lower.

    Speaking of shipping, they beat their time estimates in every respect.
    The order went in late Friday night, and the first books arrived Monday.
    Following recommendations in this group I ordered a Leinster which was
    not supposed to arrive until January, but it has already been delivered.

    As a result I can over the next few weeks do some catching up on the
    Clarke awards, even unto 2020.

    I suppose this is only of interest to Canadians on the group,
    given the fraught nature of cross-border shipping these days.

    And of course, all the books were well printed and well bound.

    ("Of the report produced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police I can only
    say that it was fastidiously bound" - Augustus Mandrell).

    William Hyde

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Garrett Wollman@3:633/10 to All on Tue Nov 18 22:22:46 2025
    In article <10fipp3$1rpcl$1@dont-email.me>,
    William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the resulting >trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit tiring.

    I preordered a book on some non-Amazon site whose name I've forgotten
    a few months back, and now, in addition to the name of the site, I've
    also forgotten which book it was, so I guess it will be a surprise
    when two copies of it show up at my door on the same day.

    That's the real lock-in of Amazon.

    -GAWollman

    --
    Garrett A. Wollman | "Act to avoid constraining the future; if you can, wollman@bimajority.org| act to remove constraint from the future. This is Opinions not shared by| a thing you can do, are able to do, to do together."
    my employers. | - Graydon Saunders, _A Succession of Bad Days_ (2015)

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Paul S Person@3:633/10 to All on Wed Nov 19 09:00:11 2025
    On Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:22:46 -0000 (UTC),
    wollman@hergotha.csail.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) wrote:

    In article <10fipp3$1rpcl$1@dont-email.me>,
    William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the
    resulting
    trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit
    tiring.

    I preordered a book on some non-Amazon site whose name I've forgotten
    a few months back, and now, in addition to the name of the site, I've
    also forgotten which book it was, so I guess it will be a surprise
    when two copies of it show up at my door on the same day.

    That's the real lock-in of Amazon.

    That's what financial manager programs are for -- recording pre-orders
    with the expected reception date so you can always tell what it is and
    who you pre-ordered it from.

    Alternately, a spreadsheet or text file (even a plain-jane one) can
    serve the same purpose.

    The idea is to take /some/ control of one's life. At least enough to
    not order the same book twice!
    --
    "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
    Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
    Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Bobbie Sellers@3:633/10 to All on Wed Nov 19 10:29:10 2025


    On 11/19/25 09:00, Paul S Person wrote:
    On Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:22:46 -0000 (UTC),
    wollman@hergotha.csail.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) wrote:

    In article <10fipp3$1rpcl$1@dont-email.me>,
    William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the resulting >>> trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit tiring. >>
    I preordered a book on some non-Amazon site whose name I've forgotten
    a few months back, and now, in addition to the name of the site, I've
    also forgotten which book it was, so I guess it will be a surprise
    when two copies of it show up at my door on the same day.

    That's the real lock-in of Amazon.

    That's what financial manager programs are for -- recording pre-orders
    with the expected reception date so you can always tell what it is and
    who you pre-ordered it from.

    Alternately, a spreadsheet or text file (even a plain-jane one) can
    serve the same purpose.

    The idea is to take /some/ control of one's life. At least enough to
    not order the same book twice!

    With the current prices of real books as opposed to kIndle and other formats that is a worth objective and I wish I had though of that some
    years back. I got two of the same manga as a result.

    bliss


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Lynn McGuire@3:633/10 to All on Wed Nov 19 12:58:11 2025
    On 11/18/2025 3:50 PM, William Hyde wrote:

    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the resulting trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit˙ tiring.

    However, there are times when the˙ flesh is weak but the credit card is willing.

    Long ago I got a chapters rewards card, and for those with such the
    company offers a 20% discount on purchases made in your birth month.˙ I tried to order from them online years ago, but gave up when their
    software and my then-computer proved incompatible.

    I am happy to say that their website is fine now, and the selection
    broader than before.˙ Prices are usually higher than amazon, but with cheaper shipping and the 20% cut they were in effect lower.

    Speaking of shipping, they beat their time estimates in every respect.
    The order went in late Friday night, and the first books arrived Monday.
    ˙Following recommendations in this group I ordered a Leinster which was
    not supposed to arrive until January, but it has already been delivered.

    As a result I can over the next few weeks do some catching up on the
    Clarke awards, even unto 2020.

    I suppose this is only of interest to Canadians on the group,
    given the fraught nature of cross-border shipping these days.

    And of course, all the books were well printed and well bound.
    I see what you did there.

    Lynn


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From William Hyde@3:633/10 to All on Wed Nov 19 15:19:00 2025
    Garrett Wollman wrote:
    In article <10fipp3$1rpcl$1@dont-email.me>,
    William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the resulting
    trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit tiring.

    I preordered a book on some non-Amazon site whose name I've forgotten
    a few months back, and now, in addition to the name of the site, I've
    also forgotten which book it was, so I guess it will be a surprise
    when two copies of it show up at my door on the same day.

    That's the real lock-in of Amazon.

    I am still waiting for one book from my Amazon order of last October. According to their website they have a copy, but I have received emails telling me that no delivery time can be predicted.

    I've never had such delays from abebooks, or chess.com. But Wheeler's autobiography from the American institute of physics was so delayed that
    I bought a used copy at Mason's books in Toronto.


    William Hyde

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Paul S Person@3:633/10 to All on Thu Nov 20 09:01:41 2025
    On Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:29:10 -0800, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:



    On 11/19/25 09:00, Paul S Person wrote:
    On Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:22:46 -0000 (UTC),
    wollman@hergotha.csail.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) wrote:

    In article <10fipp3$1rpcl$1@dont-email.me>,
    William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the
    resulting
    trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit tiring.

    I preordered a book on some non-Amazon site whose name I've forgotten
    a few months back, and now, in addition to the name of the site, I've
    also forgotten which book it was, so I guess it will be a surprise
    when two copies of it show up at my door on the same day.

    That's the real lock-in of Amazon.

    That's what financial manager programs are for -- recording pre-orders
    with the expected reception date so you can always tell what it is and
    who you pre-ordered it from.

    Alternately, a spreadsheet or text file (even a plain-jane one) can
    serve the same purpose.

    The idea is to take /some/ control of one's life. At least enough to
    not order the same book twice!

    With the current prices of real books as opposed to kIndle and other
    formats that is a worth objective and I wish I had though of that some
    years back. I got two of the same manga as a result.

    Spreadsheets, unlike text files as I know them, are easily sorted. Unfortunately, they are also easy to mess up. All you need is one sort
    that omits a column followed by a File/Save and ... poof!

    Personal database programs are a lot harder to mess up and just as
    easy to sort. But not really suited to pre-orders.

    Financial managers can handle pre-orders and search.

    Note that I use all three. But I like complicated systems. Simplicity
    is ... simpler. And more practical for many people.
    --
    "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
    Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
    Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Paul S Person@3:633/10 to All on Thu Nov 20 09:02:34 2025
    On Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:19:00 -0500, William Hyde
    <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

    Garrett Wollman wrote:
    In article <10fipp3$1rpcl$1@dont-email.me>,
    William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the
    resulting
    trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit
    tiring.

    I preordered a book on some non-Amazon site whose name I've forgotten
    a few months back, and now, in addition to the name of the site, I've
    also forgotten which book it was, so I guess it will be a surprise
    when two copies of it show up at my door on the same day.

    That's the real lock-in of Amazon.

    I am still waiting for one book from my Amazon order of last October. >According to their website they have a copy, but I have received emails >telling me that no delivery time can be predicted.

    I've never had such delays from abebooks, or chess.com. But Wheeler's >autobiography from the American institute of physics was so delayed that

    I bought a used copy at Mason's books in Toronto.

    I don't do pre-orders.

    I don't like suspense.

    Well, not in real life, anyway.
    --
    "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
    Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
    Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Paul S Person@3:633/10 to All on Thu Nov 20 09:06:17 2025
    On Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:58:11 -0600, Lynn McGuire
    <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    On 11/18/2025 3:50 PM, William Hyde wrote:

    It's been over a year since I sent an order to amazon, and the
    resulting
    trips to bookstores have been very pleasant, if on occasion a bit?
    tiring.

    However, there are times when the? flesh is weak but the credit card
    is
    willing.

    Long ago I got a chapters rewards card, and for those with such the
    company offers a 20% discount on purchases made in your birth month.?
    I
    tried to order from them online years ago, but gave up when their
    software and my then-computer proved incompatible.

    I am happy to say that their website is fine now, and the selection
    broader than before.? Prices are usually higher than amazon, but
    with
    cheaper shipping and the 20% cut they were in effect lower.

    Speaking of shipping, they beat their time estimates in every respect.

    The order went in late Friday night, and the first books arrived
    Monday.
    ?Following recommendations in this group I ordered a Leinster which
    was
    not supposed to arrive until January, but it has already been
    delivered.

    As a result I can over the next few weeks do some catching up on the
    Clarke awards, even unto 2020.

    I suppose this is only of interest to Canadians on the group,
    given the fraught nature of cross-border shipping these days.

    And of course, all the books were well printed and well bound.
    I see what you did there.

    Given the problems with trade paperbacks with "perfect" bindings back
    some decades ago (at least two of them, having split into large pieces
    on first reading, dissolved into individual pages on second reading),
    assurance that the book in question is well bound is comforting.

    Perhaps done to excess for some tastes, but still not useless.

    Even if, were I to read one, it would be on Kindle. Where the concept
    of "binding" does not apply.
    --
    "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
    Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
    Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Scott Dorsey@3:633/10 to All on Thu Nov 20 12:26:16 2025
    Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
    Given the problems with trade paperbacks with "perfect" bindings back
    some decades ago (at least two of them, having split into large pieces
    on first reading, dissolved into individual pages on second reading), >assurance that the book in question is well bound is comforting.

    Remove remaining hot glue (it may just crumble away if the book is old
    enough) and recement with a flexible urethane adhesive like 3M 08061 or Goop. --scott

    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Paul S Person@3:633/10 to All on Fri Nov 21 09:04:33 2025
    On Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:26:16 -0500 (EST), kludge@panix.com (Scott
    Dorsey) wrote:

    Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
    Given the problems with trade paperbacks with "perfect" bindings back
    some decades ago (at least two of them, having split into large pieces
    on first reading, dissolved into individual pages on second reading), >>assurance that the book in question is well bound is comforting.

    Remove remaining hot glue (it may just crumble away if the book is old >enough) and recement with a flexible urethane adhesive like 3M 08061 or
    Goop.

    I hate to say it but, if I am not keeping it, recycling it seems to be
    the simplest solution.

    From individual pages it came, to individual pages it shall return.
    --
    "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
    Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
    Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Scott Dorsey@3:633/10 to All on Fri Nov 21 17:05:58 2025
    Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
    On Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:26:16 -0500 (EST), kludge@panix.com (Scott
    Dorsey) wrote:

    Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
    Given the problems with trade paperbacks with "perfect" bindings back >>>some decades ago (at least two of them, having split into large pieces
    on first reading, dissolved into individual pages on second reading), >>>assurance that the book in question is well bound is comforting.

    Remove remaining hot glue (it may just crumble away if the book is old >>enough) and recement with a flexible urethane adhesive like 3M 08061 or = >Goop.

    I hate to say it but, if I am not keeping it, recycling it seems to be
    the simplest solution.

    This is sometimes the best solution, for example with all of those Gor
    books. But there are books worth preserving for newer readers.
    --scott

    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)