All posts by Dona

Amazon’s Statistics

Musings, ,

Sometimes Amazon recommends something that actually makes sense and is helpful. Sometimes I shake my head. For instance, the other day one of my teens was looking at an acne zapper device on Amazon. Today when I went to Amazon’s home page, I was greated with some statistics.

And 6% are really stupid

So the vast majority of people who view the Zeno Acne Clearing Device purchase it. 2% purchase the replacement cartridge instead (let’s hope they already own the device) and 6% purchase an electric razor. Do you think they are going to shave those pimples right off their face?

18. Tchaikovsky makes me nervous

Song Blog,

My mom had a black enamel jewelry box painted with Chinese-type decorations. Pagodas and such. She rarely wore jewelry from it (mostly inexpensive costume jewelry). When she did, it meant she was going out. The jewelry box played the most recognizable tune from Swan Lake.

As a small child – probably up until I could babysit my brother – I’d panic when I heard that tune. It meant babysitter. Why I didn’t like a babysitter is a mystery – I remember having fun with a few of them – but I hated it when my mom would go out. To this day that bit of Swan Lake makes me anxious.

That and the smell of Avon’s Topaz Cologne.

I want to read something fun

Reading

I don’t remember when I last read something fun. Unless you count Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince or some of the Lemony Snickett books. But even then – I was reading those because my kids wanted me to. The only other books I read are book group books – and lately they bore me. Even when I read a book I enjoy for book group, it’s not the same as finding one that looks interesting, sitting in a cosy chair and reading.

I went through my house and cataloged most of my books (I still have the kids’ rooms, attic and my work-related books to do) on LibraryThing. I found a lot of books I’d purchased, but not read for one reason or the other (probably because I had book group books to read). I also found Lady Chatterly’s Lover, a book I’d borrowed over a year ago. I started reading it before Christmas break and just now finished. I didn’t read it all at one go, but still. Four months to read a book with less than 300 pages in it?

I did recently read a good book. A very good book that I completely enjoyed, and have recommended everywhere, but it still was not exactly my choice. And while it was a REALLY GOOD BOOK, I wouldn’t call it fun.

I think I will try to finish The Awakening tonight (another book group book that is ok, but not fun). I bought it several years ago, meaning to read it, but never got to it. It reminds me of my Women in Education course I took when my kids were small and I was introduced to Tillie Olsen, Virginia Woolf and Adrienne Rich. So in the sense that I’m enjoying it, it is a little fun, but not at all light.

If I finish the Awakening before March 28 I will get to read something fun. I wonder what I will choose. Maybe The Thirteenth Tale. Or perhaps The Eyre Affair. Something to look forward to.