OT: I have a question for you.

Ok. Minor misunderstanding on my part. I though it sounded a bit like you thought I, and anyone else, watching movies at home was watching illegal downloads. I'm glad to know that was not the case.

I think the biggest difference we will see in home movie watching in the future is that most people will end up with at least one really big plasma style TV in their homes. That will close the visual gap between home viewing and modern multiplex sized screen movie theater viewing. The price on the plasma TVs just needs to fall to a more affordable level for that to happen, and I believe it will.

Few people today remember the truly big screens of the old fashioned single screen movie house, which is a shame. In the US most people under 30 never had a chance to see a movie on one of those giant screens. The multiplex had already taken over by the time they started movie going. I think that movie theaters will need to move back to that huge size screen in the future to compete against the larger home TV. Debra in VA See my quilts at

I'll add my unimpressive recommendation to that! Yes, I realize it's fiction, but it does force you to at least THINK about the events of the day from a different perspective.

I would also recommend "A Fool's Tale" by Nicole Galland to you, Cheryl. Much earlier time period and set in Wales. But I'll warn ya, it will break your heart in the end! Tegan

Ok! sounds like a plan! I've read Edith Pargeter's books. The Heaven Tree trilogy is wonderful! BTW, same person as Ellis Peters!

Cheryl

And oh.. hey.. there's a new Betsy short story out.. however, the book is out in the truck and I can't remember the name of it.. it has four short stories in it. Mostly the characters are of the Were variety, but the one with Betsy combines the two. I just love Betsy.. LOL Tegan

Have you read anything by Jo Walton? Amazing writer.

Elizabeth

I wouldn't pay ten cents for a plasma. They burn out the same way a fluorescent tube burns out. Eventually it will flicker, then just fade. LCD is the way to go, but not yet. There are still missing pixels and I prefer a CRT for now.

We've been looking for a new TV - none of the new technologies are really ready for "primetime" - every one has some short coming.

But - I admit that I hope DH finds something soon that fits the bill, 'cause

A. the old is losing focus B. he's making me nuts while he looks!

Cheryl

Hmm - I heard DH muttering about "needing" something in a Sony Box only yesterday! LOL! He`s getting twitchy - there`s nothing on his credit card at the moment! Must try to steer him away from the Sony shop!

Pat P

Ok Tegan, go out to the truck and find it! I have "Murder Most Crafty" which also has a Betsy in it!

Cheryl

No - when I hit the library Tuesday! Cheryl

Well, it's still out in the truck, but the name of the book is "Dead and Loving It". There's a female werewolf, a vampire and even a fairy! Plus the Betsy story. But you say there's another one out there? Dang... I really need to stay away from bookstores for a while! I've been on a historical (sorta) binge lately, so I've been reading Jean Plaidy's books about Henry VIII's wives. And as I mentioned, that one book, "A Fool's Tale".. it was really good, but will just break your heart in the end. But I have about six other historical type books sitting here waiting for me to get them read. It's no wonder I don't get much stitching done.. LOL

Tegan

We have a 36" Sony Wega and we love it. As soon as the technology is perfected, we will not be buying a flat panel.

GIGGLING - I thought you meant Betsy Devonshire not Betsy Queen of the UnDead!

Cheryl

Cheryl Isaak ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

Jean Plaidy that takes me back a bit. My eldest daughter who is a bibliophile and always has been, had the lot. One night when my grandson was about 11, she nipped out to the stupidmarket and when she came back he very proudly announced he had 'got rid' of the boxes of books in the basement to the Boy Scouts when they came collecting lol

She 'phoned all the used book stores till she found the right one and dashed over there where she re-purchased her favourties, including the Plaidy's, for a handsome sum - he knew he could pretty well ask what he wanted. Somehow she still does not see the funny side of the story as we all do every time it is retold lol

Ours died last fall and we had to replace it. I hated putting money into a replacement one because we can't afford a digital set yet (expect the prices to nosedive when they're no longer "new and exciting"), and soon stations will change the way they broadcast and we'll either need a digital set or a piece of equipment to adapt the signals to play on analog sets. So I was hoping ours could hold on just a little longer, but it was not to be. I'd been following news stories about analog TVs soon becoming obsolete -- the deadline has been postponed at least twice so far.

The good news was that when we went shopping, TVs were not nearly as expensive as I remembered from our last set many years ago!

And, of course, after must soul-searching and delay and angst, we finally did buy a new TV for the family room....and within a few weeks, we WON a TV from the video store (they picked our rental slip out of a box). So we ended up with an extra TV - just as big and with similar features to the one we'd bought! So we gave it to DD for Christmas, since she was preparing to get an apt. soon as she could save up (she'd just started her first job) and the redundant TV stayed in the box in our family room until April, when DD moved out. Of course, had we not bought ourselves the new TV, Murphy's Law states that we would never have won the new TV set, LOL!

Here's the consumer info from the FCC about digital TV:

IIRC, the changeover is supposed to be made when a certain percentage of TVs are digital. Problem with reaching that percentage is that most of the *affordable* TVs being sold are still analog. So, the manufacturers are not doing what they need to for that goal to be reached any time soon.

I know I haven't read all of them, but years ago, I got on a historical binge, and I'm sure I covered most of them. I much prefer the books dealing with the earlier periods, but I picked one that has the three books she wrote about Catherine (Catrina?) of Aragon, the first wife. I'm afraid "A Rose for the Crown" has started this current trend..

I can so relate to your daughter! And yes, I can see the humor, even though I can feel her horror and anguish at having her books gone! Bless her book-loving heart! Tegan

Ooops.. you are the only other person I know who reads the Betsy (Undead variety) books and I honestly didn't think of clarifying! I'm sorry... sorta.. LOL

Tegan

Giggle! I went and hit Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and searched every way I could think of! And even went Monica Mary's site (which is bookmarked as a favorite. No mention of new short story.

I have to have the library find the rest of the series for me on ILL.

Warning to all, the Betsy, Queen of the Dead series, is not for every one - but are very funny!

Cheryl