One of my favorite stalls at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv -- and when I first saw the sign I thought, "We'd better hurry up before all three of these are banned."

In those situations I just pick something up, hold it above my head and yell, "PIGGY HAS THE CONCH!"

Right, and I'll pretend that I'm clueless about being an Amazon affiliate for a second.

So, what's the percentage of $1,089 that's going to Ricochet?

And what's the hourly on that when we break down everyone's time and effort?

Just checkin'.

Yes, of course.

The most awkward thing in the world is a weird guy singing at dinner.

Good Lord.

I just like to see a very talented group of people -- like Ricochet -- spend more time using that talent instead of worshiping thinkers and talkers.

Gee, I'd love to hear people talk about business, law and economics, but I'm kinda busy running a corporation.

Thanks, though.

Apologies, folks, but I never have these problems either personally or professionally -- which means I must be doing something wrong, huh?

You can be loud 'n proud without being loud or proud.

Really, folks -- it's possible to be an open, unapologetic Conservative that people on the left actually like. We're just terrible salesmen.

There's one topic most people love to talk about: themselves. Talk to them about them, not you or your worldview. Steer that conversation using evidence/knowledge they probably don't have and do it on their terms. Over time things change a bit.

There's a phrase in sales that is exactly what we need to remember: 'People hate to be sold to, but they love to buy.' Stop being a third-rate door-to-door salesman and give them something that improves their life in the way of knowledge -- first, make them buy you and then let them buy your ideas on their own.

Yes, you'll have to put up with a ton of offensive stances and rude generalizations. So what? We're big boys and girls, we can take it.

You'll probably be referred to condescendingly as "one of the good ones," but it's a start.

You can be loud 'n proud without being loud or proud.

Really, folks -- it's possible to be an open, unapologetic Conservative that people on the left actually like. We're just terrible salesmen.

There's one topic most people love to talk about: themselves. Talk to them about them, not you or your worldview. Steer that conversation using evidence/knowledge they probably don't have and do it on their terms. Over time things change a bit.

There's a phrase in sales that is exactly what we need to remember: 'People hate to be sold to, but they love to buy.' Stop being a third-rate door-to-door salesman and give them something that improves their life in the way of knowledge -- first, make them buy you and then let them buy your ideas on their own.

Yes, you'll have to put up with a ton of offensive stances and rude generalizations. So what? We're big boys and girls, we can take it.

You'll probably be referred to condescendingly as "one of the good ones," but it's a start.

I appreciate the effort, but I ship my money through organizations that are run responsibly and effectively.

Regrettably, Ricochet doesn't make that list. Hopefully that will change.

Franco, professionally-read audiobooks aren't virtually free. The one I bought yesterday is ~20 hours of audio and has a sticker price of about $32.

Audible subscriptions cut it down to about $9 per book, a sum I'm happy to pay.

But even the 'real' audiobooks can have terrible readers that make you think, "How could anyone, at any point in this process, have thought this was a good idea?"

Ohh, I just shook and squealed like a little girl reading this. "Squeeee!" if you will.

The zenith of vain pride was like hearing a stirring national anthem build slowly to that point of tension before the explosion -- let's call it an "And the rocket's red glare / 'Od lo avdah tikvateinu" moment -- and being possessed by the blast. Made my day.

For a host of reasons I *need* audiobooks, so I'm terribly disappointed when a good one gets burned by a rotten reader. But it has made me excited about certain readers -- Christian Rodska rocked Churchill's WWII volumes so well that I'd listen gleefully to him reading all 27,863 pages of the EU's newest minnow fishing regulations.

There must be *someone* in the Ricochet commmunity with direct experience/knowledge about audiobook reading, right?

If so, come, savior, and be that needle of knowledge on whose guidance this thread depends!

Confession: I've wanted to read non-fiction audiobooks for many years now but have worried that my accent is too idiosynchratic.

Ha! I work from home, so the primary danger is cardiovascular disease brought on by the kitchen, which conspires to increase my caloric intake, and the desk, which demands that I hold those calories dear. ;)

But really, if we don't have any dependents, no matter where we are leaving the house should carry with it some element of risk -- otherwise we're living pretty poorly, yes?

Yes -- about 80% of what I read is liberal/left.

What's the value in spending all my time reading the things I already know and think? It's like ignoring all the books at the library to sit at home every day poring over the family photo album.

Nice way to spend time, but you don't finish having learned much new stuff about the world and its people.

Yep -- these are my favorite posts. This one was awesome and fascinating.

I'd much rather hear about your lives than hear you all tell the rest of the world how to live.

So Ricochet is a site governed by the Judeo-Christian tradition now?

Oddly, no one told me.