Thursday, August 31, 2006
Just Me...No Ernesto
Really not much to report. Everything is basically back to normal, just very wet outside. Went to work as usual (although I switched shifts with the general manager, since he had to come in the morning to check out the store anyway), people came and bought books, and we went home. The only thing at all out of the ordinary is that as of midnight, tolls were still suspended on the Turnpike.
But I do have several bottles and jugs of water for the next time. I didn't even have to go to the store for that -- I just filled up a couple of empty gallon jugs and some 2-liter bottles out of the tap.
But I do have several bottles and jugs of water for the next time. I didn't even have to go to the store for that -- I just filled up a couple of empty gallon jugs and some 2-liter bottles out of the tap.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Ernesto and Me
As of 8:30 pm on Tuesday...not much to report. Lots of things are closed, store shelves are empty of water, bread and canned goods, and there were long lines at the gas station, but weather-wise, it's pretty quiet -- and not the eerie quiet that settled in before Andrew in 1992. At the moment it's windy and rainy, but not even to the point that I can hear it inside. We had worse rain last week!
I'll be going to work tomorrow, assuming it's safe on the road, but I don't know yet if we'll be open. My boss will be going in for the morning since he has to check for damage anyway, and I'll be in at 2:30, open or not, so at least I won't lose pay.
Oops, it just picked up so I can hear the rain, but nothing at all scary. Updates will follow....
I'll be going to work tomorrow, assuming it's safe on the road, but I don't know yet if we'll be open. My boss will be going in for the morning since he has to check for damage anyway, and I'll be in at 2:30, open or not, so at least I won't lose pay.
Oops, it just picked up so I can hear the rain, but nothing at all scary. Updates will follow....
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
What do you REALLY think of your co-workers?
I stumbled upon in interesting site, http://www.ratemycoworkers.com/. The idea is to anonymously tell the world what you really think of the people you work with. It appears to be a new site, as there are a lot of major companies that either aren't listed, or who have no employees listed. So you could be the first at your business to sound off! Keep in mind, though, that listings may be made in spite, or they could be complaints from people who aren't really co-workers (customers, vendors, friends, relatives, etc.).
Oh, and my company isn't listed, nor are any of the places I have worked in the past few years, so I'm safe so far!
Oh, and my company isn't listed, nor are any of the places I have worked in the past few years, so I'm safe so far!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Which is More Significant?
A) George Allen using a racial slur to address the only dark-skinned person at his campaign event, or
B) the fact that the only dark-skinned person at the event was there working for Allen's opponent, Jim Webb, or
C) the fact that in 2006 -- when any potentially embarrassing act or remark is sure to be all over Internet within 10 minutes, and old news by the time the network broadcasts go on the air -- the Webb campaign felt any need to send someone to record Allen's appearance in the first place?
B) the fact that the only dark-skinned person at the event was there working for Allen's opponent, Jim Webb, or
C) the fact that in 2006 -- when any potentially embarrassing act or remark is sure to be all over Internet within 10 minutes, and old news by the time the network broadcasts go on the air -- the Webb campaign felt any need to send someone to record Allen's appearance in the first place?
Read for the Record
This Thursday, schools, bookstores, and other groups everywhere will be taking part in http://www.readfortherecord.org/. This event is designed to help encourage children to read and promote literacy, while trying to set a world record for the most children reading a single book on a single day. (No, I don't know what the current record is.) The selected book is "The Little Engeine that Could."
Want to take part, or offer support? Check out the website, read with a child, or ask someone at your favorite bookstore or library what you can do to help. At our store, we will be having readings in the morning and evening, and we have been passing out flyers to customers inviting them to take part, either with us or at home.
Want to take part, or offer support? Check out the website, read with a child, or ask someone at your favorite bookstore or library what you can do to help. At our store, we will be having readings in the morning and evening, and we have been passing out flyers to customers inviting them to take part, either with us or at home.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Snakes in a Bookstore
Well, my brother is now back to normal (for him, anyway) now that he has been to see "Snakes on a Plane." Check out his review.
The bookstore where I work is just two or three doors away from an 18-screen theater and we're open until 11 pm, so on the weekends we sometimes get a crowd in the cafe as people come from/go to the movies. I'm off on Friday, and I think I'm glad, because it could get pretty hectic with the expected rush of people for this movie. This happened with "Pirates of the Caribbean," and SoaP has an even bigger buzz.
We do have a feature table near the cafe of movie-related books, and even though the movie has just opened, there are already a few SoaP books in the store including the novelization and the guide book. However, I'm betting Dave is most likely to go for The Complete Quote Book, complete with lots of photos and snake facts.
The bookstore where I work is just two or three doors away from an 18-screen theater and we're open until 11 pm, so on the weekends we sometimes get a crowd in the cafe as people come from/go to the movies. I'm off on Friday, and I think I'm glad, because it could get pretty hectic with the expected rush of people for this movie. This happened with "Pirates of the Caribbean," and SoaP has an even bigger buzz.
We do have a feature table near the cafe of movie-related books, and even though the movie has just opened, there are already a few SoaP books in the store including the novelization and the guide book. However, I'm betting Dave is most likely to go for The Complete Quote Book, complete with lots of photos and snake facts.
Monday, August 14, 2006
It's Left-Handers Day!
OK, maybe it is almost over, but August 13 is Left-Hander's Day, first observed in 1976. As you've guessed by now, I am left-handed in most things (I throw right-handed, for reasons I can't explain, and I played drums right-handed because that's the way I was taught, and also you can't fit in with a drum line or use someone else's drum set if you play lefty). What is somewhat unusual is that both of my parents are left-handed.
While we may be an oppressed minority, there's one place lefties haven't been a minority for some time: The White House. There hasn't been a right-handed president since Carter, and with the possible exception of Dick Cheney (not sure about him), all vice-presidents during that time have also been sinistrial.
For my left handed readers, you may want to check out Anything Left-Handed. Even if you don't want to pay shipping from the UK, the site has lots of information about all things Left-Handed.
While we may be an oppressed minority, there's one place lefties haven't been a minority for some time: The White House. There hasn't been a right-handed president since Carter, and with the possible exception of Dick Cheney (not sure about him), all vice-presidents during that time have also been sinistrial.
For my left handed readers, you may want to check out Anything Left-Handed. Even if you don't want to pay shipping from the UK, the site has lots of information about all things Left-Handed.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Find a Way to Say it
You may be familiar with the Church Sign Generator. Or maybe not. Turns out the guy who created it has a whole bunch of generators and "Says-Its," available here: http://www.says-it.com/. Make your own vinyl records (or if you're too young to remember vinyl records, find out what I'm talking about). Create your own concert tickets -- but don't try to sell forgeries, please. Put words in the mouth of Hillary Clinton, GWB, Chuck Norris, Pope Benedict, and others. Or put your own graffiti on the moon.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Lemme Eat Cake
OK, since none of you guys came through with the cake, I'm heading up to Mom's today for dinner, because if there's one thing we all know, it's that Mom always comes through. Mom live less than two hours away by car, so, uh -- "I don't need no mother baking cakes on a mother-taking plane!" (Hmmm...maybe I should have saved that line for Airplane III.)
Meanwhile, I sent a little audio surprise to my brother Dave, who I suspect will be sharing it with his readers very soon.
Meanwhile, I sent a little audio surprise to my brother Dave, who I suspect will be sharing it with his readers very soon.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
What Else on a Plane?
Over at my brother's blog, Dave is quite excited about the upcoming movie Snakes on a Plane.
Now, we all know that if the movie is even moderately successful (meaning it doesn't single-handedly bankrupt the studio), there will be knock-offs: Spiders on a Plane, Fire Ants on a Plane, Giant Mutant Flukes on a Boat, etc. So I started wondering how far we could go with this. I'll start, the rest of you feel free to jump in.
Burger King Mascots on a Plane
South Florida Condo Residents on a Plane
Jehovah's Witnesses on an Airplane
Drunken Mel Gibson on a Plane
Kevin Federline on a Greyhound Bus
Gilbert Gottfried on Your Television
Male Cher Impersonators on a Hovercraft
Anna Nicole Smith Anywhere
Now, we all know that if the movie is even moderately successful (meaning it doesn't single-handedly bankrupt the studio), there will be knock-offs: Spiders on a Plane, Fire Ants on a Plane, Giant Mutant Flukes on a Boat, etc. So I started wondering how far we could go with this. I'll start, the rest of you feel free to jump in.
Burger King Mascots on a Plane
South Florida Condo Residents on a Plane
Jehovah's Witnesses on an Airplane
Drunken Mel Gibson on a Plane
Kevin Federline on a Greyhound Bus
Gilbert Gottfried on Your Television
Male Cher Impersonators on a Hovercraft
Anna Nicole Smith Anywhere
Friday, August 04, 2006
Congress at work for animals....
Amid all the horrible pictures we all remember seeing from New Orleans last year, you surely remember seeing the folks who wouldn't evacuate because they refused to leave their pets behind. Many of us, especially those of us who are single, think of our pets as family, and we would no sooner abandon them to a natural disaster than we would our parents or children.
Well, last night the U.S. Senate unanimously approved its version of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act. The House passed its own version in May, so all that remains is to work out the differences between the two. Both bills require that emergency preparedness plans include consideration of people with pets and service animals before a disaster strikes. I'll also point out that both the House and Senate versions had bipartisan sponsorship.
Also last night, the Senate passed a bill closing a loophole that allows game hunters to write off the cost of hunting vacations by donating mounted prizes to phony museums -- some of which existed only in the hunter's living room. Regardless of your position on game hunting and wildlife preservation, we can all be glad that we as taxpayers will no longer by paying the bill for these trips via fraudulent write-offs. Estimates of the cost to taxpayers for this scam are as much as $43 million per year.
All in all, a good night's work for our legislators!
Well, last night the U.S. Senate unanimously approved its version of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act. The House passed its own version in May, so all that remains is to work out the differences between the two. Both bills require that emergency preparedness plans include consideration of people with pets and service animals before a disaster strikes. I'll also point out that both the House and Senate versions had bipartisan sponsorship.
Also last night, the Senate passed a bill closing a loophole that allows game hunters to write off the cost of hunting vacations by donating mounted prizes to phony museums -- some of which existed only in the hunter's living room. Regardless of your position on game hunting and wildlife preservation, we can all be glad that we as taxpayers will no longer by paying the bill for these trips via fraudulent write-offs. Estimates of the cost to taxpayers for this scam are as much as $43 million per year.
All in all, a good night's work for our legislators!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Birthday!
Yes, today (Wednesday) is my birthday. Please send cake. Chocolate is preferred, but most other flavors gladly accepted, as long as coconut isn't involved. Feel free to enjoy the coconut yourself.
Thanks! :-)
Thanks! :-)
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
You can't judge a book (buyer)....
Yesterday at work I had a customer who needed some help finding some books. This customer was obviously Jewish, Orthodox, maybe a rabbi. So what was he looking for? Well, first he wanted a book on rollerblading. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything in stock, so we moved on. Next up was an astronomy magazine. Once we had that in hand, we found a book on...fencing! No, I don't mean selling stolen merchandise, I mean fencing with swords.
Now that's a pretty eclectic mix for anyone, but the whole incident reminded me never to assume anything about people or what their interests might be.
Now that's a pretty eclectic mix for anyone, but the whole incident reminded me never to assume anything about people or what their interests might be.
