Posts (page 2)

146 days...

until the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in theaters.

I've put a countdown on my sidebar.

Not that I'm counting anything.  Nah.  Not at all.  Er, I mean...

Oh, langlock to all of you! :D

Dear whatever-higher-up-chooses-the-music-that-will-be-played-in-our-store,

You, sir, are either a raving and incompetent idiot or have severe mind-altering substance issues.  I sort of hope that it's the latter, because there is hope in such a situation: you may seek treatment.  If it is the former, you are probably reproducing.

The Native American chants were annoying as all get out, and not a single CD of those chants sold for the two and a half bleeding months that we were forced to inflict that upon ourselves and our innocent (for the most part) customers.

The Josh Groban Christmas CD was just plain nauseating.  Look, the little old ladies who are old enough to be his mother will buy his wretched CDs whether or not we play his tiresome music (some of the remarks they make about his physique are just creepy), and the booksellers will be oh-so-happy if they neverevereverever have to listen to his rendition of "Silent Night" again.  His Christmas CD, though, was a joy to listen to compared to that "off-balance washing machine mating with an abused phonograph" noise propagated by the the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Neil Diamond's latest offering is possibly his worst to date--and that's saying something.  Even his fans can't stand it.  And I've had to listen to it for WEEKS.

Finally, the B-52s may or may not be a talented punk rock group.  I wouldn't know, not being punk rock sort of person.  Any song, however, that includes the clearly-spoken lyrics "there's a rest stop, let's hit the _ spot, pull the car over, pull the car over/keep doing what you're doing 'cause you're doing it right/keep doing what you're doing 'cause it's what I like! /PULL THE CAR OVER !" is less than ideal for a family store.  That racket going on during Storytime?  Nice.  Very nice.  Not.

One of the latest selections just might beat Joshie, the Trans-Siberian Orchestcrap, Neil and even the B-52s to the title of Most Gosh-Awful Song On The Store's Required Listening.

In the names of various and assorted deities, what made you think that a CD that includes a bonus yodeling track would be a good idea?

I realize that you aren't going to have us play opera.  Fine.  I accept that.  Comparatively speaking, not many people like opera.  Plus, it's hard to talk over.  I mean, if (fill in diva of choice) is dying extensively while singing an E-flat, it's a bit hard to concentrate on a transaction or a customer question.  This is understandable.

But could we go with something instrumental?  Or a non-rap, non-popera-rock, non-obscure-religious-ceremony vocalist?  Sarah Vaughn?  Ella Fitzgerald?  Dean Martin?  Showtunes, or Bach, or Mozart, or Handel?

No?

Could we just agree on "no more yodeling?"

Is it asking so much?

Love,

A Bookseller

PS-I really should remember that it could be worse.  After all, there was the Christmas that the store at which I was employed played "Alvin and the Chipmunks Sing Christmas" from October- February.  Did I mention that this store had but ONE music tape at a time?

In a ruling earlier today that caused several founding fathers to posthumously slap their foreheads and say, "Well, DUH!" the Supreme Court decided that "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed"  actually means that the right to keep and bear arms sodding well shouldn't be, well, infringed.

One can now own a handgun for self defense in Washington D.C.  As Justice Antonin Scalia pointed out, a handgun can be "pointed at a burglar with one hand while the other hand dials the police."  (Heh.)

Justice Stephen Breyer disagreed by saying that, "In my view, there simply is no untouchable constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment to keep loaded handguns in the house in crime-ridden urban areas."

Personally, I'd think that a crime-ridden area might have its crime rate reduced if various lawbreaking individuals had to think about the fact that if they broke into someone's house to rape/murder/loot/pillage, that person could well have a gun and know how to use it.  If I lived in a "crime-ridden urban area" (my neighborhood, incidentally, is getting worse by the minute) then I'd want a way to protect my life other than call the police and wait for ten minutes. 

Someone who intends to kill another human being is not going to be troubled about whether or not he has a license to own the tool he will use to kill that person, be the tool a handgun, an assault rifle, or a rock. 

Those of us who are law-abiding, however, will go through the waiting period, the background check, and the required classes.  We are more likely to think through the results of our actions.  We do not want to kill anyone with this weapon unless we or our loved ones are threatened.  We ask not to be expected to have to wait minutes for the police to respond (assuming that we are able to call for help) when someone wants to kill us THIS SECOND.

My father has often told the story of a discussion he once had with a retired police officer.  This officer had been on the same beat for thirty years in a mid-sized city.  He said that he had never drawn his gun on the street, and that he had never even so much as laid a hand on it in any situation.  When asked why, the officer replied that he would never touch his gun unless he intended to draw it, would never draw it unless he intended to fire it, and would never fire it unless he intended to kill someone because that was the only way to save his life or that of another person's.  This officer also frequently won marksmanship competitions in his city. 

That is an example of what an officer's mindset should be.  It should also be a description of private gun ownership. 

Know how to use it if ever, God forbid, you have to--and the only way to be sufficiently familiar with a gun is regular range time. 

Do not take that responsibility lightly; no matter how justified you may be in killing someone, it will affect you profoundly.

But have it there, so that if you must use it, you can.

We have the right to self-defense, which is about as fundamental a right as exists.

 To my surprise, the Supreme Court recognized that.  Good for them.

I've been meaning to blog about this phenomenom for some time.

Would you believe that in the year or so that I've worked at The Bookstore, I have yet to have one difficult day on which I've gone to work and a diva or friend has not shown up and given me a hug--despite the fact that they could have had no prior knowledge that I was having such a day or just plain needed a hug?  Indeed, a particular little diva from overseas even manages to time her letters perfectly!  On Black Friday (or Saturday--can't remember which I worked--it was all a blur) at least two stopped by!

A well-timed diva stopped by The Bookstore two days ago, and I decided that this was no longer so much a phenomenom as it was a regular occurence!

Diva love back at you all.

I've been using this for a few weeks now, and have had very good results.  As always, YMMV; bear in mind that curly, wavy, and/or coarse hair is more likely to react well to oil than thin hair.  Jojoba oil is very similar chemically to human sebum, so it works better than most oils on most types of hair.

You'll need:

1 empty 16-oz bottle

8 oz thick conditioner (if you want to add essential oils, I HIGHLY recommend that you use an unscented conditioner; there are some available at Sally's, health food stores, and even the occasional drugstore)

2 TB jojoba oil

Various essential oils

4 oz water, preferably filtered

Put the conditioner in the bottle--the easiest way is to just fill the bottle halfway with conditioner.  Add the jojoba oil and filtered water.  If you use essential oils, add those; I suggest about 10-15 drops of each type.  Shake briefly.  Put in microwave and heat on regular heat for 1 minute, making certain that the lid of the conditioner bottle is open.  Stop the microwave every 15 seconds and (making equally certain to close the lid first) shake briskly.  If you don't shake it the stuff will curdle; if you don't heat it it won't mix properly, if you leave the lid closed while heating it the bottle may explode, and if you leave the lid open while shaking it, your microwave/counter/fish tank/floor/refrigerator/cupboard will be well conditioned. 

Use on wet hair for washing (if you just use conditioner for washing, as I do) or conditioning as usual.

As far as essential oils go, you probably don't want to use them in a scented conditioner because it may not smell at all good.  Imagine hibiscus-scented conditioner mixed with tea tree oil.   Think tomcats arguing over a particular area.  Yes, it does smell that bad.  Trust me.

However, if you want to use essential oils in an unscented conditioner (or one that is scented with the same or a similar/complimentary scent) the following are ones you might consider.

Rosemary: supposed to stimulate hair growth, pleasant smell.  Blondes should use sparingly, as it may darken hair over time.  Goes well with lavender, rose geranium, and tea tree oils.  Do NOT use if you have a pine allergy, as rosemary is in the pine family.

Lavender: supposed to stimulate hair growth; also considered soothing.  Goes well with rose geranium and rosemary.

Rose geranium: smells like roses, considerably cheaper than rose essential oil.  Use very sparingly, as this has an exceedingly powerful smell.  Goes well with lavender and rosemary.

Thyme: supposed to stimulate hair growth, mild antifungal.  This oil is best used alone; us it with rosemary, and you'll smell like baked chicken (admittedly a pleasant smell, but not necessarily what you want to remind people of as you walk past).

Tea tree: EXCELLENT antifungal; if you have flakes or an inflamed scalp, try this.  It has a not unpleasant medicinal scent, which goes particularly well with rosemary.  I'll usually use a bit more of this than others when I use it; think 15-20 drops rather than the 10-15.

These are just a few; there are plenty more out there with which I'm just not familiar. 

Every semester I've been at college I've heard the whining, howling, moaning and general angst that occurs at book-buying time.  Yes, college texts are ridiculously expensive.  Yes, the textbook companies will put out a new edition every other year and have the primary change in the new edition be a subsitution of one synonym for another or some such nonsense.  After all, if they have a greater number of purchasable texts on the market (the more years a book has been available, the more copies will be available used) then the price that they receive for each text drops to anywhere from slightly-less-unreasonable to nothing.  This demonstrates a fairly basic marketing principle: the smaller the supply and higher the demand, the more money can be charged for each unit of the supply.

Do a little research ahead of time, however, and watch your prices drop.

First of all, never, EVER, EVER buy a textbook from the college bookstore.

Any bookstore that charges $200 for a book you'll use for one semester and $120 for a used edition of that book is making entirely too much money off of you. 

Ideally, email the instructor and request the ISBN, the edition number, the title of the textbook, and the author (s) thereof.  Do this, at the latest, a month before classes start.  This will accomplish two things.  First, the professor will know that you give a darn about your classes and that you won't be that student who shows up sans text for the first two weeks of class.  Second, it will get you the information you need.

Some professors will not or can not give you this information.  In the latter case, some professors are actually told by administration that they shouldn't give you this information because if they do, you will not purchase the book at the campus bookstore. 

If you must go to the campus bookstore to get this information, bring a course schedule with the course codes on it.  A course code will tell you and the bookstore employee exactly which English 101 section of the five hundred offered on your campus you are taking, and which book the instructor has requested for the class. 

Having been taken to the book neeeded for that English 101 class, make sure it actually is the correct book.  Look at the tab under the stack of texts.  It should list your section number.  Verify this for yourself; the bookstore employee has been there for the last twelve hours and may, believe it or not, make a mistake.

If the tab does have your section listed on it, pick up the book and turn over the first page.  On this page will be listed all the information you need.  Write down ALL of it, even if it seems redundant.  ISBN, edition number, title, author (s).

Occasionally (or frequently, depending on your campus) the bookstore employee will tell you that you "can't do that."  Well, actually, you can.  If they tell you differently, cite the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and point out that this is a form of trade restriction.  If you'd prefer not to get into a legal argument and do have a few hundred bucks available, bring the title up to the front of the store and purchase it.  THEN write down the information, hand the book and receipt back to the cashier, and say, "I want to return this."  Do not leave the store or even the register while you do this lest you be accused of switching books.

Once you have this information, get online.  Abebooks.com has thousands of reputable booksellers from all around the world.  Alibris.com, ebay.com, and half.com are also good.  Amazon and Barnes and Noble have recently started to offer used books through their websites as well.   Of all the used book sites, I've usually found abebooks to be the best as it simply has more booksellers than anyone else.  Note I say "usually;" shop around for an unexpected bargain.   Ebay sellers, for examply, will often combine shipping or offer free shipping; certain abebooks sellers offer free shipping as well.

You will find that most texts are available used and for anywhere from 25%-75% cheaper than in those bookstores.

The best source of cheap textbooks is often the UK.  Now, you will pay extra shipping and it will take longer to get a book from overseas; that's why you need this information a month or so in advance, and also why if you order a text from another country you should consider expedited shipping.  Expedited shipping only costs a few dollars more and is worth every penny: your package will get through customs considerably faster.  The reason that textbooks are often cheaper in the UK is that international editions are sold in the UK.  They are not sold in the US.

International editions are identical in nearly every way--word for word, picture for picture--to the edition you'll find here in the US.  The only differences will be that the cover may look slightly different, and the price will be considerably lower.  Also, if this textbook isn't a book you'll be referencing again, consider getting it in paperback.

When selecting a textbook from a used-book dealer, look at the description of the condition of the book.  "New" means just that.  "Good" means that the book has been read or used, but that there is no writing or torn pages.  "Fine" means that the book may be a bit battered.  "Acceptable" generally means a fair amount of writing or underlining that does not obscure the text.  "Poor" means that pages are missing, that some of the print is illegible, or that the binding is in bad condition.  I recommend getting a book that is in at least "fine" condition; notes on the pages are rarely understandable by or helpful for anyone but the writer.

In my first year in college, I needed a textbook for a chemistry class.  The used price at the campus bookstore was $160.  Including shipping, I paid $30 for a brand-new (shrinkwrapped), paperbacked, international edition.  Except for the slightly different paper cover, this book was exactly the same book that my classmates used.  At the end of the semester, I sold it to another student for $60.  He paid considerably less than he would have at the bookstore, and I made a $30 profit.  Granted, this was a fairly common Intro to Chemistry text.  However, by using this method, I usually pay less than half of what the college bookstore charges for their used texts and sometimes make money off of my used texts. 

If your textbook is a brand-new edition, email the professor and ask if you can use the previous edition.  Sometimes this will be acceptable; sometimes it will not. Humanities professors are more likely to allow you to use the previous edition than their math or science counterparts: while math or physics problems may (and probably will) change from edition to edition, Flannery O'Connor's short stories are going to remain Flannery O'Connor's short stories. 

If it seems that this is a book that you won't need very often for the class, check with the library and see if it is on reserve there.  Many teachers will place a text on reserve in order to allow students who can't afford an unnecessary text access to that text.

Finally, if you must purchase a new textbook, consider getting it through a source other than the college bookstore.  You may still save a few dollars, particularly if you have a coupon that you can use on textbooks (check the fine print).  Ask if it is cheaper to have the book shipped directly to your home rather than to the store, as part of the price you pay for a book is the salaries of those who handle it.  You may save $25 or $30 by having the book shipped directly to your home, and most stores will offer free shipping on orders (new books, that is; this doesn't usually apply to used books) that are greater than $25.

In short:

-If at all possible, don't buy your text from the college bookstore.

-Get your textbook information at least a month before the beginning of the semester.

-Before you order your book online, verify ALL information: ISBN, edition number, title, author(s).  If in doubt, email the bookseller.

-Consider choosing expedited shipping for internationally-ordered books.  This can cut wait time from four weeks to two weeks, and costs only a few dollars more.  Remember that international packages must go through customs.

-If the edition you need is new, ask the professor if you can use the previous edition.

-If you won't need the textbook very often, see if it is on reserve at the campus library.

-Try selling your old textbooks to other students, rather than the bookstore.  You'll make more money, and the other students will save more money. 

-Even if you must get a new textbook, go to a chain bookstore rather than the college bookstore.  Exhaust your discount options: ask about free shipping, ask if the ship-to-home price is cheaper, and, if you can find a coupon that doesn't exclude textbooks, use it.

For those of you who are not college students or professors, ratemyprofessor.com is a website on which one can anonymously rate and comment upon the professors whose classes one has taken.

In theory, this is very helpful.  I wish that I had known about it during my first semester, when I had a speech teacher who not only spent most of the class talking about his particular brand of politics but also told me that I shouldn't use Plato, Paine or Jefferson in a speech about important books because such individuals and their writings were "irrelevant" to today's student body.  American Idol, however, was relevant.  Heaven help us all. 

Despite near-perfect attendance and completion of all assignments, I barely scraped by with a B.  The professor finished the semester by telling me that I would argue more successfully if I didn't cite "obscure and unknown" sources.  As those sources included the Declaration of Independence and various historic facts, I took that remark for what it was worth.  I also wrote in to ratemyprofessor and gave, I think, a fair rating.  He did give papers back promptly and was always available during office hours. He also managed to teach us little or nothing regarding public speaking.  I mentioned both of those facts in my rating.

Looking up various professors for next semester, I am amazed and discouraged by the mediocrity of the comments.  Writing "i cant bleve she gave me a c, she doesnt work with you at ALL and makes you lern grammer an stuff, u have to go to her class or u will never catch up, dont take her if u want a good grade, she's HOT tho!!!!" regarding an English professor...well, it speaks for itself. 

I registered for classes with several professors whose ratings were not very good at all, including the one who's ratings were paraphrased above.  It sounded to me as though those teachers were, quite frankly, teachers.  That's what I want.  That having been said, I deliberately avoided one teacher whose ratings indicated that he spent more time giving political rants than he spent teaching composition.

Teachers: the classroom is not your pulpit.  Socratic debate within your field is a fantastic way for students to learn.   Helping students learn is your job.  Subjecting students to prolonged political/religious/antireligious spiels each week while refusing private or public debate is not.  Save it for the faculty lounge or your living room.

(happy sigh)

While nothing--and I do mean NOTHING--beats the experience of actually browsing a used-book store--I'm willing to settle for the online version when I can get such deals as I have today.

For $35 (and that includes shipping) I have purchased fourteen books.  You do the math.  Subtract about $10, as I already owned many of these books in paperback and intend to sell them back to the local Half Price Books.

I do not buy books that I will not reread or reference at some point, so I decided a few months ago to go all-hardback whenever possible.  If it's a brand-new book that I may not wish to purchase but do want to read, then I'll borrow a copy from my store or go to the library. 

All of the books I purchased are hardback, unabridged (duh), and in good condition.  Good condition, in the used-book industry, means that while it has been opened a few times, there are no tears, no marks (unless noted, and then it'll be something minor like a name written on the flyleaf), and the binding is tight.  I think that some of these may have dust jackets, but I honestly don't care about dust jackets.  I'm of the opinion that books usually look better without them.

So, what did I get?

-all seven of the Jane Austen novels.  I own at least one in paperback, and will sell it back.  I was forced to read Pride and Prejudice at the age of ten or so, and detested it.  However, they are classics, and I'm willing to try again with a more mature viewpoint.  Besides, being classics, they belong in any library.

-My Name is Asher Lev, The Gift of Asher Lev, The Chosen, and The Promise by Chaim Potok.  I own all of these in paperback already (the Asher Levs in trade paper and the others in mass market), and will (of course) resell them.  I love all these books and reread them every summer.  While The Chosen is probably Potok's most famous book, I've always preferred (slightly) the Lev books.

-Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, and The Story of the Amulet by Edith Nesbit (usually referred to as E. Nesbit).  This edition has the original and marvelous Millar pen-and-ink illustrations.  I own all of these in paperback, but can't seem to find the first.  (shrug)  Again, I'll resell them.  Nesbit is rather neglected now, but she was one of the first juvenile fantasy writers.  She also was somewhat revolutionary in her day in that she felt that the Edwardian treatment of the poor and non-white was inherently wrong--as it was.  She brings this into her books without being at all preachy.

So, off to actually get a bit of housecleaning done before selling some books.  Yay!

Good grief.

A little backstory:

About a month ago, I built myself a beee-yooo-teee-ful new bookcase.  I was smugly proud of myself.  I sanded the wooded, used power tools, and finished off with two coats of a rich cherry/mahogany stain.  It was about three feet wide and six feet high.

There's just one little problem.

It's full.

As is the bookcase in my room, which takes up an entire floor-to-ceiling-corner-to-corner wall.  Admittedly, I have a small room, and there's a TV in the middle of that bookcase.  Furthermore, most of the books on the new bookcase were offloaded from the bedroom bookcase; those shelves were so stuffed that I was having a hard time finding anything that I neededl.  Still.  Egads.

Now I'm vaguely contemplating building another set of shelves for school-related items: backpack/messenger bag, school supplies, folders, textbooks, lesson tapes, et all.  I'm thinking something a bit shorter (say, 3 feet high) but wider (perhaps 4 feet?) than the last project.  This would give me three shelves on which I could store oh-so-much that tends to end up on the coffeetable.  I've still got all the leftover supplies from the last one, and the wood wouldn't cost that much....

The question is...where, in this little house, could I PUT such a thing without constantly bumping into it?

Of course, non-bibliophiles would say that the question is "Why the $*&^% do you need more shelves?  You'll just get more books!"

Silly people :P

Me, scanning and bagging books: "Ah, the Guide to Texas Snakes."  (joking)  "Found a snake in your backyard?"

Customer: "Actually, yes.  It's for my dad.  He saw this six-foot long snake in his creek and wanted to know what kind it was."

Me, eyes bugging out: "Six...feet...long....?"

Her: "Yeah.  He wasn't sure if it was maybe a foreign snake that someone released, or just a really big local one."

Me, eyes still bugging out: "......"

Her: "He has a shotgun--"

Me:  "Personally, I'd pass 'shotgun' and go straight for 'small nuclear device.'"