I'm not going to lie. It's hard out here for a bookseller.
(Used to be that I would have specified "independent" booksellers but that's no longer the case. Borders is in trouble; Barnes & Noble might resuscitate themselves with the Nook, but they could easily lose the war to Google and Amazon.)
First, it was the corporation bookstores like the aforementioned. Then, online selling began to eat into everyone's profits. Finally, e-books seemed to threaten our very existence.
Today, I learned the amazing fact that Google is making deals with independent bookstores to sell e-books in brick-and-mortar stores.
This is a watershed moment. Though e-books are not my cup of tea, I recognize their incredible usefulness, especially to lighten students' textbook loads. They are here to stay. However, I've also been hearing from customers, friends, and family that they will mourn the day when actual bookstores close. Now, it seems, bookstores may survive digitization in a way that music stores, for the most part, have not.
Who knows why Google has decided to support bookstores? Perhaps it is a PR move or perhaps someone in the company leadership is one of those who do not want us to disappear.
I will be contacting them in the morning to see if it's feasible and practical for us to sign up for this program. I'll let you know what happens. E-books may come to Babbo's Books!
An article about it.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
A Holly Update - On the Up and Up!
As most of you know, it's been a real roller coaster ride with our little furball but, for once, we're climbing up into the air or zooming to the ground (whichever part of that analogy indicates good times).
I took Holly to the vet on Monday and her levels are down! (This is a good thing)
I actually took her because I was worried. She'd seemed lethargic and ornery the past week or two and then she threw up (some kind of frothy liquid - yum!) twice in three days. I was worried my girl had taken a turn for the worse. And I chided myself because I hadn't brought her to the vet in nearly a year.
So, it was finally time. Whatever the news would be, I would handle it. And if she was in pain or something was wrong, I had to take her.
We saw Dr. Caruso at Pet Haven. As soon as Holly spilled out onto the steel table, she remarked on how good she looked for a cat with kidney disease. The vet tech complimented her soft fur. My pet owner pride rose.
She was a delight, holding still for the needle and letting the vet tech hold her like a baby.
Then, the 20 minute nerve-wracking wait for the initial results of the blood work which would tell me the most important information, her BUN and creatinine levels. These are waste products excreted through the kidneys. High levels indicate kidney failure. The last time her blood was tested, her BUN was 71 and her creatinine was 6.5. Normal ranges are respectively 14 - 36 and .6 - 2.4. A cat who is in renal failure will often have a BUN level of more than 80. As for creatinine, any level over 5 is considered very dangerous. Perhaps that's why a vet we saw subtly suggested we put her down.
Thank the god I don't believe in that we didn't! Dr. Caruso called me back into the room with a smile on her face. "I'm very pleased with these numbers!"
Holly's BUN is now 48 and her creatinine is 3.9. I may have literally jumped for joy. The numbers are elevated above normal but that will always be the case for a cat with kidney disease. The important thing is what we're doing is working! Daily fluid injections, the occasional appetite stimulant, and (in the last month) prescription cat food. Dr. Caruso recommended we simply continue. She's doing great!
Speak of the devil. She just hopped up on my lap. She's been in good spirits since her trip and hasn't thrown up once. The little minx is still sleeping a lot. Apparently, it was just the heat.
My cat is happy and healthy. From now on, I look forward to vet visits!
Thanks for the continued contributions! It helps mightily; these visits, medicine and food are expensive.
Cat kidney disease information came from: http://www.felinecrf.com/tests0.htm and http://www.felinecrf.org/how_bad_is_it.htm
I took Holly to the vet on Monday and her levels are down! (This is a good thing)
I actually took her because I was worried. She'd seemed lethargic and ornery the past week or two and then she threw up (some kind of frothy liquid - yum!) twice in three days. I was worried my girl had taken a turn for the worse. And I chided myself because I hadn't brought her to the vet in nearly a year.
So, it was finally time. Whatever the news would be, I would handle it. And if she was in pain or something was wrong, I had to take her.
We saw Dr. Caruso at Pet Haven. As soon as Holly spilled out onto the steel table, she remarked on how good she looked for a cat with kidney disease. The vet tech complimented her soft fur. My pet owner pride rose.
She was a delight, holding still for the needle and letting the vet tech hold her like a baby.
Then, the 20 minute nerve-wracking wait for the initial results of the blood work which would tell me the most important information, her BUN and creatinine levels. These are waste products excreted through the kidneys. High levels indicate kidney failure. The last time her blood was tested, her BUN was 71 and her creatinine was 6.5. Normal ranges are respectively 14 - 36 and .6 - 2.4. A cat who is in renal failure will often have a BUN level of more than 80. As for creatinine, any level over 5 is considered very dangerous. Perhaps that's why a vet we saw subtly suggested we put her down.
Thank the god I don't believe in that we didn't! Dr. Caruso called me back into the room with a smile on her face. "I'm very pleased with these numbers!"
Holly's BUN is now 48 and her creatinine is 3.9. I may have literally jumped for joy. The numbers are elevated above normal but that will always be the case for a cat with kidney disease. The important thing is what we're doing is working! Daily fluid injections, the occasional appetite stimulant, and (in the last month) prescription cat food. Dr. Caruso recommended we simply continue. She's doing great!
Speak of the devil. She just hopped up on my lap. She's been in good spirits since her trip and hasn't thrown up once. The little minx is still sleeping a lot. Apparently, it was just the heat.
My cat is happy and healthy. From now on, I look forward to vet visits!
Thanks for the continued contributions! It helps mightily; these visits, medicine and food are expensive.
Cat kidney disease information came from: http://www.felinecrf.com/tests0.htm and http://www.felinecrf.org/how_bad_is_it.htm
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Salinger is dead.
On top of the expected emotions of sadness and acceptance (he was 91, after all), I feel relieved.
In high school, it occurred to me that some day he would die and that when he did "Catcher in the Rye" in a way would no longer be his and someone would make a movie out of it. In my teenage purist fashion, I thought a movie version of this book would be sacrilegious. A) Holden hates the movies and B) Nothing is phonier than Hollywood. I still feel this way but the relief comes from realizing I'm not worried or fearful about a movie translation anymore. I've grown up. They make movies out of the books I love. I don't have to see them. It doesn't destroy the book.
I fell in love with "Catcher" when I was thirteen. I remember coming into English class the day after we started the book. We were only supposed to have read the early chapters but I was so enamored I was quite far into it; my main concern that day was discussing the book without giving anything away, not wanting to ruin it for my classmates. Before I'd even put my book bag down, a girl asked me to give her a rundown on what we were supposed to have read. I was shocked. In her hands, she held a book that was changing my life. I gave her a summary. As the class began, it seemed no one was as affected as I was so I took it as a sign that me and Holden had a special relationship. Only I understood him, only I understood this book.
The brilliance, of course, of this book is that everyone feels this way, who fall in love with it. Later I would meet people who were similarly moved; it stopped surprising me by around college.
Holden, you will always hold a place in my heart. Whoever Salinger was as a person, whatever they do to your character on the screen.
In high school, it occurred to me that some day he would die and that when he did "Catcher in the Rye" in a way would no longer be his and someone would make a movie out of it. In my teenage purist fashion, I thought a movie version of this book would be sacrilegious. A) Holden hates the movies and B) Nothing is phonier than Hollywood. I still feel this way but the relief comes from realizing I'm not worried or fearful about a movie translation anymore. I've grown up. They make movies out of the books I love. I don't have to see them. It doesn't destroy the book.
I fell in love with "Catcher" when I was thirteen. I remember coming into English class the day after we started the book. We were only supposed to have read the early chapters but I was so enamored I was quite far into it; my main concern that day was discussing the book without giving anything away, not wanting to ruin it for my classmates. Before I'd even put my book bag down, a girl asked me to give her a rundown on what we were supposed to have read. I was shocked. In her hands, she held a book that was changing my life. I gave her a summary. As the class began, it seemed no one was as affected as I was so I took it as a sign that me and Holden had a special relationship. Only I understood him, only I understood this book.
The brilliance, of course, of this book is that everyone feels this way, who fall in love with it. Later I would meet people who were similarly moved; it stopped surprising me by around college.
Holden, you will always hold a place in my heart. Whoever Salinger was as a person, whatever they do to your character on the screen.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A sign that bookstores are still in our future!
The Espresso Book Machine has access to hundreds of thousands of books, both those in the public domain and off of Google.
If I got one for Babbo's, I could print book requests right here in the store in under 15 minutes.
It's a thought.
The link to the story is right here.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Book Spotlight
So, I don't know about anyone else, but for me the idea that Jews were never slaves in Egypt (as Shlomo argues), were perhaps not even servants in Egypt, were not even in Egypt at all?, deeply upsets the core of my Jewish identity. For me, Judaism is not about religion or faith. It's about history.
Passover is one of my favorite holidays. I love reading the Haggadah. I do imagine myself leaving Egypt (though in a slightly more realistic fashion). If the Passover story is a lie concocted by Jewish leaders to convince their brethren to attack Canaan (as I've heard Shlomo claims), I might have to stop being Jewish. We'll see. I'll read the book.
What do you think?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
PLEDGE DRIVE!
Drive the WBC out of Brooklyn!
(Well, not literally)
They are protesting Sunday, at St. Patrick's Cathedral from 8:30 to 9:00am. Then, they appear to be driving back to Kansas (Yay!) so they can protest a Jewish center Monday morning.
It's exactly 1,236 miles from St. Patrick's in New York, NY to K.U. Hillel in Lawrence, Kansas.
For every mile these bigots drive from our lovely city back to Kansas you can pledge 1 cent, 2 cents, 3 cents (whatever you want) to
the Anti-Defamation League or
the Southern Poverty Law Center
And we're having a party to celebrate!
All day Sunday!
Come on by to give cash or checks. I'll add them up and let everyone know the total the next day. Then I'll mail checks to the ADL and SPLC.
Click here to see their dastardly retreat.
Love, Peace, and Happiness!
(Well, not literally)
They are protesting Sunday, at St. Patrick's Cathedral from 8:30 to 9:00am. Then, they appear to be driving back to Kansas (Yay!) so they can protest a Jewish center Monday morning.
It's exactly 1,236 miles from St. Patrick's in New York, NY to K.U. Hillel in Lawrence, Kansas.
For every mile these bigots drive from our lovely city back to Kansas you can pledge 1 cent, 2 cents, 3 cents (whatever you want) to
the Anti-Defamation League or
the Southern Poverty Law Center
And we're having a party to celebrate!
All day Sunday!
Come on by to give cash or checks. I'll add them up and let everyone know the total the next day. Then I'll mail checks to the ADL and SPLC.
Click here to see their dastardly retreat.
Love, Peace, and Happiness!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Keepin' the English language alive.
Today, I became a proud parent. My child is the word "myriander". Being that the most important parental duty is keeping a child alive, I have promised to use myriander as frequently as possible. This blog post is my first time using this word, so I hope you don't mind an arbitrary sentence:
As William Wallace watched the hills, a myriander of soldiers came through the morning mist and attacked his men.
Myriander means "ten thousand men" and for some reason, when I opted to use this word, images from "Braveheart" wafted into my brain.
The people responsible for convincing me to save a word that's going out of use (not that it took much convincing, my immediate thought was "cool!") are the folks over at the Oxford English Dictionary. This was the first comprehensive dictionary ever created; they've been keeping obscure words around for hundreds of years.
Myriander obviously needs saving. Not only do the red squiggly lines appear every time I type it here, but it doesn't even show up on dictionary.com. So, I will be bringing her back to life. Won't you help? After all, it takes a village.
http://savethewords.org/
As William Wallace watched the hills, a myriander of soldiers came through the morning mist and attacked his men.
Myriander means "ten thousand men" and for some reason, when I opted to use this word, images from "Braveheart" wafted into my brain.
The people responsible for convincing me to save a word that's going out of use (not that it took much convincing, my immediate thought was "cool!") are the folks over at the Oxford English Dictionary. This was the first comprehensive dictionary ever created; they've been keeping obscure words around for hundreds of years.
Myriander obviously needs saving. Not only do the red squiggly lines appear every time I type it here, but it doesn't even show up on dictionary.com. So, I will be bringing her back to life. Won't you help? After all, it takes a village.
http://savethewords.org/
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