Found all the copies of Harbingers hidden behind the faced out books at my local Borders. Rearranged that section appropriately before I left, hehehe...

And off to a great start!! Told friends and family not to bug me for a few days...

Found all the copies of Harbingers hidden behind the faced out books at my local Borders. Rearranged that section appropriately before I left, hehehe...

And off to a great start!! Told friends and family not to bug me for a few days...

Borders, Lon? Of course those desperados were found wanting. Come to B&N Lincoln Triangle. You'll find me on my lunch break down in the Fiction section, grabbing valued customers by their ties and asking in a suave voice, "You wanna get hurt? Of course not! Who wants to get hurt? All you gotta do is buy this copy of HARBINGERS and I'll forget I ever saw you. What could be fairer?"

No kidding. I'd pick a B&N any day, but Borders is the only game in town over here Rotten Groton way. And as for your sales technique?

You had me at "You wanna get hurt?"

I always tell my staff, "Have a pen on you--we need one in our work." And the Valued Customers ask every day for a pen and a piece of paper. I just get tired of it. "You need a pen, do yez? From where I stand, you don't look like you could write an IOU. So why not fuck off and make your way to Borders. You'll find your kind there."

Let's see... When I go Barnes & Noble, which I probably do about once a week or so, I don't actually think about carrying a pen and/or a piece of paper with me. If I was travelling there from the office, I might have one on me anyway, but I don't actually go to an office, anymore -- and I don't dress up to go to work because I just kick my legs up on my desk (which has dozens of pens) and turn on the computer. Voila! I'm at work.

So when I go to Barnes & Noble, I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt. During the winter, I'm wearing jeans and a shirt.

I probably don't look like I could write an IOU.

I could stop in at Staples just before stopping at Barnes & Noble to pick up some pens (it's just a few doors down), but... ...it wouldn't even occur to me that I might need a pen or something to write on.

Of course, I can't figure out exactly what I would need to write down while I'm at Barnes & Nobles. Hell, they don't even have computers that customers can use to locate a type of book that you just can't find without bugging the "Valued Salesperson" (like Borders does)...

But it would be nice if, when I asked for a pen while speaking to the Valued Salesperson at Barnes & Noble (if I ever do), I didn't now have this image of the Barnes & Noble Valued Salesperson's secret quiet bubbling steaming resentment irrevocably stuck in my head.

No kidding. I'd pick a B&N any day, but Borders is the only game in town over here Rotten Groton way. And as for your sales technique?

You had me at "You wanna get hurt?"

Well, Lon, the store manager has been known to say to the new hires,
"Who'd like to work on the 3rd Floor with Bluesman Mike?" The weaklings shudder. The stout men and women say, "Third Floor sounds good. Closer to God that way."

Let's see... When I go Barnes & Noble, which I probably do about once a week or so, I don't actually think about carrying a pen and/or a piece of paper with me. If I was travelling there from the office, I might have one on me anyway, but I don't actually go to an office, anymore -- and I don't dress up to go to work because I just kick my legs up on my desk (which has dozens of pens) and turn on the computer. Voila! I'm at work.

So when I go to Barnes & Noble, I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt. During the winter, I'm wearing jeans and a shirt.

I probably don't look like I could write an IOU.

I could stop in at Staples just before stopping at Barnes & Noble to pick up some pens (it's just a few doors down), but... ...it wouldn't even occur to me that I might need a pen or something to write on.

Of course, I can't figure out exactly what I would need to write down while I'm at Barnes & Nobles. Hell, they don't even have computers that customers can use to locate a type of book that you just can't find without bugging the "Valued Salesperson" (like Borders does)...

But it would be nice if, when I asked for a pen while speaking to the Valued Salesperson at Barnes & Noble (if I ever do), I didn't now have this image of the Barnes & Noble Valued Salesperson's secret quiet bubbling steaming resentment irrevocably stuck in my head.

Auskar, if you had as many Valued Customers walk off with the damn pen they "borrowed" from you because they couldn't be bothered to equip themselves for the World when they stepped out in the morning, you might be as uh, "realistic" as I've become.

Always take 2 Bic pens and dental floss on the airplane. Makes a great garrote.

Hopefully, you've only got one target to take down if that is the weapon you are depending on. I recommend you go to Bluesman's favorite Barnes & Noble and purchase this leather object about seven or eight inches long that is weighted on both ends. Its intended use is to hold a book open while you're reading it without using hands. But I wouldn't want to be whacked in the side of the head with one end.

Make sure you ask to borrow a pen.

Well, Lon, the store manager has been known to say to the new hires,
"Who'd like to work on the 3rd Floor with Bluesman Mike?" The weaklings shudder. The stout men and women say, "Third Floor sounds good. Closer to God that way."

Makes sense to me...

Shorter trip to heaven for those who pi$$ him off!