The SanFran independent bookstores did a study that found that money spent in their stores generated 54 million for the local economy; money spent at the chain bookstores and internet generated 8 million.

Hey, spend more money locally, so I can locally purchased a sprinkler system and lawn!

I found out that putting in a full lawn and sprinkler system could cost as much as 5 thou.
Even if it is half that much, that's too much for me. I'm slowly but surely preparing the back of the house for a lawn. I'm going to try to seed it about June 1, and then nurse it like a baby for the rest of summer. I don't have animals or kids, and its fully fenced, so I have a reasonable shot at doing it right. Buy some sprinklers that mist. Thing is, it will cost me what? less than a hundred for grass seed?

If it doesn't take, no harm done, I'll hire a full crew next summer the rip it up and put in sprinklers and sod.


I've been enjoying Heroes and Lost. Last week's Heroes, where they go into the future, was very much like many modern comics in tone and pace....I liked it. It helps when its an 'out of time' story where anyone can die and anything can happen. Jason, who commented on this blog about rediscovering comics, was mentioning how intimidating the continuity of mainstream comics can be. Which is why Astro City, which is distilled superhero tropes without the continuity, is a great, literary entry for anyone who wants to discover the appeal of comics.

Personally, I read very few comics that require continuity. (Superhero.) Joss Whedon writes a great X-Men comic that stands apart, you can read most mini-series without knowing everything there is to know about a particular universe. And there are plenty of good independent comics that don't require years of knowledge. Vertigo titles are great for getting a quick, fun read.

My newest theory on Lost is that the island is infested with nano bots, who have gained consciousness. They can fix who they want, kill who they want, reanimate corpses, even take on the shapes of things and creatures for awhile. There is a force field surrounding the island which the nano bots have either taken over or are trying to find a way around.

Sorry about the magnum opus yesterday. At least I got it out of my system.