Short Snaps

The Source had a short article about a 'nationally' known rock band getting a small turnout in the mid week. I'm wondering if this isn't the real state of affairs in Bend.

I'm beginning to refer to the last 5 years as 'the illusion.' I wave my hand vaguely out at the world outside my store, and say, "It's all an illusion, you know."

What the real world will bring us will probably be somewhere between what Bend was 10 years ago, and what it was 2 years ago, and where that line is going to fall is anyone's guess.


I've been wondering how many Real Estate people bought the book, The Secret?


You know how the blind have won a lawsuit against the federal government because money isn't made for them to read? The federal government has really done a crappy job of making money. I'm thinking of suing, too.

They haven't made enough of it.


Every time I see an ad for the stripper club, The Fan, I have the same reaction. Wasn't that a movie about a stalker?


The article about the CTC and the Tower Theater was the most "damning with faint praise" article I've ever read. He couldn't have slammed the arrangement more by directly attacking it. Ouch.


Starbucks opened too many stores too fast? "The company was determined to meet its growth promises to Wall Street..." Yeah, them and every other corporate chain.....it's all ponzi schemes, I tell you.


I can't believe it: The Redmond airport passenger boardings were up by half a percent, but the Bulletin headline said "...boardings flatten." I can't believe they missed the opportunity to say, "Boardings increase!"


"Bank files $8.7suit against Bend builder.

"Keybank has again taken legal action against a homebuilder in Bend, this time suing Vernon Palmer Inc, the Parent company of Palmer Homes...."

Just add to that this from the Oregonian yesterday:

“Barry Caplan, a Portland bankruptcy lawyer working for Trinity, said the company’s ability to borrow money was restricted by the failure of two large customers to keep current on their bills. One of those customers was Renaissance Custom Homes, which owes Trinity more than $1 million, according to bankruptcy documents.

Paul-doh R.I.P. roll is going to get full.


Wow. Micheal Turner, comic book artist, made the national obituaries. We've made the big time, we just don't know it until we're gone.


I enjoyed the Wanted, and was actually surprised that the comic was followed for at least the first third or so; and the tone was similar. As one of my customer's said, the movie was almost a satire on action movies the way the comic was a satire on comics... I find it amusing that critics point out how 'unrealistic' bending bullets is -- like other actions flicks are believable? Die Hard? Indiana Jones? We can believe a man can fly, but not that bullets can be bent? Hmmmmm


I've taken to saying, if I was starting a bookstore/comic store/toy store/ anything store today, I might go about it completely differently. Or rethink doing it at all.
I think technology is going to completely change the retail world in the next decade.

But I think I can make it to the end of my career without becoming completely obsolete.


Every time I drive to the grocery to buy food I'm so glad we have inflation "under control."