Rockchuck buffet.

Well, that was fun. Bend lovers and haters -- actually, remove the hyperbole and there really wasn't that much room between them.

Bend's got its problems, but it's still a pretty nice place to live.

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My garden is finally starting to show a few blooms. My plants really do seem to come in a month later than anywhere else.

For awhile there, I wasn't sure I was going to get to mow the lawn again before it got out of control. Aprils showers SUX, especially when they come in June.

Meanwhile, between bunnies and rockchucks, a goodly percentage of my backyard plants are retarded by nibbles. Thank god the deer can't get back there.

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"City Sees a Rise in Building Activity."

It's a nasty job, but here goes:

Yes, the percentages look impressive until you realize that the smaller the number, the easier it is to have impressive increases. 1 + 1 is a 100% increase, after all.

Just saying.

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Talking about numbers being misleading.

There are some articles about how the New 52 DC comics have fallen back to previous DC levels and how it's a failure.

Well, I can tell you from my perspective and from the perspective of most retailers I read, it was a success. No, I take that back. It was...a HUGE success.

It shook up the industry just when we needed it. Maybe the DC numbers have fallen back (my own DC sales are still considerably higher than before the events...) but comics overall are seeing a large increase.

It's one of those cases where the bean-counters are likely to miss the whole picture. Sometimes there isn't a one to one relationship between sales of a specific title and it's effect on the overall sales in the store.

Can't explain it more than that.

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That's it. I'm going to read Dances with Dragons on vacation.

Linda let loose a Spoiler, which she tried to cover up as "well, I thought YOU told me that..." but which I suspect is true.

I'm a guy who actually walks out of the theater when a Hobbit or Prometheus promo comes on, walks the hallway with my fingers in my ears because the freakin' promo seems to be following me on screens in hallway and speakers in the bathroom.

Anyway, I'd better read D with D before someone else tells me who died.

Because with Martin, I'm pretty sure someone dies.

Well, thousands die, but you know, someone major.

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If you're going to try to kill the King you had better succeed.

(I'm talking national politics here, not George R.R. Martin.)

That's all I'll say.

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All stocked for summer.

Large toy order. More sports cards than ever, even more manga and anime.

Magic fully stocked. Lots and lots of graphic novels.

A huge new book order, filling in all the holes. A very large boardgame order, as well.

Let it rip!