Posted on January 15, 2013January 5, 2013 by the coffee philosopher

Bookstores Past

The fine blogger of The Bookshop Blog wrote ‘Remembrances of Bookstores Past.’

Like her, I remember a mystery bookstore – though mine was in Santa Monica. I was never a big reader of mysteries, but the store stuck out because I my mother loves mysteries and when she came to visit, I made a special effort to take her there.

While trapped in New York City, near Columbus Circle, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Rizzoli’s while far afield and have great respect and affection for the selection I found there. Nothing better than a well curated bookstore.

Posted on January 10, 2013January 10, 2013 by the coffee philosopher

D–n It

This sucks.

The Barnes & Noble inside Union Station is closing.

I know it’s not very big, but it actually had a very good magazine section with lots of interesting literary and academic journals and an underrated collection of science fiction.

And, it was only a mile way. I could walk to it quite easily.

Man this sucks.

Posted on January 6, 2013January 3, 2013 by the coffee philosopher

Pricey Used Books

Casino-Royale-Ian-Fleming So AbeBooks has released a list of the most expensive used books sold in 2012.

The first place this year is occupied by Johann Bayer’s 1603 celestial atlas, which sold for $47,729.

Number two was, apparently, an inscribed copy of Ian Fleming’s first Bond book, Casino Royale.

Posted on January 4, 2013December 19, 2012 by the coffee philosopher

Weekend Reading – Selling Yourself

Selling your e-book in the brave new world.

Let’s hope not.

Kids don’t need to learn how to ‘read’ any more than they need to understand ‘critical thinking.’ Pfft. Silly whiny liberals, always wanting kids to ‘understand’ and ‘think’ and ‘explore the world of ideas.’

A museum of math.

The terrorist and the invented language.

Posted on January 2, 2013January 2, 2013 by the coffee philosopher · 1 Comment

Two Bets

Two figures are currently the de facto frontrunners for the still non-existent 2016 GOP presidential nomination contest: Wisconsin wunderkind and math-challenged pseudo-intellectual, Paul Ryan; and the man constitutionally incapable of balancing his own checkbook, Florida’s favorite cipher, Marco Rubio.

Rubio made his career on the successful bet that, in a Republican primary, Tea Party dog whistles could derail one of Florida’s biggest political giants. As one of of only eight Senators to vote against the first step in averting the so-called fiscal cliff, Rubio doubled down on that bet.

Oddly, it was Ryan who went the other way. Ryan made his career by churning out factually suspect and arithmetically inaccurate reams of paper that purport to provide political heft to the economic and budgetary delusions of the far right. Yet… it was Ryan who made the daring bet that things would be different in 2016. That he could win his party’s presidential nomination and also cast votes based on some tenuous grasp of the fiscal situation at hand. It was a bold move, and I’m sure there was some behind the scenes wrangling with Boehner (maybe involving threats to Ryan’s continued chairmanship of the Budget Committee? I don’t know, I’m guessing), but it was still an interesting and bold gambit.

In short, Rubio bets that the GOP stays crazy for the forseeable future, while Ryan bets that (necessary) political evolution will speed up in time for his to make a play for the nod.

I never thought I’d say this, but I hope Ryan’s right.

Posted on December 29, 2012 by the coffee philosopher

Darn It, Hobby Lobby!

I like Hobby Lobby. I mean, no, it’s a mom and pop place, but it was one of the highlights of certain shopping excursions.

My better half would drag me a to fabric store that was next to a Borders (now a Books a Million; thankfully, there’s still a bookstore in the spot) and then to Hobby Lobby. I loved looking at the sketchbooks and the easels.

It turns out that the management of Hobby Lobby are collective a–hats.

They are suing to deny contraceptive coverage to their employees.

I understand the owner’s religious objections. In my personal life, my partner and I do not, in accordance with my Catholic faith, use contraception. That’s our choice. And if she decided to take birth control pills, that’s also her choice. Her religious beliefs do not require adherence to the non-practice of contraception.

And Hobby Lobby’s spokespeople and lawyers are talking like they’re going to dig in their heels on this one.

Posted on December 14, 2012December 14, 2012 by the coffee philosopher

How Awesome Is This?

One of Alex Wells' illustrations of the Folio Society edition of The Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Illustration: Alex Wells — One of Alex Wells’ illustrations of the Folio Society edition of The Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Illustration: Alex Wells

Oh. And Merry Christmas.

Anyway, important stuff. Paul Krugman goes into more detail about how Isaac Asimov has been his touchstone (he also mentions liking Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy cycle, The Wheel of Time; in other words, Krugman is a serious geek, down to the very fiber of his being).