To contact us Click HERE
Sue's memorial service was Friday. There were sure a lot of people there: her cousins from out-of-state, plus people from the college, the bookstore, and her church.
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
3 Ocak 2013 Perşembe
tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a' (Do you speak Klingon?)
To contact us Click HERE
Do you speak Klingon?
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Jim Thompson, hero of Thailand's silk industry
To contact us Click HERE
Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand, by William Warren (TPB, 1970, $2)
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
Bringing Out Your Company's Soul At a Trade Show
To contact us Click HERE
Have you ever been bedazzled by a theatrical trailer only to find out it completely misrepresented what the movie was about? False expectations can ruin a great movie. The same is true about what your trade show display tells visitors. If your trade show booth design doesn't embody the soul of your business, you're not doing your product justice.
So here are a few tips to help you imbue your custom trade show displays with the essence of your business.
Be true to yourself. You may have the most versatile vegetable peeler in the world, but fight the urge to try to be all things to all people. Focus your collateral material, your demos, and your talking points on what you do better than anyone. You'll be surprised how many people are willing to change their demand around a well presented product with a clear purpose. In fact, people love learning about novel ways to solve familiar problems, which leads us to our next tip.
Show off something fresh and unique. No one peruses custom trade show displays looking for the coolest thing from last year. Your brand is a living thing and people want to see life and progression. This doesn't mean you have to sit out the trade show just because you haven't invented a new product in awhile. Repackage what you have. Show what else is so unique about it. Make a minor design change. Little Giant Ladders revitalized sales for their ladder systems by adding a couple little wheels to move their ladder more easily. You can reinvent your product in the visitor's mind while maintaining your brands identity.
Sell a lifestyle, not just a product. This can be a challenge for a 10' by 6' trade show booth design. But why is there such a big market for high powered blenders right now? Not because the concept of a blender is new. It's because people love the idea of getting their nasty healthy leafy vegetables hidden in a delicious fruit smoothie. This idea is revolutionary. You're not selling a blender, you're pouring a refreshing 3-minute fitness smoothie down your customer's throat -- literally. Live demos are Blendtec's bread and butter. The best way to tell about the greatness of your product is to show it in action. Your customers will identify your brand with how it changes their lives, not just your product. So make sure your booth staff has the pitch or demo down well enough that your product can sell itself.
Insight Exhibits
1367 South 7th West
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(801) 978-9000
So here are a few tips to help you imbue your custom trade show displays with the essence of your business.
Be true to yourself. You may have the most versatile vegetable peeler in the world, but fight the urge to try to be all things to all people. Focus your collateral material, your demos, and your talking points on what you do better than anyone. You'll be surprised how many people are willing to change their demand around a well presented product with a clear purpose. In fact, people love learning about novel ways to solve familiar problems, which leads us to our next tip.
Show off something fresh and unique. No one peruses custom trade show displays looking for the coolest thing from last year. Your brand is a living thing and people want to see life and progression. This doesn't mean you have to sit out the trade show just because you haven't invented a new product in awhile. Repackage what you have. Show what else is so unique about it. Make a minor design change. Little Giant Ladders revitalized sales for their ladder systems by adding a couple little wheels to move their ladder more easily. You can reinvent your product in the visitor's mind while maintaining your brands identity.
Sell a lifestyle, not just a product. This can be a challenge for a 10' by 6' trade show booth design. But why is there such a big market for high powered blenders right now? Not because the concept of a blender is new. It's because people love the idea of getting their nasty healthy leafy vegetables hidden in a delicious fruit smoothie. This idea is revolutionary. You're not selling a blender, you're pouring a refreshing 3-minute fitness smoothie down your customer's throat -- literally. Live demos are Blendtec's bread and butter. The best way to tell about the greatness of your product is to show it in action. Your customers will identify your brand with how it changes their lives, not just your product. So make sure your booth staff has the pitch or demo down well enough that your product can sell itself.
Insight Exhibits
1367 South 7th West
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(801) 978-9000
Women's Health And Dizziness During Pregnancy
To contact us Click HERE
A notable number of women experience dizziness during pregnancy. The scientific explanation for this is that, during that period, the body of a woman's body undergoes a lot of cardiovascular changes. The body is supposed to undergo self-initiating adaptive changes in its cardiovascular and nervous systems to enable normal functioning, especially in maintaining continuous supply of blood to the brain. The consequences of failure of such adaptive mechanisms include fainting and giddiness.
One of the significant changes that occur to women during gestation is an increase in the rate of heart beat. This is accompanied by increment in blood volumes by about 45%. They also undergo dilation of blood vessels, resulting in low blood pressure. A woman experiences the lowest blood pressure levels at around mid-pregnancy. This drop is only restored to normal close to the end of gestation period.
Medical experts have identified a number of ways that can help in handling dizziness. It is critical that a woman lies down if she experiences vertigo. This prevents her from suffering injury by falling. She should also stop doing any activity that may bring harm to her or others, for instance operating machinery or driving.
The basic cause of dizziness and fainting is an inadequate supply of blood to the brain. First aid measures, hence, should aim to restore this supply. One way of achieving this is by resting the victim in a horizontal position, but with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Where there is no space to lie, it is advisable that the victim sits, then put her head between her knees. The woman may also lie on her left side, since this increases blood flow to both the heart and the brain.
A woman's actions may increase the risk of her fainting or experiencing lightheadedness. Top on this list is a quick shift in position from either lying or sitting to standing. Blood pools around the feet and in lower legs during resting periods. The body may not be able to restore blood flow to the heart and brain upon springing from the rest position, hence resulting in dizziness. Therefore, it is advisable for pregnant women not to spring from resting positions to standing.
Blood may also pool around the feet when a person stands at the same position for prolonged periods. Expectant women are advisable to walk around after short periods of being stationary. In case this is not possible, exercising legs could also help improve blood circulation. Wearing support stockings has also been proven to improve circulation.
Pregnant woman should take note of their sleeping positions since how they sleep may increase chances of experiencing lightheadedness. A woman should not lie on their stomachs or backs during their second and third trimesters. This is because such positions cause the uterus to exert extra pressure on inferior vena cava, slowing circulation in the lower abdomen. They should lie of their left side instead.
Vasovagal syncope may also result in dizziness during pregnancy. This is a condition resulting from straining during activities such as urination or coughing, dehydration, pain or anxiety. Symptoms associated with this condition are a feeling of warmth, nausea, yawning, sweating and paleness. It is advisable to lie or sit upon experiencing such symptoms.
One of the significant changes that occur to women during gestation is an increase in the rate of heart beat. This is accompanied by increment in blood volumes by about 45%. They also undergo dilation of blood vessels, resulting in low blood pressure. A woman experiences the lowest blood pressure levels at around mid-pregnancy. This drop is only restored to normal close to the end of gestation period.
Medical experts have identified a number of ways that can help in handling dizziness. It is critical that a woman lies down if she experiences vertigo. This prevents her from suffering injury by falling. She should also stop doing any activity that may bring harm to her or others, for instance operating machinery or driving.
The basic cause of dizziness and fainting is an inadequate supply of blood to the brain. First aid measures, hence, should aim to restore this supply. One way of achieving this is by resting the victim in a horizontal position, but with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Where there is no space to lie, it is advisable that the victim sits, then put her head between her knees. The woman may also lie on her left side, since this increases blood flow to both the heart and the brain.
A woman's actions may increase the risk of her fainting or experiencing lightheadedness. Top on this list is a quick shift in position from either lying or sitting to standing. Blood pools around the feet and in lower legs during resting periods. The body may not be able to restore blood flow to the heart and brain upon springing from the rest position, hence resulting in dizziness. Therefore, it is advisable for pregnant women not to spring from resting positions to standing.
Blood may also pool around the feet when a person stands at the same position for prolonged periods. Expectant women are advisable to walk around after short periods of being stationary. In case this is not possible, exercising legs could also help improve blood circulation. Wearing support stockings has also been proven to improve circulation.
Pregnant woman should take note of their sleeping positions since how they sleep may increase chances of experiencing lightheadedness. A woman should not lie on their stomachs or backs during their second and third trimesters. This is because such positions cause the uterus to exert extra pressure on inferior vena cava, slowing circulation in the lower abdomen. They should lie of their left side instead.
Vasovagal syncope may also result in dizziness during pregnancy. This is a condition resulting from straining during activities such as urination or coughing, dehydration, pain or anxiety. Symptoms associated with this condition are a feeling of warmth, nausea, yawning, sweating and paleness. It is advisable to lie or sit upon experiencing such symptoms.
2 Ocak 2013 Çarşamba
G. M. Loeb's 1952 war of investing survival!
To contact us Click HERE
The Battle for Investment Survival: A straight-forward, uncompromising revelation of stock-market technique and philosophy that you can apply profitably to your own investment thinking, by G. M. Loeb (HC, 1952 edition of 1935 work, enlarged by 18 additional chapters, $59, which is a steal, because the listed internet price is $505!)
Writes Loeb, "When I started investing about 1921, it seemed a peaceful enough occupation. By 1943, I started calling it a 'battle', though a lot of people might have used that term much earlier during 1929 to 1932. But now in 1952 it seems to me a 'war'.
The person who studies a problem from every angle and defines the risks, aims and possibilities correctly before he starts is more than half-way to his goal.
Atom bomb or no, there is nothing really new in 1952's investment hazards, though they seem so novel and terrifying. Inflation and deflation, taxation, social reform, regulation, war, rationing, confiscation, even revolution all have played their parts regularly in the past. It is only that at times these forces seem to be quiescent, and at other times dynamic."
What would he say about today's stock market? Do his techniques still work?
Be sure to catch the table on changes in the Dow Jones Industrials- a wild swing down from 1929 to 1930 (381 to 41), and then up and down but generally upward until this book was released (41 to 280). Hey, you mathematically inclined, how much of drop is it anyway when you go from 381 to 41 in one year? And we complain when the market drops a few percentage points!
You can find this book in the front glass case.
Writes Loeb, "When I started investing about 1921, it seemed a peaceful enough occupation. By 1943, I started calling it a 'battle', though a lot of people might have used that term much earlier during 1929 to 1932. But now in 1952 it seems to me a 'war'.
The person who studies a problem from every angle and defines the risks, aims and possibilities correctly before he starts is more than half-way to his goal.
Atom bomb or no, there is nothing really new in 1952's investment hazards, though they seem so novel and terrifying. Inflation and deflation, taxation, social reform, regulation, war, rationing, confiscation, even revolution all have played their parts regularly in the past. It is only that at times these forces seem to be quiescent, and at other times dynamic."
What would he say about today's stock market? Do his techniques still work?
Be sure to catch the table on changes in the Dow Jones Industrials- a wild swing down from 1929 to 1930 (381 to 41), and then up and down but generally upward until this book was released (41 to 280). Hey, you mathematically inclined, how much of drop is it anyway when you go from 381 to 41 in one year? And we complain when the market drops a few percentage points!
You can find this book in the front glass case.
James White's 384-level hospital in the sky!
To contact us Click HERE
3 "Sector General" Omnibuses by James White (HC, 2001, 2002, and 2003, $2.50 each)
1. Beginning Operations-
which includes:
Hospital Station, Star Surgeon, and Major Operation.
2. Alien Emergencies-
which includes:
Ambulance Ship, Sector General, and Star Healer.
3. General Practice-
which includes:
Code Blue-Emergency and The Genocidal Healer.
I read my way through the three novels of this first book in only two days. I don't usually read science fiction, but for these stories I made an exception. The weirdest part was realizing afterwards that I had read two of them before, one in the 1970s when I was in high school, and one more recently. I loved them then, and I love them now. Try 'em, and you'll love 'em too!
3 "Sector General" Omnibuses by James White (HC, 2001, 2002, and 2003, $2.50 each)
1. Beginning Operations-
which includes:
Hospital Station, Star Surgeon, and Major Operation.
2. Alien Emergencies-
which includes:
Ambulance Ship, Sector General, and Star Healer.
3. General Practice-
which includes:
Code Blue-Emergency and The Genocidal Healer.
I read my way through the three novels of this first book in only two days. I don't usually read science fiction, but for these stories I made an exception. The weirdest part was realizing afterwards that I had read two of them before, one in the 1970s when I was in high school, and one more recently. I loved them then, and I love them now. Try 'em, and you'll love 'em too!
Sue's memorial. The future of the store.
To contact us Click HERE
Sue's memorial service was Friday. There were sure a lot of people there: her cousins from out-of-state, plus people from the college, the bookstore, and her church.
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a' (Do you speak Klingon?)
To contact us Click HERE
Do you speak Klingon?
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Jim Thompson, hero of Thailand's silk industry
To contact us Click HERE
Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand, by William Warren (TPB, 1970, $2)
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
1 Ocak 2013 Salı
James White's 384-level hospital in the sky!
To contact us Click HERE
3 "Sector General" Omnibuses by James White (HC, 2001, 2002, and 2003, $2.50 each)
1. Beginning Operations-
which includes:
Hospital Station, Star Surgeon, and Major Operation.
2. Alien Emergencies-
which includes:
Ambulance Ship, Sector General, and Star Healer.
3. General Practice-
which includes:
Code Blue-Emergency and The Genocidal Healer.
I read my way through the three novels of this first book in only two days. I don't usually read science fiction, but for these stories I made an exception. The weirdest part was realizing afterwards that I had read two of them before, one in the 1970s when I was in high school, and one more recently. I loved them then, and I love them now. Try 'em, and you'll love 'em too!
3 "Sector General" Omnibuses by James White (HC, 2001, 2002, and 2003, $2.50 each)
1. Beginning Operations-
which includes:
Hospital Station, Star Surgeon, and Major Operation.
2. Alien Emergencies-
which includes:
Ambulance Ship, Sector General, and Star Healer.
3. General Practice-
which includes:
Code Blue-Emergency and The Genocidal Healer.
I read my way through the three novels of this first book in only two days. I don't usually read science fiction, but for these stories I made an exception. The weirdest part was realizing afterwards that I had read two of them before, one in the 1970s when I was in high school, and one more recently. I loved them then, and I love them now. Try 'em, and you'll love 'em too!
Sue's memorial. The future of the store.
To contact us Click HERE
Sue's memorial service was Friday. There were sure a lot of people there: her cousins from out-of-state, plus people from the college, the bookstore, and her church.
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a' (Do you speak Klingon?)
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Do you speak Klingon?
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Jim Thompson, hero of Thailand's silk industry
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Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand, by William Warren (TPB, 1970, $2)
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
Saint Ambrose's Letter
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An advent letter from Saint Ambrose (born around 340 AD)was printed in my church bulletin. It is as pertinent in our day as it was inAmbrose's time.
Scores of people (including many Christians) don'tappreciate the gift of Christ. I know many who celebrate Christmas and Easter,yet do not believe in Christ's divinity. They either think He never existed orthat He was merely a nice wise man who taught everyone to be kind. (These latterdon't explain why a nice wise man would stir up trouble and claim to be divine,but that's a post for another day.)
Ambrose points out that we should treat everyone withlove. This means, even people who don't believe in Christ, family members whomwe find annoying, and strangers who cut us off on the road.
Ambrose holds up the Virgin Mary as a person to imitate.Sadly, many Christians today brush the mother of our Lord aside. They thinkthat because she's human, she isn't important. But she embraced God's call andthrew herself completely into trusting His plan. She really was the firstChristian. Of course we should look to her as a role model!
We'd be wise to behave like Mary and trust God. The Lord seesbeyond the surface while we see mere appearances filtered through our own egos.He can use what we think of as unlikely situations and people to achieve Hisplan. The teenaged atheist sitting across the Christmas table from you this yearmay in fact be the next great theologian. Just remember, even now, they are abeloved child of God.
Now, here's Saint Ambrose's letter:
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
How beautiful, how awesome it is that our God sent Hisown Son to dwell among us, as one of us, to heal the breach between human anddivine! And how tragic it is when frail humankind fails to appreciate the gift.
In my day, the followers of a man named Arius did notbelieve in Christ's divinity. They demanded that we hand over two churches fortheir use, but I refused to do so. In these difficult times, it was even moreimportant for the followers of Christ to stand united. The mystery and gift ofthe Incarnation is that Christ came for us all. In every age, the language,customs and liturgical practices that separate the faithful are less importantthan the faith that unites us. While we cannot condone heresy, we must approachall those we meet with the heart of Our Lord, Who treated even sinners and taxcollectors as beloved children of God.
The Virgin Mother provides us an example to emulate. Shewho bore the Savior understands the weight of an uncertain future. She, thehumblest of women, found herself called to serve her Lords in a way that seemedimpossible. Yet she embraced the call, both the gift of birth and the sacrificeof the Cross. She trusted the sure and certain hope of salvation promised ofold. We trust in the equally certain promise of Our Lord's return. For God canuse all situations and all people to effect His plan, even those who seem theleast likely candidates. Witness myself, a Roman governor nominated as bishopof Milan even before I was baptized!
In times filled with conflict, then, endeavor to embracethe same patience and hope demonstrated by the Virgin in the days before theNativity. May the peace of Christ dwell always in your hearts.
Your brother in Christ,
Ambrose
An advent letter from Saint Ambrose (born around 340 AD)was printed in my church bulletin. It is as pertinent in our day as it was inAmbrose's time. Scores of people (including many Christians) don'tappreciate the gift of Christ. I know many who celebrate Christmas and Easter,yet do not believe in Christ's divinity. They either think He never existed orthat He was merely a nice wise man who taught everyone to be kind. (These latterdon't explain why a nice wise man would stir up trouble and claim to be divine,but that's a post for another day.)
Ambrose points out that we should treat everyone withlove. This means, even people who don't believe in Christ, family members whomwe find annoying, and strangers who cut us off on the road.
Ambrose holds up the Virgin Mary as a person to imitate.Sadly, many Christians today brush the mother of our Lord aside. They thinkthat because she's human, she isn't important. But she embraced God's call andthrew herself completely into trusting His plan. She really was the firstChristian. Of course we should look to her as a role model!
We'd be wise to behave like Mary and trust God. The Lord seesbeyond the surface while we see mere appearances filtered through our own egos.He can use what we think of as unlikely situations and people to achieve Hisplan. The teenaged atheist sitting across the Christmas table from you this yearmay in fact be the next great theologian. Just remember, even now, they are abeloved child of God.
Now, here's Saint Ambrose's letter:
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
How beautiful, how awesome it is that our God sent Hisown Son to dwell among us, as one of us, to heal the breach between human anddivine! And how tragic it is when frail humankind fails to appreciate the gift.
In my day, the followers of a man named Arius did notbelieve in Christ's divinity. They demanded that we hand over two churches fortheir use, but I refused to do so. In these difficult times, it was even moreimportant for the followers of Christ to stand united. The mystery and gift ofthe Incarnation is that Christ came for us all. In every age, the language,customs and liturgical practices that separate the faithful are less importantthan the faith that unites us. While we cannot condone heresy, we must approachall those we meet with the heart of Our Lord, Who treated even sinners and taxcollectors as beloved children of God.
The Virgin Mother provides us an example to emulate. Shewho bore the Savior understands the weight of an uncertain future. She, thehumblest of women, found herself called to serve her Lords in a way that seemedimpossible. Yet she embraced the call, both the gift of birth and the sacrificeof the Cross. She trusted the sure and certain hope of salvation promised ofold. We trust in the equally certain promise of Our Lord's return. For God canuse all situations and all people to effect His plan, even those who seem theleast likely candidates. Witness myself, a Roman governor nominated as bishopof Milan even before I was baptized!
In times filled with conflict, then, endeavor to embracethe same patience and hope demonstrated by the Virgin in the days before theNativity. May the peace of Christ dwell always in your hearts.
Your brother in Christ,
Ambrose
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