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Notes from a Road Warrior
Apr. 30th, 2008 08:09 amThis week it's scenic Stamford, Connecticut, home of a B&N superstore and a Borders. The hotel is conveniently located about halfway between the two, which is fortunate since I've been haunting them since my arrival Sunday evening. Last night my efforts were finally rewarded, as the Borders had a paperback copy of Bujold's LEGACY, which is the second half of the story that began in THE SHARING KNIFE: BEGUILEMENT.
Note that in typical Borders fashion, they had zero copies in the science fiction section. Zero copies in the sci-fi new releases display. However there was a tall stack on the "new paperbacks" table, which is where I snagged my copy. Oddly enough, the sci-fi section at Borders was small, but they did manage to get the new release out. The sci-fi section at the B&N superstore in the Stamford Town Center is enormous, probably the largest I've ever seen in a chain bookstore. But they still didn't have the new release out yesterday evening, and store employees were clueless as to when they might get it.
Class this week is interesting--I know about half the stuff that's being taught, but the theory is new. Unlike most of my classmates I've actually been a DBA for this system for a while-- I know what to do, but not necessarily why things are done in a certain way, which is where the class is helping fill in the blanks.
The campus is reminiscent of the set of a horror movie--the main building was obviously fully used until recently but is now mostly empty, and you can walk long corridors without seeing a single person. A lot like the IBM Endicott campus, but rather than being in decay, these empty buildings are relatively new and well maintained. My classmates are split on whether we'll be attacked by aliens or zombies. My vote is for zombies, naturally.
Note that in typical Borders fashion, they had zero copies in the science fiction section. Zero copies in the sci-fi new releases display. However there was a tall stack on the "new paperbacks" table, which is where I snagged my copy. Oddly enough, the sci-fi section at Borders was small, but they did manage to get the new release out. The sci-fi section at the B&N superstore in the Stamford Town Center is enormous, probably the largest I've ever seen in a chain bookstore. But they still didn't have the new release out yesterday evening, and store employees were clueless as to when they might get it.
Class this week is interesting--I know about half the stuff that's being taught, but the theory is new. Unlike most of my classmates I've actually been a DBA for this system for a while-- I know what to do, but not necessarily why things are done in a certain way, which is where the class is helping fill in the blanks.
The campus is reminiscent of the set of a horror movie--the main building was obviously fully used until recently but is now mostly empty, and you can walk long corridors without seeing a single person. A lot like the IBM Endicott campus, but rather than being in decay, these empty buildings are relatively new and well maintained. My classmates are split on whether we'll be attacked by aliens or zombies. My vote is for zombies, naturally.