My History in Heat

Today was the hottest day since the evening in the summer of 1999 when I was naked on my bed laying ice cubes on my chest. Then the cable went out. Then, looking through my door into the kitchen, all of a sudden the toaster, which wasn't even on, burst into flames. I didn't even get up. "Seems about right," was all I could think. - XMASTIME

People are mourning the end of Borders, including HERE.

I've always been a Barnes & Noble guy.  My first job when I moved to New York was across the street from one, and during the summer of 1999 the air conditioning in my office broke.  My boss thoughtfully said that he'd wait until the fall to fix it since it'd be cheaper; he even seemed to think he was doing me a favor (yes, I'm sure he "passed the savings on to me." Hmm.)  So every day I'd go in at 9am, rip through the day's work in 20 minutes, and then go across the street and read at B&N before checking back in at 5ish.

The crown jewel of B&N is the one above Union Square - four floors, plenty of seats to read for free in, great water fountains, and great bathroom facilities.  You can read any book you wanted, stay hydrated, and enjoy shitting.  It's no Square Books in Oxford - they had cushy easy chairs and unlimited refills of iced tea - but it's pretty fucking great.