Wrote the last chapter!

I had planned on rewriting this week.

Instead, this morning I was inspired to start writing the last chapter. For which I'd been waiting for inspiration.

One thing became immediately clear. The creating part, the first draft exploring and discovering part, is the fun part. After spending the last couple of months dealing with grammar and spelling and continuity and such, it was a jolt of creative energy to write new material.

If my first drafts were good enough, I'd be a very prolific writer, I tell you.

If only.

Maybe if I'd spent the last 25 years learning the craft of writing. But really...how could I have done that? I doubt anyone spends 25 years learning and not producing. So I just get back to my original choice of -- making a living, having a life, having a wife and family -- or being a starving writer in a garret.

I'm pretty sure I made the right decision.


Later: I finished the last chapter, #34.

I reserve the right to keep working on it until I finally let go of the entire book. The last chapter is probably the second most important chapter, after the first chapter.

I keep reminding myself that I'm simply telling a story as best I can, that I'm not trying to create "ART". That way lies madness.

I don't know if it wows, yet. It satisfies I hope. But I want it to do more than that if possible. But the rough draft is there, and now I can work on it. So...at this point, the book could actually be called complete, if I got hit by a truck tomorrow.

I told Linda that, and she said, yeah, you'd feel pretty good.

Errr....hit by a truck?

Yeah, you'd be done.

Ah, O.K. heh.

I have a small epilogue to write, which I guess would be chapter #35, but the story is more or less complete without it. I want to wrap up a few of the loose ends, but it isn't strictly necessary.

How about that? Good, bad or indifferent, at least I wrote it. I'm actually really feeling pretty good, all of a sudden. Unexpectedly. It seems so daunting when you start.

And I'm not so burned out that I'm not willing to start the next book, of which I've already got 2 and a half chapters done. (Excised chapters of this book, the next book is more or less a prequel...) I'm hoping to do a minimum of three books with these characters and settings, maybe more depending on how they go over...

I've got a couple of people lined up who are going to critique the book. I was worried about whether they would like it, but maybe I'm expecting too much. Maybe they are already prepared to expect less than perfect. I'm just asking that they try to help make it better.

So take the next ten days to give it one more run through, then print out some hard copy manuscripts, and hopefully get them back in a month or two with helpful suggestions, and then do the last draft. So my June 1 deadline is still looking about right. (Maybe sooner, but not later.)

The gargoyle wants in.

I wasted yesterday. I think my sub-conscious was disgusted, and was saying "Idiot!" and trying to get me going again.

I've already planned a second book with the same characters, called "The Case of the Lovelorn Gargoyle." (Or perhaps just, "The Lovelorn Gargoyle.")

Woke up this morning with this paragraph running through my head:

"I don't know why I bother to have an office.

I was sitting at my desk when I heard a rapping on the window behind me. I turned around to see a gargoyle staring glumly at me. Glumly -- I know, I know, how could I tell?"


That may not be how it ends up, but I take it as a sign that underneath it all, I'm getting impatient again.


I think I'm intimidated by the thought of actually letting anyone read "I'm Only Human". But I need to get over that, and just get it done, whether it's good, bad, or indifferent.

A second -- second draft.

I'm giving myself another 12 day period to go through 'I'm Only Human.'

A second - second rewrite, if you will.

I'm starting with the second half of the book, so that I'll have a higher energy level with that section.

I was looking for a tricks to get me into improving this draft. I'm basically telling myself to be more colorful in my language, more magical in my scenarios, more snarky in tone.

I still have to write the last chapter, and there will be the physical printing of a couple or three manuscripts for others to read. So I might spend the whole 12 day period writing and not quite finish, so I'll extend it into the next week if I need to. But -- come what may -- there will be a reading-copy by the first week of March.

As I've said before, this is a very different writing experience than I've ever had before with a book.

I was writing on a manual typewriter back in the day. I was disorganized, chaotic, and the whole writing process made it difficult for me to see the end product clearly. I was so sick of typing the same words, that I felt a huge urge to finish and get it done.

Because I was actually trying to make a career out of writing, and because I had gotten to the point where the fixes were sometimes worse than the cures, I would send my manuscripts off, ready or not.

Unfortunately, in most cases, they probably weren't ready. I was hoping that someone could see the potential and do a "fix" for me. Of course, that just doesn't happen these days to a beginning writer unless you have something with such spectacular potential that they're willing to deal with you.

It was an advantage, I think, to be sending my manuscript off the strangers. Either the book was good enough for them, or it wasn't. There was no personal judging me. It was pretty impersonal, and that was O.K. Easier to shrug off. Easier to find other excuses as to why they didn't like my manuscript.

This time around, it seems a little more personal. Instead of the way it happened with my first book, when my family and friends didn't expect anything from me and were therefore capable of being surprised, this time the expectations might be too high.

Anyway, for the first time, I can see why authors hold onto manuscripts trying to improve them, because as long as they aren't finished, there is a chance to try to make them better.

When I hand over the manuscripts to my 'editors' it will be with the instructions: Look, this may not be as good as you expected, but what I want is for suggestions to make it better. Do your worse. I'm too far along to quit now.

Good, old-fashioned blackmail.

The Fed Express driver who scouted Lin? I think is ironic that he delivers my Becketts. (Sport card price guide.) Don't you? Just the slightest bit ironic? A tiny, tiny bit ironic?

Probably just to me.

Meanwhile, Bulletin, just because you ain't famous doesn't make you "obscure." Sheesh.

**********

Because it was so inexplicable to me that almost all the Tarzan (except the first two), all the Pellucider, all the Venus, and almost all the Mars books (except the first three) were out of print despite them being in the public domain, I have been telling people it's because the Burroughs estate was very aggressive in protecting their trademark.

"What's that got to do with copyright they ask?"

A good question, which I don't know the answer to. But I know this:

"Hey, hiring lawyers to defend yourself probably makes it just not worth doing."

I must have heard something about their "trademark" aggressiveness somewhere, because it turns out I was right. Summarizing a Wall Street Journal blog, the Comics Reporter says this:

"The famously aggressive family holding company Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. has apparently sued the comics-maker Dynamite for the Tarzan- and John Carter-related efforts in its pulp-driven famous character line rollout. Those characters are trademarked even though the stories in the series have slipped into the public domain. It looks from the filing itself they're also staking out a claim in case the comics are distributed in any country where the family-owned business still has a copyright claim..."

I was able to get some books from Nebraska Press, which weren't fancy but contained the stories -- so either this publisher was too obscure to sue , or because they were a University press got away with it, or something. There are dozens of books, and crossovers, and I read most of them as a kid.

So what good does it do for the Burroughs estate to sue everyone, and what good is public domain if it can be trumped by trademark?

Seems to be good, old-fashioned shakedown, to me. The estate isn't getting any money otherwise, and this way someone might pay them just to go away.

**********

Meanwhile, as I keep saying, the John Carter movie looks and feels wrong to me. I can't put my finger on it.

Apparently, the industry is also starting to hum about what a disaster it might be. Hugely expensive, and yet with little buzz.

I think it's a really bad sign that they changed the title so radically -- from Princess of Mars (great title), to John Carter of Mars (well, O.K.) to John Carter.

I always think, when it comes to S.F. and Fantasy and comics, the closer the movie version tries to be to the spirit of the original source material, the better it is. The farther they go away from the original sources material the worse.

Thursday thuds.

"Bend Homeowner Holds Burglar at Gunpoint." KTVZ. 2/16/12.

Word of advice. Never burglarize the home of a guy who wears camouflage as everyday gear.

**********

"Could Your Habit Be a Sugar Addiction?" Bulletin. 2/16/12.

Well, as an imbiber of an eight pack of large bottles of Coke (Coke not Pepsi) per day in college -- it was also a carbonation addiction, but most of all a caffeine addiction.

It was also breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Quit cold-turkey when I quit smoking -- they went together. To this day, I tend to drink sugar free lemonade as my drink of choice.

*********

Lin sanity. I've always just assumed that there are tons of artists, writers, musicians, actors and athletes who just never get their chance.

Good to see it confirmed. Or bad.

Not sure which.

Even at the very junior levels of competitive skiing that I was involved in, it was obvious that some skiers were selected to get full backing from the coaches and organizations, and some weren't.

How many talented people are stalled at just below the level they would've gotten much better? Don't get me started on writing!

We'll never know, I guess.

***********

"Romney Targets Auto Bailouts in Michigan Battle." Bulletin, 2/16/12.

This would seem like dubious strategy to me, at least for the general election.

Considering:

"General Motors earned its largest profit ever in 2011, two years after it nearly collapsed into financial ruin." USA Today, 2/16/12.

You know, I'd like to believe that my political leanings wouldn't keep me from admitting when I'm wrong. I mean, it's human nature. But still...

**********

Dark Horse Comics has gotten the rights to Troll figures.

I was a troll collector when I was 11 years old, big time. Embarrassingly so.

God help me, but I'm going for this. Hey, a new fad! (every 20 years).

**********

An unexpected benefit of the New 52. I find myself reordering much more often, because it's easy to check check to see which issues I'm missing so far and decide how many I need to carry. I just really like the neatness of it all.

Marvel, by contrast, seems horribly complicated. Especially with their hodgepodge of restarts.

And don't get me started on their horrendously shortsighted graphic novel program. Marvel is the biggest company based solely on their comics -- but I swear that a concise, orderly, selection of graphic novels that they kept in stock, would add huge percentage points to their sales.

It's a mystery to all of us in the comics biz why they don't.

Wednesday Wats.

Read Chapter Twenty-Nine, "Old Gods and Golfers", at writer's group last night, and I couldn't believe how many mistakes I'd made; duplicated words, dropped words, wrong words.

It was an action chapter, and that part of it seemed to go over well, at least. A good copy-editing is necessary, no matter how many times I've worked on something.

**********

Having a pretty good month in sales at the store, so far; about the same percentage increase I saw in December. It usually slows down in the second half of the month. Nevertheless, it sort of confirms that the weather hammered us in January.

I spent way, way too much in December of last year, and I'm still trying to catch up to that binge. One month of glory, six months of regret.

**********

An article in New York Magazine, The End of Wall Street As They Knew It, makes me feel much better about the Dodd-Frank economic reform bill.

Apparently, to the surprise of everyone, it's turning out to be very effective. Especially the upcoming Volcker rule, (which Wall Street is already getting prepared to conform to.)

In fact, a whole bunch of measures, including the health bill, are looking better as time goes on. It just takes time for some of these things to have an effect.

**********

Learned some things about commercial real estate in an article in National Review Online: "Armageddon at the Strip Mall."

I talked about this early on in my blog. That I was concerned about some of the big commercial buildings here in Bend. (We were still merrily finishing large projects well into 2008.) What happens when the rent rates go lower, and the value of the buildings decline?

I pointed specifically at banks like Bank of the Cascades who were financing a lot of the local building. Turns out, the big banks concentrated on housing, because that was where the money was. Leaving commercial lending to local or regional banks.

I think Bank of the Cascades has made a real effort to unload these loans, but still...you have to believe a lot of commercial buildings in town built in 2007 - 2008, are coming due about now:


'Typical terms included a 20 percent down payment and a five-year payment schedule that required little more than interest payments. An $80 million mortgage on a $100 million property is not so bad, but an $80 million mortgage on what is now a $60 million property is a problem. More than half of the 2007-vintage loans are expected to have trouble refinancing, and maybe well more than half. "

"This is true even for borrowers who have never missed a payment. Banks are required to take into account a number of factors when rating commercial mortgages. One of the most important is the loan-to-value ratio, which has a lot of borrowers over a particularly uncomfortable barrel..."

Of course, it being the National Review, they make a gratuitous slam at Obama. After making the case that the bad loans were made 5 years ago -- they blame him. Just plain weird. Why not blame him for Watergate while you're at it?

**********

Tuesday tings.

Went to see The Artist, which was a very entertaining, feel good movie.

Much like subtitled films, after a few minutes of adjustment, you just forget it's a silent film and go with the story.

Yep, everyone in the theater was in the older age group. No good reason for that, I think. Young people would like this movie too, if they gave it a chance.

**********

My sleep disruptions seem to have faded away over the last month or so.
Getting to bed at around 12:30, getting up 7 to 8 hours later without interruptions.

Which is nice. Hope the time changeover won't change things.

**********

Three media things. Why the hell does The Vow make 41 million on its first weekend, and The Artist has only made 20 million on its entire run? There's no justice, I tell you. (Same reaction I had to Hugo not making money.)

Was all ready not to like Adele, call her the flavor of the moment, then watched her on 60 Minutes and the Grammys's, and damn if she isn't as cute as can be. And the fact that she wrote her own songs and that I'm so very sick of trilling, scatting divas, that someone just standing there belting out a heartfelt song is entirely refreshing.

Downton Abbey redeemed itself big time last night. Oh, the drama! Just kept going and going (was expecting an hour episode.) I mean, they really packed it in, but I enjoyed it.

**********

Poor Tiger. He had that shell shocked look after Mickelson's win, the same look he used to give his opponents. It really does seem to be a crisis of confidence.

**********

Comics on digital suck.

O.K. If I'm reading Brian Hibbs report of DC's report at the ComicsPro meeting correctly:

They rebooted DC comics with same day digital fully expecting that the digital sales would skyrocket.

Instead, the physical comics skyrocketed, and digital was a pale shadow. They are now seeing digital as a promotional tool for the comics instead of the other way around.

It turns out, most of the digital encoded comics were never redeemed -- the copies were being bought as a collectable, instead.

Would seem to me that the comics publishers should really continue to support comic books until the situation clearly changes, instead of trying to pull the rug out from under them.

(I've said it many times -- I think the book people should have tried the same thing, (digital same price) but they didn't, alas. They are busily self-destructing.)

Is there a newspaper or magazine that hasn't done digital? And how are they doing?

Frozen. An experiment in stream of consciousness.

It seems kind of strange, but reading the New York Times newspaper is a more timeless activity than the internet to me. As deep and wide and down the rabbit hole as the internet is -- as all encompassing -- it always seems to be in the now. The now of all things that ever existed. And yet, the newspaper of record seems mired in the past. It seems quietly backward, in the sense that there is no hurry to learn what's there. It's still readable a month or two later to me, and in some ways a more interesting look at what seemed immediate then and seems frozen now, and the way it's trying hard to guess a future that by the time I've read the paper is now the past. It's a culture shock, with N.Y. weird and shallow flash, and yet respectfully retro, and almost archival in the way it evokes of things that once were and reminds me of things I've forgotten. Limbo reminders of books and movies and plays and fashions, and on the same page new ads, with a skinny models, wearing clothes no one I will ever know will ever wear. It's meant to be news and yet seems more like a layer of time, peeled back to reveal what I was supposed to know and think a month ago and only now finding. A paper substrata of the past, jumbling bones of different eras together, creating the now or the now of that moment, which is now gone. It's life, frozen, nostalgic already. A message and a culture shock from long ago and far away -- a month ago. It's the rustling of the paper, the blackness of the ink, the folding over to read and throwing the carcass on the floor that makes feel comfortable and quaint and I don't want to give it up. Don't make me give it up. But it is probably doomed and there a palpable air of desperate credibility and snobbery and wanting to be liked and also a sense that we're the biggest and the best and don't you dare forget it. Frozen. It's a chunk of time, that's changed since then, and yet it's still relevant. And I'm with you to the end, and I'm already missing you.

Juniper Ridge: Our Gleaming City in the Sky.

It's amazing how stubbornly Bend sticks to its original vision of Juniper Ridge. It was probably never realistic, and is -- in my opinion -- simply not possible now, or for the foreseeable future.

"Why Not Juniper Ridge?" the Bulletin asks, in today's cover story. Why aren't we getting data centers, the way Prineville does?

What was interesting is that there is still a snobbish rejection of such an "ugly" facility. The technical reasons for Facebook not coming to Juniper Ridge seem real: lack of flat land, nearness of the railroad, the limited tax incentives. (3 to 5 years, versus the 15 in Prineville).

Not to contradict myself, but I do buy the notion that we want people who are actually willing to pay a little more to be here. Not give away the farm in incentives.

But I don't buy the aesthetic argument. We can't afford that.

I also don't understand why Juniper Ridge land would still be more than double in land price. Where's the supply and demand equation? It's admitted that nothing is selling out there; "Yellow signs of dead ends."

I suspect that's because Bend has sunk so much money in the place, that they are still trying to get a higher rate. Like a homeowner who bought at the peak, and who wants to sell his house for what he paid, instead of the going rate.

And they are probably right that they would slammed for selling the land cheaper than what they put into it. But you know what? They fucked up. They need to take their lumps and start selling land for the going rate.

But what if we recover? What if the land becomes valuable? What if we could have had better tenants later?

Is there any sign of that, so far? I could hold all the merchandise in my store for what I think the stuff will sell for in 10 years, and no doubt it will be higher, but meanwhile I go out of business.

They turn their nose up at data centers and point to Les Schwab as a positive example. I'm not so sure. We pulled away jobs from another Central Oregon town, which seems somewhat predatory and cannibalistic. (Maybe Schwab should have saved the money from moving and started paying their assistant managers a proper wage.)

Councilor Clinton talks about a 50 to 100 year vision for Juniper Ridge. Which is ridiculous. Planning for 50 to 100 in policy terms, in land use laws, in tax planning, make perfect sense. Planning 50 to 100 years for a physical development is utterly foolhardy.

He still is holding out on the idea of a "research university."

Has there been even the slightest hint that that could happen? Has anyone expressed the slightest interest?

Sounds very pie-in-the-sky. It wasn't that many years ago, that even the modest C.O.C.C. expansion into 4 years was nearly defunded.

Finally the "luck" argument.

Sorry, don't buy it. It wasn't luck that Bend sunk a ton of ill-planned and ill-managed money into a huge development during a boom, without considering the possibility of a crash. And it certainly wasn't luck that made them continue to sink money into the development long after the crash was clearly happening.

And it isn't luck that they still haven't come around to recognizing reality.

Downtown Comings and Goings. 1/12/12.

Wow. Three updates in one week.

Things are hoppining downtown!

I've added Rescue Moderne Consignment, which is going into the southern end of the old Boomtown building.

Patagonia is moving from Bond to Wall, where Sports Vision and BLVD are now, and Sports Vision is moving to location of The Antiquarian Shop.

No word yet on what's happening to the BLVD or The Antiquarian....I'll put them on the Goings list when I get confirmation.

Neither Patagonia or Sports Vision are leaving, just moving, so I'm not adding them to the list.

I keep forgetting to add Letzer's Deli, so I've corrected that.

A new restaurant is going into the Gatsby's space, Barrio. Added that.

For all the movement, though, if I add BLVD and Antiquarian to the Goings list, and Letzer's, Barrio and Rescue to the comings list, it's a net gain of one.


The article talks about rents being lower downtown, and yet also mentions that Sports Vision is leaving because their rent went way up.

I think there are some negotiable spaces, right now, but not necessarily cheaper. That is, there had been an equation by current downtowners that they can jump to a bigger or better spot right now, and it's affordable.

Sports Vision actually made the estimate that they could buy a building cheaper than pay the rents.

Linda and I actually looked at the same location as Rescue, we even entertained the idea of buying. I doubt we could really swing it --

In the end, I come back to both stores doing well where they are at; and the fact that we are near the ends of our careers, as reasons not to change.

Though, I daydream about it. (I would love to have more space.)

NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN

Barrio, Minnesota Ave., 2/12/12.
Rescue Moderne, Harriman, 1/12/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave. 2/12/12.
Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, Bond St. 4/5/10
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails

(List begun, Fall, 2008.)

BUSINESSES LEAVING

Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro

(List begun, Fall 2008.)

Why do I try?

There was another valuable Tilting at Windmills column by fellow retailer Brian Hibbs on the Comics Resources site where he analyzes the statistics for book sales.

As usual, someone pops up on Comics Beat and says that direct market comic shops are dropping the ball by not carrying quality kid's comics.

To which I responded in the comments:

I think what is happening here, is some of these titles aren’t considered kid’s comics by the customers, but kid’s books.

Based on previous lists by Brian, I have ordered Dork Diaries, Big Nate, and Adv. of Ook and Gluk.

I have yet to sell any of them.

I’m on a busy downtown tourist street, and about 20% of my sales are books (other than graphic novels.) I do sell Bone on a constant basis, along with Calvin and Hobbes and Tintin and so on.

I sell the hell out of The Hunger Games, Hugo Caberet, etc.

But not to comic customers — to people off the street.

I doubt many comic shops are willingly forgoing the profits they might get from carrying Kid’s Comics.

But would getting Kid’s Books actually work for them? It would help if they were offered through Diamond, but again I suspect they see books like Dragonbreath as kid’s books not kid’s comics, and that isn’t their business.

I’m going to go to Baker and Taylor and immediately order Dragonsbreath an hope to catch a customer or two, but I’m already set up to do that.

Another commenter says: "Comics is comics."

“Comics is comics.”

Well, no.

Not when they’re considered kid’s books.

People go to bookstores for books.

They go to comic stores for comics.

Branding matters.

I personally agree that comics is comics.

I agree that that kids (not so sure about parents) buy whatever appeals to them, whether it’s called a comic or a book.

But the perception of what they’re buying, how people shop, really matters. I can carry books that people don’t expect me to have, but I can’t expect them to sell as well as the book they expect me to have — and vice versa.

Work in a comic shop sometime, and you’ll be amazed how blind the customers are to anything else you carry, no matter how prominently you display it or point it out.

The book are out of context. They shouldn’t be, but that’s the way they are perceived.

I say this as someone who actually carries a lot of children’s books.

I sell them to book buyers. I can sell Bone and Tintin to book buyers and comic buyers, but I can’t sell Nate to comic buyers.

Another commenter asks: "...wouldn’t racking highly popular comic-type projects from the big book publishers be a pretty easy sell?"

If all I was carrying was comics and graphic novels, it think it would be a hard sell.

I carry a large selection of kid’s books and young adult, and I mix in as much graphic material as possible.

But I’m in a tourist zone and sell off the street pretty well.

The new survey from DC says that less than 2% of the buyers of the New 52 were under the age of 18.

You see the problem. At what point is a comic store beating a dead horse? You sell the clientele you got, not the clientele you wish you had.

I’m an exception because of the nature of my store, but even I wonder if it isn’t more a R % D effort, or good will.

Fortunately, I can sell Tintin and Archie and Asterix and Calvin and Hobbes, so I try hard to mix in all the rest.

For comics, oddly, they (parents) really want COMICS like they remember them to be, not as they currently exist.

DC and Marvel both have young readers versions of their super-heroes, but they don’t seem to like those either.

I don’t have the answers.

But I get a little tired of people saying that comics shops aren’t doing the job right when they don’t carry a huge section of kid’s comics. Most comic shop owners would love to sell more kid’s comics.

When you ask kids if they “like” comics the answer is almost universally yes. If you observe them going through the store, the answer is — but not enough to buy it. If the parents don’t buy, the kids usually won’t.

There is among parents, who are the real buyers, a real difference between “Kids” books and “comics”, even if you and I would find it hard to point out the differences.

What I’m saying is that there may not be an inherent difference between a well-illustrated kids books, or a wordy comic book, but there is a perceptual difference.

And that difference does matter when it comes to how much and to who they sell.

I think there are even visual clues — maybe not intentionally, but they’re there. Just like you take but a second to glance at the cover of a book and tell if it’s romance, S.F. or mystery.

Book publishers package differently enough that parents can immediately distinguish.

Call something a kid’s book, and they may buy. Call it a comic, and they may not.

It ain’t rational.

Personally, I wish we could get rid of the distinction between good kid’s books and comic books. I don’t see much difference, myself.

But I think we in the comic biz sometimes forget that there is still a huge bias against comics.

We’ve made enormous progress, but we’re only a little the way there. Like I said, I can sell books to people off the street, but I have hard time selling comics except to people who are already inclined to buy comics.

It’s 50/50 in my store, with not a whole lot of crossover.

Parents will buy Bone if I call it a young adult book and turn up their nose if I call it a comic.

I’m not saying it makes any sense. Sometimes a title will become what I call “culturally approved” and thus escape the everyday stigma of “comics,” but they are the exception, not the rule.

I’m a comic shop, but I sold more book copies of Twilight, than I did graphic novel versions of Twilight. I still have 15 out of the 20 copies I ordered.

Yet, apparently the graphic novels of Twilight sold in bookstores.

Explain that one to me.

At least adults are somewhat open to graphic novels like Walking Dead and Watchmen and Maus — like I said, “culturally approved.”

I can sell Asterix or Tintin to any parent who already knows what they are; I can’t sell Asterix and Tintin to any parent who doesn’t. Same books.

The ground has to be prepared, culturally, or it usually doesn’t happen. A “cold” sell is hard to make. Believe me, I try.

Sat. Sats.

My wife is a pop culture weather vane. A rickety weather vane.

Last night she asked who Adele was...

That's when you know that a pop-culture figure has crossed into the mainstream. Well, maybe a little past mainstream.

**********

Last night, I looked up my first rookie sports card in years. Jeremy Lin.

He was in last year's cards. 2010-2011.

How is that an entire league can miss a player like that? Did he never get any game time before this? Is it a fluke?

Love stories like this, though.

**********

Linda wanted to go see The Descendents, I wanted to go see The Gray.

We're going to see The Artist.

**********

Ah, Yes. Les Schwab.

Ever since Linda was assistant manager at Regal Cinema's, I've had a little saying:

Assistant Manager is just another name for Slavery.

**********

Yeah, that's the right word.

Romney says he's "severely conservative?" What a weird way to put it.

But it's eerily accurate.

Dictionary.com.

se·vere

1.

harsh; unnecessarily extreme: severe criticism; severe laws.

2.

serious or stern in manner or appearance: a severe face.

3.

grave; critical: a severe illness.

4.

rigidly restrained in style, taste, manner, etc.; simple, plain, or austere.

5.

causing discomfort or distress by extreme character or conditions, as weather, cold, or heat; unpleasantly violent, as rain or wind, or a blow or shock.

Seems to fit the conservative desires these days, doesn't it?

"Took a bite out his ass..."

"Hey, Boss. I nailed that perp for you."

"What?"

"You know, the guy running away. I took a chunk out of that miscreant."

"Uh, you weren't supposed to do that. He was a civilian."

"But he was running, Boss! What kind of human runs unless he's guilty of something. I mean, it's unnatural!"

"Next time, Jr., wait until I give you the word."

Grrrrr, grumble, grrrrrrr.

Headline games.

"Housing Recovery Still At Risk of Regression...." Bulletin, 2/10/12.

Errr....what recovery?

The first paragraph of the article says: "...the housing market remains tepid and runs the risk of sinking even lower."

**********

Heard some commentators on the 25 billion mortgage settlement. They said the banks were still on the hook for their actions, and this may be a "first installment."

If so, the agreement doesn't look quite so bad.

I have more faith in aggressive State attorneys than I do in the federal probe.

**********

"BOTC To Step Up Its Lending."

Where have I heard that before? The banks have been pretty much saying this for a couple years now, but everyone I've ever talked to says it harder now than ever.

Anyway, saying and doing are two different things.

That graph was interesting -- going from $0.59 billion in assets in 2002 to $2.4 billion in 2008 and then back down to $1.41 billion.

Amazing they survived that. I wonder if the new CEO is going to be left holding the bag.

**********

My customers...

DC did a survey about the New 52 comics, that more or less confirms what I already knew.

70% of the increased sales were due to comic regulars.

25% were due to lapsed readers coming back.

5% were new readers.

Sounds about right.

Also 93% were male. And less than 2% were under the age of 18.

I repeat, between 1 and 2% were under the age of 18.

Most customers are between the ages of 25 and 45.

Hottest Retailer.

Don't look now, but the readers of The Source have voted me the hottest retailer.

Hottest Retailer? WTF?

So here's the explanations I've come up with so far.

1.) They mistook the word "Hot" when they actually meant "Sot" or "Sod."

2.) A case of mistaken identity. They said the "guy" at Pegasus and meant Cameron, Jasper or Matt.

3.) The Cos-play crowd has taken Japanese culture to heart and are respecting their elders.

4.) None of the readers of the Source have actually met me.

5.) Somebody is having me on. They got together for drinks and all said, "Who's the most unlikely guy we could vote for?"

6.) I got 4 votes and everyone else got 3 votes.

7.) I really am too sexy for my comics, too sexy for my comics, I'm too sexy for my comics.

8.) I have a crazy stalker who voted for me 50 times.

9.) Sarcasm is so unseemly, people.

10.) The Source REALLY wants my advertising.

12.) "Hot" as in, I get in the paper more than anyone else. I'm the only retailer anyone remembers.

13.) And MOST LIKELY: I'm having my "Carrie" moment. As one of my customers said, "Don't look up!"

Nothing should surprise me.

As I mentioned this morning, the Comings and Goings lists in downtown Bend have narrowed the gap. (For the first few years, there were quite a few more businesses opening than closing--the froth from the boom, I believe.)

Meanwhile, the school district seem to be leveling off in growth, even dropping.

Even our big thinkers on the city council seem to be finally focusing on current infrastructure instead of pie-in-the-sky schemes.

We seem to be in that place I've noticed before in downturns, where the actual conditions on the ground continue to flatten, while all the talk is of growth and recovery.

Don't know if this is a Bend thing, or just represents a phase of the cycle.

Meanwhile, I'm not impressed with the 25 billion mortgage act. I think the Dirksen maxim of "A billion here, a billion there -- pretty soon you're talking about real money." needs to be updated to "A trillion here, a trillion there -- "

Seems like a drop in the bucket when it comes to the magnitude of the problem. The banks are still getting off light.

According to RDC, none of this should surprise me. In fact, nothing should surprise me. Why the hell am I writing this blog anyways? It's all gonna happen, you should know that!

Downtown Comings and Goings. 2/9/12.

Wow, this is the quickest I've ever followed another listing,
but I already had two updates from last time, and I have two
new ones for this time.

The Lobby closed, when La Magie opened, and Bo Restobar
also closed when Typhoon! closed.

That's 91 Comings and 88 Goings, so that is the narrowest these
two lists have become.

***UPDATE: Mazza Restaurant, opening where the Pita Pit was...
***UPDATE: Navidi (olives and vinegars) opening where The Dog Patch was.

[NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN

Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, Bond St. 4/5/10
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails

(List begun, Fall, 2008.)

BUSINESSES LEAVING

Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro

(List begun, Fall 2008.)