Things that irk me:
- Signs that say “We are close”
- Signs that say “We are opened”

I’m slowly getting the idea of making a three-point turn. Slowly. Somehow, the mind ceases to function intelligently when its vessel is behind a wheel. I quite enjoy driving though, but only if it is on a straight road and there is no fellow traffic. Jaywalkers, stay home! I say this out of pure altruism, and also, because it seems to rain whenever (or is it wherever?) I drive.

Things that irk me, part #2:
- People who ruin books
- Borders

(I’m going to whinge.)

And this time, I shall follow up with some related thoughts. The first is rather obvious. There is no way I will buy a book if it looks like it has already been read a million times or if it has a crease/fold/tear/stain on its cover (or anywhere else). I do think it is okay to “preview” a book by reading a few pages – I do it all the time, especially when it comes to authors I haven’t read previously – but please, do be considerate you dimwit. Contrary to popular belief, I take decent care of my books. Except those that go missing, but that is pardonable since they often go missing without consent anyway.

Bookstores with a persistent strain of this problem: Popular/Harris, Borders. I was very pleased when a Harris store opened at Jurong Point, but so far, I’ve been quite disappointed with the condition of their books. For some reason, the books that I have my eye on are always in crap condition. They need to improve their shelving system. Propping up books against nothing, and expecting them to stand on their own is just plain dumb. Even if a book is as thick as hell, it is almost definite that it will fall back or over at some point. Ahh. And stop treating books on sale like they aren’t worth anything! Am looking at you too, Borders.

Borders. Was contemplating getting a Borders card yesterday. Their email coupons are very enticing; you get 30% off for 3 books, and if you are a member, you get an additional 10% off, which is all very, very enticing. Last evening after work, I rushed down to the bookstore before meeting a friend for dinner, thinking I should get some books for the weekend. Well, then, of course, the books were in less-than-perfect condition (though it was minor enough for me to consider a purchase), and I couldn’t find all the books I wanted. But in the end, what stopped me was the fact that the book was more expensive than what it would had cost in other bookstores. The difference in price would have rendered the discount nearly worthless and unworthy of my infidelity.

The above primarily stems from me being a cheapskate, but yeah. And so, Kinokuniya, you are the (my) best. In terms of variety and pricing. And service. And decor. I don’t know why I’m whining about bookstores. It’s been a slow day on all fronts, I suppose. I could complain about how bland my milk tea was today, but I was quite happy to have had one at all.

Hmm, an iPod or iPod Touch?