Post Conference Report

Our state's L1brar1an conference took place in Long Beach this weekend -

The LBC viewed from the steps of the convention center.
And look at all this free promotional loot I got from the vendor's exhibition hall -

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I now have a shitload of free promotional pens, some of which light up. I think I'll have to make up a "Virtual L1brarian Conference" kit and mail it to Boz. There is no way I can ever use all these pens.

The highlight for me was hearing the delightful Ms. Lee Curtis speak. She came across as a very down-to-earth lady, which was an unexpected surprise. I was so close, I could have groped her if I wanted to.

JLC in the LBC.
"There aren't any kids here"?
"So I can swear"?
Then there was Craig from Craigslist, who was promoting wrist awareness with his Stephen Colbert Wrist Stong bracelet -

Craig's Wrist.
Oh! And during a lull on Saturday afternoon, we wandered over to the Long Beach Aquarium and watched divers carve pumpkins under water -

Underwater Pumpkin Carving.
Pretty cool for a conference.

T-Shirt Exchange, Summer '07

Boz's latest shipment was a marvel of packing. In my nearly two years working in a shipping department, I never saw a $4.95 flat rate envelope stuffed half as full as this one was. It really makes you appreciate the value of tape.

The envelope contents covered nearly half of our new red leather couch -



Sandra received a fine Germany World Cup t-shirt and I received a fine Miller Genuiine Draft "Rock & Peace" festival t-shirt which is now what I always wear out to the pool.

But, while most people would think the flat-rate priority envelope was full after stuffing it with 2 t-shirts, Boz did not hesitate to double the contents by including a makeup bag, a deck of cards with $100 bills printed on the back, a small computer mouse, palm tree stickers, 2 toothbrushes which contain flashing red lights, 5 mexican drink mixes (which remind us of our dear Santa Ana), the East Tawas Business Directory, and a handful of Sour Power candy strips (which I am addicted to).

Danke Boz - this was a packing achievement that only somebody who has worked in a shipping department for nearly 2 years can appreciate.

The normally thin priority flat rate envelope would not even fit in our mailbox. It was waiting by the door when we came home. I can't believe it didn't burst.

This was the greatest T-Shirt Exchange ever.

Beyond The Book of Lists 2

I was ill last weekend and didn't have the chance to post the rest of boz's latest parcel. He really went all out and The Book of Lists 2 was just the appetizer.

Also included:

1. A trilogy of discount videos - Bubba Ho-Tep, Beyond the Mat, and The New Kids On The Block Hangin' Tough. A little something for everybody. Beyond the Mat puts the other two to shame though.

2. A handmade punk rock CD carrier filled to bursting with a great selection of burned CDs, most notably an entire punk & new wave box set (retail value - $119.00).

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3. A great selection of promotional items from local E. Tawas businesses and an E. Tawas community guide. The promotional items are mainly pens and magnets (which I always have a use for).



I'd also like to add that two of the magnets were easily the largest magnets I've ever seen -


E. Tawas magnets with a can of Grapette for scale.
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After thumbing through the E. Tawas community guide, I would theorize the local availability of huge magnets has something to do with the good deer hunting around there. Availability of deer meat suggests a lot of large freezers to store it all and that would mean most households probably have a lot of un-decorated freezer space just begging for a hugeass magnet.

4. My very own authentic and soon-to-be-immortal Detweiler Bros. wrestling t-shirt

5. A PERFECT storage container for my eyepatch. I can't imagine this container being used for anything else -


Piracy Accessory.

6. A selection of men's cologne which will be the subject of a future post/taste test.

Danke Boz!