Are book stores going out of style?

I am a lover of the written word. I do not own a kindle. I do not listen to audio books. I still subscribe to about 10 different magazines.

There is nothing that compares to me to the scent of a new book, and the feel of the pages between my fingers as I eagerly flip the page. And I just love the way they look all stacked on my bookshelves. I've been known to buy on Amazon. I do love their freakishly accurate suggested purchases, but I prefer to stop into a bookstore, wander between the stacks and look for new friends that I hadn't thought to buy.

Yet, the last few times I have gone to a bookstore to pick up my monthly read for book club, or just a book I've been itching to read, they haven't had it. Barnes and Noble didn't carry Just Kids by Patti Smith. Borders was all out of Swan Song by Robert McCammon, and there was not a volume On the Road in sight. That just seems like a sin. Where has all the inventory gone? Am I just hunting for unpopular books, or has buying books in person simply started to go out of style?

Boots I'm loving

One of my favorite things about fall is all of the fabulous boots that appear in stores. I happen to live in a location where I get to pass Aldo and Steve Madded everyday on my way to and from work. This leads to quite a bit of window drooling as I oogle all the fab fall shoes. These boots, called the Dalley, have really caught my eye. At only $80 bucks, I just might go pick up a pair today in preparation for the cooler temps later this week. I have a thing for suede, but I hate how messed up suede gets in even the slightest hint of rain or snow. These boots are the perfect combo, party up top with the suede, business on the bottom with leather. I need them so I can dilly dalley all over the city wearing them. Want.

Tugboat Tours!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride a tugboat, and pull a giant barge down the East River? I have. I am fascinated with tugboats because:

1. My Grandpa was a tugboat sailor, and traveled around the globe toting other ships and often found himself in NY Harbor.
2. I have always lived near the perimeters of NYC (the rent is cheaper there people!), and I tend to go running along the river paths. Tugboat spotting while running is a sport to me.

If you’re as weirdly fascinated by tugboats as I am, now is your chance to experience riding one. How often does that opportunity come around? My guess is not very.

Tomorrow at 1pm and 3pm, the tug Pegasus (from 1907!!) is giving FREE 2 hour rides around NY Harbor, starting at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6. Get there early, each tour only takes 40 people. Check out this site for more info.

Kitten Heels clawing their way to the top

Kitten heels are everywhere this season, stomping down runways, clogging up the shoe section, and on the feet of the women in my office. I, for one, am not a fan. Granted, I understand they go with the whole 1940's revival vibe that's going on in fall 2010 collections. Hemlines are dropping, bust lines are rising. There's a real return to old fashioned styles, some of which I support. Cute cardis with full skirts? Yes. The leather Louis Vuitton poodle skirt? Yes please. Rocking a bouffant? If I knew how to tease my hair in a way that didn't look like a rat's nest I would totally do it. However, there are some trends that I am happy to see left in the past.

Take tea length skirts/dresses falling below the knee, but not quite to the ankle. Is that really cute on anyone? I've only seen that style relegated to poor choice in bridesmaid's frocks, and now it's all all over my fall fashion magazine issues. It's not demure, it's just unflattering on most, making you look shorter and stumpier. Ditto for Kitten heels. There's something very old ladyish, and prim and proper about a sensible 2 inch heel. Especially with a pointy toe in slingbacks. And I find them wobbly to walk in after being used to having such a great distance between my heel and the ground. I may have turned my ankle once or twice even trying them on.

Ok, so I'm somewhat of a heel extremest. I'm either wearing flats, or wearing something 4 inches and up. Heels any shorter just don't do much for me. They don't do much for my calves either, and they definitely don't give me the sexy sway in my step that balancing on higher spike will. And they just don't make me feel as good about myself and my look as a daring pair of towering platforms.

How I decided what college to go to

Where are the "Bodies" coming from? That is the question.

This week I have had two separate conversations with two separate strangers on the subway who were gazing over my head while I happened to be seated in front of a large ad for the Bodies exhibit. If you haven’t heard of the exhibit, check out some info here.

I actually started to talk to them (this is very uncharacteristic for me, I normally avoid talking to strangers) because I was curious about their outrage at something I thought was an interesting medical display. I haven’t been to see the Bodies exhibit yet. I had been entertaining the idea, but still a little skeeved out by the idea that it is real people’s bodies they are showing. Now after I’ve been hearing all about where the bodies come from by way of the aforementioned strangers on the subway, I am having second thoughts.

Ever wonder where all those bodies came from? Well, apparently this is the source of the outrage the people I encountered had. The bodies come from a medical school in Dalian, a coastal city in China. The university owns the bodies, and is leasing them to Premier Exhibitions for $25 million over a 5 year period for use in the exhibits.

The Chinese government has provided certificates that “guarantee” that none of the bodies has been a murder victim, prisoner, mental patient, or aborted fetus. However, in a country that is notorious for human rights abuses, many don’t put much faith in these “guarantees.” Both people I spoke with are of the mind that the bodies were victims of Chinese government executions.

Strange coincidence? Perhaps not. China has been put under growing scrutiny this year to reduce the number of executions for capital punishment from nations around the world, and from organizations such as Amnesty International. Human rights watchdog groups are troubled by the idea that people did not give consent for their bodies to be displayed before their death, and that after recent Chinese government bans on the black market sale of body parts the Bodies exhibit might just be another way for China to hide the bodies so to speak in a seemingly legitimate scientific forum. There is widespread poverty in China, a huge financial incentive, and previous record of government secrecy and rights abuses. Should the Bodies exhibit really be taking these on faith that the bodies were obtained in an ethical manner?

Public opinion of New Yorkers on the subway is clear. It is a vehement No.

Improv Everywhere

I've heard of Improv Everywhere before, but never been witness to one of their stunts....until this weekend. They are a comedy troupe that stages large scale public pranks across NYC. They are the creators of the No Pants subway ride. They put on a performance in the subway of the scene when Princess Leia meets Darth Vader. They painted a line down a 5th ave sidewalk dividing walkers into two groups: Tourists and New Yorkers. They have even recreated scenes from Ghostbusters in the NY Public Library.

Their latest endeavor took place this past Saturday at Coney Island. I happened to be there with my lovely friend Annie. We decided to take advantage of one of the last weekends of summer by going to the beach. And I had been dying to ride the Brooklyn Flier ever since I heard about these awesome flying swings that shoot you nearly 40 feet up in the air. We were relaxing on our beach blanket, taking in the usual freaks that tend to wander the Coney Island area, when we started noticing people in formal attire. We figured there must have been a wedding, and brushed it off as nothing too out of the ordinary for a place full of weirdos. We even remarked what a mean bride it would be to make your bridal party schlep around Coney Island in formal wear. Then I saw a few people on the board walk who looked as if they had been swimming in their tuxes. Weird.

Turns out it wasn't just the typical strange people who are drawn to the Coney Island beach and new Luna Amusement park, but Improve Everywhere (IE) putting on a show as Gothamist reported in Coney Island Goes Formal. They just wanted to mess with people's heads, and see how people would react to dress so entirely unsuited for the beach. As a typical New Yorker, I was unimpressed. I just shrugged my shoulders, gave them a strange look, and figured it's NYC, you're bound to see some of the strangest things.