Today, for very little reason, I wore a formal white button-up shirt and light khaki pants. Every time I look down I feel like someone else is inhabiting my body. Possibly someone entering business school.

I got to introduce Sarah Vowell to a room packed with adoring public-radio fans. Then I went back downstairs and told people that cookbooks are in aisle 24 and helped a kid find a science …

Today: my first industrial accident. Well, second if you count getting bumped on the noggin by a falling book. Today, while giftwrapping a book, I used scissors to curl the ribbon and cut my hand …

Today I scored at the church thrift shop (Wednesdays and Saturdays, on Dana between Durant and Channing): three great pairs of pants for a total of $8.50. Yes, that was the most triumphant moment of …

Cody's Deals: Upstairs, in our Bargain Books, we have C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, John Bear's Send This Jerk the Bedbug Letter, and Double Down by Frederick and Steven Barthelme, each for $3.98.

Reviews! Retief: Emissary to the Stars: I read a set of Retief short stories by Keith Laumer. I borrowed them from Leonard in a hasty "find something to read on the BART" snap. They're rather …

At one point today, I thought that I don't live a life of quiet desperation -- how quiet can desperation be when you have a weblog? Yet: today I met Lynda Barry! She autographed a …

I'm actually rather interested in going to Friday's car free party as long as it's not too militant.

Just finished acquiring and preparing Adam's birthday gift. Happy birthday, Adam! In addition, happy birthday to Leonard's sister, Susanna. Today I went so far as to pre-condition my hair before showering. I massaged olive oil …

Naomi Klein, of No Logo fame, speaks tonight at Cody's at Haste and Telegraph in Berkeley. She'll appear at 7:30 pm to discuss her new book, Fences and Windows, which I momentarily conflated with Bruce …