The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

by **Strict31** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:44 pm

It sounded like a joke to me.

But yeah, if you don't work in a service industry, or never did, you can rest assured that the folks who just served you your whopper or just helped you find a book or just handled your service call are already bitching about how stupid you were. Whether you were or weren't.

You should probably be counting yourself lucky they didn't jizz in your burger or your latte.

People complain. Sometimes they complain about other people. Sometimes, they complain about you. And sometimes, it's because you're a dick.

by **Rockman** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:41 pm

I don't get the first one.

"we hate that a book becomes popular, because it was turned into a movie"

Why would you hate that?

by **LobsterJ** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:51 pm

Rockman wrote:I don't get the first one.

"we hate that a book becomes popular, because it was turned into a movie"

Why would you hate that?

cuz they're snobs.

by **Victorian Squid** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:57 pm

It's a book snob thing. Same with Oprah's recommendations, which could catapult a relatively-unknown writer to the best-seller list almost literally overnight.

by **Rockman** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:10 pm

LobsterJ wrote:
cuz they're snobs.

I don't get it.

I wouldn't call myself an avid reader, but lately I've gone through about 2-3 books a week. I'm not sure what I'm "supposed" to be reading, but I'll check out a book turned movie because generally a book isn't going to generate that much attention unless people already enjoy it.

by **xaraan** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:12 pm

The Nook saved B&N last year, but I think the Kindle Fire is going to take care of that.

by **Rockman** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:15 pm

Even though borders workers were exceptionally douchey that isn't what killed them. I mean its pretty obvious. You go to amazon you can always find the item you want in stock and for a cheaper price. At borders you'd pay at list five dollars more and be lucky to find what you wanted unless it was incredibly popular or a new release.

That's not to say I won't miss the old place, I loved going there to browse and stuff. Of course I rarely bought anything when I did.

by **xaraan** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:26 pm

Rockman wrote:Even though borders workers were exceptionally douchey that isn't what killed them. I mean its pretty obvious. You go to amazon you can always find the item you want in stock and for a cheaper price. At borders you'd pay at list five dollars more and be lucky to find what you wanted unless it was incredibly popular or a new release.

That's not to say I won't miss the old place, I loved going there to browse and stuff. Of course I rarely bought anything when I did.

Yea, I just couldn't see spending so much more for a book myself. It's not like it only cost a buck more, sometimes it was considerable. A thirty dollar HC in the store and you get maybe 10% and sometimes another 10% (20 at B&N) and it was still way above Amazon's price. And that was if it was a new release or best seller. It's just a huge savings difference to use amazon and it usually comes to me within a couple of days.

Even when they were in 'closeout' mode about half way through the period I actually put down a book that was on 'sale' there and ordered it from amazon b/c it was still cheaper to do that.

by **Cat-Scratch** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:35 pm

Some of the latest posts reminded me of the staff at one point at a now defunct LCS here.
They looked down on comics that were only black and white and not coloured.

by **Kolimar** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:46 pm

LobsterJ wrote:

i was treated civilly at all the borders i ever went to. i don't think its a big deal to put out a humorous list of complaints when your company has tanked. fuck it, why not? i find doombug's statement particularly perplexing.

Agreed.

by **Flynn the Pirate** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:44 pm

Cat-Scratch wrote: Things we never told you: Ode to a bookstore death

• We hate when a book becomes popular simply because it was turned into a movie.

Now, I don't quite get where he's going with this, as the popularity of the book means that that many more people buying the book, which means more money, which means more payroll, but if I were to guess, i would think that it is something akin to how some people feel when something that they have been a fan of for a long time suddenly experiences some rush in popularity and their object of interest is suddenly flooded with new clingers-on. In other words, they would resent the fact that the only reason you are reading the book is because there is a movie, as opposed to wanting to read it because it may or may not be a good book.

But again, that's just supposition.

Cat-Scratch wrote:• We greatly dislike the phrase "Quick Question." It's never true. And everyone seems to have one.

Yes, yes, and yes.

Cat-Scratch wrote:• We always knew when you were intently reading Better Homes and Gardens, it was really a hidden Playboy.

Always amusing, especially when its some little teeny-bopper who isn't even doing a very good job of hiding it. Newsflash, home-skillet: if you are going to hide the dirty mag or the smut-book behind something else, make sure that what you are hiding it behind actually covers your item.

Cat-Scratch wrote:• It NEVER bothered us when you threatened to shop at Barnes & Noble. We'd rather you do if you're putting up a stink.

I wouldn't say that I'm never bothered, but then my bookstore has a pretty good working relationship with the B&N in town and employees from one often go out with employees from the other after hours. Plus we're drawing from the same market, so in a lot of cases, stuff that we don't have, they won't have either.

Cat-Scratch wrote:• "I was just here last week and saw this book there" meant nothing to us. The store changed once a week.

If I had a nickle for every time I heard this, I'd be set for life. And what kills me about it is that it is usually from someone who then proceeds to get angry when you try to explain to them that the store is updated multiple times in the span of a week and demand to speak to someone who will know what books were where two weeks ago.

Cat-Scratch wrote:• was not the "final say" on what is awesome. We really didn't care what was on her show or what her latest book club book was. Really.

I wouldn't go so far as he does, but it is somewhat irritating to hear, "There was this book on Oprah" or "... on Good Morning America" or "... on the Rick and Bubba Show" and then we get looked at like we are idiots because we have no clue what they are talking about.

by **avengingtitan** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:11 pm

I think thats pure genius. Love the part about Nicholas Sparks. :-D

The part about the store changing every week is completely true where I live. It seemed like they changed things up at least every two weeks.

by **NedPepper** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:29 pm

Rockman wrote:Even though borders workers were exceptionally douchey that isn't what killed them. I mean its pretty obvious. You go to amazon you can always find the item you want in stock and for a cheaper price. At borders you'd pay at list five dollars more and be lucky to find what you wanted unless it was incredibly popular or a new release.

That's not to say I won't miss the old place, I loved going there to browse and stuff. Of course I rarely bought anything when I did.

Same here. I miss sitting in Borders, reading graphic novels and putting them back on the shelf. :-D

But as a former Borders customer, I can tell you that Amazon took my business. They're cheaper, it's easier to find what you want, and it's mailed to you. Then came the Kindle, and after about a year of feeling uncomfortable at the death of the binded book, I've finally come around to reality. This is the future.

I'm just glad we still have books in some form, period....

by **doombug** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 11:45 pm

LobsterJ wrote:

i was treated civilly at all the borders i ever went to. i don't think its a big deal to put out a humorous list of complaints when your company has tanked. fuck it, why not? i find doombug's statement particularly perplexing.

You can find my statement as perplexing as you like but honestly? Fuck the person that wrote this.

I've worked retail, I've worked in fast food and while people can be abrasive dicks the specific complaints I've read on this right here are the biggest example of spoiled "first world problems" bullshit that I've ever read.

by **avengingtitan** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:10 am

doombug wrote:You can find my statement as perplexing as you like but honestly? Fuck the person that wrote this.

I've worked retail, I've worked in fast food and while people can be abrasive dicks the specific complaints I've read on this right here are the biggest example of spoiled "first world problems" bullshit that I've ever read.

I've worked retail and fast food and I personally LOVE that list. Its right on for the most part.