it's a good thing I'm not rich

Or, in fact, have much savings at all, or else, after reading this Barron's article about maniacs buying offshore lighthouses from the 19th century that the Coast Guard doesn't need anymore for as little as 30K (and then doing crazy expensive rennovations of course), I'd have to go snap one up.

Hitler's globe

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/arts/design/18globe.html

Totally weird little article about a guy trying to track down the globe that really belonged to Hitler as opposed to all the ones in various museums that are claimed to be the globe in question.

It's sort of fascinating because aside from the Hitler factor there's the "when globes mattered" factor.

When I was a kid, I remember my parents taking me to some very big deal store to look at the globes and get my first globe, which was, I think $34.99. And it was made clear that being a successful grown up meant having a serious office with a serious desk with a very serious globe.

That globe is still in my parents house, and wow, I guess the countries are all out of wack on it now.

(no subject)

Today has been busy and productive, but I am just sitting down with teh book now, which is less than ideal.

I seem to be "steadily" if one can say that about a three day availability window, selling two books a day if my sense of my rankings on both Amazon and B&N are correct. For something with no marketing yet other than my whining about it, I suppose that's just dandy.

Today, I'm clearly radiating some sort of adult, upper-class woman who cares about your problems vibe. I've had well-dressed men on the street try to get me to join their church (my religiousity being assumed), and a lengthy conversation about the virtues of subscribing to the ballet with the most human (nearly unacceptably so) telemarketer I've ever encountered.

Finally, someone needs to tell teh yellow pages that there is no 125th and Columbus. It's frigging Lenox.

Is anyone going to Philcon? I'm thinking it might be a book promo stop.