Tuesday Links

OK, so last week was bad. I didn't blog. I was busy and lazy. I could've done the links and Jam of the Week only, but I felt like that was cheating.

I'll tell you later on in the week what I was doing. (How's that for a big market tease?) I promise to do better with the blogging this week. And now that I've typed that, I actually have to do it.

In the mean time, here are the Tuesday Links.

1. Still mad about Netflix's price hikes? Well, Walmart has jumped in the game. Better yet, there's a relief fund for white people who love GAP khakis.

2. College athletes don't get paid, but schools and conferences make MILLIONS off them anyway. And some student-athletes do get paid and the schools get into all kinds of trouble when it's discovered. This guy thinks we should just end the charade and pay star student-athletes out in the open. Hmm. Maybe I'll blog my thoughts on the subject someday.

3. This video is just too funny. A Dad turns into the Double Rainbow Guy at a Little League game.

4. Any Mad Men fans? An  enterprising fellow took some time to do an unofficial remake of the opening credits.

5. Love this column about the time-honored tradition in baseball of trading talented, proven players for a gaggle of prospects who may or may not develop into Major Leaguers. It seems like a good idea, but I'd rather have the proven player.

6. Want to know who invented the high five? Yeah, you do.

7. This twitter exchange makes me giggle. Over and over.

8. An NFL player demonstrates his love for his wife through song.

9. So you already know I love nostalgia. Or my 80s and 90s versions of it anyway. I worshiped Saved By the Bell, so this video of White Collar's Matt Bomer doing the Bayside cheer melts my heart. And this columnist is crazy for being mad at Zack. She should totally be mad at Kelly for breaking Zack's heart!

And speaking of nostalgia...

10. Kenny Ortega plans to direct a remake of Dirty Dancing. Sigh. I love Ortega. He was Dirty Dancing's choreographer, and since this is my favorite movie, I knew that and adored him for it. He also choreographed Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Shag, two movies I also love. He directed High School Musical, which I think is supercute. And I haven't mentioned that he choreographed Michael Jackson's tours. So yeah, I have mad love for Ortega. But WHY he is remaking a movie that is so classic and iconic? Leave it alone, Kenny! Even Baby agrees!

Already Missing Borders

I absolutely adore reading. I don't even want to think about the amount of money I (and my mom while I was growing up) have spent on books over the years.

A few days ago, Borders announced that they were going out of business. Maybe I was burying my head in the sand, but I was really hoping Borders would pull through. Needless to say, I was and still am devastated.

My first thought was, "Where am I going to buy books now?" because Borders is my preferred bookstore.

Then, I mentally catalogued my alternatives. And boy, that was depressing.

1. Buy books online. Yeah, but it's nearly impossible to replicate the joy of discovery I get at a bricks and mortar store online. Any time I go awhile without going to Borders, I end up saying to myself I need to visit a real bookstore. There's something about walking into one and seeing thousands of books just waiting for me in all their pretty glory. Oh, the possibilities of what I can read and discover by browsing the aisles.

Also, sometimes it's hard keeping up with authors, but to go to the romance section and see that a few of my favorites have new releases - Hallelujah! Or maybe there's a pretty cover that catches my eyes from a new author. I flip it over, fall in love with the blurb and buy the book on the spot.

2. Buy ebooks. I do have a Kobo, which I really like, but I still prefer print books, especially for an author whose books I've been collecting for years. At this point, I mainly use the ereader for library books and digital first books.

3. Buy books from Target and Walmart. Yeah, I can and often do, but let's face it, they're not bookstores. They have a pretty decent selection of romances, but the selections, in no way, compare to those at a dedicated bookstore. They can't. That new author I mentioned earlier? Her books probably aren't going to be in Target because she's an unknown risk.

4. So Barnes & Noble, right? Yes, I can go to Barnes & Noble, but I never liked that B&N made you pay to be a member of its discount club. Borders didn't. Borders also sent out weekly coupons making it a little easier to part with my hard-earned money. B&N doesn't.

In other words, Borders makes me happy. Barnes & Noble doesn't. Sigh

My solution? I guess I'll be doing a combination of all the choices with buying books at Target/Walmart and online leading the way.

The closing of Borders leaves a hole in the publishing industry that I'm not sure can be filled completely. Regardless, I guess I've got to get with the times because the times will always march forward - with or without me.