Little Train Went Roaring On

Train ride at the South Bay Galleria

I think I can, I think I can, I think I have a plan
And I can do 'most anything if I only think I can

Well, let's see if I can start writing up some substantial posts, in a timely manner. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Promenade By Night

Night at the Promenade on the Peninsula

Happy Thursday!!! ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Abominations of the Apocalypse

Rodeo, Sakura, and Kaili from Tokidoki's Unicorno Series

There's a toy shop in the southern part of Torrance called Pop Monster, which I get to on infrequent occasions. I'm not big on collecting, but I can appreciate the interesting toys and artworks on display. Well, as I was strolling out of my local library a few days ago, I noticed that they put up a nice showcase of the types of goodies that can be found at the store.

Yeah, it's a bit twisted, but I adore toys with a sense of humor. Therefore, here are a few photographs for Silly Saturday. ;-)

Smorkin Labbit from Kidrobot.

And then there were a few critters from the Apocalypse.

Kidrobot's Dunny Apocalypse Series, with Road Warrior by Huck Gee, Meltdown by Chris Ryniak, and Illuminati by Jermaine Rogers.

Fun stuff!!!

Random Images from Downtown Disney

Lion King Statue in Downtown Disney's World of Disney Shop


Yeah, the holidays keep me busy. ;-)

Here are a some images from my trip to Downtown Disney.

Sheriff Woody Pride from the Toy Story series, built out of Legos


I'd like to go visit Downtown Disney on a bright and less hectic day to take some less rushed photographs. There are actually a lot of cool little details scattered around.

Mysterious Galaxy

Mysterious Galaxy, an independent bookstore specializing in Mystery and Speculative Fiction.


Today was the Grand Opening of Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in Redondo Beach.

Of course, I had to head over to support a local indie bookstore. It's been years since Los Angeles has had a quality Science Fiction/Fantasy retailer, ever since Dangerous Visions in Sherman Oaks closed down in 2002. Likewise, westside Mystery fans have been left without a good indie option since the Mystery Bookstore in Westwood shut its doors in January of this year. So, this opening is a fantastic event!

Mysterious Galaxy is an expansion from San Diego, where the store has been a vital part of the SF/Fantasy and Mystery community for years. Author signings, book groups, and miscellaneous book events are frequently sponsored by them. It's a huge boon to the fan communities to have an organized and professional independent store in the region.

And they had cake! How can you beat that? ;-)

Yum!!! Cinnamon cake!!!

Considering that the event occurred at 10 am on a weekday, there was a decent crowd that turned out. Hopefully, this is indicative of a strong community that will support the store. As you all may recall, I am not a fan of physical books. Nevertheless, I made sure to make a purchase. It is imperative that those who love reading sustain those special places wherein such habits are developed and cultivated.

The ceremonial ribbon cutting

As regards this store in particular, I like it's location. It's only a few blocks west of the 405. So it should be fairly accessible to anyone on the westside of LA. There is a good selection of SF/Fantasy, Mystery, and Horror. And the facilities are generous for hosting book signings or other social events.

Borders Bookstore: Saying Goodbye

Borders Bookstore (Torrance/Hawthorne) going out of business.

I was driving past the Torrance Borders yesterday and decided to visit it one last time before it closes down. As I've mentioned in the past, although I'm an avid reader, I actually dislike books. So, I'm not a frequent book buyer. I usually grab my reads from one of the local libraries, especially since I read odd topics that need to be specially ordered at a standard brick-and-mortar store. However, any place that facilitates the practice of reading is a good thing in my estimation. And I've bought the occasional paperback fantasy, sci fi, romance, or horror novel here over the years.

Therefore, I felt a compulsion to stop by the store one last time to pay my respects. It's always sad to see a store going under, with the stock dwindled down to the unwanted remnants. The employees seem shell shocked and adrift. I've seen many stores close over the decades. It started with the small independent stores during the '80s, replaced by the chain stores and "mall" model of retail with stores such as Waldens or B. Dalton. Then these chain stores got gobbled up by the superstores like Borders or Barnes & Noble. It now looks as if online stores like Amazon and the wonderful emergence of the e-book will be putting the superstores under.



Only the Science and Math shelves have a decent selection left.


That's the way business goes. It's understandable that economies of scale, market presence, and reduced overhead determine the viability of any retail project, but it still makes me feel sad.



Every thing must go, even the security mirror ($100)!!!


So, here's to Borders and all those bookstores that have been crushed under the wheels of industry and progress. Thanks for the memories and the many good reads.