September 21, 2006

From the "People are Peculiar" File

Was just now at an eatery, and noticed a round older woman sitting at a table, reading a book. Just a regular-sized hardbound novel of a book. And she had it propped in a little wire caddy. Within a mere finger-breadth, her hands were clasped on the table between the caddy-bound book and herself.

Now lack of imagination is probably why I've never done anything great in my life, but it sure did seem like an awful lot of rigamarole just to read a book--I mean, you have to carry around the little wire caddy with you, and you have to set it up on the table, and you have to pick the book up every time it's time to turn the page, and you've got your hands neatly folded right there in FRONT of you to do all this setting up and turning and fidgeting--why not just skip the caddy and HOLD the book?

Posted by Terry Oglesby at September 21, 2006 01:28 PM
Comments

Too much exercise can be dangerous.

Posted by: skinnydan at September 21, 2006 01:49 PM

I suppose so. Which has inspired me to design a book holding device that straps onto your shoulders, and incorporates a series of motors, servos, and neural implants that automatically turn the page for you when think the words "Turn the page."

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at September 21, 2006 02:00 PM

I had one of those thingees in college - mostly because the dorm desks were too small to hold an open book, coffeemaker, clock-radio, cup of pencils and coffee cup and STILL have room for an open notebook in which to take notes.

I hated the thing, primarily because I was too lazy to LIFT the book when turning pages. Did you know they charged you for torn pages in a rental textbook?

Posted by: Diane at September 21, 2006 02:25 PM

That's just a scam to get you to buy the "torn pages" insurance.

Oh. Wait.

That's rental cars.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at September 21, 2006 02:33 PM

Yes, but what was the book?

Posted by: kitchen hand at September 21, 2006 07:14 PM

Well, I didn't want to stare--that would have been rude.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at September 21, 2006 07:17 PM