[tmbchr]™

Conspiracy at the Bookstore



Today I went to Borders to buy some books on conspiracy. Not so much because I’m a “conspiracy nut” but because I want to sit down and do some hard research on the subject. Actually, I don’t know that these books qualify as hard research, because I bought two books that are sort of overviews: one more high-level, one more pulpy. Doing all these tarot card images has really spurred my interest to go in and “decode” conspiracies. Figure out what they are “really” about and why they are so important to people. So these books are to help orient me in that regard.

Before I get to the rest of my story though, let me just say that for these types of weirdo topics, I personally find Borders stores to be much better and more inclusive than Barnes & Noble. Borders has my all-time favorite book category on one of their shelves: “Speculation”. How perfect is that? I like it cause it’s not judgemental, it just suggests a quality of exploration. It doesn’t necessarily try to label something as occult or new age, or what ever. It just sort of lets it float…

Anyway, where was I… oh right, so I spend some time and pick out two books to bring to the cash register. I’m already curious whether or not the cashier will say something when she sees that I’m buying multiple books on a strange topic. It’s at least less weird than the time I bought two books on Satan in downtown Baltimore. But I guess those people see all kinds of weird combinations and book selections. Anyway, she didn’t seem to really even look at the books as she scanned them, let alone comment on them. Just as I thought I’d gotten away with it though, she presents me with a slip of paper in addition to my receipt:

“You’ve been selected to take part in a survey…”

She went on about how I could “save 15%” blah blah blah… But all I could think of was what I must have done to trigger a “survey” on their computer system. Was I just the lucky thousandth customer, or did it have something to do with my book choice? I could barely respond as I mulled this all over and waited for her to finish so I could rush out the door - which was held open by none other than two men in dark suits…







6 Reader Responses

  1. LTR Says:
    May 3rd, 2005 at 5:13 pm

    Hey, I got the same thing! A phone number on the receipt, and then a line where you could write a number after you take the survey? I got that after buying an iced coffee. :)

  2. Occult Investigator Says:
    May 3rd, 2005 at 5:22 pm

    man, this conspiracy must run pretty deep then, huh? hehe

  3. Haeresis Says:
    May 3rd, 2005 at 7:14 pm

    I prefer Borders to B&N, which is more or less the pit of hell as far as I’m concerned. Of course, I’ll hit Moe’s in Berkeley first, always. Berkeley being a big occult center, Moe’s always gets the collections when people die or move on, including some awesome old alchemical books and so on. (I even got a copy of Bayley’s “Lost language of symbols” there-ironically, an old B&N Press book..heh heh)

  4. Occult Investigator Says:
    May 3rd, 2005 at 7:18 pm

    yeah well, pittsburgh isn’t exactly the occult mecca that berkeley must be… i do think ill snoop around and try to track down a bookstore that specializes in this shit more, cause im getting tired of all the mainstream phooey

  5. Rev. Daniel Nephilim Says:
    May 4th, 2005 at 1:48 am

    Speaking as someone who often buys books on Satan in downtown Baltimore, I would be quite interested in hearing the details of that particular experience.

  6. Infoprophecy » Library Superstition Says:
    May 5th, 2005 at 12:19 pm

    […] Library Superstition

    After reading Tim’s post about the Bookstore Conspiracy, I decided to visit my local library because I&#82 […]



SURROUND YOURSELF WITH STRENGTH.