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Hot Tomato Haiku Contest Winners 2010

Luke — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:01:13 +0000

The Fools and I had a great time at the Tomato Art Fest this weekend. We sold a whole bunch’a used books from our booth, as well as hundreds of cold bottles of water. But the highlight of the day was announcing the 2010 Hot Tomato Haiku Contest winners and handing out gift certificates and, yes, an iPad!

With over 500 entries from 140 poets, the judges had a very difficult task this year. But they pushed through and crowned the these winners in the following categories:

Basho’s Beefsteak:

out in the garden
red globes like lights on a vine –
Christmas in July

Tiffany Jyang
Alpharetta, GA

Plum Humorous:

Seed savers rejoice
The heirlooms get all the girls
Monsanto be damned

Sarah Gann
Nashville, TN

Formal Champion:

tomatoes plumping
round stakes, midsummer steaks, round
plumping tomatoes

Temple Cone
Annapolis, MD

Stinky Tomato:

Ms. Tomato was
puréed as the driven snow
until she got juiced.

Peggy Landsman
Pompano Beach, FL

Fried Green Tomato:

King of tomatoes!
Beefsteak, wear your crown of leaves.
Mustard is your gold.

Nell Harris
Nashville, TN

Melissa Duke’s Best In Show:

The livin’, easy –
you’re the plump juicy Romas
in my Caprese.

Dana Delworth
Nashville, TN

Call for Haiku: 2010 Hot Tomato Haiku Contest

Luke — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:46:15 +0000

Ladies and Gents,
East Nashville’s Tomato Art Fest is almost here (August 14th), which means the 3rd Annual Hot Tomato Haiku Contest starts today! Last year’s category winners scored gift certificates to local eateries, and the Grand Prize winner took home an iPod Touch.

This year’s Grand Prize is even more grand: An iPad! (Yes, really!)

If you love tomatoes, poetry, and/or iPads, visit the contest page and enter by July 31st. And for more regular updates, become a Fan at our Facebook page.

(cc) Flickr user spisharam - AWAY

BookFool.com Flood Update 05-03-10

Luke — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:32:42 +0000

By now you’ve heard of the massive flooding in Middle Tennessee this weekend. This quick post is to let you know that BookFool is fine and Buybacks are proceeding according to schedule. Our Rhodes Buyback team had trouble getting out of Nashville this morning, but they are leaving town soon and should open their buyback later today.

We’re pleased to announce that our new warehouse is completely dry and the Command Center there is running at 100%.

Two full-time Fools had their houses flooded and cleanup has begun on that front. The most picturesque disaster was the collapsing of one of our backyard hills:

The hill before.

The hill after, part 1.

The hill after, Part 2.

Stay safe out there, people. We will post to our Twitter feed as updates become available.

BookFool’s First Annual April Fools’ Day Cookout

Luke — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:57:40 +0000

What better day to celebrate our corporate Foolishness? We invited friends, employees, vendors, and neighbors to our new warehouse for burgers, dogs, veggie burgers, veggie dogs, chips (my favorite), and more. Our Chief Fool gave a rousing speech on the value of individualism. We even raffled off some BookFool swag, including a free book of your choice from anywhere in our warehouse.

And wouldn’t you know it? Our only camera died at the beginning of the event. Below are the few shots we got, followed by a quick video of some pre-party Foolishness.

Thanks to everyone who came out. We packed the place! And next year will be even bigger. We’re planning some entertainment, maybe a contest or two.

The early arrivals, just getting warmed up.

Grillin' buddies. The aprons were hilarious. The little one said "Little Chef" and the big one, well, "Big Chef."

And the video:

Buy Direct from BookFool.com

Luke — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:31:13 +0000

"A rainbow of books" (cc) Flickr user bethany actually

At long last! You can now buy your used books direct from BookFool.com. Our Tech Fool Casey has been working hard to create a shopping cart and put our inventory on our site, and we’re pretty proud of the results. Simply run your Search from our homepage to see if we have your book in stock. Even if we don’t have it in stock, we will still compare prices on other sites to find you the best deal!

You may be wondering: Why should I buy from BookFool.com? What makes them so special? Well, if you’ll permit me to brag, here are some reasons we’re proud of what we do:

Free Shipping
A new offering from the Fools. When you buy direct from us, we will ship your book anywhere in the USA via USPS Media Mail for FREE!

Fast Shipping
We send all orders in one business day or less. And if you need it really fast, we offer an Expedited Shipping upgrade through USPS Priority Mail, which arrives in 2-3 days.

Excellent Customer Service
If you ever need help with your order, hit up our Support line and we’ll get you fixed up.

100% Return Guarantee
As a service to all our customers, we offer a 30-Day, 100% Return Guarantee. No questions asked! See our Support page for details.

Price Comparison
As mentioned above…We want you to find the best deals for your used books. That’s why we say, “If we don’t have the cheapest copy, we’ll show you who does!”

Good People, On a Mission
Cheap books are everywhere these days. If you want to buy from people who stand behind their books, give us a try.

AND Finally … Daily Book Steals on Twitter
Every day on our Twitter stream, we highlight one amazing used book that we think is a great deal. Follow us on Twitter or watch the “Fools’ Online Activity” box on the right side of our homepage to take advantage of these killer deals.

"Reading Is Fundamental" (cc) Flickr user Troy Holden

Book Review: The Voice New Testament

Luke — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:41:07 +0000

A few months ago, I signed BookFool up for Thomas Nelson’s innovative BookSneeze program that connects bloggers with books in exchange for honest reviews. Our first book to review is The Voice New Testament, a translation by the Ecclesia Bible Society that strives to help “young people fall in love with the Scriptures.”

Our first review is from Ryan P., followed by a quick run-down from yours truly. Ryan says,

The Voice New Testament is a purported re-telling of the scriptures for a post-modern world. In the opening pages, the Ecclesia Bible Society provides the background behind undertaking this revision of the scriptures, twenty years in the making. To achieve its goal, The Voice asked scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, and artists to contribute their ideas in creating a modern narrative style to the scriptures, while remaining faithful to the original purpose of the message.

The Voice reads like a screenplay or a personal blog. The tone of the passages is almost conversational in nature. While I initially found this style too simplistic in regards to my traditional experience with scripture, it eventually became interesting and even challenging in its own way. By stripping away some of the complexity of older, more familiar translations, the message of the New Testament became more immediate and direct. The outlined boxes (written by the contributors and inserted among key verses) helped to expound on the ideas of the passage and provided me with a broader contextual understanding of the message.

I would recommend The Voice to anyone looking for a modernized version of the New Testament. The few missteps that I encountered were based primarily on my personal taste, and may not reflect another reader’s view of the book. Overall, the accuracy and attention to detail are evident throughout, and I truly believe the authors honored the original intent of the Scripture.

And now, my own (less organized) thoughts:

Some people have strong opinions on new translations. (cc) Flickr user ASurroca

I’ve been carrying The Voice around for a month now, reading a page here and there. I took it to Bible class a few times and was initially worried that I wouldn’t be able to find the right scripture when called on to read. You get used to the format quickly, though, and the translation is not so far out that you can’t follow along with people reading from the NIV.

For me, the real test of a plain-English translation is the book of Romans. I’ve always found Paul’s writing style to be confusing and hard to follow. In the KJV and NASB, he seems to jump from idea to idea without connecting them into one coherent thought. I’m willing to admit that the problem lies with me but I’m also searching for a translation that can make sense of Paul’s style for me.

(Side note: Jimmy Allen’s class on Romans was the only “B” I received in my last three years of undergrad. I don’t blame the book of Romans entirely but do consider it a willing accomplice to GPA assassination.)

Consider how The Voice handles this syntactically tricky passage from Romans 8:

Therefore, now no condemnation awaits those who are living in Jesus, the Liberating King, [avoiding sin and embracing the Spirit], because when you live in Him a new law takes effect. The law of the Spirit of life breathes into you and rescues you from the law of sin and death. (Italics indicates text not in the original manuscript but included to clarify the intent.)

The language and intent here is clear. If you’re looking for an easy reading Bible, maybe for your morning devotional, I recommend The Voice highly.

As a matter of practicality, the copy we received is not as durable as a traditional Bible. It’s basically a tough paperback, and the cover is already bent up after a month of semi-regular usage. In this regard, the paperback version of The Voice is best for reading at home, not for taking everywhere you go.

Book’em’s Read Me Week 2010

Luke — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:57 +0000

The BookFools were honored to participate in Book’em‘s Read Me Week this year at Caldwell Enhanced Option School. NPT put together a post that explains this amazing event in more detail. I just want to share a few pics and make a related announcement:

BookFool.com has officially chosen Book’em as our outlet for charitable giving and corporate volunteering. Book’em’s mission is to distribute books to underprivileged local children and to provide reading volunteers to area schools to encourage a lifelong love of reading.

About a month ago, we met with Book’em Executive Director Melissa Spradlin to discuss their plans and to brainstorm how we might work together. We are very impressed with Book’em’s mission, passion, and efficiency in getting books into the hands of young readers and hope this will be a fruitful partnership for many years.

If would like to get involved with this worthy non-profit yourself, visit their website for some ideas.

And now, the pictures.

Farmer Jason really brought down the house.

Jumping to the music.

Expounding upon the joys of reading.

Mixing it up with this motley crew.

Public Speaking Horror Stories

Luke — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:14:24 +0000

(cc) Flickr user Brendan Biele

Scott Schwertly of Ethos3 just launched a new blog, Stuff Presenters Like, filled with good stuff, bad stuff, lame stuff, and horror stories about public speaking. If you’ve ever spoken in public, you’ve probably got one to share.

Yours truly contributed a public speaking horror story to the inaugural “issue.” A snip from the middle:

When it’s finally my turn, I take the podium, wait for my first slide to appear, and jump in. I’m watching my pace and clicking my slides on cue. I’m making eye contact. I’m even getting a few giggles out of the crowd. But they’re not laughing at the right parts. In fact, they don’t seem to be paying attention at all. They’re whispering to each other and shifting around in their seats.

I begin to panic.

Click through to read more. Do you have any public speaking horror stories to share?

WANTED: Marketing/Communication Intern for Spring-Summer 2010

Luke — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:13:27 +0000

If you’re ready to make a serious contribution to a worthy cause—rehabilitating the textbook industry—BookFool.com is offering real resume-building experience in Marketing, PR, and Event Planning.

BookFool.com is an independent, rapidly growing East Nashville textbook seller. Though not a large company, we do have a big impact, and there is still time to write yourself into the BookFool story in a profound way.

WHO WE NEED

We’re looking for a detail-oriented intern who can work independently and communicate professionally. This includes writing, which you will be doing a lot of.

Your official title will be Marketing Intern with a direct report to our Minister of Communication (Marketing Director), but like everyone at BookFool, you will wear many hats. Responsibilities include:

Writing and distributing press releases.
Helping establish and maintain our presence in social media.
Researching and writing critical marketing reports.
Making phone calls on behalf of the Fool.
Compiling media lists and building media relations.
Setting up new business relationships with schools and professors.
Finding new ways to grow the Fool’s media reach.
Much more…

Past marketing interns have created and curated a haiku contest for the Tomato Art Fest, painted a 15-foot mural of one of our favorite poems, written numerous blog posts, built media contact lists, and more.

APPLY

This internship pays $7.25/hr. You must have occasional transportation to our East Nashville location, though some of your work can be done from home. Please send resume with references and a writing sample to this email address.

Welcome, Belmont Vision Readers

Luke — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:47:33 +0000

This week’s Belmont Vision features yours truly spouting off about textbooks. It’s a great article that lays out the problems with the industry and what we’re doing to address them.

When Erin contacted us to discuss our side of the story, I put some thoughts on paper about how we do what we do. It’s a little long, but it may be a view into BookFool that you haven’t seen before. First, her questions. Then, my PR-ey responses.

1) How does BookFool work?

BookFool’s model is unique in that we cut out the wholesalers and middlemen altogether. We set up shop inside local small businesses and buy our books directly from students, selling them on the national used market at the beginning of the next semester. This means that we don’t care if the book is being used at your campus again. If it’s still used anywhere in the world, we can probably buy it from you.

At Vanderbilt last year, we had a student bring us 100 old, out-of-date textbooks to price. The bookstore would not buy them and the local wholesaler had offered him $76 and three free burritos. His jaw hit the floor when we told him we could offer him over $400 for all of them. Alas, we couldn’t give him any free burritos, but I don’t think he minded!

2) How do you determine the asking price? Generally, what are your mark ups?

Because we do not have to satisfy a gauntlet of middlemen, we can pay very close to a book’s current value on the national market. Many students find that once they factor in the cost and hassle of selling online (including 15% marketplace commissions and multiple trips to the Post Office), they can actually get a better deal from BookFool than if they sold it online themselves. And they get it in Cash!

When it’s time to buy your books, our site, BookFool.com, will show you the cheapest used copies at all the major used marketplaces. If we can’t give you the best deal on a used book, we want to empower you find the best price yourself.

3. What sets you apart from a traditional campus bookstore? Why might you be the better option?

Your campus bookstore is only concerned with buying books for your campus. If they don’t need a book next semester, they will either refuse to buy it or will offer you an insultingly low “wholesale price” and pass the book along to a wholesaler.

At BookFool, we buy for ourselves and sell on the national used market, not to some middleman who takes a cut. We partner with local small businesses to host our buybacks, which means these local shops get increased foot traffic, students get a better deal on their books, and the local economy gets a much-needed cash infusion. It’s a win-win-win!

4. In your mission statement you talk about how being recent students affects the way you do business. Can you elaborate on that?

As students ourselves, we felt how powerless we were in the face of the mega-conglomerates who run campus bookstores. Because many campus bookstores had no competition until the online used market matured, their buyback attitude was often “take it or leave it…NEXT IN LINE!” BookFool is using technology to put power back in the hands of the students.

For students, just having BookFool as an option causes your campus bookstore to reevaluate their prices. We also never pressure students to sell if they’re not comfortable with a price. Students are always free to compare prices online, at the bookstore, and elsewhere, and we welcome them back if they decide we can offer them the best deal.

5. How have you marketed to students?

Word of mouth is our best friend. We use Social Media and traditional advertising methods to alert students to our coming and then let them take it from there. Once the word is out, it’s all about giving students a great deal.

6. In general, what effect do you see the price of textbooks having on students and the textbook industry?

Textbooks are expensive, no doubt about it. Many publishers look to digital textbooks as their savior, but we have yet to see a digital solution that actually costs less and put students’ needs first.

Having options is at the heart of our Capitalist economy. As long as students need books, BookFool will work to empower students with options. This means engaging with professors, student government associations, and students themselves to find solutions that respect everyone’s needs.

7. When will you be back by Cosmic Connections again this December?

Cosmic Connections is an amazing place to hold a buyback. Katherine and her staff have welcomed us there for years, and we plan to maintain this partnership for many years to come. This semester’s buyback at Cosmic Connections happens on Dec. 9-12 and 14-17, from 8am to 6pm. After buyback season, we’re always buying online at http://bookfool.com/sell

Thank you for including us in the discussion, Erin.

Tour of the BookFool.com Warehouse

Luke — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:40:16 +0000

Would you like a quick tour of our warehouse? The Taj Mahal it ain’t, but at least no one can accuse us of living the high life at the expense of our customers!

This video was shot a few nights ago when we were all working late.

A warehouse this cheap is one way we pass great savings on to you.

Manager Training Fall 2009

Luke — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:00:21 +0000

We want to say a big Foolish thanks to our managers who made it out for manager training this Saturday. You are now prepared to free students from the monopolies that pay them so little for their books!

Here are a few shots from the day:

The night before, everything ready for your arrival.

The big screen.

Some of us had to attend live via Satellite.

Trying to get the hang of these signs.

The view from the stairs.

And finally, a short clip from the day:

Looking for Carpet or Flooring in Nashville?

Luke — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:07:38 +0000

[Ed. note: Here at BookFool.com, we like to highlight local small businesses that do a good job. This is not a paid endorsement. We just like them and like their work.]

When my wife and I went looking for new carpet for our upstairs, we started our search at the big box stores. The lowest price we could find was $3000 + various fees, and the carpet at that price was not soft.

My wife also wanted to try a place called The Carpet Showcase in Hendersonville. Long story short, this was a great decision. Wayne & Pat Morris did a fine job for us.

Pat showed us plenty of samples in our price range and answered our questions. More importantly, she knew their inventory so well that she was able to make a recommendation that balanced price, quality, softness, and type of warranty.

Wayne accommodated our compressed schedule and was able to come out on the same day to measure for a quote. The installer Jeff was prompt, courteous, and did the job right the first time. Then Wayne called me after the job to thank me for my business. He said that he stands by his work and that I should call him if I ever have a problem with it. How often do you get a call like that?

Bottom Line: We received outstanding personal service, a quality product, and a full warranty … all for under $2300! Thanks, Wayne and Pat!

How to be a Hip Freshman in Nashville: The Rec

Luke — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:52:00 +0000

[Ed. note: This is part 2 in a 3-part series by Eileen and David. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is here.]

Part II: The Rec(reation)

(cc) Flickr user Darin Barry

Looking cool is only one third being Nashvegas. You must also act the part. Nashvillians have developed a culture based on doing trendy things. To be cool, you should do these things and act these ways:

1. Take your guitar everywhere you go. This is especially important on campus, where you will be meeting many other hip freshmen. Memorize four or five relevant songs by indie bands.

2. Attend shows. Go to every single show. You can never go to enough shows. This will build your cred as a cool individual.

3. Become a regular at an independent coffee shop. Learn your barista’s name. Forget that chain coffee shops ever existed.

4. When you meet a new person, ask them what bands they like. Nashvillians LOVE bands. We love talking about bands. We can’t get enough of bands. Most of us are in bands. Join a band. Start a band. Be your own band.

5. Spend a Saturday afternoon browsing used vinyl at Grimey’s or The Great Escape.

6. Use abbrevs. (“Abbrev” being the abbreviation for “abbreviation.”) Example: “Hey rooms, I’m gonna caf it for some fro-yo and maybs some coff. Meet me at the lib and we’ll stud for philos. Lates bro.”

7. Stalk Ben Folds and Jack White.

8. Ride a road bike like this:

(cc) Flickr user richardmasoner

This list contains only eight of the numerous trendy things there are to do in the Ville of Nash. Start by perfecting these and leave the rest to your brilliant, creative mind. We believe in you and your burgeoning hipness.

Stay tuned for the final installment later this week: THE KNOW.

How to be a Hip Freshman in Nashville: The Look

Luke — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:45:08 +0000

[Ed. note: Eileen and David teamed up on this 3-part series of posts. Part 2 is here and Part 3 is here. The photos in Part 1 are of them and their friends.]

This is our attempt to help college freshmen acclimate hiply to the supremely cool city of Nashville. In three riveting installments, we will reveal exactly what it takes to be the coolest kid in Music City. If you are a freshman, adhere to this advice with utmost seriousness. If you are not a freshman, print this out, pass it on, help a bro(ther) or sis(ter) in need.

PART I: THE LOOK

First impressions are uber-important, especially in Gnashville. This city is a quintessential locus of hipness. In order to fit in, you must understand that what you wear is who you are. You must look Nashville, you must dress Nashville, you must BE Nashville.

The overall look to emulate is the “thrift store chic.” This means buying clothes that look like they were purchased at a thrift store, but in reality, were bought at a faux-boutique, indie outlet. Think American Apparel or Urban Outfitters. Here are some suggestions, from the bottom up, to get you started:

The Shoes:

Bros: Acquire for yourself some Vans. Multiple pairs. Various colors.
Babes: Find some flats, or perhaps sparkly Jellies. Also, have at least one pair of pseudo-ankle-boot-things. Tell people you found them at Southern Thrift.
Everyone: Buy some Toms. Forty dollars to look rad and be a good person.

The Pants:

Bros: The skinnier the better. If you can squeeze into Levi’s 510s, buy them. Cuff them.
Babes: Find some patterned tights or leggings to wear under a skirt or some shorts. Skinny jeans are also a must. It is good if they come up to your chest.

The Upper Half:

Bros: Deep V’s to help you show off your rosary (also hip in certain sectors). A vest or two. No plaid; plaid is too hip right now.
Babes: Also deep V’s. Baggy, awkwardly fitting dresses. Over-sized sweaters.

The Outerwear:

Bros and Babes: Buy at least three Am Appy hoodies in varied hues. Everyone must also own a peacoat.
Babes only: Rainboots with a fun/interesting pattern such as polka-dots, fishes, or umbrellas.

The Adornments:

Bros and Babes: Buy a million scarves. Get a new piercing. Start saving for your first tattoo.
Bros: Buddy Holly glasses.
Babes: Your grandma’s glasses.

You must hurry. Outfit yourself now, because first impressions only happen once. And as a last though, consider choosing one iconic item that summarizes your personal outlook, like maybe a feather.

Check back soon for part two in kewlnezz: THE REC.