On occasion, he changes his mind.

I've never been a fan of the big book stores; the ones with coffee bars and lounges in them. It's attitude, I guess: the big book stores tend to hire the dimwits who would otherwise pump gas or stock the shelves at Kroger. (Actual conversation: Me: "Could you tell me where the computer book section is?" Nitwit employee: "Uh ... uh ... no?" Give him credit for being accurate.) And, conversely, real book stores tend to be owned and staffed by people who know and love books and who are willing to help you find what you're looking for.

So it was with great surprise that I was in one of those big stores tonight, looking for the Sports Illustrated with Lance Armstrong on the front cover, riding along in the maillot jaune through the French countryside, on his way to win number 7. And with Lance Armstrong on the back cover, as well: in an ad for Nike, with the caption "Just Do It" - a black-and-white photo of Lance from November or December 1996, head shaven, and skull incision prominent. The high and low points of his career, with it apparent that his true victory isn't the one shown on the front cover.

There I was, wandering around the store, where I saw the sign - an official Barnes & Noble sign showing what was in that particular section: "Encyclopedias/Thesauri". Having the courage to get the plural of "thesaurus" correct goes a long way towards forgiving their witless employees I've had to endure in the past.