3 ms·

Reminds me of the cat that years ago inhabited Powell's technical bookstore (in Portland OR). The grayish feline was a inconspicuous mascot. Sometimes seen ca

by jrapdx3 12y ago

Reminds me of the cat that years ago inhabited Powell's technical bookstore (in Portland OR). The grayish feline was a inconspicuous mascot. Sometimes seen calmly striding among the bookshelves, with little attention to the humans milling about but mostly was ensconced in some private retreat. I used to go there frequently to hunt down computer books, but remember most enjoyably not only the store cat, but even more the collection of CD's that were sold way back when. In the early 90's, with those CD's I was introduced to Linux 1.0, and FreeBSD 2.0, Walnut Creek and other names that endure in my memory. It was a very exciting time. Thanks for giving me that pleasure for a moment once again.

schoen 12y ago
I used to get the Powell's e-mail newsletter and I remember that the cat in question was called "Fup". (Unless you're thinking of an even earlier store cat.) Apparently she died in 2007, aged 19. https://www.powells.com/blog/book-news/a-tribute-to-fup-store-cat-by-ron-silberstein/ https://www.powells.com/blog/book-news/a-tribute-to-fup-stor...
bitwize 12y ago
When Fup died in 2007, it made the top page of Reddit. I was a bit surprised and delighted to see such a piece of Portlandia get worldwide e-fame, even as I mourned her passing. Only met her once or twice. She was old and not quite so mobile by the time I even saw her.
- jrapdx3 12y ago
  Thanks. You and schoen are right--I'd forgotten about Fup's "obituary". I hadn't been so regular a visitor to the bookstore since the late 90's. Around that time pace of change was speeding up, everything in the computing field evolving so quickly when a book was published it was already obsolete. "Dead tree" books were much less necessary. I stopped in a few days ago (tech books now located closer to the main bookstore) looking for a reference book on computer security. Alas, selection was meager, the shelf space devoted to computing topics less than a tenth what it once was. The store now overflows with tons of books on birds and botany, cars and many worthy things. Still see a few old digital museum pieces in random corners, but hardly a trace of Fup and her glorious era.
ed 12y ago
Huh, I'm familiar with Walnut Creek the city but had no idea there was a popular shareware distributor of the same name. Neat! (I'm from the area.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut_Creek_CDROM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut_Creek_CDROM
e40 12y ago
Dark Carnival, a sci-fi/fantasy bookstore in Berkeley had a cat. I used to love taking a break from classes a hanging out there, looking for new books and playing with the cat. Good times.
archagon 12y ago
A store cat will always endear me to the establishment in question.
dunham 12y ago
Borderlands Books, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy bookstore in San Francisco, used to have a Sphynx named Ripley. They'd have a sign in the window to let you know if the cat was in. She passed away in 2010. They had subsequent cats, but stopped around the time they added the attached Café next door, maybe due to health code issues. Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/embem30/1850257143 https://www.flickr.com/photos/embem30/1850257143

by jrapdx3 12y ago

schoen 12y ago

I used to get the Powell's e-mail newsletter and I remember that the cat in question was called "Fup". (Unless you're thinking of an even earlier store cat.) Apparently she died in 2007, aged 19. https://www.powells.com/blog/book-news/a-tribute-to-fup-store-cat-by-ron-silberstein/ https://www.powells.com/blog/book-news/a-tribute-to-fup-stor...

bitwize 12y ago

When Fup died in 2007, it made the top page of Reddit. I was a bit surprised and delighted to see such a piece of Portlandia get worldwide e-fame, even as I mourned her passing. Only met her once or twice. She was old and not quite so mobile by the time I even saw her.

jrapdx3 12y ago
Thanks. You and schoen are right--I'd forgotten about Fup's "obituary". I hadn't been so regular a visitor to the bookstore since the late 90's. Around that time pace of change was speeding up, everything in the computing field evolving so quickly when a book was published it was already obsolete. "Dead tree" books were much less necessary. I stopped in a few days ago (tech books now located closer to the main bookstore) looking for a reference book on computer security. Alas, selection was meager, the shelf space devoted to computing topics less than a tenth what it once was. The store now overflows with tons of books on birds and botany, cars and many worthy things. Still see a few old digital museum pieces in random corners, but hardly a trace of Fup and her glorious era.

ed 12y ago

Huh, I'm familiar with Walnut Creek the city but had no idea there was a popular shareware distributor of the same name. Neat! (I'm from the area.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut_Creek_CDROM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut_Creek_CDROM

e40 12y ago

Dark Carnival, a sci-fi/fantasy bookstore in Berkeley had a cat. I used to love taking a break from classes a hanging out there, looking for new books and playing with the cat. Good times.

archagon 12y ago

A store cat will always endear me to the establishment in question.

dunham 12y ago

Borderlands Books, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy bookstore in San Francisco, used to have a Sphynx named Ripley. They'd have a sign in the window to let you know if the cat was in. She passed away in 2010. They had subsequent cats, but stopped around the time they added the attached Café next door, maybe due to health code issues. Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/embem30/1850257143 https://www.flickr.com/photos/embem30/1850257143