Barnes & Noble

An American bookseller, with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. Founded in New York City in 1886 as Arthur Hinds & Company. Renamed to Hinds & Noble when Gilbert Clifford Noble was made a partner, then renamed to Barnes & Noble after Noble purchased the company and hired William Barnes. Now operates over 600 retail stores nationwide and is a Mecca for book lovers like me. Many have cafés that serve Starbucks coffee.

Regular person’s ideal date: dinner and a movie.
Nerd’s ideal date: Barnes & Noble and reading a book mutually picked.

Bakery

A facility where baked goods, such as bread, pies, cookies, cakes, etc., are made. Nothing sexual.

I worked in a bakery.

University of the Incarnate Word

A private Catholic university in San Antonio, Texas. Technically classified as a liberal arts university but UIW is known mostly for its medical programs: nursing, nuclear medicine, pharmacy, optometry, physical therapy, and osteopathic medicine. Welcomes students of any faith or no faith at all, but maintains a Catholic identity.

Welcome to the University of the Incarnate Word! Go Cardinals!
university college catholic church

Slipknot

A 9-piece heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. They do not identify as any particular genre of metal, as they experiment with different forms. Styles noticeable in their music are rap metal (Spit It Out), thrash metal, death metal (Solway Firth), speed metal, experimental metal, and a power ballad or two (Snuff).

Slipknot are known for their attention-grabbing, energized concerts on stage, where they wear matching (or semi-matching) jumpsuits and individual masks.

Members are:

#0 Sid Wilson - turntables
Jay Weinberg - drums
Alessandro “V-Man” Venturella, aka - bass
Michael “Tortilla Guy” Pfaff - percussion
#4 Jim Root - guitar
#5 Craig Jones - samples
#6 M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan - percussion
#7 Mick Thomson - guitar
#8 Corey Taylor - vocals

Former members include #2 Paul Gray on bass (deceased as of 2010), #1 Joey Jordison on drums (dismissed in 2013 due to medical concerns and passed away in 2021), and #3 Chris Fehn on percussion (dismissed in 2019 due to legal disputes).

Albums are:
Slipknot - 1999
Iowa - 2001
Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) - 2003
All Hope Is Gone - 2008
.5: The Gray Chapter - 2014
We Are Not Your Kind - 2019
The End, So Far - 2022

We saw the Slipknot concert, and we can’t wait for the next one!