I am trying to find some food. I am in a suburban town. I walk through one store to get to a store in the back that supposedly sells food. The rear store is a combination Barnes & Noble and some kind of greasy fast food shop. But the store is supposed to be closed, and they just forgot to lock the back door. The employees are in the process of closing down the store, cleaning up, clearing the registers, etc. I encounter the manager on duty, who, it turns out, is one of the managers from my days as an employee at the Berkeley branch. He recognizes me, too -- which I find somewhat disconcerting. I explain to him that I was just after food, and he says that's alright, even though they are closed, they can accommodate me. I'm surprised by the hospitality, it is quite out of character for the institution.

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Data sifting, like powerlines stretching across the desert.