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At Barnes and Noble Yesterday

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  At Barnes and Noble Yesterday Wexford Eire <wexford.eire.1798@gmail.com> - 2016-05-31 08:50 -0700
    Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday Justice Should Not Enable Sluts <opuzayo@gmail.com> - 2016-05-31 10:56 -0700
      Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday Wexford Eire <wexford.eire.1798@gmail.com> - 2016-05-31 13:24 -0700
      Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday hypatiab7 <hypatiab7@comcast.net> - 2016-06-01 02:12 -0700
    Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday viva padrepio <vivapadrepio@aol.com> - 2016-05-31 13:32 -0700
    Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday "Alex W." <ingilt@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-06-01 10:35 +1000
      Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday viva padrepio <vivapadrepio@aol.com> - 2016-05-31 17:54 -0700
      Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday John Locke <johnnydemon666@demonmail.com> - 2016-06-01 07:32 -0700
        Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday Wexford Eire <wexford.eire.1798@gmail.com> - 2016-06-01 08:51 -0700
          Re: At Barnes and Noble Yesterday "Alex W." <ingilt@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-06-02 11:07 +1000

#2116729 — At Barnes and Noble Yesterday

I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years, though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks. On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different formats in their bargain books section. 

The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific. It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry lie, and an empty wallet.

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#2116817

Which one? The one by the Central Park? I was there too at the same time... What time?
How come you didn't see me. I had my favorite T-Shirt on with a photo of a Jew waiting to be castrated. And the caption read: The Chief Castrator Of The Jews. :-)


On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 11:50:29 AM UTC-4, Wexford Eire wrote:
> I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years, though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks. On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different formats in their bargain books section. 
> 
> The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific. It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry lie, and an empty wallet.

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#2116899

On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 1:56:13 PM UTC-4, Hypatiab7 wrote:
> Which one? The one by the Central Park? I was there too at the same time... What time?
> How come you didn't see me. I had my favorite T-Shirt on with a photo of a Jew waiting to be castrated. And the caption read: The Chief Castrator Of The Jews. :-)

You're a disgusting pile of shit, aren't you? Look, do the world a favor, terminate yourself. There are painless ways. Look it up. It'll be best for everyone if you do.

> 
> 
> On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 11:50:29 AM UTC-4, Wexford Eire wrote:
> > I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years, though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks. On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different formats in their bargain books section. 
> > 
> > The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific. It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry lie, and an empty wallet.

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#2117273

On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 1:56:13 PM UTC-4, Hypatiab7 wrote:
> Which one? The one by the Central Park? I was there too at the same time... What time?
> How come you didn't see me. I had my favorite T-Shirt on with a photo of a Jew waiting to be castrated. And the caption read: The Chief Castrator Of The Jews. :-)
> 
> 
> On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 11:50:29 AM UTC-4, Wexford Eire wrote:
> > I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years, though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks. On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different formats in their bargain books section. 
> > 
> > The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific. It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry lie, and an empty wallet.

Stupid forger.

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#2116909

On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 8:50:29 AM UTC-7, Wexford Eire wrote:
> I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years, though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks. On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different formats in their bargain books section. 
> 
> The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific. It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry lie, and an empty wallet.

You don't like libraries?

Well, look on the bright side.  A hundred years from now what you're complaining about won't matter.

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#2117076

On 01/06/2016 01:50, Wexford Eire wrote:
> I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always
> mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully
> illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years,
> though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I
> was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The
> science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long
> shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks.
> On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with
> books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly
> junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I
> did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different
> formats in their bargain books section.
>
> The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and
> reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic
> and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific.
> It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my
> grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as
> well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there
> is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature
> pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In
> my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great
> grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering
> nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry
> lie, and an empty wallet.
>

Market forces, alas....

Bricks and mortar book shops have a dreadful time of it, trying to 
compete with Amazon and the like.  So they really have to try and catch 
every single potential customer, and that does mean focusing on the 
lowest common denominator.

It's also a cultural matter.  Different countries have different reading 
preferences and traditions.  For instance, popular science and history 
books have always been good sellers in Britain; they are regularly 
reviewed in the national press, and get lots of floor and shelf space in 
book shops.  However, in secular France, there is a lot more philosophy 
being touted, and in un-religious Germany, they tend to fill shelves 
with fiction (both translated imports from the UK and US and seriously 
highbrow German stuff).

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#2117090

On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 5:35:23 PM UTC-7, Alex W. wrote:
> On 01/06/2016 01:50, Wexford Eire wrote:
> > I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always
> > mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully
> > illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years,
> > though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I
> > was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The
> > science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long
> > shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks.
> > On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with
> > books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly
> > junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I
> > did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different
> > formats in their bargain books section.
> >
> > The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and
> > reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic
> > and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific.
> > It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my
> > grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as
> > well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there
> > is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature
> > pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In
> > my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great
> > grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering
> > nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry
> > lie, and an empty wallet.
> >
> 
> Market forces, alas....
> 
> Bricks and mortar book shops have a dreadful time of it, trying to 
> compete with Amazon and the like.  So they really have to try and catch 
> every single potential customer, and that does mean focusing on the 
> lowest common denominator.
> 
> It's also a cultural matter.  Different countries have different reading 
> preferences and traditions.  For instance, popular science and history 
> books have always been good sellers in Britain; they are regularly 
> reviewed in the national press, and get lots of floor and shelf space in 
> book shops.  However, in secular France, there is a lot more philosophy 
> being touted, and in un-religious Germany, they tend to fill shelves 
> with fiction (both translated imports from the UK and US and seriously 
> highbrow German stuff).

In a library you can read about bankruptcy and how it's a Constitutional right.  ;-)

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#2117357

On Wed, 1 Jun 2016 10:35:17 +1000, "Alex W." <ingilt@yahoo.co.uk>
wrote:

>On 01/06/2016 01:50, Wexford Eire wrote:
>> I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always
>> mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully
>> illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years,
>> though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I
>> was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The
>> science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long
>> shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks.
>> On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with
>> books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly
>> junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I
>> did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different
>> formats in their bargain books section.
>>
>> The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and
>> reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic
>> and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific.
>> It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my
>> grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as
>> well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there
>> is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature
>> pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In
>> my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great
>> grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering
>> nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry
>> lie, and an empty wallet.
>>
>
>Market forces, alas....
>
>Bricks and mortar book shops have a dreadful time of it, trying to 
>compete with Amazon and the like.  So they really have to try and catch 
>every single potential customer, and that does mean focusing on the 
>lowest common denominator.
>
...the movie industry here in the U.S. does the same. Just look at all
the brain dead Christian movies that have been coming out lately. 
Total rubbish but they typically generate 10 times there production
costs. 

>It's also a cultural matter.  Different countries have different reading 
>preferences and traditions.  For instance, popular science and history 
>books have always been good sellers in Britain; they are regularly 
>reviewed in the national press, and get lots of floor and shelf space in 
>book shops.  However, in secular France, there is a lot more philosophy 
>being touted, and in un-religious Germany, they tend to fill shelves 
>with fiction (both translated imports from the UK and US and seriously 
>highbrow German stuff).

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#2117378

On Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at 10:32:28 AM UTC-4, John Locke wrote:
> On Wed, 1 Jun 2016 10:35:17 +1000, "Alex W." <ingilt@yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
> 
> >On 01/06/2016 01:50, Wexford Eire wrote:
> >> I used to like Barnes and Noble very much. A visit there would always
> >> mean bringing home something interesting, often beautifully
> >> illustrated and useful, and not expensive. I've been away for years,
> >> though, preferring e-books and Kindle to paper or hard cover books. I
> >> was sad to see the deterioration of their section on science. The
> >> science books were hard to find and relegated to a few four-foot long
> >> shelves over by the books on computer languages and national parks.
> >> On the other hand there were rows and rows of shelves loaded with
> >> books on "Christian Interest," on "Religion," on "Philosophy" (mostly
> >> junk books like "Eat, Pray, Love"), few real classics. To be fair, I
> >> did see two or three versions of "Origin of Species" in different
> >> formats in their bargain books section.
> >>
> >> The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of learning and
> >> reason in the contemporary United States. So many people prefer magic
> >> and nonsense to anything remotely truthful or factual or scientific.
> >> It seems to get worse every year. I've tried to assure that my
> >> grandchildren will stay rooted in reality, and my children have as
> >> well (not a biblebot in the lot, not even a church goer), but there
> >> is so much propaganda on television and in children's literature
> >> pushing children to believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In
> >> my opinion its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great
> >> grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but delivering
> >> nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony community, a tawdry
> >> lie, and an empty wallet.
> >>
> >
> >Market forces, alas....
> >
> >Bricks and mortar book shops have a dreadful time of it, trying to 
> >compete with Amazon and the like.  So they really have to try and catch 
> >every single potential customer, and that does mean focusing on the 
> >lowest common denominator.
> >
> ...the movie industry here in the U.S. does the same. Just look at all
> the brain dead Christian movies that have been coming out lately. 
> Total rubbish but they typically generate 10 times there production
> costs. 

That's true. I grew up watching old "classic" movies on TV. My favorites were films like "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet," "Pasteur," "Marie Curie," "Young Edison," highly dramatized stories of scientists and inventors, but they made a tremendous impression. Today it's all garbage like "Harry Potter," and that loathsome "Lord of Rings" trilogy. The godbots are at it, too, with a constant stream of Bible, miracle and heaven movies, and there's a steady flood of animations that are simply mind-deadening. Why can't we make heroes of real people who accomplished truly remarkable things? There are so many scientists, engineers, inventors, thinkers who have really created the modern world and whose lives if not eternally exciting were purposeful (without the god crapola) and profoundly important to all of us. I'd love see children grow up who wanted to emulate people like Lister, or Fleming or Salk, who made heroes of scientists and engineers, rather than Ninja Turtles, and wouldn't have their minds bent by godbot propaganda or by the seductions of phony "magic."      
> 
> >It's also a cultural matter.  Different countries have different reading 
> >preferences and traditions.  

I don't know whether that's as much culture as marketing, perhaps a mix of both.

For instance, popular science and history 
> >books have always been good sellers in Britain; they are regularly 
> >reviewed in the national press, and get lots of floor and shelf space in 
> >book shops.  However, in secular France, there is a lot more philosophy 
> >being touted, and in un-religious Germany, they tend to fill shelves 
> >with fiction (both translated imports from the UK and US and seriously 
> >highbrow German stuff).

There's some really lowbrow German stuff as well. 

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#2117757

On 02/06/2016 01:51, Wexford Eire wrote:
> On Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at 10:32:28 AM UTC-4, John Locke wrote:
>> On Wed, 1 Jun 2016 10:35:17 +1000, "Alex W." <ingilt@yahoo.co.uk>
>> wrote:


>>>>
>>>> The visit to B&N forced a sad reflection on the state of
>>>> learning and reason in the contemporary United States. So many
>>>> people prefer magic and nonsense to anything remotely truthful
>>>> or factual or scientific. It seems to get worse every year.
>>>> I've tried to assure that my grandchildren will stay rooted in
>>>> reality, and my children have as well (not a biblebot in the
>>>> lot, not even a church goer), but there is so much propaganda
>>>> on television and in children's literature pushing children to
>>>> believe in spirits and magic, it's disgusting. In my opinion
>>>> its just child exploitation and abuse. Disney is the great
>>>> grandaddy of it all, promising "magic" everything but
>>>> delivering nothing but an overpriced amusement park, a phony
>>>> community, a tawdry lie, and an empty wallet.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Market forces, alas....
>>>
>>> Bricks and mortar book shops have a dreadful time of it, trying
>>> to compete with Amazon and the like.  So they really have to try
>>> and catch every single potential customer, and that does mean
>>> focusing on the lowest common denominator.
>>>
>> ...the movie industry here in the U.S. does the same. Just look at
>> all the brain dead Christian movies that have been coming out
>> lately. Total rubbish but they typically generate 10 times there
>> production costs.
>
> That's true. I grew up watching old "classic" movies on TV. My
> favorites were films like "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet," "Pasteur,"
> "Marie Curie," "Young Edison," highly dramatized stories of
> scientists and inventors, but they made a tremendous impression.
> Today it's all garbage like "Harry Potter," and that loathsome "Lord
> of Rings" trilogy. The godbots are at it, too, with a constant stream
> of Bible, miracle and heaven movies, and there's a steady flood of
> animations that are simply mind-deadening. Why can't we make heroes
> of real people who accomplished truly remarkable things? There are so
> many scientists, engineers, inventors, thinkers who have really
> created the modern world and whose lives if not eternally exciting
> were purposeful (without the god crapola) and profoundly important to
> all of us. I'd love see children grow up who wanted to emulate people
> like Lister, or Fleming or Salk, who made heroes of scientists and
> engineers, rather than Ninja Turtles, and wouldn't have their minds
> bent by godbot propaganda or by the seductions of phony "magic."

On the upside, films like the Harry Potter series or the Lord of the 
Rings (or indeed the never-ending stream of Marvel Comic superhero 
flicks) do help to undermine religion.

Another upside is that it gets young kids to *read*.  Literally millions 
of kids got into the habit of picking up a book through these films. 
That is a Very Good Thing (TM) as a matter of general principle.

I think it simply is that much harder to make exciting cinema when the 
hero is a thinker rather than a doer.  Take Darwin: a titan of science, 
but exciting?  He spent five years sitting in a wooden tub, hopping off 
every now and then to collect specimens.  Then he spent decades buried 
in the English countryside bringing up a family and writing.  Not much 
scope for cinematic excitement, I'm afraid.

On that subject, did you see the biopic of Stephen Hawking, "The Theory 
of Everything"?  A cracking film...


>
>>
>>> It's also a cultural matter.  Different countries have different
>>> reading preferences and traditions.
>
> I don't know whether that's as much culture as marketing, perhaps a
> mix of both.

Marketing works both ways: it not only creates demand where there was 
none, it also feeds pre-existing demand.  If there is a popular 
tradition of reading history, then marketing will do its best to 
maintain and increase that demand.


>
> For instance, popular science and history
>>> books have always been good sellers in Britain; they are
>>> regularly reviewed in the national press, and get lots of floor
>>> and shelf space in book shops.  However, in secular France, there
>>> is a lot more philosophy being touted, and in un-religious
>>> Germany, they tend to fill shelves with fiction (both translated
>>> imports from the UK and US and seriously highbrow German stuff).
>
> There's some really lowbrow German stuff as well.
>

Like?

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