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**monolith94** · June 25, 2008, 00:25

Originally posted by rah

1. I guarentee you that small towns can't support multiple book stores.

My small city (20,000 people) can. Admittedly, we used to have an antique bookstore which was cool that closed several years ago, but there just wasn't a market for that. Admittedly, there are conditions that aid the bookstores' continuance: a wealthy, liberal demographic, and a large summer tourist influx that pushes business up.

**Asher** · June 25, 2008, 00:30

monolith sighting!

**Ben Kenobi** · June 25, 2008, 01:03

1. I guarentee you that small towns can't support multiple book stores.

How small are you talking about? Sure they can, even if they can't support chains. Mine probably has 80k people, but no chain bookstores. There are plenty of small stores that cater to different clientele.

2. Yes smaller bookstores are going out of business because of the large chains because the can't compete price wise and can't afford to offer all the other services that the chains do.

Some have survived and done well in Vancouver. Sure more competition is going to force stores out of business, but the ones that go out of competition will be the weaker stores anyways. Why are some smaller bookstores competitive with the larger chains?

As for services, I'm not sure what you mean. Coffee? Most of the small independent stores up here have a little coffee spot off to the side. What keeps them in business is customer loyalty.

There is not a single non-chain bookstore within 20 mile of my house anymore. There used to be dozens. I read a lot and was familiar with most of the owners since I spent a lot of time in many of them. And guess what, they all said the same thing right before they went out of business. They couldn't compete. Based on your comment, every single one of them did a poor job.

Yes, sir. You have to change your business model. You have to be willing to raise your prices on the books, rather then trying to undersell the chains. What you have to offer is either find a small niche with books that the chain cannot stock to such depth or some form of customer service that the chain can't offer.

So please find an arguement that is not totally fantasy on your part.

I'm sorry, I used to work in a book store in Vancouver, the one on the corner of Dunbar. The owner there was eccentric, but he stayed in business. His deal was repeat business, and he had a few techniques to draw people into his store. He didn't need a large volume to make his money back and keep running.

**Ben Kenobi** · June 25, 2008, 01:05

Yep -- Ben sure has no problems wanting government to enact new, onerous, burdensome regulations on businesses such as bookstores.

Putting up a sign or a sticker on the front saying "we carry explicit books is burdensome?"

**monolith94** · June 25, 2008, 01:08

Originally posted by Mr Snuggles
monolith sighting!

I wasn't able to post for a little while because apparently my email was flagged as being suspicious. However, that was rectified. I mean, if I'm going to procrastinate, I need all the message boards available that I can get!

**Asher** · June 25, 2008, 01:22

I'm Asher by the way. I'm a kind soul now.

**MrFun** · June 25, 2008, 01:23

I want to know how Ben thinks that an enlightened nation like Canada is a totalitarian state.

**Asher** · June 25, 2008, 01:25

Aside from not censoring book stores, Canada also has a human resources commission that ensures human rights are being respected in Canada. That's his latest reason we're totalitarian.

**MrFun** · June 25, 2008, 01:28

Everytime I thought Benny could not become more strange in my view . . . .

**monolith94** · June 25, 2008, 02:46

Originally posted by Mr Snuggles
I'm Asher by the way. I'm a kind soul now.

Ha! What an image change. I don't even want to know what prompted the new snuggles thing...

**monolith94** · June 25, 2008, 02:46

Originally posted by Mr Snuggles
I'm Asher by the way. I'm a kind soul now.

Ha! What an image change. I don't even want to know what prompted the new snuggles thing...

**DinoDoc** · June 25, 2008, 09:28

Originally posted by Mr Snuggles
Aside from not censoring book stores, Canada also has a human resources commission that ensures human rights are being respected in Canada. That's his latest reason we're totalitarian.

That actually seems like a good reason: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/0...macdonald.html

LUV YA.

**Asher** · June 25, 2008, 09:51

Please read the thread before you embarrass yourself.

It is legal procedure for all human rights complaints to go before the human rights commission. Anyone can make a complaint. In this case, the Canadian Islamic Congress made a complaint and, as part of due process, this complaint is being reviewed by the human rights commission.

That article is terrible for several reasons:
1) In no way is Canada prosecuting anyone here. There is a complaint before the HRC that is being reviewed, raised by a citizen group and not the government of Canada.
2) In no way is Mark Steyn the "Party B" here, it's the Macleans magazine that published the article.

**Kidlicious** · June 25, 2008, 14:42

Originally posted by monolith94
I don't even want to know what prompted the new snuggles thing...

Oh God, I'm going to have nightmares now.

**DinoDoc** · June 26, 2008, 20:33

Originally posted by Mr Snuggles
Please read the thread before you embarrass yourself.

It is legal procedure for all human rights complaints to go before the human rights commission. Anyone can make a complaint. In this case, the Canadian Islamic Congress made a complaint and, as part of due process, this complaint is being reviewed by the human rights commission.

I'm not sure why you consider this an adequate response to the government of Canada violating the rights of its citizens by hauling them before an ill informed tribunal to answer such idiotic charges.

LUV YA

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