my experience at the bookstore tonight

[cybildisobedience]

So I go into Barnes and Noble because I just received a gift certificate, and I wanted to buy Joe Conason's new book, "Big Lies."
I search and search -- new releases, non-fiction, displays -- can't find it anywhere.
I go to the front desk, and explain to the man behind the counter that I could have my choice of dozens of books calling Bill and Hillary rapists, murderers and drug smugglers, but can't find Conason's. He told me it was in "current events," in a section so obscure that I couldn't find it without circling the store twice AND asking a salesperson.
But, back to the clerk: When he heard me out, he looked around, leaned over and whispered, "Hey, I'm with you, but corporate tells us which books we have to display prominently and how we have to do it." We chatted a bit more, I thanked him, and gave him one of my "Bush lied, soldiers died" cards from Buzzflash in gratitude for his help.
Then, he looked around, and made sure no one else was watching him, and he quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket like it was a FREAKIN' DRUG DEAL!!
I mean, really, WTF is going on when searching for a book that isn't right-wing, bulk-bought propaganda something you have to do under the cover of darkness?
Seriously, WTF.....

[lazarus]

1. I dunno which "corporate" he's referring to

But both the B&N's we go to here are quite good about at least balancing the presentation.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. The Barnes & Noble in Boston

had a window of Hillary's book. Generally I noticed that liberal books are prominently displayed, but then again, this is Boston. The suburbs are a different story.

[muchacho]

3. are you now or have you ever been...

Corporations look after their interests. No big thing. Corporate space is not public space they own it and with the help of political lackys and hoards of lawyers they run it pretty much however they wish.

I was in BnN two days ago and saw Conason's book front and center as I walked through the door. Of course this was New York City.

[Demobrat]

4. Today my hairdresser told me

that one of his other customers had her life verbally threatened by a male RW coworker when he found out she marched against the war. Her company won't do anything because the guy's been there 20 years. Gotta love big tough Repukes. If you don't like them, bully them. As long as they're smaller and weaker, of course.

[Skip Intro]

5. Books-A-Million in Charleston, SC

Yeah, I know its SC, but still...

The busy, busy BAM store here is in one of the busiest malls, so I've been told (I worked there for a long time) in the region. I quit going there a while back, in protest, but many times before then, it was a conservative wonderland. More than one main-aisle display with every then-current rw bozo book you could name name. TVs over the magazine wall were all tuned to Faux News. NO Liberal or even moderate books to be found unless you went searching.

Last time I was there, I was looking for Susan McDugal's book, and could not find it anywhere in the store. I left p.o.'ed and went to B&N across the street, where I found the book, vastly outnumbered by the rw books on display. But at least I found it. Haven't been back to either place since.