Tag Archive: Amazon


WAITER, THERE’S A FLY IN MY PASTA

Filed under: Italy — Leave a comment
May 8, 2013

The ratings of Fawlty Towers on Trip Advisor would make interesting reading!

Openness can be a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, there are positive aspects to being candid and receptive but this can also leave you exposed and vulnerable.

A lot has been said and written about how trustworthy online reviews are. Over enthusiastic write-ups rightly tend to make people feel suspicious. You  ask yourself whether they were written by people who are genuinely impartial.

Some authors openly admit to posting positive comments about their own books on sites like Amazon and glowing endorsements of other products are best regarded with some scepticism. Continue reading →

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CROW BOOKSELLER STORY

Filed under: Books, Good causes, Humour — Leave a comment
September 30, 2012
Bookseller Crow on the Hill

Bookseller Crow on the Hill (Photo credit: RachelH_)

At the moment, I still order most books  through Amazon but stories about why they are not the most ethical company prompt me to look elsewhere for a politically correct alternative.

This recently led me to the website of The Bookseller Crow On The Hill in Crystal Palace.

I visited this shop a couple of years back and was impressed as it’s the kind of small, friendly store that is rapidly fading into oblivion as online dealers get more powerful.

Even if you don’t shop there, I’d recommend the very entertaining blog written by the staff.

This sample post (‘There is a man’) from August 4th, 2012 made me laugh and merits reblogging here :

He is looking at our postcards.
And nodding his head.
He is wearing a pair of Bowers and Wilkins headphones.
How much are your postcards? he asks me.
Sixty five pence, I tell him.
Each! he says.
Each, I say.
He spends quite a long time looking through the cards, and then comes to the counter with eight.
How many do I have there? he asks.
Eight, I say.
Eight! he says.
Do you do a special deal on them? he asks me.
Yes, I say.
You do? he says.
I do, I say. You buy them and I won’t stab you with this pen.

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E-MUSIC – LEAVING A SINKING SHIP

Filed under: Blogging, Music — Leave a comment
November 30, 2011

I signed up for e-music in April 2005 and according to my profile history, I have downloaded tracks from a grand total of 1,185 artists but today I decided to cancel my account.

In the six and a half years I have been a member the download and online streaming options have changed radically. For example, in 2005, there was no Spotify (launched in 2008), no Soundcloud (2007) and no Bandcamp (2008). Also, it was not so easy to find tracks and albums on blogs and I was not so genned up on P2P sites like e-mule or Soulseek.

I am grateful to e-music for helping me to discover artists like Jack Rose, Charalambides and Acid Mothers Temple but I have decided to leave what I regard as a sinking ship. Continue reading →

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