Comments on: An Open Letter to Mr. Barnes & Mr. Noble http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764 Sniffing out the work of God in the world... Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:57:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Chris Bergan http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-41329 Chris Bergan Tue, 16 Jan 2007 11:18:02 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-41329 Google is the best search engine Google is the best search engine

]]> By: Joyce http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1109 Joyce Fri, 27 Aug 2004 10:50:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1109 Since I'm always looking for good book recommendations, your mention of William Willimon jumped out at me. I did a quick web search and see that he has been very prolific in his writings, many of which seem to be written to those in ministry positions. Would you recommend his writings for someone who is not a minister/preacher/pastor in the traditional sense of the word? And, if so, where would be a good place to start? Since I’m always looking for good book recommendations, your mention of William Willimon jumped out at me. I did a quick web search and see that he has been very prolific in his writings, many of which seem to be written to those in ministry positions. Would you recommend his writings for someone who is not a minister/preacher/pastor in the traditional sense of the word? And, if so, where would be a good place to start?

]]> By: Jeff Slater http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1108 Jeff Slater Thu, 26 Aug 2004 22:00:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1108 Yankees? I haven't heard that since (the short time) I lived in the south. It does seem odd that Abilene does not have a Barnes & Noble. There is a small town (Ontario) near us here in North Central Ohio that has one. Ontario has a population of 5,000+. Neighboring Mansfield has a population of 49,000+. It is only about 15 minutes away, so we go as often as we can. Also, there is a Chipotle Restaurant nearby, which is added incentive to go. Mike, if you don't know about Chipotle, they make their guacamole fresh every shift! Jeff Yankees? I haven’t heard that since (the short time) I lived in the south.

It does seem odd that Abilene does not have a Barnes & Noble. There is a small town (Ontario) near us here in North Central Ohio that has one. Ontario has a population of 5,000+. Neighboring Mansfield has a population of 49,000+. It is only about 15 minutes away, so we go as often as we can. Also, there is a Chipotle Restaurant nearby, which is added incentive to go.

Mike, if you don’t know about Chipotle, they make their guacamole fresh every shift!

Jeff

]]> By: Donny http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1107 Donny Thu, 26 Aug 2004 18:59:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1107 According to their website, David Deason is their VP of Development. But, whereas many of the execs are yankees from Jersey or NY, guess what: === Mr. Deason attended the University of Texas at Dallas. He serves as a board member of Creative Learning 4 Kids, a nonprofit educational charity which provides tutorial services and mentoring for children. David Deason resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife and three daughters. ==== Ah-ha ! Why aren't the Recruiters at ACU honing in on this family!! Maybe if Daddy took at trip down I-20 and came to Abilene to visit during Welcome Week there would be a chance to land a store. Just trying to ease the pain. According to their website, David Deason is their VP of Development. But, whereas many of the execs are yankees from Jersey or NY, guess what:

===
Mr. Deason attended the University of Texas at Dallas. He serves as a board member of Creative Learning 4 Kids, a nonprofit educational charity which provides tutorial services and mentoring for children.

David Deason resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife and three daughters.
====
Ah-ha ! Why aren’t the Recruiters at ACU honing in on this family!! Maybe if Daddy took at trip down I-20 and came to Abilene to visit during Welcome Week there would be a chance to land a store. Just trying to ease the pain.

]]> By: Travis http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1106 Travis Thu, 26 Aug 2004 13:06:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1106 I'm a little upset about your post, Mike. Not because of the content, I whole-heartedly agree. I am upset because you stole my idea. Just a few days ago I thought in my head, "Why not write an open letter, in the Greg/Jello nature, to Barnes and Noble on my blog, begging them to bring their books to Abilene." If I do it now, I will just look like a poser. Thanks. Every time I drive by the "Shops at Abilene" I ask my wife to look for the "Barnes and Nobel coming soon" sign. I would even settle for a "Books a Million coming soon" sign! I was "pleased" (read "ticked off and extremely depressed") to find out Lifeway was coming to the Shops. And Dunlaps was moving there. Come on! Who shops at Dunlaps! The store is always closed! Sure, there's a Shoe City there, but if you've been in Shoe City, perhaps you have emerged with a splitting headache as I have from the annoying people who constanly yell on the mic telling you about the "10 minute sell on aisle 7 that we will repeat in 30 minutes when a new group of naive shoe shoppers come into the store." It's repulsive. It is my contention that the reason Abilene is dying (B&N execs read "thriving and bursting with the desire to read your books") as a city is because of the cultural black hole our businesses are providing. And so, Mike, while I thank you for your creativity and fight for the people of Abilene, I am a bit ticked off that you took my idea. Honestly, I don't have that many creative blog ideas. I've been faking being a liberal for a while, just to get people to read and respond to my writings. I thought this B&N letter idea would give me another week of blog traffic, holding out until Fred Aquino or Jeff Childers give me something interesting to say. My dream is gone... I’m a little upset about your post, Mike. Not because of the content, I whole-heartedly agree. I am upset because you stole my idea. Just a few days ago I thought in my head, “Why not write an open letter, in the Greg/Jello nature, to Barnes and Noble on my blog, begging them to bring their books to Abilene.” If I do it now, I will just look like a poser. Thanks.

Every time I drive by the “Shops at Abilene” I ask my wife to look for the “Barnes and Nobel coming soon” sign. I would even settle for a “Books a Million coming soon” sign! I was “pleased” (read “ticked off and extremely depressed”) to find out Lifeway was coming to the Shops. And Dunlaps was moving there. Come on! Who shops at Dunlaps! The store is always closed! Sure, there’s a Shoe City there, but if you’ve been in Shoe City, perhaps you have emerged with a splitting headache as I have from the annoying people who constanly yell on the mic telling you about the “10 minute sell on aisle 7 that we will repeat in 30 minutes when a new group of naive shoe shoppers come into the store.” It’s repulsive. It is my contention that the reason Abilene is dying (B&N execs read “thriving and bursting with the desire to read your books”) as a city is because of the cultural black hole our businesses are providing.

And so, Mike, while I thank you for your creativity and fight for the people of Abilene, I am a bit ticked off that you took my idea. Honestly, I don’t have that many creative blog ideas. I’ve been faking being a liberal for a while, just to get people to read and respond to my writings. I thought this B&N letter idea would give me another week of blog traffic, holding out until Fred Aquino or Jeff Childers give me something interesting to say. My dream is gone…

]]> By: James http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1105 James Thu, 26 Aug 2004 01:47:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1105 Wow. I feel for you, Mike, I really do. So dude, what is a Barnes & Noble anyway, is that like a law firm or something? Wow. I feel for you, Mike, I really do. So dude, what is a Barnes & Noble anyway, is that like a law firm or something?

]]> By: Krister http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1104 Krister Thu, 26 Aug 2004 00:14:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1104 This post has been removed by the author. This post has been removed by the author.

]]> By: Joel Quile http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1103 Joel Quile Wed, 25 Aug 2004 23:43:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1103 They do have a Barnes and Noble in Abilene...it's called BarnesandNoble.com. You see the real issue is not a good bookstore but that there is not a Starbucks within .5 miles of my house. Living in CA can spoil a guy. Who cares about the mountains, oceans, and wonderful climate? (Okay, I do) I miss seeing 5 Starbucks on the way to church. It's not too much to ask is it? A Starbucks within walking distance (for me that is nothing more than a 3 wood)from my house? You can have a book mailed within 24 hours to your door. You can't FedEx a Venti breakfast blend. They do have a Barnes and Noble in Abilene…it’s called BarnesandNoble.com. You see the real issue is not a good bookstore but that there is not a Starbucks within .5 miles of my house. Living in CA can spoil a guy. Who cares about the mountains, oceans, and wonderful climate? (Okay, I do) I miss seeing 5 Starbucks on the way to church.

It’s not too much to ask is it? A Starbucks within walking distance (for me that is nothing more than a 3 wood)from my house?

You can have a book mailed within 24 hours to your door. You can’t FedEx a Venti breakfast blend.

]]> By: Malibu Librarian http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1102 Malibu Librarian Wed, 25 Aug 2004 22:27:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1102 I feel your pain, Mike. Imagine a place with no Target, no (gasp!) Wal Mart, no K-Mart, no Kohls, no Trader Joes, no practical shopping of any kind - save an expensive subsidiary of Kroger, no Borders, no B&N, no Pappasitos, no Macaroni Grill, no Cracker Barrel, no...nothing. That's Malibu, California. Sure - all these things can be found within a 20 mile radius (except the Cracker Barrel), but with LA traffic, it might as well be Fort Worth. At least you guys in Abilene have the ocean and mountains, right? :) I feel your pain, Mike. Imagine a place with no Target, no (gasp!) Wal Mart, no K-Mart, no Kohls, no Trader Joes, no practical shopping of any kind - save an expensive subsidiary of Kroger, no Borders, no B&N, no Pappasitos, no Macaroni Grill, no Cracker Barrel, no…nothing. That’s Malibu, California. Sure - all these things can be found within a 20 mile radius (except the Cracker Barrel), but with LA traffic, it might as well be Fort Worth. At least you guys in Abilene have the ocean and mountains, right? :)

]]> By: Jo http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1101 Jo Wed, 25 Aug 2004 20:50:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1101 If we type it enough, someone at corporate headquarters might Google the name and see how desperate we are. Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble (Have you ever noticed that if you look at something long enough, it starts to look weird?) Alternatively, we all tell our kids to ask Santa this year... If we type it enough, someone at corporate headquarters might Google the name and see how desperate we are.

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble

(Have you ever noticed that if you look at something long enough, it starts to look weird?)

Alternatively, we all tell our kids to ask Santa this year…

]]> By: judy thomas http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1100 judy thomas Wed, 25 Aug 2004 20:20:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1100 John Gardner said, "There is power in a dream of excellence." Keep up the writing and begging and pleading for both the book store and the restaurant. John Gardner said, “There is power in a dream of excellence.” Keep up the writing and begging and pleading for both the book store and the restaurant.

]]> By: David http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1099 David Wed, 25 Aug 2004 18:17:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1099 What about the ACU bookstore? (: What about the ACU bookstore? (:

]]> By: David Michael http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-8547 David Michael Wed, 25 Aug 2004 18:17:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-8547 What about the ACU bookstore? (: What about the ACU bookstore? (:

]]> By: Greg Kendall-Ball http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1098 Greg Kendall-Ball Wed, 25 Aug 2004 17:46:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1098 Keep the faith, Mike. Just a few days ago I posted a "Plea To Corporate America" on <a HREF="http://www.blogger.com/r?http%3A%2F%2Fkendallball.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">my blog</A>, begging the Jell-O corporation to resume the manufacturing of Pudding Pops. Lo and behold, the next day, there was a box of them in my freezer! Perhaps these open letter type things really do work. By the way, I am still awaiting a response to my Open Letter to the Ferrari company and the Millionaire Society. Keep the faith, Mike.

Just a few days ago I posted a “Plea To Corporate America” on my blog, begging the Jell-O corporation to resume the manufacturing of Pudding Pops. Lo and behold, the next day, there was a box of them in my freezer! Perhaps these open letter type things really do work.

By the way, I am still awaiting a response to my Open Letter to the Ferrari company and the Millionaire Society.

]]> By: Val http://preachermike.com/2004/08/25/109336284046889764#comment-1097 Val Wed, 25 Aug 2004 17:18:00 +0000 http://www.preachermike.com/?p=313#comment-1097 It's been a tough day for me. I am a conservative (mostly) and as such it was difficult to find someone in Abilene literate enough to write this comment for me. As far as Pappasito's is concerned, I could not agree more. When I point to something on the menu I am rarely disappointed. It’s been a tough day for me. I am a conservative (mostly) and as such it was difficult to find someone in Abilene literate enough to write this comment for me. As far as Pappasito’s is concerned, I could not agree more. When I point to something on the menu I am rarely disappointed.

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