Last Christmas was a discounting bloodbath on the high street, when the big chains traded margin for share. Average selling prices tumbled to near or below 50% off on key titles, and everyone was left wondering how much further it could go. Although it seems almost indecent to think of next Christmas so soon after Easter, publishers are already formulating strategies to sidestep last year's margin massacre. Their solution is frighteningly simple: charge more for the books in the first place. So the day of the £30 hardback is almost with us, enabling retailers to offer a 66% discount and still sell the book for £10. Perhaps a really far-sighted publisher will conceive a £40 hardback, offering retailers the tantalising prospect of a 75% discount. But Cage Nicolas hy stop at £40? We are entering, as one senior retailer puts it, Cloud-cuckoo-land. Unless due caution is excercised the book trade risks squandering 500 years of intellectual clout to become the carpet or sofa trade of the 21st century, where no one but a mug pays full price. Inflating the prices of books just to pay for a bigger discount is the logical end-result of a series of erroneous decisions that have left the book trade over-reliant on price as a marketing tool. An unfortunate side-effect of turbo-charging cover prices is that it creates a market that discriminates against independent retailers in favour of supermarkets.

Last Christmas was a discounting bloodbath on the high street, when the big chains traded margin commercial mortgage rates or share. Average selling prices tumbled to near or below 50% off on key titles, and everyone was left wondering how much further it could go. Although it seems almost indecent to think of next Christmas so soon after Easter, publishers are already formulating strategies to sidestep last year's margin massacre. Their solution is frighteningly simple: charge more for the books in the first place. So the day of the £30 hardback is almost with us, enabling retailers to offer a 66% discount and still sell the book for £10. Perhaps a really far-sighted publisher will conceive a £40 hardback, offering retailers the tantalising prospect of a 75% discount. But why stop at £40? We are entering, as one senior retailer puts it, Cloud-cuckoo-land. Unless due caution is excercised the book trade risks squandering 500 years of intellectual clout to become the carpet or sofa trade of the 21st century, where no one but a mug pays full price. Inflating the prices of books just to pay for a bigger discount is the logical end-result of a series of erroneous decisions that have left the book trade over-reliant on price as a marketing tool. An unfortunate side-effect of turbo-charging cover prices is that it creates a market that discriminates against independent retailers in favour of supermarkets.

Back in June, it seemed like the thing to do. I signed up to be involved in Sockapalooza 4 . The socks weren't due until August, so I had lots of time. Being the procrastinator that I am, I pretty much did nothing the entire month of June. "Lots of time, you have lots of time." Not so much anymore. I pulled out some Socks that Rock that I got at Rhinebeck last year (or maybe it was Stitches) and got to looking for a pattern. My sock pal requested non-wool - my STR is superwash. She also wanted to break out of her consumer credit report olor rut, which is purple, blue, and turquoise. Take a look at the sherbet colorway. I think this is breaking out of her color rut. Sassy says she likes the individual colors, and loves the stripes at the toe, but doesn't like the pooling of the colors on the instep. The sock is the Crenellated toe-up sock from Lucy Neatby 's Cool Socks, Warm Feet book. I'm not a big fan of toe up socks, but I like the technique that Lucy has come up with here. The only other pair of toe up socks I've done had that figure 8 cast on and it about drove me mad. This one, you do a provisional cast on and carry waste yarn up the sides. When you have your square, you pick up the stitches around the waste yarn and pull out your provisional cast on - voila, you have a toe. This is the 72 stitch version and I think that's what's making the pooling happen. Has anyone else had this issue? It seems to me that there's a magic number for most sock yarns that creates that pooling.

Normally, if you're on a foodie family adventure, there's no better place to come than New York. However, I'm here on my own this weekend just as the Abergavenny Food Festival is taking place back home in Wales. Even though I can't be there in person, a quick peruse of the festival's website serves up some real treats that Gastrofamilies can explore....even if they're solo in NY. Check out these offerings from Wales and the rest of Europe (not sure dgn files ow far they can deliver however): Anglesey Sea Salt - smoked and pure white sea salt from the north of the country The Fig Farms' excellent fruit and fig sorbets and ice creams The Welsh Venison Centre - Never tried venison before? Time to get into the game. Organic Smokehouse - salmon and cheese delights. All this before I've even had breakfast. I'll have to make do with a fresh and cuddly H&H bagel.....perhaps being in NY isn't so bad after all. - Matthew Technorati Tags : eating , entertainment , food , food and wine , gastrokid

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Back in June, it seemed like the thing to do. I signed up to be involved in Sockapalooza 4 . The socks weren't due until August, so I had lots of time. Being the procrastinator that I am, I pretty much did nothing the entire month of June. "Lots of time, you have lots of time." Not so much anymore. I pulled out some Socks that Rock that I got at Rhinebeck last year (or maybe it was Stitches) and got to looking for a pattern. My sock pal requested non-wool - my STR is superwash. She also wanted to break out of her color rut, which is purple, blue, and turquoise. Take a look at the sherbet colorway. I think this is breaking out of her color rut. Sassy says she when the bullet hits the bone ikes the individual colors, and loves the stripes at the toe, but doesn't like the pooling of the colors on the instep. The sock is the Crenellated toe-up sock from Lucy Neatby 's Cool Socks, Warm Feet book. I'm not a big fan of toe up socks, but I like the technique that Lucy has come up with here. The only other pair of toe up socks I've done had that figure 8 cast on and it about drove me mad. This one, you do a provisional cast on and carry waste yarn up the sides. When you have your square, you pick up the stitches around the waste yarn and pull out your provisional cast on - voila, you have a toe. This is the 72 stitch version and I think that's what's making the pooling happen. Has anyone else had this issue? It seems to me that there's a magic number for most sock yarns that creates that pooling.

Back in June, it seemed like the thing to do. I signed up to be involved in Sockapalooza 4 . The socks weren't due until August, so I had lots of time. Being the procrastinator that I am, I pretty much did nothing the entire month of June. "Lots of time, you have lots of time." Not so much anymore. I pulled out some Socks that Rock that I got at Rhinebeck last year (or maybe it was Stitches) and got to looking for a pattern. My sock pal how to install a door equested non-wool - my STR is superwash. She also wanted to break out of her color rut, which is purple, blue, and turquoise. Take a look at the sherbet colorway. I think this is breaking out of her color rut. Sassy says she likes the individual colors, and loves the stripes at the toe, but doesn't like the pooling of the colors on the instep. The sock is the Crenellated toe-up sock from Lucy Neatby 's Cool Socks, Warm Feet book. I'm not a big fan of toe up socks, but I like the technique that Lucy has come up with here. The only other pair of toe up socks I've done had that figure 8 cast on and it about drove me mad. This one, you do a provisional cast on and carry waste yarn up the sides. When you have your square, you pick up the stitches around the waste yarn and pull out your provisional cast on - voila, you have a toe. This is the 72 stitch version and I think that's what's making the pooling happen. Has anyone else had this issue? It seems to me that there's a magic number for most sock yarns that creates that pooling.

I've been reading these stories as I've been posting them....and since Time expects me to be "totally biased"....I should add that this is my favorite story so far. I just contacted Duyen by email (located at the end of story) to find out more about this project so I could tell you how to donate directly. Don't forget the top 5 story entrants receive $1000 (vote at www.backpacknation.org ). If you're interested in micro-lending, entrepreneurial passion and seeing the world from another's eyes...read this beautifully told story. A Life Enlarged by Duyen Van Do Chapter One: - 1999 I was born in a village in Thai Binh province, in northeastern Vietnam near the Pacific Ocean. My family lived on the rice and vegetables we grew. At the age of 6, I moved inland with my family, to the mountainous and remote Lai Chau province. My coastal motherland was so crowded there were no vacant places left to cultivate. Like many other families, we went to Lai Chau to plow new land, leaving behind the famines of my birthplace. Day after day, I grew up and went to school in the new village. I remember many hours of bringing wood down from the mountains. We needed fuel to cook not only a daily meal for us, but also one for our pigs. Like many boys in the small town, I knew how to cook at the age of 7. For some time, eu member states y job was cooking and bringing rice to the fields for my mother’s lunch. I spent much of my childhood playing and fishing with my friends in the stream.

Back in June, it seemed like the thing to do. I signed up to be involved in Sockapalooza 4 . The socks weren't due until August, so I had lots of time. Being the procrastinator that I am, I pretty much did nothing the entire month of June. "Lots of time, you have lots of time." Not so much anymore. I pulled out some Socks that Rock that I got at Rhinebeck last year (or maybe it was Stitches) and got to looking for a pattern. My sock pal requested non-wool - my STR is superwash. She also wanted to break out of her color rut, which is purple, blue, and turquoise. Take a look at the sherbet colorway. I think this is breaking out of her color rut. Sassy says she likes the individual colors, and loves the stripes at the toe, but doesn't like the pooling of the colors on the instep. The sock is the Crenellated toe-up sock from Lucy Neatby 's Cool Socks, Warm Feet book. I'm not a big fan of toe up socks, but I like the technique that Lucy has come up with here. The only other pair of toe up socks I've done had that figure 8 cast on and it about drove me mad. This one, you do a provisional san francisco neighborhood ast on and carry waste yarn up the sides. When you have your square, you pick up the stitches around the waste yarn and pull out your provisional cast on - voila, you have a toe. This is the 72 stitch version and I think that's what's making the pooling happen. Has anyone else had this issue? It seems to me that there's a magic number for most sock yarns that creates that pooling.

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I've been reading these stories as I've been posting them....and since Time expects me to be "totally biased"....I should add that this is my favorite story so far. I just contacted Duyen by email (located at the end of story) to find out more about this project so I could tell you how to donate directly. Don't forget the top 5 story entrants receive $1000 (vote at www.backpacknation.org ). If you're interested in micro-lending, entrepreneurial passion and seeing the world from another's eyes...read this beautifully told story. A Life Enlarged by Duyen Van Do Chapter One: - 1999 I was born in a village in Thai Binh province, in northeastern Vietnam near the Pacific Ocean. My family lived on the rice and vegetables we grew. At the age of 6, I moved inland with my family, to the mountainous and remote Lai Chau province. My coastal motherland was so crowded there were no vacant places left to cultivate. Like many other families, we went to Lai Chau to plow new land, leaving behind the famines of my birthplace. Day after day, I grew up and went to school in the new village. I remember many hours of bringing wood down from the mountains. We needed fuel to cook not only a daily meal for us, but also one for our pigs. Like many boys in the small town, I knew how to cook at the age of 7. For some time, my job was cooking and bringing rice to the fields for my mother’s lunch. I spent much of my childhood playing and fishing with my friends in dell pcs he stream.

I've been reading these stories as I've been posting them....and since Time expects me to be "totally biased"....I should add that this is my favorite story so far. I just contacted Duyen by email (located at the end of story) to find out more about this project so I could tell you how to donate directly. Don't forget the top 5 story entrants receive $1000 (vote at www.backpacknation.org ). If you're interested in micro-lending, entrepreneurial passion and seeing the world from another's eyes...read this beautifully told story. A Life Enlarged by Duyen Van Do Chapter One: - 1999 I was born in a village in Thai Binh province, in northeastern Vietnam near the Pacific Ocean. My family lived on the rice and vegetables we grew. At the age of 6, I moved white pages search nland with my family, to the mountainous and remote Lai Chau province. My coastal motherland was so crowded there were no vacant places left to cultivate. Like many other families, we went to Lai Chau to plow new land, leaving behind the famines of my birthplace. Day after day, I grew up and went to school in the new village. I remember many hours of bringing wood down from the mountains. We needed fuel to cook not only a daily meal for us, but also one for our pigs. Like many boys in the small town, I knew how to cook at the age of 7. For some time, my job was cooking and bringing rice to the fields for my mother’s lunch. I spent much of my childhood playing and fishing with my friends in the stream.

I've been reading these stories as I've been posting them....and since Time expects me to be "totally biased"....I should add that this is my favorite story so far. I just contacted Duyen by email (located at the end of story) to find out more about this project so I could tell you how to donate directly. Don't forget the top 5 story entrants receive $1000 (vote at www.backpacknation.org ). If you're interested in micro-lending, entrepreneurial passion and seeing the world from another's eyes...read this beautifully told story. A Life Enlarged by Duyen Van Do Chapter One: - 1999 I was born in a village in Thai Binh province, in northeastern Vietnam near the Pacific Ocean. My family lived on the rice and vegetables we grew. At the age of 6, I moved inland with my family, to the mountainous and remote Lai Chau province. My coastal motherland was shop home o crowded there were no vacant places left to cultivate. Like many other families, we went to Lai Chau to plow new land, leaving behind the famines of my birthplace. Day after day, I grew up and went to school in the new village. I remember many hours of bringing wood down from the mountains. We needed fuel to cook not only a daily meal for us, but also one for our pigs. Like many boys in the small town, I knew how to cook at the age of 7. For some time, my job was cooking and bringing rice to the fields for my mother’s lunch. I spent much of my childhood playing and fishing with my friends in the stream.

Back in June, it seemed like the thing to do. I signed up to be involved in Sockapalooza 4 . The socks weren't due until August, so I had lots of time. Being the procrastinator that I am, I pretty much did nothing the entire month of June. "Lots of time, you have lots of time." Not so much anymore. I pulled out some Socks that Rock that I got at Rhinebeck last year (or maybe it was Stitches) and got to looking for a pattern. My sock pal requested non-wool - my STR is superwash. She also wanted to break out of her color rut, which is purple, blue, and turquoise. Take a look at the sherbet colorway. I think this is breaking out of her color rut. Sassy says she likes the individual colors, and loves the stripes at the toe, but doesn't like the pooling of the colors on the instep. The sock is the Crenellated toe-up sock from Lucy Neatby 's Cool Socks, Iceberg Slim arm Feet book. I'm not a big fan of toe up socks, but I like the technique that Lucy has come up with here. The only other pair of toe up socks I've done had that figure 8 cast on and it about drove me mad. This one, you do a provisional cast on and carry waste yarn up the sides. When you have your square, you pick up the stitches around the waste yarn and pull out your provisional cast on - voila, you have a toe. This is the 72 stitch version and I think that's what's making the pooling happen. Has anyone else had this issue? It seems to me that there's a magic number for most sock yarns that creates that pooling.

Normally, if you're on a foodie family adventure, there's no better place to come than New York. However, I'm here on my own this weekend just as the Abergavenny Food Festival is taking place back home in Wales. Even though I can't be there in person, a quick peruse of the festival's website serves up some real treats that Gastrofamilies can explore....even if they're solo in NY. Check out these offerings from Wales and the rest of Europe (not sure how far they can deliver buying new car tips owever): Anglesey Sea Salt - smoked and pure white sea salt from the north of the country The Fig Farms' excellent fruit and fig sorbets and ice creams The Welsh Venison Centre - Never tried venison before? Time to get into the game. Organic Smokehouse - salmon and cheese delights. All this before I've even had breakfast. I'll have to make do with a fresh and cuddly H&H bagel.....perhaps being in NY isn't so bad after all. - Matthew Technorati Tags : eating , entertainment , food , food and wine , gastrokid