"The same reasoning or lack thereof applies to the Kindle (which I don't like [wordpress.com] for its DRM and other problems), since Amazon won't release sales numbers for it. "

The title of your blog is "Product Review: Kindle" but did you actually receive and review a kindle, or are you just pointing out the reasons you wouldn't like a kindle? Nowhere in your "review" do I see mention of you actually having and using the Kindle. I just see an argument as to why you don't like it (or I guess more accurately why you don't like the idea of the Kindle) and why you don't think it will succeed. I don't own one myself, but I don't know that I see a review from the posted link in your comment either.

jeff

"The big-box retailers taking over all the specialty shops across the US are actually reducing the diversity of goods available locally (the ACE hardware actually has more depth than Lowes in many areas for example)..."

While I agree in spirit with the post, and also agree that if you don't live in a major metro area, you are limited to the stock on hand of big box retailers, I call BS on the above statement about ACE. Show me some evidence, somewhere, that any ACE hardware has greater diversity in either different products or different brands of the same product than a Lowes. Forget about *many* areas. I'll settle for one ACE hardware, anywhere, that has more different products than even the smallest Lowes. That just can't be true as even "Great ACEs"(if they have them anymore) are dwarfed in size as compared to Lowes (or Home Depot for that matter).

I'm no fan of big box retailers, and I do miss the mom-and-pop specialty retailers. But the example of ACE compared to Lowes I don't believe. Lowes and Home Depot are huge improvements over Ace and True Value as far as product availability and diversity goes.

jeff