Who in the hell puts televisions in a bookstore?
 

Borders Books, that's who.

I mean I don't get it, what are they trying to be the Barnes & Noble for dumb people?

Heh.

I don't actually mind them putting that kind of stuff in, but when it starts to interfere with the actual book reading, buying, and selling, that's where I draw the line.

And Border's is trying to be the Mountain Dew to B&N's Sprite, methinks.

Isn't it a case of them thar management always thinking of a new way to bring in the plebs? In one respect, it's a good idea - you are getting more people in and theoretically they're more likely to buy books the longer they're in the store I mean that was the driving force behind having coffee and lounge facilities.
On the other hand, it's TV. It takes up the attention usually used for reading so in fact, they're not likely to buy/read anything.
Not really to clear on what they're going to be showing either. Keywords I got out were news and ads...

EDIT: Yeah can anyone tell me what's meant by "original programming"? Sales/business talk about Border's themselves?

Well, the fact that they give away their discount card for free, while the discount card at B&N costs $20 should have clued you in to the type of bookstore Borders is trying to be.

Borders=KMart
B&N=hmm... tricky... the 'good' mall.

Am I the only person who can read and watch tv at the same time?

The Books-A-Million in my hometown had a TV in the back tuned to CNN. It's not exactly unprecedented.

Having the things showing news and weather isn't really that big of a deal. The 'original programming', though, could end up being a distraction.

Advertising, of course, is just plain irritating.

If they started making short, by the chapter films of books, that would be pretty awesome.

EDIT: Borders is a media store, with coffee and snobs, why not add in just another horror.

Borders has televisions.

B+N has pretentious snobbery.

I'd say on the scale of things..
It's about equal.

That's why I buy my books online.

Amazon, just another reason for people to never need to ever leave the house for any reason... Now if only Walmart would deliver.

I like going to bookstores for the atmosphere, same reason I go to resturaunts that really don't have amazing food. Two friends, and a trip to the B&N is quite the time. Especially when everyone disagrees upon what a 'good' book is.

Also, I apologize for the overuse of 'good'. Its the best way for me to elaborate when I am stupidly sick.