Booksellers Join Suits Over access laws - Scary Scary stuff

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Great Lakes Booksellers Association and Big Hat Books, Indianapolis, have joined Media Coalition and other organizations in a suit filed yesterday against a new Indiana law requiring any store that sells a "sexually explicit" book, magazine, video or recording to register with the state and pay a $250 license fee.

"The law says Big Hat Books might be an 'adult' bookstore if we sell a single copy of Lolita," Big Hat owner Elizabeth Houghton Barden said in a statement. "Being classified as an adult bookstore basically puts us out of business."

ABFFE president Chris Finan observed: "This law is a shocking violation of our national commitment to maintain bookstores as a forum for the free exchange of ideas. We do not license bookstores in the United States."

The booksellers say the law is unconstitutional because it does not require that a book or magazine be judged as a whole in determining whether it is illegal--such a test may exempt works that contain only a few sexually explicit images or passages. In addition, there is no exemption for material that has serious literary artistic, political or scientific value for minors. Under the law, a bookseller can be prosecuted for allowing a 12-year-old to see a sex education book if it contains drawings depicting sexual conduct, even such a book written for minors.

Michael Powell, owner of Powell's, said, "For booksellers, the new law is vague and difficult to apply. It says a 13-year-old can legally buy these books, but it's a crime to sell them to a 12-year-old. How do I card a 12-year-old?"

Plaintiffs hope that there will be a hearing on their motion for a preliminary injunction before the law goes into effect on July 1.



There is some seriously scary stuff going on down in those united states.

Coffee House with Philippe Lafreniere

Come out for a fun night of music and coffee with Philippe Lafreniere at Chat Noir Books. Doors open at 7:00pm and it is $5 at the door. Come early there is limited seating.

Philippe Lafreniere offers a wide variety of acoustic music by combining world music with blues and folk traditions. With orginal songs in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, he creates an inter-cultural and multilingual mosaic of music, poetry and art.

You can check out Philippe at: www.mspace.com/philippelafreniere

It's here!!

Book 3. She makes me giggle.

Spring? Here's hoping.

One more sign that spring is upon us, we have relented and taken all of the snowmen down and replaced them with a spring themed display. Paul was able to get a bike up there and it looks pretty neat.

Spring Pulse Poetry Festival

Don't forget to check out the Spring Pulse Poetry Festival in Cobalt this weekend. They have an open stage going on on Saturday night starting at 10pm at Cornmeal's restaurant if you're looking for someplace to try out your prose on an audience. Call the Classic Theatre at 679-8080 for more information.

Chat Nour Books

If anyone is reading this month's Explore magazine and looking for the Discover Wild Temiskaming book at www.chatnourbooks.com ..... ummmm... welll.... That's suppose to be us. www.chatnoirbooks.com
You can certainly order it from us - just drop us an email or call us 705-647-8215 and we'll get right on it for you.

Damn typos

Spring Where Are You??

11:01 AM EDT Tuesday 1 April 2008
Winter storm warning continued

Heavy snow with blowing snow will continue into this afternoon.

Patchy freezing rain over Kirkland Lake - New Liskeard - Temagami region will change to snow and blowing snow near noon.

This is a warning that dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

An intense low pressure near Sudbury area will continue to head northeastward into Québec shortly after noon hour.

Heavy snow and blowing snow behind this system will continue into this afternoon then ending this evening from the west.

Motorists are encouraged to exercise caution due to poor driving conditions during the passage of this storm.

Does this sound like spring? I'll quit whining now - I do live in Northern Ontario. I'm not looking forward to the drive home tonight though.