back to the original hypothesis, I would think that many of us would support local retailers within certain criteria:
- local product support
- genuine interest and expertise in their particular idiom (be it restaurant, sport, entertainment)
- supports local community

If internet retailers do this as well, then I would be happy to patronize them as well. Rick's site is a good example of that.

Several of the boat dealers are prime examples of this as well, supporting the sailing community by hosting regattas, sponsoring teams, etc. I don't know of many boat manufacturers that do this directly, so it stands to reason that the dealers absorb those overhead costs, and some of that is buried in the prices I pay from them

I try to patronize locally owned/operated restaurants in the off-tourist season (I stay home during season - it's ridiculous), and will pay a certain amount extra to local sailing/dive/shooting/alcohol/topless shops to encourage community activity and support.

In many cases I make that specific point to the owners of the establishment I choose to patronize. I also point out specific cases where internet prices are dramatically (like over 20%) different. In some cases the retailer adjusts their pricing, or explain valid reasons for the difference.

I'm certain most, if not all products can be found slightly cheaper on the internet. It stands to reason that internet retailers do not have nearly the overhead that a brick & mortar business would.

Most retailers are aware of the price discrepancy between web and brick, and don't charge dramatically higher than the average internet cost.

I doubt any savvy retailer would be naieve enough to think that 99% of their customers don't do their homework before a purchase, and know pretty well how much things cost.

Those sites which sell items for substantially less than the average tend to be suspect in my book (inaccurate description or specs, hidden costs/shipping, or outright misrepresentation)

Talk about sanctimonious crap! I'm with Jake. Frankly, I find it ironic that kiss **** piss femalegenitalia whatever is offensive to the moderators but racism is not. I'm moving toward putting the whole site and online store on ignore. And no matter how vehement the protest, wrong is still wrong.

Yes
I will pay a little bit more to buy from someone who helps the local sailing.

I agree with your reasoning but feel your conclusion is extreme.

Because ignoring it shows anybody that grazes through here that we don't care and it gives all of us a bad image. That political thread alone shows that a lot of people are incapable of ignoring things they don't care for. Can you imagine what society would be like if everyone was just a "bigger man" and ignored everything that was unsuitable? I can turn that around on you a thousand ways. C'mon man.

Re: Freedom of Speech, you'll also note that I did not demand that he take it down. He has the right to put it up there as much as I do to complain about it. I'm good with that. That's how this works.

And what, bomb his birthplace?

I do not own a store, nor do I sell any products. I had this discussion with a few friends the other night and was surprised to find almost no loyalty in them. I was just wondering how everyone else felt.

As to my signature you will find that it has been removed.

Well done. Thank you.

Okay Karl, say something inflammatory or this place will be silent as a morgue.

I know! California has banned the sale of foie gras. Let's beat on them awhile.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/48012557/

Hold on, I'm dodging traffic on I94 and changing my signature.....

First job out of college was selling sporting goods and team uniforms to high schools and colleges... great job.

Had one client that would always ask for a sizable donation to support the program, but always took his business to a dealer that was Northern CA to save a few bucks. After two years of this I polity told him to pound sand and that unless he supported us we couldn’t support him. He made a big stink about this to the Athletic Director and was telling the other coaches not to buy from us because of that. They really didn't care what he said anyway because they knew what kind of a weasel he was. One year I get a call from him, the dealer dropped the ball (pun) and couldn't deliver the game uniforms in time for picture day and the kids were real upset because they were buying the jerseys. Even though we had the cut and sew plant local and could deliver the stuff and have made me a shinning star I chose not to do it, and I let him know that. Eventually the AD got with me and asked me to help him out after getting some heat from the parents which we did and at a discounted price!

The next year I got all the business from this individual not because of this, but because the company he was buying from went out of business by being a Me-Too- Price- Buster.

Support you local business or those that are supporting your (insert activity) if you can! They may be a little more; and that is a hard pill to swallow in these economic times, but in the long run it is a better proposition.

I know I didn't spend much time in College, but would my signature be considered "racist" too? Or is it ok to bash on a white boy? Is it ok if I have a bunch of white friends?
Mark Schnider...I wasn't talking about the law but I wouldn't expect you to understand that anyway.

Not really. White people in government housing isn't such a high rate (I'm hypothesizing..haven't looked this up) that a "racist" would consider it an intrinsic characteristic of people with white skin...so it doesn't have the same kind of bite. However, on the other hand, the perception is that a significant percentage of government housing is occupied by african americans and to infer that the this is because of the color of their skin IS racist.

Are you saying that you don't think the previously discussed statement was racist?

Actually I DO think it is racist but my somewhat stealth point was the double standards we see today so often.

Ya beat me to it Lee.

How did this go from "would you support your vendors? " to Political Anarchy...

FWIW, I do my best as a vendor to support sailing events. I can't support them all, but I try to spread it around from NA and Worlds Champs (monos and multi's) to regional Opti and Junior programs (probably more so on the youth side than adult events).

If I looked at the dollars involved, there's no way I get an ROI, but it's just my part of giving back and helping to grow the sport.

-M

Hence my recent purchase of Zhik products... The new hareness realy is easy on the JUNK!

Thanks for your hel by the way!

Is it OK to bash a white boy?... ... Hey you can bash me all you want..... we are on equal footing and we have the same stature and power in society.

Now... change your tag line to "Texas Redneck George Bush" ... and you have established the power disparity between Rednecks and "Regular civilized" people and that is offensive (but not "racist" in American discourse)

Try
"That Hawaiian Barack Husein Obama is debating that Mormon Mitt Romney in a few months followed by that Cuban Marco Rubio who will battle that Catholic Joe Biden." This is a racial and stereotyped characterization that communicates in a particular way..... (mostly about the writer)!

On the offensive scale.... where does it rank??? Mildly offensive?
Consider if I changed Hawaiian to the usual Muslim mis- characterization of Obama.

Now you ring the very offensive racist bell in the American culture because in American history... the black muslims of the 60's were anti american anarchist/ radical blah blah blah....(a powerless minority of a minority that you can demonize) and of course the idea is to dog whistle to your fellow travelers that Obama is a black racist anti American socialist traitor, potential terroist and illegitimate president.

Your idea that there is "a double standard" in this game of slurs is a fig leaf for you that tries to minimize or excuse the first slur..... these slurs are just ignorant descriptions of power relationships in American culture.

Why we tolerated them for so long is not an excuse. Props to Jake for pointing out something I have overlooked forever and bacho for deleting his tag line.

If these were my forums...

I'd create, and move all political drivel to a politic topic section. I'd also narrow it down to 7 or or forum topics.

If this were done, CatSailor could kick the butt of the sailing forum world, as it once did.

I'm down with free speech, obviously, but I'd like to have topics compartmentalized and categorized so that we can find the information that we're looking for.

I also don't like my swearing censored. If I want to call Karl a jack butt...

Dealer support...meh.

If these were my forums, I would put Jake in control of them.