October 26th, 2008
According to an entry on Oprah Winfrey’s blog, called “Oprah’s Favorite New Gadget,” “This summer, Oprah received a gift that she says changed her life. ‘It’s absolutely my new favorite favorite thing in the world,’ she says.” 
It’s nearly November and she hasn’t found another favorite favorite thing in the world? I guess she already has the Oral-B Pulsonic Sonic Toothbrush.
The blog gushingly continues, “Although the Amazon Kindle costs $359, Oprah looks at it as an environmentally friendly investment. ‘I know it’s expensive in these times [Ed: not for Oprah; hers was free], but it’s not frivolous because it will pay for itself,” she says. ‘The books are much cheaper, and you’re saving paper.’ [Ed: although by purchasing a device with a far nastier non-biodegradable high carbon footprint than paper] New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases are $9.99 or less, unless otherwise marked.
“As a special offer for Oprah Show viewers, Amazon.com is giving $50 off the price of Kindle. Enter the promotional code OPRAHWINFREY during the checkout process at Amazon.com to receive the discount. This offer is valid through November 1, 2008. [Ed: A generous 8 days.]
It’s a four-page blog entry, and I’m starting to feel vomitous quoting from it, but I’ll stave off the bildge for another moment with this quote: “Oprah says she will talk about her Kindle with anyone who’s willing to listen. ‘Anyone who knows me knows I’m really not a gadget person at all, but I have fallen in love with this little baby [emphasis mine],’ she says. ‘If you’re like me and a little computer challenged, do not be afraid of the Kindle–do not be afraid [emphasis mine]–because you don’t even have to have a computer for it to work. That’s the brilliant thing about it.'” Yes, quite brilliant. Unless you already have a computer.
The conclusion: “‘You can tell a lot about a person by what’s on their [Kindle] homepage,’ Oprah says.” Included on her homepage are “Crack the Fat-Loss Code: Outsmart Your Metabolism and
Conquer the Diet Plateau” by Wendy Chant. There are certain things that don’t change.
An article by Antone Gonsalves in Information Week notes: “Winfrey’s endorsement of the Kindle could lead to more than just a sales boost. It could go a long way toward moving the Kindle to the mainstream from a niche market.” How depressing. Another chapter in the future of publishing has just been written. Loggers will be picketing her show, and getting into fistfights with workers from the semiconductor industry and the employees of E Ink.