#found it at indigo canada!!

[chasingcoyotes]

thought this wasn't supposed to be out until the 5th???

[freightandgroove]

I have no idea why Howl's Moving Castle is trending but it might be a good time to share that last week, at the bookstore, I saw this gorgeous new paperback cover?? Like this is such an upgrade from the weird green and purple one!

[allthecanadianpolitics]

maybe an odd question, but I'm trying to support the boycott of indigo, I also don't want to buy books from Amazon but I'll admit I'm not super aware of Canadian independent booksellers. I've tried googling but the ones I've found don't have the books I'm looking for so I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions or a favourite local bookseller (that ships within Canada, I don't mind paying for shipping)

~~~~

[tamapalace]

Indigo Chapters Lists Tamagotchi On & Tamagotchi On Wonder Garden

What year is it? Indigo Chapters, a big box bookstore in Canada has just listed both the pink Tamagotchi On Fairy, and turquoise Tamagotchi On Wonder Garden on their website. Both are out of stock but there are reports that one lucky Tamagotchi fan from Reddit was able to get their hands on the Wonder Garden, how awesome is that? Perhaps they found old inventory? If you’re in Canada, be sure to check their website often! They’ve both listed for their original MSRP of $79.95 CAD.

[jayswing101]

For everyone living in so-called canada - if you didn't know already, the ceo of indigo - heather reisman - and her husband founded a "charity" called heseg that sends lone soldiers (aka canadian citizens who don't have family in i*rael) to join the iof. There is a boycott happening against indigo bc of this, and multiple advocacy groups based out of canada support a boycott for obvious reasons.

You can also use this link to send a pre-drafted letter to the cra asking to revoke heseg's charitable status.

Sources showing that heather reisman is a founder here:

Heseg foundation website (use your browser's translation tool, the website is only in hebrew)

Charitydata.ca's information page about heseg (i looked up the charity i work at to confirm the accuracy of this site, and it seems up to date to the end of the 2023/2024 fiscal year)

Find alternative bookstores:

Use this link or this link to find local indie bookstores near you

Good Minds is a first nations owned bookstore based out of six nations/ohsweken, they have a flat shipping rate across canada (so a great option if you're living remote/don't have an in-person indie bookstore!)

Massy Books is an indigenous owned bookstore based out of vancouver, and a portion of the profits from the bookstore go back into funding local community projects and initiatives

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Every once in a while I go searching up information on commercially available native plants that I’ve passed over in the past due to their inedibility/toxicity. Just to confirm that indeed they are not edible and that they may be pretty, but if I can’t eat them, then they’re just taking up space that could be used by something pretty that I can eat. And every once in a while I do find an obscure source that in fact they do have an edible use! So I found today with Clematis ligusticifolia (Virgin’s bower). Way back when, people used the dried leaves as a black pepper substitute to flavour foods! Mind, consuming too much C. ligusticifolia will make you bleed internally. It’s only just barely edible as a flavouring. But then an excess of saffron will poison you too, as will eating too many ginkgo nuts. So there you go. It counts. Which means I get to add a clematis species to my garden and I thought I wouldn’t be able to. :)

Now, if I could find any edible uses for culver’s root, bloodroot, Canada anemone, pink turtlehead, lobelia, blue wild indigo, cardinal flower, trumpet vine, dutchman’s breeches, red baneberry, doll’s eyes, mitrewort, dutchman’s pipe, shooting star, beardtongue, Jacob’s ladder, crocus, delphinium, blue virgin’s bower...

[phasecode]

✧ ⸻ welcome to infinite entertainment! it's NA 'AXEL' YUCHAN, who is the MAIN DANCER of INDIGO. i’ve heard whispers that the 24 year old is pretty INDUSTRIOUS but lowkey CAPRICIOUS. also, doesn’t he remind you of CHOI YEONJUN?

good evening everyone! u can call me klee and i'm excited to write with you all! i go by they/them and i'm currently residing in the eastern timezone. i didn't have anything ready because applying was just something i did on impulse so please bear with me as i try to get everything done by friday ( wishful thinking ). i'd like to introduce you to a revamped child of mine named AXEL, the main dancer of indigo and infinite entertainment's resident Just Some Guy™. underneath the cutoff you'll gain access to more information about yuchan as well as some plot ideas that are bouncing around in my head! please like this post if you're interested in plotting and thank you in advance if you decide to read my intro!

✧ ⸻ i. 𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑲𝑺 .

profile, connections, wanted relationships.

✧ ⸻ ii. 𝑫𝑬𝑻𝑨𝑰𝑳𝑺 .

full name :: axel yuchan na

korean name :: 나유찬

nickname :: known professionally as axel, his english name, but he doesn't mind being called whatever

date of birth :: march 29, 1999

zodiac :: aries sun, cancer moon, scorpio rising

place of birth :: toronto, canada

gender :: cis male, uses he / him pronouns

orientation :: pansexual, demiromantic

height :: 183 cm, 6ft

languages :: english ( native ), korean ( native ), japanese ( conversational )

vocal inspiration :: a.c.e's kim byeongkwan

✧ ⸻ iii. 𝑺𝑼𝑴𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑰𝒁𝑬𝑫 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀 .

began dancing at the age of five, taking ballet classes at canada's national ballet school because his mom wanted all of her children to become professional ballet dancers like her. his dad was on the fence about it, not necessarily opposing the idea of him and his two sisters doing it but more open to supporting them if they decided they wanted to do something else in the future. his mom was less thrilled by the possibility but would eventually come around when all three of them chose to pursue different paths later in life.

one day when he was eleven he attended one of the open hip hop classes his older sister was taking, and immediately liked it better. the music was the main reason he wanted to continue taking classes but when he initially started, he felt challenged and ya boi likes a challenge. he still attended the ballet school, dedicated to becoming a professional ballet dancer like his mom wanted him to, but he knew deep down his interests were shifting and his older sister knew it too.

when he found out that new star entertainment wanted him to audition in person all the way in seoul, once the confusion subsided as to how they even knew about him ( his sister submitted an online audition in his stead ), he was more excited to audition than nervous despite not knowing much about the industry. he didn't know what he was getting into, but the idea of not becoming a ballet dancer was exciting — doors he didn't know existed were opening for him.

axel is nothing if not a hard worker. he is someone who doesn't like to disappoint, and especially since his parents had allowed him to completely switch gears and become a trainee with an undetermined future ( they didn't tell him that tho. they just let him think there was no way he wouldn't debut ).

he received a lot of criticism as a rookie for not being able to sing live very well. he put more power and energy into the choreography and didn't think he needed to be the greatest singer since the other members were hard-carrying. he did what he could to improve after ( what he considers to be ) the disaster of his debut, he attended more singing lessons and visited the practice rooms almost every single day to practice his live singing while dancing.

has been caught in several different dating rumors over the eight years he's spent as an idol. only one relationship was real ( they broke up almost immediately after ) but the others were either with his close friend or someone he didn't know that fans? connected out of pure coincidence.

he began an acting career three years ago, appearing in minor roles and supporting roles. he began taking acting lessons at the insistence of his company, wanting him to try something new and expand his skillset. although he knows he's not the best idol-actor the industry has to offer, he hopes that he could land a lead role in the near future to really test his abilities.

✧ ⸻ iv. 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑺 .

HUGE fan of star wars. he collects a lot of merch and ( unfortunately ) can talk for hours about anything related to it. he's too interested in the lore and has definitely talked about it on a livestream for hours. he used to receive a lot of star wars related gifts from fans prior to no longer accepting gifts from them, and he keeps it all either at his grandparents' house in seoul, or in his childhood bedroom in toronto. ( woozi talking for 6 hours about anime is literally axel talking about star wars )

also he's just a huge movie bro in general ?? he LOVES movies and sometimes it feels like he has seen every movie in existence. ( for legal reasons i'm joking but he does definitely have an extensive knowledge. ) he constantly invites friends out to see movies or goes by himself ... there's really no movie he wouldn't watch. his favorite movies include jurassic park, the host, spirited away, a silent voice, arrival, in the mood for love, and a more recent addition is godzilla minus one.

a little bit too active on his social media accounts. he's the most active on tiktok and instagram, and constantly overshares like he's on his private accounts and talking to his closest friends. he had always been social and active on indigo's official sns accounts, and it seemingly got worse when indigo as a group were allowed to have their own personal accounts. he's the type of idol who is never beating the 'in a parasocial relationship w fans' allegations.

he is known for being apparently passive about the criticisms that come his way every now and then, and he wants to believe that he isn't bothered at all by hate when in reality it eats away at him in an unhealthy way. during his rookie years where he spent his free time working hard on improving his skills, he had gotten sick more often than not by overworking his 17yo body more than it could handle. sometimes he falls back into his bad habits when he really lets himself be bothered, but he's also gotten better at pulling himself out of that state ( also the other members help out a lot too ).

he became a first-time cat dad in 2021 when he adopted his daughter as a kitten. her name is sun and she is a russian blue that he fostered for a while to trial animal therapy, but she ended up being a foster failure and he adopted her after a month. he is known for donating to local animal rescue centers and hopes to adopt a rescued feline in the near future.

axel can be best described as ... warm. warm in the sense that as a person, he feels like someone you've been friends with for years even if you've only known him for a month. he's typically easy-going and more-often-than-not a Yes Man. but he's also warm in the sense that he's a simmering pot that's one second away from reaching its boiling point should something stress him out. he wants to believe he's nonconfrontational but the truth is that he feels the need to fight should he feel wronged.

he's close with both of his sisters, and the three of them working in the entertainment industry has only made them closer. sometimes he appears on his younger sister's youtube videos or tiktoks when they're in seoul or if he's in los angeles. he sees them in-person at least four times a year, but they constantly facetime and do so once a week. he's also close with his parents, and much closer to his lax father despite being nearly a carbon copy of his mom in terms of personality.

he grew up in wealth, his dad being a defense attorney and his mom being an ex-professional ballet dancer turned ballet teacher in toronto's most prestigious ballet school. it's safe to say that he spends more than he should on a monthly basis buying things he doesn't necessarily need. while he doesn't go announcing his wealth to the world or even tries to show off in front of peers, he shows it silently in the way he constantly offers to pay for everything when out with friends or in the way he constantly buys gifts and lil trinkets for friends when he finds something that reminds him of them.

✧ ⸻ v. 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑵𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑨𝑺 .

the besties!! it would be so cute to have a cute lil squad similar to the 97 line. i feel like having a good group of genuine friends is very much needed so just know this is the most wanted thing!!

a co-host during his time as a mc?? could be a more recent gig for them or something from a couple years ago, it could be fun doing a thread of them working together behind the scenes.

"exes" ?? the individuals he was caught in a dating rumor with ... they could've been close friends that grew apart after the rumor appeared in articles, they could still be super close regardless of the past, they could've been strangers who either became close or stayed strangers ... possibilities r endless.

sibling-like relationships ... i love found family tropes, and please know any friend of axel's is just treated like family when they meet his parents and sisters.

ex-friends!! i kinda lowkey love the drama and i feel like despite axel's craving for peace in his daily life some things are just unavoidable. i think it would be interesting if they were forced to work together again and see if they could become friends again or just continue to drift further away from each other.

maybe like actual exes? axel is absolutely a hopeless romantic and wants to go all in when it comes to relationships, but i feel like him being someone who is so hyper-focused on his job as well ... i feel like both these things can cause problems but u can hear me out on that later.

having a backbone builder / positive influence is someone i think that axel really needs in life, someone who could remind him that life is too short to spend most of it hating himself or criticizing himself ... i feel like he just needs an angel on his shoulder tbh.

i'm open for anything so if none of these fit your vibe dw friend we'll think of smth!!

[snakeswagbracket]

Snake Swag Round 1A

Say hello to two of North America's largest colubrids! The gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer) can be found from northern Mexico, to the central and western US, and up through southwestern Canada. They are known among snake lovers as very sassy snakes, and when they feel threatened (or grumpy!), gopher snakes may flatten their heads, make loud hissing noises, shake and buzz their tails, or even bluff strike ('strike' at a threat with their mouth closed). Eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi) are typically found in the southern US, in Florida and Georgia, however after intensive reintroduction efforts started after the Alabama population was completely eradicated, a wild eastern indigo was spotted in Alabama just last year! This marks the second time an eastern indigo was found in Alabama in 60 years, but because of their extremely shy, elusive nature, conservationists say that these two sightings mean there is a thriving population of eastern indigos that are simply keeping out of sight. Gopher snakes can grow up to 7 feet long, while a record eastern indigo was found at 8.5 feet!

[maoist-mizer]

Thanks for tagging me @swordfaery :3

Rules: shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and post the first 10 tracks, then list 10 songs you really like, each by a different artist. then tag 10 people to do the same thing.

I know I don’t have to but don’t mind me I’m also going to be talking a bit about these songs

Ftp by MASTER BOOT RECORD -> I found this song by looking for music for my Faith: The Unholy Trilogy playlist, I don’t think I’ve come across synthesised heavy metal before so this was quite interesting. Their side project Keygen Church is also pretty good, if anything I’d recommend that over MASTER BOOT RECORD given their use of organ and sick ‘classical Baroque influence’.

White Noiz by Akira Yamaoka -> I recently was watching Gab Smolders’ playthrough of Silent Hill, so I decided to check out the franchise’s various soundtracks. It’s not my favourite song but I like the atmosphere.

Roygbiv by Boards of Canada -> I’ve been checking out IDM so obviously BoC were a staple to get into. I haven’t really connected with much of their music but this is one of the ones that I really like. I find it fascinating that the album is entirely instrumental save for some audio clips of old Sesame Street episodes sporadically scattered throughout. I’m not sure if there’s a reason why this song was titled Roygbiv, but I do think either way it fits with the aesthetic and atmosphere (as for those who don’t know Roygbiv is an acronym listing the colours of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet).

Somebody Told Me by The Killers -> I just wanted to listen to all of Hot Fuss, but I do find it funny that I knew this song first from Måneskin’s cover of it.

Sonne by Rammstein -> Ah yes one of the songs I’ll put on while pacing for hours thinking about my blorbos and OCs. Certified vampire song.

Ladykillers by Lush -> towards the end of last year I was watching Gregg Araki’s filmography and checking out shoegaze bands which is how I got around to Lush. I wish i could look half as cool as Miki Berenyi does with bright red hair.

Little Girls by Oingo Boingo -> the JoJo brainrot is real so I decided to check out Oingo Boingo since they were referenced in the show, to be honest there’s no way I can describe their music other than it just being tasty. It’s great, I want to eat it. And it always feels very awkward having to explain how this (so far) is my favourite song by them and no it is not weird I prommy.

Halls of Illusions by Insane Clown Posse -> Nothing much to say, certified juggalo moment.

Theme of Laura by Akira Yamaoka -> once again Silent Hill brought me here, tho this is my favourite track so far from the soundtracks.

Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge -> I’m always on the look out for more goth music in whatever form it comes in, I’ll have to check the rest of their stuff out for more goth rock. That being said this probably just ended up on my ‘on repeat’ playlist due to it being on an OC’s playlists lol.

Now for the next 10 songs that I really like:

Tagging: @loverlesbian @sarenite @tigraine-mantear @femtopulsed @croissantcitysucks @deadrunin @mercymorncristabel @astridcookie @smarterthantheaverageloser @arofication (also no pressure if you don’t want to do this)

[onekisstotakewithme]

Book asks: 5, 11, 20?

5. where do you buy books?

Mostly through the major book chain in Canada (shout out to Indigo/Chapters/Coles), but also I do a lot of secondhand book purchasing 😅 beyond that, I also have a Kindle now... which I need to use more... and I buy books that way!

11. what non-fiction books do you like if any?

Guilty pleasure is true crime, specifically the work of Ann Rule. I also have a fondness for autobiographies/memoirs! I've read Michael J. Fox's Lucky Man probably a good fifteen times.

20. what are things you look for in a book?

In fiction books, usually a good story, found family, great world-building... occasionally queer characters, but in 2020 while trying to achieve my reading goals I realized I actually loved contemporary romance! I also love historical fiction with great true details lol.

Thank you Neeks 💜🥰

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Katie McGrath

full name: Indigo Niamh Clover

nickname(s) / goes by: Indi, Blue

pronouns & gender: she/her/hers, cis woman

sexuality: Bisexual

birth date: March 7th, 1985 (39)

birth place: Calgary, Canada

arrival to merrock: 2023

housing: Rural Countryside (Converted Barn)

occupation: Marijuana Dealer

work place: Everywhere

family: Late parents Cedar and Aurora. Younger brother Ziggy.

relationship status: Single

PERSONALITY

On the outside relaxed and laid back, on the inside a ball of anxiety and nerves. Indigo is masterful at masking and therefore is able to easily fake her way through a day. Cool and confident, Indigo does her best to not let the world get to her - her only goal in life is to survive it and not fall back into bad habits. Rather sensitive, however, so she’s built up a good amount of protection around herself and her feelings, and has trouble trusting people who do not prove themselves to her. Indigo is a loyal friend, and protective of those that manage to earn her trust. 

WRITTEN BY: Buck (she/her & they/them), est.

BACKGROUND / BIO

triggering / sensitive content: alocholism, drug use, death, parental death, car accident

Growing up, Indigo would consider her childhood rather enjoyable. Born in Calgary, Canada, Indigo lived there with her parents until she was two years old before relocating to Beddington, Maine. Here, Indigo was raised by her parents in a commune - a large homestead made up of over fifty people that farmed and harvested marijuana in what they called a ‘family business.’ Despite the presence of drugs in her home, Indigo was very much in good hands with her parents and had one of the most loving childhoods a child could ask for. She was happy having her family around and being in touch with nature.

Indigo didn’t attend schooling growing up, rather being homeschooled by her parents. It wasn’t until she was seventeen did she start attending a real school - she traveled back to Calgary to attend university and study psychology. During her second year of university, Indigo’s parents were hit at an intersection by a teenage boy who had run a red light because he was looking at his cell phone. 

Indigo didn’t know what to do. Her entire world came crashing down around her, all that was left was her younger brother; who was only fifteen at the time and still lived on the commune. She’d dropped out of school soon after receiving the news, moving back home to be with Ziggy. Soon, Indigo found herself falling into an alcohol addiction. In and out of rehab from the ages of 21 to 30, she felt there was no way out and only continued to drink, finding it to be the only solution to her withering life. Indigo was kicked from the commune at age 30, and found herself homeless in the state of Maine for the next six years.

Indigo bounced around from shelters, quickly running up her welcome when she would arrive back reeking of beer - when she was 37, a halfway house admitted her into rehabilitation once more and after a year and a half, Indigo once again began her journey of sobriety. She attempted to return to the commune, as it was all she had known, but had found it to be abandoned. She took what she could find, (money, a few pounds of marijuana, a chicken, and an old pick up truck), and drove until she hit a town. That town was Merrock. 

Now attempting to start her life over and remain sober, Indigo grows and sells her own herb in order to make ends meet. It’s not much, but it’s honest living and she enjoys the solitude the countryside gives her. It almost feels like home. But she likes to make her way into town and see the town folk, too. Indigo uses weed to curb her alcohol cravings, but is terrified that she is able to quickly slip into old habits.

[code-of-creation]

@blackstarchanx3

I'm sorry I came across as rude when I mentioned the indigo bookstore having the volume you had struggled to find. I mentioned that it was the Canadian site as I know different stock is available in different countries and was surprised that Canada would have something that was hard to find elsewhere, as it's usually the opposite.

I'm sorry I upset you, it was not my intention at all and I hope that by clarifying my intent, I can ease some of the frustration I caused you. I wanted to let you know it could be found elsewhere, because you spent so much time looking for it, so if anyone you know was also looking for it they would have a lead, or so that you could check there for harder to find manga in the future. I wanted to share a resource to help you with finding the manga you love, because I love your comics and wanted to give something back in my own way.

Anyways, I hope this reaches you as I suspect I've been blocked. I was trying to like one of your posts on my dash and got a system error, then couldn't find you at all on tumblr. I'm sorry.

[beatrice-reden-official]

I agree! Sorry, left to clean my room and I found ten dollars and an Indigo gift card! (Indigo is a chain of bookstores in Canada)

Ooooooo that is pretty cool!-Bibi

[crystalis]

“Just as the U.S. celebrates itself as ‘a nation of immigrants,’ Zionists celebrated Palestine as a land without people for a people without land.”

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz on the founding myths of the U.S. and "Israel":

"...Though the apt term ​“settler colonialism” wasn’t invented until rather recently, the practice of settler colonialism dates back many centuries. It didn’t begin in Palestine in 1948 or with Dutch Afrikaners establishing the apartheid regime in South Africa around the same time, but was an invention of British colonialism, starting with the 1607 establishment of the ​“Plantation of Ulster” in colonized Ireland. It soon became a model for the Anglo colonization of North America.

The founding of the United States as a capitalist settler state less than two centuries later marked the beginning of a hundred-year war to erase North America’s Indigenous nations and communities, violently seizing their farms and grasslands, replacing them with Anglo and other Western European settlers and creating a massive economy. This was made possible by violently kidnapping, enslaving and transporting Africans, practically depopulating the west coast of Africa.

Anglo settlers also established colonies in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with their own ethnic cleansing of Indigenous populations. The French and Spanish, meanwhile, established their own settler colonies in Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific and North Africa, the most famous being Algeria.

These settler colonies all had a common purpose, what the Nazis called Lebensraum—that is, the territory that a state or nation believes is needed for its perceived natural development. This was initially tied to the rise of capitalism in Great Britain and the creation of the plantation and single-crop agriculture for profit. In the case of Britain’s settler colonialism in Northern Ireland, that single crop was the potato. The 13 settler colonies that Britain planted in North America starting in 1607 were required, with enslaved Africans’ labor, to produce tobacco and indigo (for dye) to market in Europe initially and then, with the conquest of the Caribbean islands, rice to feed the enslaved Africans.

Though not the dominant form of Western imperialist conquest, settler colonialism has distinct advantages over other forms, such as European military and administrative control over India and Africa — and, if measured in terms of the land, resources and wealth accumulated by the colonizing nation, it’s been the most effective. The British colonization of Ireland helps explain why: By enticing landless Scots, Welsh and Anglo settlers to usurp land from Irish farmers, Britain evicted the Irish off their small holdings in Northern Ireland — exploiting the settlers’ zeal to take free land forcibly. With British colonization across the Atlantic, landless Britons were encouraged to do the same thing in North America. After its founding, the new United States used the same settler-colonial tools to seize the rest of the continent within a century.

Jewish settler colonialism, culminating in the state of Israel, was a compressed version of these earlier Anglo settler colonies, encouraged by the British under the mandate of Palestine. Jewish people had always lived in the area, along with dozens of other communities, including new monotheistic religion offshoots of Judaism with the rise of Christianity and Islam. The late 19th century rise of political Zionism called for all Jews to return to and dominate Palestine.

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, chairman of the Jewish Agency, announced the establishment of the state of Israel, immediately recognized by U.S. President Harry Truman and, a year later, by the United Nations. But settler colonialism in Palestine did not begin with Jewish Holocaust refugees. In 1908, oil was found in Iran, a discovery that would condemn the Middle East to more than a century of imperial interference and violence. British, French and U.S. oil companies came to dominate the region.

It is no coincidence that these imperial powers, with their histories of violent antisemitism, became the strongest backers of a Jewish state in the midst of the Arab region.

A heavily armed, Western-leaning state was just what they needed to protect their interests against a rising tide of Arab nationalism and anti-imperialist sentiment. Imperial Britain issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917, supporting a ​“Jewish homeland” in Palestine.

At the time of the Balfour Declaration, Jews made up about a tenth of the population of the territory. The British did not consult with the Palestinian Arab majority. By 1947, the Jewish population was about 33%. Nevertheless, the partition plan passed that year by the UN General Assembly gave them about 55% percent of the land.

It’s vitally important that Israel be understood as a settler-colonial state because it would be impossible to understand the current conflict in Gaza without understanding its settler-colonial context. As historian Rashid Khalidi observes, the conflict is not between two equal national movements fighting over the same land, but rather is ​“a colonial war waged against the indigenous population, by a variety of parties, to force them to relinquish their homeland to another people against their will.”"

[bramblemantle]

[ID: A series of images calling for the boycott of the Canadian bookstore chain Indigo Books and Music, also known as Chapters Indigo, posted originally by salamsudduf on instagram.

Slide 1: the text ‘Boycott Indigo’.

Slide 2: Screenshot of a biography page for Heather Reisman. Text: Heather Reisman is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Indigo Books & Music Inc., Canada’s largest book, lifestyle, and specialty kids’ retailer. She is also a member of Indigo’s Board of Directors.

Ms. Reisman is a former Governor of McGill University and of the Toronto Stock Exchange. She has served on many North American boards and not for profit organizations. She continues to serve as a Director of Onex Corporation and The National Library of Israel.

Ms. Reisman has co-executive-produced a number of important documentary films, including Emmy and BAFTA winning, The Social Dilemma, and Fed Up. The Social Dilemma explores the dangerous human impact of social networking and has found resonance around the world having now been seen by over 100 million people. In 2021, Ms. Reisman co-authored Imagine It! A Handbook for a Happier Planet.

Ms. Reisman is an Officer of the Order of Canada and the recipient of nine Honorary Doctorates including from University of Toronto, McGill University, and The Weizmann Institute of Science and The Technion University.

In May 2015, Ms. Reisman was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. End of slide 2 transcript.

Slide 3: Two screenshots. First, a continuation of the biography page, presumably. Text: In 2005, in collaboration with her husband, Reisman founded the HESEG foundation, which gives scholarships to those without family in Israel who have served in the Israel Defence Forces. Her commitment to the State of Israel also includes funding education centers in Israel to advance scientific discovery and research in the country. End of first transcript. Text of the second screenshot: A “lone soldier” is someone not from Israel, who chooses to go to that country in order to join the armed forces. These are young Jews from the diaspora who have bought into Zionist colonialism so deeply that they are willing to volunteer and go serve in the Israeli "Defense" Forces. As such, they operate on the frontline of genocide in the Middle East, taking part in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. End of slide 3 transcript.

Slide 4: Two screenshots. The first looks to be on an About page, potentially for Indigo Books. Text: HESEG Foundation. A scholarship fund that annually rewards scholarships to displaced soldiers who have been recognized as lone soldiers in the IDF. End text. Second screenshot shows that the HESEG Foundation is a registered Canadian charity under the Canada Revenue Agency, with the business number 834998965RR0001. End of slide 4 transcript.

Slide 5: Text overlayed on an image of people, the focal point a woman who might be Heather Reisman. This screenshot is from the about page for the HESEG Foundation’s website. Text: The couple Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman are actively involved in both the Canadian Jewish community as well as in the State of Israel’s happenings. They are both senior members of the Canadian business community and are prominent supporters of the local Jewish community.

Gerry Schwartz is a Canadian Jewish businessman living in Toronto. He founded Onex Corporation, the largest holdings company in Canada and serves as its CEO and Chairman. Onex invests in a wide array of industries.

Heather Reisman, Schwartz’s wife, is the owner and CEO of Indigo, Canada’s largest book and music retail chain.

The couple’s contribution stems from a deep sense of commitment to the State of Israel and from a desire to maintain its resilience and cultivate its educational values: “The discharged lone soldiers who sacrificed so much for the State of Israel are the volunteers among volunteers, the real pioneers of the 2000s. We at HESEG salute them and reach out to them so they can remain in Israel, acquire an academic education, continue to strive for excellence, and lead the State of Israel to future achievements. This is the least we can do to repay them for their contribution to the State and to help them continue to contribute to society.” End of slide 5 transcript.

Slide 6: Reisman’s instagram account @ heatherreisman, where she appears to have posted the flag of Israel with the caption “Um Israel Chai. Israel forever.” on October 9th. There are several users commenting in support or opposition. The post seems to have since been removed from Reisman’s account.

Slide 7: A screenshot, header “Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman: $16 million.” The text: For the power couple behind Onex and Indigo Books and Music, 2012 was a relatively modest year thanks in part to a softer economy. As head of the $6-billion private equity firm Onex, Schwartz earned $1.3 million in base salary last year, with the bulk of his compensation coming as bonus payments. He also pocketed a $1.4-million share of Onex’s profits, down from $46 million in 2011, reflecting lower revenues. As CEO of Indigo, Reisman earned $813,200, including a $500,000 bonus payment, plus another $243,311 for sitting on the board of her husband’s firm. (Likewise, Schwartz is on the board of Indigo, but doesn’t collect a paycheque.) The bulk of the couple’s fortune, however, comes from dividends from their controlling interest in both firms. Schwartz took home an estimated $3.2 million in dividends from Onex, while the couple jointly earned another $5.8 million in dividends from Indigo. (Photo by Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail). End of slide 7 transcript.

Slide 8: The header: Where do I shop? Text: Please tag your favourite ethical book shops in the comments below.

End of slides and description.]

Compilation of information on Indigo / Chapters' support for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and why it's important to boycott.

Here's the link to the original post so you can look for local alternatives others have shared in the comments.

[walrusmagazine]

Indigo May Have Lost the Plot

Did the bookstore chain sell its soul when it started selling vitamins, vibrators, and $800 patio umbrellas?

In an era of book bans, the death of big independent analogues like Toronto’s World’s Biggest Bookstore, and the shuttering of independent bookstores, Indigo is needed. While figures on Indigo’s market share aren’t publicly available, a 2022 survey found that independent bookstores account for only about 13 percent of Canadian book-buyer purchases. Indigo remains Canada’s leading bookseller, and, without it, Canadian publishers would lose a massive buyer, as made stark by the scale of Indigo’s losses in the wake of the cybersecurity incident. What few need—as the decline of non-discount department stores reflects—is a bookstore that sells, among many other things, five-foot artificial willow trees.

Read more at thewalrus.ca.