I can't believe any of the brick and mortar book stores like these are still around. This will go the way of Hollywood video and Blockbuster. Chapter 11 eventually leading to a slow and agonizing death.

"Whether vendors will continue to ship inventory without being sure of payment remains to be seen."

You don't need no crystal ball to know that ain't going to last long.

On one point, all I can say is "There go a few thousand more 'creative class' jobs." (I don't know about elsewhere, but if Borders goes, the unemployment rate among English Lit majors is going to rip through the roof.) On the other, I have too many writer, editor, and publisher friends who are going to be screwed blind. Borders was already notorious for its "when we damn well feel like it" payment schedule for small publishers, particularly in magazines, and this just offers additional license to delay those payments further. (The sad part is that I've been warning those same friends for two years, and they'll be calling me to commiserate over their losses because "I didn't think it would happen to me.")