Letter to Warren Buffett

Platitudes are safe, because they're easy to wink at, but truth is something else again. 
Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway, Letter to William J. Kennedy, October 29, 1959, p. 192

Dear Mr. Buffettt;

First, I would like to congratulate on your recent vestment with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I caught it on the BBC, and the only question in my mind was, what took so long? I figure you  should have won it during the Clinton administration! I have been meaning to write for the longest time just to say thanks for being so free with your methods and being so candid with your investment experiences both good and bad. Your methods work pretty good....

Warren Buffett (left) confers with President Obama

I am hoping that this letter will be brought to your attention somehow in a lag to your busy schedule. Maybe you will be at home while the " Indefensible " is in for it's 10,000 hour overhaul. I am sure you have heard about the Borders Group Chapter 11 filing. Since you made a lot of money reading and sitting over the years, which is really good advice, I am hoping you see a profitable "workout" here. We are figuring if you could breathe life into those New York banks, Borders would be a walk in the park!

The brand factor alone here is awesome. It is a boring business and should be. From what little I know it just appears a few bad but recoverable mistakes have been made. Also I can't help but think that there are hidden real estate assets all over the place. Another reason I am bringing this up is that there is no competition to Amazon in Canada and the United States.

Borders Flagship Store...

Also, if you decide to beat this dog into shape, there is a whole country north of you that is just thirsting for some more choice. We have only one major book retailer in Canada; Chapters. As far as I can tell it is a total monopoly. If any one has the power to deal with the red tape of Heritage Canada you are it. And the requirements that they would ask are not very onerous. Stock Canadian magazines and some defined space to Canadian publishers, the usual  stuff. Aside from that you could literally transplant an American Borders to Canada and I am pretty sure it would fly. Also there would be a ton of tax write-offs in the United States and Canada.  ( Woo-Hoo!!)

But I must be realistic, a work-out of only $1.2 billion is hardly worth your attention. Its just that you have had so much success with print and media in the past I just had to try and get this by you. In closing I hope you, Astrid and the kids are fine.
                                                                                                     All The Best;
                                                                                                   Oracleofottawa

 It is never wasted time to listen, when this man is talking.....