****ing Walmart Shoppers

[DeathBrewer]

foreign crap product + shady employment practices + monopolizing = i do NOT shop there.

seriously, f*ck that place. i feel sorry for every half-brained idiot that goes there to shop every day, enjoying all the wonderful deals and saving themselves money while they slowly drive their local economy into the sh*tter.

this is why i don't like consumerism (not to be confused with capitalism). It erases culture and small busines and turns the masses into feeble-minded drones.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

I still have a gift card I got from my work LAST YEAR for Christmas for Walmart... Hmmm...

 

[DeathBrewer]

use it. they already got their money anyway.

 

[Bob]

I saw someone on tv last night say "my kids have needs and they don't understand that mommy and daddy are having hard times because of the economy."

This would be funny if it wasn't so sad. When did "need" begin to equal "want"? Hell, I want a single-tier 10-gallon Brewsculpture or Sabco equivalent, along with jacketed conicals and a glycol chiller. But do I need it? Nope.

What can this dope's kids possibly need? Blackberry? A tracksuit with "PINK" across the tuchus?

I grew up during the Carter recession. For a couple of years, the only money my father made came from unemployment checks, and my mom was a nurse's aide. It was tough. We were poor. I didn't have an Atari 2600, or the latest action figures, even though I asked for them for Christmas and wanted them badly. Tough. You got new sneakers for school. In other words, I got what I needed, which was not necessarily what I wanted. I got a library card for Christmas one year - tangentially, it was without question the most important and useful gift I ever received. To this day, my library card keeps on giving.

This is turning into a "In my day, we didn't have shoes!" rant, which wasn't the intention. It just galls me (and frightens me, a little) that consumerism has driven itself so deeply into our subconscious that we're too afraid to tell our kids, "No, you can't have that new consumer-electronics widget. No, I don't care that all your friends have them; you will not get one. Really? You can't live without one? Go get a Gawddam job!"

Need? Pfaugh! Get some bread and cheese to go with the whine, you little bastards.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[GroovePuppy]

This would be funny if it wasn't so sad. When did "need" begin to equal "want"? Hell, I want a single-tier 10-gallon Brewsculpture or Sabco equivalent, along with jacketed conicals and a glycol chiller. But do I need it? Nope.

What can this dope's kids possibly need? Blackberry? A tracksuit with "PINK" across the tuchus?

I grew up during the Carter recession. For a couple of years, the only money my father made came from unemployment checks, and my mom was a nurse's aide. It was tough. We were poor. I didn't have an Atari 2600, or the latest action figures, even though I asked for them for Christmas and wanted them badly. Tough. You got new sneakers for school. In other words, I got what I needed, which was not necessarily what I wanted. I got a library card for Christmas one year - tangentially, it was without question the most important and useful gift I ever received. To this day, my library card keeps on giving.

This is turning into a "In my day, we didn't have shoes!" rant, which wasn't the intention. It just galls me (and frightens me, a little) that consumerism has driven itself so deeply into our subconscious that we're too afraid to tell our kids, "No, you can't have that new consumer-electronics widget. No, I don't care that all your friends have them; you will not get one. Really? You can't live without one? Go get a Gawddam job!"

Need? Pfaugh! Get some bread and cheese to go with the whine, you little bastards.

Cheers,

Bob

+1 What Bob said!

Best Chrissy gift I ever got was a second hand acoustic guitar. Without that gift 25 years ago I wouldn't have spent $1600 on a Rickenbacker bass last year. :rockin:

 

[McKBrew]

The thread that will never die.

I went there again last night and realized that while they mark down certain items a good percentatge of their stuff costs just as much as the competition.

Give me a break. How can it be wrong for a Walmart to sell 1000 items for a discounted price, but totally cool to buy from a smaller chain selling 500 of the exaxt same item for double the price?

 

[DeathBrewer]

that's why i love the bay area. no matter what i want to get, there's always a place i can buy it without going to some crap chain. i rarely shop at ANY chain stores, strip malls, or malls in general.

Of course, pretty much all i buy is homebrew stuff but i'll spend $10 extra dollars on a piece of equipment just to support my LHBS. I've seen what these big chain stores do to thriving communities. i NEVER want to see that sh*t-storm again.

BUT it's not wrong because of their prices. It's the way they treat their employees. You can get a good living wage working at target. It's difficult to do so at Walmart. They thrive off single mothers who need to have two minimum-wage jobs to make ends meet.

keep telling yourself "it's up to the market to decide"

well the market is full of greedy, self-involved, consumer-whore robots who have to have everything they see, whether they need it or not. it's wasteful, it takes money away from local communities and away from the US in general, it cuts out small businesses (yes, even smaller chains who are more responsible) and provides nothing but crap jobs.

nothing bad about that at all.

 

[GroovePuppy]

well the market is full of greedy, self-involved, consumer-whore robots who have to have everything they see, whether they need it or not.

And that's bad. Uh, right?

 

[DeathBrewer]

it's something we created...we'll need education to get people away from it. please teach your kids how not to be consumer whores.

 

[GroovePuppy]

Sorry dude, I was just being a wise-ass.

 

[DeathBrewer]

i know...and i was just telling you to slap your kids around a little more when they want something shiny.

 

[GroovePuppy]

I pride myself that my kids generally appreciate everything they get and don't whine when they can't get it. They don't go for name brand labels and don't need their old stuff replaced when it's not broken.

If it's shiny you're talking about though my 17 year old did ask for (and get) a nickel plated bullet belt for his birthday 'cos Lemmy wears one! :rockin:

 

[HBHoss]

I pride myself that my kids generally appreciate everything they get and don't whine when they can't get it. They don't go for name brand labels and don't need their old stuff replaced when it's not broken.

If it's shiny you're talking about though my 17 year old did ask for (and get) a nickel plated bullet belt for his birthday 'cos Lemmy wears one! :rockin:

I want one of those too!!! Except I want to be able to shoot the bullets

 

[Donasay]

It is not Walmart's fault someone got killed today. This is not another Walmart example. This happened to take place at Walmart.

I wholeheartedly disagree, it is 100% under-preparation on the part of that store that caused the death of that worker. They did not employ any basic crowd control procedures that could have prevented that death. Two simple things could have prevented that employees death: 1) a line so people don't mob around the door, and 2) additional security to make sure people form a line and then enter in an orderly fashion.

If you look at the pictures and the video, you can clearly see that people are mobbed around the door like at a rock concert. I don't know if any of you have been in a mosh pit, but I imagine the people at the front of the line were experiencing a rush of people similar to what goes on in a mosh pit at a rock concert. Those in front really had no choice but to go forward once the crowd started pushing them, it is like riding a wave that you can't control lest you yourself get trampled.

In its simplest form, they needed to form a line, more specifically a line that zig sags through stanchions. This type of line would ELIMINATE the crowd's ability to push forward all at once and create a choke point to cut people off if needed. Unfortunately this particular Wal-Mart was to cheap or didn't have the forethought to invest in or even rent some of these:

My local McDonald's has a zig-zagging line with stanchions to prevent a rush mob around the counter at lunch time. Most people don't notice, but something this simple keeps them from getting swamped, this wal-mart should have had some lines and barriers set up. This is a complete lack of forethought and planning on the part of the management of this individual store.

The second element that they should have added was additional security personnel to control the choke point around the door (the only entrance by the way). Unfortunately Wal-Mart as a corporation is to cheap to hire or even contract out additional security for an event such as this. Having 2 or 3 additional people at the head of a line, letting people in to the store as part of small groups would have stopped the trampling, but Wal-Mart as a corporation has policies about not hiring the extra workers.

I would go so far as to argue that the blame for this incident rests entierly with Wal-Mart, most of the blame can be placed on the individual store and its inability to plan ahead. But the bare bones, cut cost, corporate culture of Wal-Mart as a corporation also contributed to this death. Just think spending an extra $1,000 ($300 renting stanchions and $700 hiring security guards) could have saved this man's life.

 

[GroovePuppy]

I agree completely. My one time trip to a store at 7AM after Turkey Day was our local Walmart. The chaos in the store was totally their fault. Lack of planning and forethought. Tucking away the prized bargains to sustain interest just resulted in an impatient and badly behaved mob. I quit and left!

 

[DeathBrewer]

good points.

i've been in a mosh-pit

 

[GroovePuppy]

I want one of those too!!! Except I want to be able to shoot the bullets

He did have one teacher ask if they were live, even though the tips are obviously missing. I did wonder if our overly PC school system would result in him being told to remove it.

 

[GroovePuppy]

good points.

i've been in a mosh-pit

Now I coulda guessed that!!!!! :rockin:

 

[HBHoss]

He did have one teacher ask if they were live, even though the tips are obviously missing. I did wonder if our overly PC school system would result in him being told to remove it.

No doubt. Then without the belt his pants would've hung too low so then he'd be sent home to change. Gotta love the priorities in schools these days.

 

[Sean]

I feel sorry for the fellow that died, I feel sorry for his family, and I feel sorry for everyone that works at Walmart.

Unrelated to that, Walmart is the face of globalization. The US must compete with China, India, Pakistan, and other developing countries that want a decent standard of living. The US worker must compete with someone who will do a very good job for poor wages, or US workers must improvise and adapt. They must offer something Walmart cannot offer. I am not suggesting I know what that is. I just know the US must adapt. Workers cannot expect to make $15 per hour for doing a simple un-skilled job.

It is time to adapt or the US will end up like France or UK; Slightly socialistic, highly taxed, (if you think you are taxed now, just wait, and I am not talking about the new admin.), and without opportunity.

 

[GroovePuppy]

It is time to adapt or the US will end up like France or UK; Slightly socialistic, highly taxed, (if you think you are taxed now, just wait, and I am not talking about the new admin.), and without opportunity.

You have to be careful when you point out that the UK is "socialistic" and "highly taxed". The average standard of living in the UK may be slightly lower than the US but the people at the bottom are a lot better taken care of. It's not like the taxes disappear and you never see anything from them.

The US government and media keeps selling the message that even mild socialism is bad, not to mention taxation. They get to say that and everyone nods even though they never provide evidence. I heard a politician on NPR earlier this year say of Clinton's health plan "it's just European socialized medicine and that doesn't work". Now I lived in the UK for 35 years and people weren't exactly dying in the streets. People don't have to worry whether they can afford treatment at least.

"Taxation without representation" isn't unreasonable. Well you have representation and have had for a few hundred years. Pay up!

 

[HBHoss]

I feel sorry for the fellow that died, I feel sorry for his family, and I feel sorry for everyone that works at Walmart.

Unrelated to that, Walmart is the face of globalization. The US must compete with China, India, Pakistan, and other developing countries that want a decent standard of living. The US worker must compete with someone who will do a very good job for poor wages, or US workers must improvise and adapt. They must offer something Walmart cannot offer. I am not suggesting I know what that is. I just know the US must adapt. Workers cannot expect to make $15 per hour for doing a simple un-skilled job.

It is time to adapt or the US will end up like France or UK; Slightly socialistic, highly taxed, (if you think you are taxed now, just wait, and I am not talking about the new admin.), and without opportunity.

This is why I cringe when the gooberment wants votes so it raises the minimum wage. Everytime that happens, cost of goods goes up, hours are cutback because small businesses can't afford to pay more. That then creates the big box stores like Walley Mart. Other countries don't have the same labor laws we have in place so they get away with paying less and we'll keep getting the illegals coming across the border. It's a vicious circle.
I'm not sure who is to blame on this death. Was it the 6'5" 275lb dude who busted open the door? Was Walley World unprepared? All the above? Lots of stores had similar sales and no one else was killed. it was total fubar!

 

[DeathBrewer]

I feel sorry for the fellow that died, I feel sorry for his family, and I feel sorry for everyone that works at Walmart.

Unrelated to that, Walmart is the face of globalization. The US must compete with China, India, Pakistan, and other developing countries that want a decent standard of living. The US worker must compete with someone who will do a very good job for poor wages, or US workers must improvise and adapt. They must offer something Walmart cannot offer. I am not suggesting I know what that is. I just know the US must adapt. Workers cannot expect to make $15 per hour for doing a simple un-skilled job.

It is time to adapt or the US will end up like France or UK; Slightly socialistic, highly taxed, (if you think you are taxed now, just wait, and I am not talking about the new admin.), and without opportunity.

bull****. the smaller companies were doing just fine until walmart moved in and SHUT THEM DOWN. those smaller companies can get similar products...may be a little higher price, but who cares?

walmart makes even the suppliers hurt. what are they supposed to do when walmart forces them to be a sole supplier and then forces them to cut their prices or they will abandon them?

they're aggressive tactics are highly profitable and wholly unethical.

 

[GroovePuppy]

Lots of stores had similar sales and no one else was killed. it was total fubar!

I think Walley World are the pinnacle of "buy loads of stuff you don't need for little money". Maybe the shoppers that attracts are greedier because of this. Of course WalMart advertises itself this way so it comes back to them too. Who's to blame? Reagan and Thatcher? Advertising agencies? Adam Smith? Fuctifino!

 

[Sean]

bull****. the smaller companies were doing just fine until walmart moved in and SHUT THEM DOWN. those smaller companies can get similar products...may be a little higher price, but who cares?

walmart makes even the suppliers hurt. what are they supposed to do when walmart forces them to be a sole supplier and then forces them to cut their prices or they will abandon them?

they're aggressive tactics are highly profitable and wholly unethical.

Capitalism.

 

[GroovePuppy]

Capitalism.

Not as Adam Smith and Andrew Carnegie envisioned it.

 

[niquejim]

Not as Adam Smith and Andrew Carnegie envisioned it.

Carnegie would have crushed Wal-Mart. They play very fair compared to him.

I bet this would not have happened in W.V. or Neb. or S. Dakota, but New York any given day.

 

[DeathBrewer]

This is why I cringe when the gooberment wants votes so it raises the minimum wage. Everytime that happens, cost of goods goes up, hours are cutback because small businesses can't afford to pay more. That then creates the big box stores like Walley Mart. Other countries don't have the same labor laws we have in place so they get away with paying less and we'll keep getting the illegals coming across the border. It's a vicious circle.
I'm not sure who is to blame on this death. Was it the 6'5" 275lb dude who busted open the door? Was Walley World unprepared? All the above? Lots of stores had similar sales and no one else was killed. it was total fubar!

no, raising minimum wage DID NOT create walmart. greedy sons of ******* that care about nothing but their bottom line created walmart.

smaller stores usually pay better wages (if they are smart) and have a good, reliable, knowledgable, but relatively small staff.

and there's the "uh oh, socialism is bad" thing again. don't bite the hook.

capitalism is great...monopolies are made of FAIL.

 

[Sean]

You have to be careful when you point out that the UK is "socialistic" and "highly taxed". The average standard of living in the UK may be slightly lower than the US but the people at the bottom are a lot better taken care of. It's not like the taxes disappear and you never see anything from them.

The US government and media keeps selling the message that even mild socialism is bad, not to mention taxation. They get to say that and everyone nods even though they never provide evidence. I heard a politician on NPR earlier this year say of Clinton's health plan "it's just European socialized medicine and that doesn't work". Now I lived in the UK for 35 years and people weren't exactly dying in the streets. People don't have to worry whether they can afford treatment at least.

"Taxation without representation" isn't unreasonable. Well you have representation and have had for a few hundred years. Pay up!

A fine post indeed!! I'll pay up.. The media is crap, they sell stuff just like every other business....

The US is already at a level of mild socialism, and it is not a terrible thing. I do not want to pay 40% tax, and a VAT of 8%, I do not want to wait 6 months for a doctor appointment. I will work, whatever the work, and I will pay for what I get. That is my choice, and I would prefer for it to remain my choice. :rockin:

 

[GroovePuppy]

A fine post indeed!! I'll pay up.. The media is crap, they sell stuff just like every other business....

Hey, no fair agreeing with people!

The US is already at a level of mild socialism, and it is not a terrible thing. I do not want to pay 40% tax, and a VAT of 8%,

I already pay over 8% sales tax. How is that different. In the UK VAT is pre-added so what you see is what you pay. Now that is fairer to the consumer. I pay less tax in the US but I get to pay for water directly and my property taxes are much higher. My health care is extortionate and I get a reasonably good deal through my employer.

I do not want to wait 6 months for a doctor appointment.

Once again the media wins. Never had to wait 6 months myself in the UK. To see my regular doctor takes just as long here as in the UK. Actually one of my UK doctors operated a no appointment system, just show up and take a number. You wait in the waiting room longer but you got to see him same day. Oh and it was already paid for in my taxes!

Sure you might end up on a waiting list if you have an ingrown toenail but you can still by private healthcare in the UK if you want it. I had it free through my employer before I moved but never used it out of principle.

I will work, whatever the work, and I will pay for what I get. That is my choice, and I would prefer for it to remain my choice. :rockin:

I respect your confidence in capitalism but I look to the current financial crisis. I'm not pro-socialism any more like I was as a naive teenager but I think some sort of centrist balance couldn't hurt. **** it, people just need to look to their neighbors and treat them as human beings, that'd be a start.