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Lyr Req: We Don't Need a Wal-Mart
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 21 Oct 02 - 12:16 AM Not only does WalMart have cheap catfood, their housebrand is the only kind my cats will eat! I think they put some kind of kitty dope in it to get the little furballs addicted. Then they know you have no choice but to come back at least once a month to buy more catfood. In fact, we ran out of WM catfood about a week ago. Our four cats have only been grudgingly nibbling at the stuff I got from the Mom and Pop store down the road. All four of them are in the same room of the house as I am typing this. This is a very uncommon occurence as each of them hates at least one of the other three. When sworn enemies appear to get along peacefully, something conspiratorial must be going on. I think I should go to WalMart in the morning and get another 25 pounds of cat |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Blues=Life Date: 20 Oct 02 - 11:35 PM I guess my point is that change happens in the business world. And when it happens to you, the rule is "Change or Die!" What you all don't know is that while my wife works at WM, I sell to a particular niche of the specialty retail market. My customers are always worried about Home Depot. Do I worry? Nope, because I've been teaching customers about fighting the big boxes for years. It works for my industry, and it can work for those who feel threatened by the big boys. It is really very simple. You have to give up the low margin, high volume stuff that a big box store can excell at. You just can't beat them. You have to find the 20% of the product line that you can handle that they WON'T, and then kill them with service. It works. But the reason stores die is that they just keep going the same way they always have, and wonder why it isn't working anymore. Plus, they wonder why acting superior and snooty because they AREN'T Walmart annoys their customers. Service, service, service. Attitude, Attitude, Attitude. And then again, Service, service, service! Blues Definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Little Hawk Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:33 PM Beautiful description of Blockbuster, Jerry. I couldn't agree more. - LH |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Kim C Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:23 PM Our Wal-Marts sell cage-free eggs. My local Kroger don't even do that. I have two friends that work for Wal-Mart. They seem to like it all right. They've been there for awhile. One of them has been in retail forever, and used to own her own shop. Working at Wal-Mart in the craft department is a lot less stress, and the insurance is pretty good. I guess everyone's experiences are different. I would rather not go to a large corporate store but more and more, that's all I have to choose from. And I agree with all of you who said that cities now all look the same because of shopping malls and chain businesses. On the one hand, it's comforting to know that if you go from Tennessee to Nebraska, you'll still be able to find your favorite stores if you need something. On the other hand... I like seeing what other states have that we don't. One thing about Wal-Mart that does really bug me, is that when they build a new store, they Build a New Store instead of improving the old one that's already there. Then the old building sits empty for who knows how long. That seems wasteful to me. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: chip a Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:10 PM I remember getting milk delivered to the door. My friends up the road got it from another source and it tasted different. Now it all gets mixed up together in a great big vat somewhere in corporate milkland and it all tastes the same. Wallmart does this to everything. Low prices are fine. Blandness and sameness suck out loud! Choice is a good thing. Surrendering choice in exchange for convenience and low price sucks out loud. Thanks, Chip |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Midchuck Date: 16 Oct 02 - 12:20 PM I can't argue with all that's been said here, but anyplace that has cat food cheaper than the supermarkets can't be all bad. Peter. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 16 Oct 02 - 11:51 AM Hey, Litle Hawk... what I said is my local reality about Walmart... I thought the criticism that Walmart is racist was particularly localized, and foolish to escalate into a corporate generality (the Manager of our local Walmart is black... by the way.) All that said, I am in 100% agreement with your feelings about corporations swallowing all diversity in stores. If you ever go down to the South Street Seaport in New York City, they've done a wonderful job of restoring the buildings and streets. But, there's no sense of stepping back in time because as you walk past the stores, there's a Gap, a Sam Goody, and on and on... the stores are identical to the ones in any mall in the United States. If you were dropped into the middle of a mall you didn't recognize, you wouldn't know if you were in Arizona, Maine or Alabama. When Woody Allan made his flop movie, Scenes From A Mall, it was filmed in the mall where I was living at the time, in Stamford, CT. The movie was supposed to be taking place in California but inside the mall, who would know? I had two favorite small video stores in my neighborhood for many years. When the Blockbuster moved in, they both went under. Each of the stores carried videos of many classic and hard to find movies... many of them no longer available. And, if I wanted to buy an unusual old video, the owner would order it for me, give me the store discount and I didn't have to pay for shipping. We'd get in long conversations about movies because we had a common love for them. Now, I think that they have a policy in Blockbuster that you can't be over 21 to work there. And the movies? They have a car explosion per minute section, a simulated sex session, a foul-mouthed bathroom humor comedy section and a huge Vapid Teenagers brutally murdered section. The classic films section are likely to be movies released since 1990. Same with music stores... I used to joke with a friend of mine, wondering if anyone who ever placed a special order with The Wiz or Sam Goody ever got the CD. As far as I know, no one ever has. Bookstores are the same-- especially the chains in malls, because they don't have the floor space to carry much more than the latest Stephen King or Tom Clancy novel. I usually don't even bother going in them. And, the book chains have really wiped out independent book stores. There are still some independent music stores, and some of the chains, like Tower Records carry six times as much folk music as I've ever seen in an independent music store. But, every independent video store I know of is gone... including one near Walmart... not because Walmart rents videos, and there isn't a Blockbuster (yet) in Derby. It was a young kid who ran it, and I don't think he had a feel (or the zeal) for the business.. Corporate America (and Corporate every other country, by dissemination) is extremely low on my list (or high, maybe). I don't see a way back, but I see some examples of independent stores surviving in the same block as the chains. My favorite music store for many years was only three doors away from a Sam Goody. They ended up having to move because of their landlord and renovation, but I knew the owner, and they were having their best year ever... right next door to Sam Goody's. Maybe there is hope.. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Little Hawk Date: 16 Oct 02 - 10:00 AM Well, Jerry, your town is obviously a different story from mine. Okay. And you are quite right that hate is bad for the stomach. Bearing that in mind, I try to concentrate mostly on things I like, but occasionally I can't resist getting drawn into a thread like this. Why? Because I am defending something I love...which is uniqueness, variety, and small scale local capitalism, as opposed to vast multinational corporatism. People just naturally defend what they love. Blues=Life - As for resisting change...well, I recall when the one-dollar coin came in here in Canada, replacing the one-dollar bill. I loved the idea, but a majority of people seemed to be very opposed to it...they were resisting change. Bitch, bitch, bitch! Everyone was complaining about the one dollar coins. Hey, I thought they were great, and I still do. I also LOOOOOVE eating anything new that I haven't had the chance to eat before (no smart cracks, Spaw...), so I am on the lookout for interesting ethnic restaurants, while I know other people who will consume nothing but burgers and fries. Listen, I LIKE exotic, new, and different things. Always have. So, am I a person who resists change? I don't think so. But I do resist change for the worse, and I resist corporatism. The thing that is so deadly about corporatism is not that it introduces change but that it makes EVERYTHING EXACTLY THE SAME EVERYWHERE!!! It's sickening. You go to any town at all, and it's the same damn thing. I don't call that "change", I call it economic totalitarianism. Now take the case of Blockbuster Video...a store utterly devoid of imagination and overflowing with advertising. Blockbuster has driven a vast number of small video stores out of business, not through content, but through size, glitz, and visibility. The problem with Blockbuster is that they limit their selection to exactly what they think will sell best...and that's it. (Same problem as the big music store chains, by the way...) There is an old video store in this town...a big one...which has survived Blockbuster so far, and thank God they have, because they carry a great many movies which Blockbuster cannot be bothered to, because those movies are not among the hottest sellers. So, the older video store serves its customers better, and caters not just to the "average" movie watcher (whoever he is), but offers greater variety. This is intelligent and democratic. It does not passively exclude people who want to watch a movie that came out 10 years ago and is not your typical Hollywood "blockbuster". Well, gosh. Imagination overcomes financial opportunism. Who'd ever have thought of that? No major corporation, I can tell you that. Huge corporations believe in sales figures, in nothing else, and they create mediocrity, sameness, a deadening lack of variety wherever they go. Again, I am defending what I love. - LH |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 15 Oct 02 - 11:43 PM My wife is black, as are the members of my gospel quartet. They are all treated equally well as the rest of the shoppers... which is more polite and willing to give assistance than the folks over at K-Mart, who generally ignore you. I've written a letter to the manager of the store commending him on helpful the staff is there. (Many of the key departmental managers and assistant managers are black, by the way. So, let's see... the Walmart that I go to is friendly, you are greeted warmly at the door and the people who work there are happy to help you. The K-Mart staff mostly ignore you when you come in, and rarely offer assistance. In some other towns it's the opposite. Why am I so surprised? That's the problem with making generalities based on your immediate experience. You just end up talking about your own experiences. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a MaulWart From: GUEST,sorefingers Date: 15 Oct 02 - 11:28 PM Mr Blues your tale is the exception, Little Hawk you could also add crappy customer treatment. Btw I encountered WM in it's own state/s when it started and at the time they really did try but as time passed they slid way down the slippery slope of cutomer abuse by recruiting kids - even into managment - who treated minorities - I have witness several instances of it - like ***??, insulting customers seemed to be the rule not helping them. Now at the top of the hill they must soon to slide down the other side .. bye bye - GOOD RIDDANCE imho - In fact I would cross town today to enjoy the uninterupted joy of shopping Target or Kmart because I know before I enter I will not be called a '**??' by some kid out of the local college 'white' sorority who hates the color of my skin or the religion they think I belong to. IOW be their religion, their color or be abused! |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Blues=Life Date: 15 Oct 02 - 10:48 PM There's many sides to any issue. My wife started working at WM 7 years ago as a part-time, third shift, pre-Christmas temp. She just wanted to earn some money so she could go back to school, finish her BA, and get a job. 7 years later, she still doesn't have a college degree, and is still working at WM. And I can hear you thinking, "See what evil old WalMart is doing! Taking away her chance at a good job and an education!" Um, that's fine, but instead of taking out loans for 2 1/2 years of higher education, and then hoping she could land an entry level job, she has been moving up within WM, and is due to become a store manager sometime after Christmas this year. What other company doesn't give a damn if you have a college degree, but only cares if you can do the job, and will reward you for that ability. Also, she can take the training she has received and get a job with any other retail business. One small problem with that. None of the others pay as well. So although she hasn't paid for her college education, it looks like she'll be paying for our childrens'. Yeah, Walmart is just awful, unless you know something about it. But then again, it's always easier to villify change. Bad Change. Baaaaad! There, we all feel better now. Blues |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 15 Oct 02 - 10:11 PM Greetings from a lazy member of the herd. The thing about generalities is that they make you feel good, but there are too many exceptions. The Walmart a mile away from me moved in when another poorly run regional store, Caldor, went under. The town I live in died long before Walmart started... an old mill town. Most of the buildings downtown are boarded up, with broken widows on the upper floors. This was an old mill town, and the mills done closed down. Other than a couple of pawn shops and a couple of "antique"stores, the down town is basically empty. There's very little employment in town, and no Noble Mom and Pop stores to speak of. No Noble book store, or Noble small grocery store. When Caldor went under, the unemployment rate skyrocketed. When Walmart moved in, many jobs were created, and the little Noble Mom and Pop used CD store suddenly had more traffic coming in to the shopping center, and is doing better now, thank you. Walmart didn't close down any stores. Neither did the store before it. In most towns, while I love them, Mom and Pop stores have gone the way of the Village Smithy. At least where I live, Walmart and then Home Depot have pulled this city up by it's boot straps, and people are mighty happy to have them. There's talk of a Target coming in, and that will create more jobs. Now, some of the buildings down town are being renovated, and a couple of restaurants have opened. This town is coming back to life... not because of Walmart, but without two or three big chains to provice employment, I don't think the renewal would be happening. Who knows.. as the town is renovated, there may even be a few Mom and Pop stores springing back to life. Maybe where you live, stores like Walmart have driven other stores out of existence. From where I see, it's the big Chain bookstores that have driven the smaller bookstores out of business. I've seen specific examples of that. I've seen Blockbuster drive great, single-owner video stores out of existence.. which made ME angry. Same with the big chains like Sam Goody (which carry almost nothing except contemporary top 40 crap, and are of no assistance if you ever try to order something.) I've seen smaller, favorite music stores of mine go under when a Sam Goody moved in. Walmart isn't enough of a threat to close a bookstore, a music store or a video store. Their departments aren't big enough to compete with even a small mom and pop store. If you want to hate something, hate Sam Goody, Blockbuster and Barnes and Noble. I don't recommend it, though. Hate isn't good for your stomach... Jerry |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Little Hawk Date: 15 Oct 02 - 09:18 PM Keevan6 - Well, thanks for that story. It provides some background I was not familiar with about WalMart, and is an interesting example of what happens out there in corporate money-worship land. I went to the local WalMart once just to check it out, and the place absolutely gave me the creeps...just like the Rama Casino does. It is not easy to relax when standing inside the belly of the beast...unless you're just too zoned-out to notice, of course...or unless you've been fooled into thinking that this is "progress". - LH |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Bev and Jerry Date: 15 Oct 02 - 09:01 PM Same could be said of Disney! Bev and Jerry |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Keevan6 Date: 15 Oct 02 - 12:48 AM (a few words from an ex-wally world.....(i.e.maulwart) employee) Greetings fellow catters.......lets see where to begin......... Once upon a time, there was this not so bright, but pleasantly delightful chap who really needed a job. So one day he applied to his local area wal-mart. after a brief interview, and signing his soul on the dotted line, he found himself working in the GM (general merchandising) part of the beast. for the first couple of years, things were fine......the mighty Walton was chief of his hordes, and the populace was happy. for when the people were unhappy, the mighty Walton (Sam Walton, founder of the beast) would damn well make sure the problem was fixed, or he didn't sell a single item. (I.E. he took care of his workers, and the people in general.) But alas, as time passes and spring becomes winter, the candle of the mighty walton ceased to be.......and in his place came the devil himself......a horrible beast known only as GLASS (i.e. David Glass, ceo. current horde leader of Maul-Wart) And under his rule the people suffered mightily, pay cuts, labor cuts, and good jobs went to his little clones, he was mass producing in Rogers, AR. Where once the mighty beast worshiped the god of the people, now instead he worships the gods of money and power. The poor god of the people was shunted off to isle 6 between the paper towels and the cheeze whiz, never to be thought of again........ Meanewhile, back at the ranch, our intrepid soul, arround year four of his slaverey, begins to realize the folly of his decision......for once, many years ago, his place of employment was a paradise. Now it has become hell.....with little floating smiley faces laughing at the misfortunates, and downtrodden who are sucked within it's deformed and misshapen body. Caught between a rock and a garden center, our withered soul, blithley reached towared the heavens begging for release from his infernal prison........when lo and behold.....the angel of freedom decended from the heavens and plucked our poor, tired, mentally numbed lad from within the belly of the beast, and flew him to a new life elsewhere......to begin life anew......finnis. (the morale of this story kids.......don't hate the man who created this......hate the corporation who was just waiting for ole sam (god rest his soul)to kick the bucket, so they could create the beast of greed and carelessness....to do their bidding) P.s. I worked for wal-mart from 1992 to 1997 (approx. four years) I had the privledge of meeting sam walton in person.....he was a kind man who cared for people, and when the people talked....Sam walton listened. the transition period after sams' death was hell, and the corporation continues to corrupt and degrade the very principles and moral fiber that Sam Walton worked to create. If ole Sam were alive today he'd probably line up the entire corporation in front of a firing squad and have them executed for gross misconduct of fundamental buisness principles. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: jimmyt Date: 14 Oct 02 - 11:15 PM Where can I hear the melody line of the songs above? We Don't Need another Walmart and I hat Walmart. They sound very interesting? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We don't need a WalMart From: Little Hawk Date: 14 Oct 02 - 10:51 PM Well, that is pretty cool... There are some all-night highway restaurants and truck stops that do that too, and it certainly is a boon to the weary traveller. - LH |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: GUEST Date: 14 Oct 02 - 08:56 PM To use the supreme court's phrase, nothing is "utterly without redeeming social value". Not even Walmart. They allow people like us who travel in RVs to park in their lot over night without charge. In recent years, some towns who have happy police have passed ordinances against this generous behavior but we must admire Walmart at least for this. Bev and Jerry |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Little Hawk Date: 14 Oct 02 - 06:12 PM kendall - WalMart is (generally speaking) filled with the same people who fill the local casino, fueled by the same basic motivation (greed) and the same habit (lazy thinking) and the same mentality (herd). I realize that you may be an exception to these mediocre qualities, but, hey, what's a good argument without tossing around some glittering generalities? :-) It is a well documented fact that WalMart destroys more local jobs than it creates, and there is at least one good book out on the subject, written by a former supplier of WalMart who will not deal with them anymore under any circumstances because of their cutthroat business tactics and their shoddy treatment of both suppliers and employees. I am sorry to say I don't have the title of that book handy at the moment. - LH |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Kim C Date: 14 Oct 02 - 05:59 PM Most of you know I am not a big Wal-Mart fan, either. I would rather go to K-Mart or Target. If they don't have what I need, then I may go look at Wal-Mart. I don't know about any of the rest of you - but Wal-Mart pretty much has everyone, including the other major grocery chains, beat on grocery prices. We just had a Publix open up here, though, so I'm going to give them a try. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: NicoleC Date: 14 Oct 02 - 05:41 PM Wal-Mart doesn't *create* jobs, they just take them from elsewhere, force locally owned companies to shut down, and then pay their former workers less than a living wage to work at Wal-Mart. The prices may be cheap, but even the people that work there can't afford to shop there. Wal-Mart's bullying of their suppliers into using the same anti-employee tactics another topic altogether. I can't stand the place. It's a miserable shopping experience and I resent deliberately merchandising the store in a way that requires you to walk the entire length of the store (thereby passing all sorts of other items for sale) to find an associated item. My time is worth more than that $.25 I might save on a bag of kitty litter. There are no bargains in Wal-Mart -- only inferior merchandise. Unfortunately, all of my local small businesses may have been driven out. But at least I can still shop at the Target across the street instead, where I get the same competitive prices, better quality merchandise, and a pleasant shopping experience. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 14 Oct 02 - 05:39 PM The next time you happen to be in a WalMart, be sure and visit the Brach's bulk candy section. They have a box into which you are supposed to deposit five cents for a sample piece of candy. "Accidentally" deposit only a penny that you "thought was a dime" and take two pieces of candy. If enough people do this, in about forty-five million years WalMart will have been driven into bankruptcy. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Little Hawk Date: 14 Oct 02 - 04:54 PM Mussolini provided employment too, and so did Boss Tweed...keep trying to convince me, Bert. :-) - LH |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Bert Date: 14 Oct 02 - 04:48 PM Hey quit knocking Wal*Mart. They provide employment, especially to older people who couldn't get a job elsewhere. They have competitive prices and their service is better than most big stores (maybe that's 'cos they employ older people). As a side issue they also provide employment for people in third world countries. This helps relieve worldwide poverty and helps bring these countries into the twenty first century. Make the best of it while you can because when these countries catch up with our standard of living their labor won't be available at bargain prices. Our local store also donates surplus items to nearby churches and allows local youth groups to sell cookies and things out front. and... 12 miles to the East a Wal-Mart sets 12 miles to the North another one yet 12 miles to the South that's right you bet That's why I say we don't need a Wal-Mart... We need one because they are so crowded with people getting bargains. We still need the small stores for their variety. Those that go out of business seem to be the one who try to restrict their inventories to compete with the big guys. I'll still buy brisket at 98 cents a pound at Wal*Mart, while you lot are paying $2.29 for ground beef. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Little Hawk Date: 14 Oct 02 - 03:29 PM I hate WalMart so much that there are no words to express it. I will not buy from them if there is ANYBODY else left to buy from, and I thank God there still is. I saw a list of the 20 richest private individuals in the world, and 6 or 7 of them were members of the Walton familay, which owns WalMart. Can you say "Big Brother"? Can you say "slave labour" (in the 3rd World where the junk is made)? Welcome to the Brave New World of mass marketing. - LH |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Mudlark Date: 14 Oct 02 - 01:29 PM bFlat...I can well imagine how much your loyal customers hate to see you go. I mourn the passing of every locally-owned store that gave personal service. The Walmart in my small town was fought tooth and nail, lawsuits, petitions, local indigenous Indians got involved because altho WM wasn't paving Paradise to put up their parking lot, they were paving over sacred Indian burial grounds. All to no avail. Your post is very close to being a song in itself...and a good one. Please write it. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: GUEST,sorefingers Date: 14 Oct 02 - 01:24 PM Great thread! MaulWart - USA became so famous for selling US made produce that most folks forgot all about underweight cans - the items where the prices 'fell' - and the relabeling of Chinese made goods as 'Made in USA' Being 'mauled' is not a nice experience! Greeted and husseled through cheap hardware and/or shoddy clothes and/or substandard underweight gorceries may damage your health! The condition 'Malwarteditis' can be cured with day in any city on the planet not infected with Maulwartitis. In the USA that means a trip abroad - Cuba is a popular distination! Cities resisting MaulWart may take comfort in the many small independent US hardware stores today underselling the retail bully of the NWO. Indeed I have often found the same product up to 20% lower and made in the USA. Apparently the Maulers are too fat and lazy to bother to do the math these days, preferring the slobering halfawake mark up of cheap shoddy Chinese junk without looking at the market. You don't need a MaulWart in your city because it will not only take 100% of the money it earns out of your city, but close down US industries in the process as well as lying to you and stealing from your pocketbook. Always weigh their cans! |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: kendall Date: 14 Oct 02 - 01:17 PM We don't need no steeenking Wal Mart. They are the Anti-Christ. Right around here, they have put every other store out of business with their cut throat ways.A pox on them and the myopic people who can't resist saving a few pennies who shop there. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 14 Oct 02 - 01:15 PM Me championing Walmart? I know as a matter of fact that the local Walmart contributes school supplies and other merchandise to local charities. I can't speak for the chain, and every store, but the one here in town DOES contribute to local organizations. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: greg stephens Date: 14 Oct 02 - 01:03 PM Well they are arriving in England, they have bought Asda and are now sniffing arround Safeways. Going to one in Virginia recently was about the scariest thing I've done in my life, Iwas actually shaking with nerves. And we couldnt find the car in the carpark when we managed to escape from the shop. Still I can see they might be useful in some ways. I was particularly impressed that you could buy hunting rifles, crossbows( with telescopic sights) and shotguns. This is just what we need to liven up Stoke, which is frankly a bit quiet and boring. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Clinton Hammond Date: 14 Oct 02 - 12:36 PM "Long term, they do not contribute any positive thing to a community" No... just jobs... and affordable necessities... convienience, as mentioned above charity support... just to name a few things... I'm reminded of the scene from "Life Of Brian"... "O.k... apart from the roads, the education, the medical, the sanitation, the aquaducts, what have the Romans done for us? Nothing!" |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: 53 Date: 14 Oct 02 - 12:28 PM there are many different kinds of stores inside of Walmart. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: GUEST,Miss`ippe Date: 14 Oct 02 - 12:28 PM Poke fun all you wish, but this is a very serious matter,,,,,,,,,,,,WalMat is NOT our friend, Long term, they do not contribute any positive thing to a community. Sing louder! |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 14 Oct 02 - 12:20 PM Hey, you're hitting close to home. When we bought our house a year and a half ago, we needed eight million things. Thank God we had a Walmart just a mile away. We never could have gotten our house in shape, paying the prices of the other stores around here. I've made friends with several of the people who work there, and Walmart is generous in the community. They support many local charities, and my daughter-in-law is approaching them for contributions of school supplies to poor villages in Africa. I could do without K-mart, because the stores around here are poorly stocked, over-priced and the people who work there are not nearly as friendly as the ones at Walmart. Sure, I miss the mom and pop bookstores and music stores. But, sometimes there is room for both... we have a used CD store in the same little shopping area as Walmart, and a small grocery store, too. There's a reason why Walmart is successful... Long Live Walmart!!!! Jerry (not a Capitalist pig) |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Clinton Hammond Date: 14 Oct 02 - 11:50 AM Give me Walmart! Give me Blockbuster! Give me super malls so I never have to go out side! Keep your Mom and Pop stores with out-dated crap on the shelves, no central air conditioning and an orginisation system that came over on the Mayflower... Wouldn't know state-of-the-art if it bit them on the ass... Get with it, or get out of the way! |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: 53 Date: 14 Oct 02 - 11:13 AM Whats wrong with a Wal-mart? if you don't like them then don't shop at them. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Louie Roy Date: 14 Oct 02 - 10:57 AM There is another song out about Wal Mart called Waltz across Wal Mart Does anyone have the lyrics to this Louie Roy |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: bflat Date: 15 Oct 00 - 04:53 PM Troll, thank you for the empathy. Do you think I should have stopped before the singing? bflat |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: GUEST,Al Date: 15 Oct 00 - 06:26 AM And don't forget: the big chain operators force the small independent neighborhood stores out of business.If the big chain finds their new location unprofitable, they can easily shut it down and absorb the loss. Ideally they can sell the property to a different type of big chain and force more small businessmen out. Here in New York City we've seen it time and again. Drugstores and Lumberyards / Hardware dealers are the first victims; next the stationery stores... |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Joe Offer Date: 15 Oct 00 - 03:36 AM Well, I understand there is reason for hope. Borders and Barnes & Noble and Amazon have quietly raised prices, making it a lot easier for the small bookstores to compete.For a song on the fate of bookstores, look at Closing the Bookstore Down by John McCutcheon. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: BDtheQB Date: 15 Oct 00 - 12:03 AM I always try to use the local, small, business for whatever I wish to purchase. Unfortunatley, there aren't any small businesses to meet my needs all the time. So what's a brother to do? The internet has everything but it is so impersonal(except for Mudcat) that I don't wish to shop on it except when there is no local small outlet for the item. So what can we do to keep the small business going? I am sorry bflat is out of business, I used to buy CD's from a small local business, the price wasn't always the lowest but I bit the bullet and swallowed the extra buck.. now it is out of business. I don't know how to stop the influx of the Wal Mart family after all they have purchased a part of every sports franchise here in St.Louis and the KC Royals. Are they helping the community? I don't know but they want the public to buy a stadium for them. Wal Mart will own the world that isn't owned by Microsoft or Disney. But what can one person do? |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Troll Date: 14 Oct 00 - 11:16 PM bflat,you just said it all and, from the bottom of my heart ,I am sorry.You have lost your livelihood but the rest of us have lost something that cannot be defined and quantified. And we are all poorer for it. troll |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: bflat Date: 14 Oct 00 - 08:48 PM that is catharsis, you know. hate when i show my ignorance. bflat |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: bflat Date: 14 Oct 00 - 08:14 PM For ten years I've had a neighborhood store. Besides the sundry item you might want I dispensed friendship and personal attention. I'm closing the doors in the next few weeks. There is a new mall, the second largest in the US reportedly, up the road and it has drained off some of my customer base with its' glitz and newness. I wanted to sell my business, but the bottom line is too weak for a businessman to invest in an anachronism. I cared for these people,in life and death. Sent cheer when they had some difficulty. Stayed open late when they had a last minute request. Greeted them by name. Gave them a song on guitar, sang to them "Happy Birthday." Hey maybe that is what did it? I don't regret that and I would do it again but I stings nonetheless. Some folks are saddened that I'm closing my doors but the vast majority are indifferent. I can't believe it is anything but the sea change in self-centeredness that would allow scale to eliminate the neighborhood business. Something is surely lost when BIG business wins. Anybody remember, "It's A Wonderful Life?" Thanks for the cartharsis.... bflat |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Penny S. Date: 14 Oct 00 - 06:51 PM Gee, and I thought this was about someone who felt as I do about the one being built at the end of our road! Oh, it is. We have the upmarket mall for the Eloi one end, and Asda for the Morlocks at the other. And the little local bakers and the grocers and the butchers, and the cafe where the ships crews had their meetings, all long gone. And my neighbours welcoming it because of the cheapness, there being nothing but Marks and Spencers close by. I hate Walmart. Penny |
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Subject: Lyr Add: I HATE WAL-MART (Dave Lippman) From: Joe Offer Date: 14 Oct 00 - 03:29 PM Dave Lippman has a song called "I Hate Wal-Mart."-Joe Offer-
I HATE WAL-MART
I've always hated Blockbuster, Starbucks, not quite so much.
I don't like whips. I don't like chains.
Now you may wonder, why all this fuss?
If you didn't hear the story, here's how it is:
Used to be you could drive around,
Different accent, different smell,
Roads used to dip and wind.
Now the freeway goes so straight,
I like to roam, I like to greet
But more and more they seem to be
I boycott Burger King.
I used to go out to dinner in a diner.
I don't like board games.
Everyone I meet is a high-tech dealer.
Turn on my radio dial.
Still I try to pick and choose,
Used to be we wore beads and bells,
If there's a pretty spot, they'll pave it over,
Hope you like this song. Thanks a bunch.
So grow your own. Make your own.
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Zebedee Date: 14 Oct 00 - 03:22 PM Sorry Joe Wasn't sure if I should include the lyrics for what might be a 'one-off' request. Btw there's no 't' in 'Ulbrich' I also found some background info on the song: "Bob and I (Carla) were scheduled to play in my hometown of Clemson, SC. I had casually mentioned to my Dad that I might try to learn some appropriate songs for the ongoing struggle in Clemson against Wal-Mart, who is trying to build in a residential area of Clemson against the citizens' wishes. Well, Dad told people I would be doing anti-Wal-Mart songs, and I had only found one song. So I proceeded to write one of my own, the night before the concert. bob put music to it 10 minutes before the conncert. We liked it so much we recorded it 3 days later in Mike's basement when we were gigging together in Nashville." You can also download an MP3 of the songhere Zeb |
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Subject: Lyr Add: WE DON'T NEED A WAL-MART (Carla Ulbricht From: Joe Offer Date: 14 Oct 00 - 03:07 PM Let's see if I can copy-paste the lyrics here, so we'll have them. It's nice to post links, but it's better to post both the lyrics and the link because links often disappear. -Joe Offer-
WE DON'T NEED A WAL-MART
Twelve miles to the East, a Wal-Mart sets.
We don't need a Wal-Mart. I'd rather have trees and grass.
So we said, "Hey, Wal-Mart, we don't want you.
We don't need a Wal-Mart in our community.
A store so big you got to have a map.
Don't really have to think too hard
We don't need a Wal-Mart. We already got three. |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: Zebedee Date: 14 Oct 00 - 10:44 AM Trying clicking here |
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Subject: RE: We don't need a WalMart From: GUEST,Murray Macleod Date: 14 Oct 00 - 10:41 AM That will be Carla Ulbricht ? Very funny lady. Murray |
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