Day three of my siege on Wal-Mart

Three consecutive days of reporting on Makalakapisei? They must have really gone too far.

I am fairly conservative, but I'd like to know why some conservative talk-show hosts go to so much trouble to defend Wal-Mart. They eke little guys out of business, build up China's war chest, increase our dependence on foreign crap and reduce our long-term sustainability of crafting our own goods, and now, voila, reduce us to savages.

Black Friday Wal-Mart stampedes: 'net comments leave little more to be said

Colleen Long, AP: "A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday when "out-of-control" shoppers desperate for bargains broke down the doors at a 5 a.m. sale. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers shouted angrily and kept shopping when store officials said they were closing because of the death, police and witnesses said."

"Wal-Mart is horrible but the media is at least partially responsible for the hype they continue to create around "Black Friday.""

"This says something about the state of our society and it isn't good."

"I gotta admit, I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but this could have happened anywhere. Yes, Christianity plus consumerism, plus economic fears, loss of work and incomde, Madison Avenue.... What a great nation. It's like Bush said: "go shopping." Now, can we teach values again? Bake a pie for a family member, go for a walk on the beach with them... Forget the friggin Chinese crap."

"The American economy is based on consumerism--us, buying "stuff" that ends up in landfills. What's wrong with this picture? And how did we come to equate amassing cheap goods with value? Time for introspection about our buying habits!"

"...and they "broke down the doors" to force their way in before the store was open in order to save a few bucks--and to make sure "I" was the one to get whatever "I" wanted before someone else got "it". Imagine what will happen if there are food shortages. You know, if there is a lack of essentials, gas becomes scarce and deliveries are curtailed, that sort of thing. This is just a preview of human nature so we can all see what things would be like if things really get hairy."

"Black Friday-entertainment for the masses. Ave Caesar!"

"Can the asteroid just come and destroy our civilization already. I think we might be ready for extinction at this point."

BUY BUY BUY, KILL KILL KILL

Ah, heartwarming to be enjoying the the holidays again (HalloGivMas - the 122 day secular retail merchants' celebration in the United States)! I like headlines that speak for themselves. (Thank you to Fishin' Jay.) Greed is worse in this country than ever, due to the abundance of cheap crap and, me. That's right. The problem is "Me, me, me."

It gets worse. People are dying on the frontlines. Shopping is a death-sport similar to what you'd see in The Running Man or roller-derby. Although I can't put the brakes on the self-destructive side of our culture, I wrote this letter to the National Retail Federation as a relief valve.

Ms. Mullin, mullint@nrf.com:

As an executive with the National Retail Federation, I am calling on you to use your leadership and influence to help end the kinds of conditions in the marketplace which engender greed - and today, MADNESS. The Wal-Mart stampedes are inexcusable: People are being killed annually on ‘Black Friday’, a now commonplace term for not only average consumers and journalists, but ironically enough - as advertising fodder for marketeers - who now propagate the cult horror theme we originally used for ironic humor - in their latest slick ads.

The death of people in these circumstances is an enormous black eye on American retail/consumer culture which is not improving. All citizens have responsibility for the betterment of the nation; not only do our government leaders need to take a role, but our civilian leaders need to stop promoting a self-centered existence and savage society.

Sincerely,


CageyJG

The Rip - by Portishead

As she walks in the room
Scented and tall
Hesitating once more

And as I take on myself

And the bitterness I felt

I realise that love flows

Wild, white horses

They will take me away

And the tenderness I feel

Will send the dark underneath

Will I follow?

Through the glory of life

I will scatter on the floor

Disappointed and sore

And in my thoughts I have bled

For the riddles I've been fed

Another lie moves over

Wild, white horses

They will take me away

And the tenderness I feel

Will send the dark underneath

Will I follow?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPJJSCFdVd0

Pulled quote of the day

Editorial cartoon of the day

Decision-making skillz

How the heck are decisions made in relationships, anyway? So many decisions...

Talk about weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Californians struck a blow to the advance of perversity in America in the general election - let us be thankful.

The picture of the GLAAD cultural stormtrooper weeping and trying to rip down the gates to the Mormon church in Los Angeles is striking. The irony of the picture and the Bible passage about the weeping and gnashing of teeth [as people are cast into Hell] doesn't need much explanation. These homo-people are the ones demanding tolerance???

Why is society turning upside down? Christians need to take courage.

How we slay our leader

"The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time."

Excerpt from an article in the Wall Street Journal, by Jeffrey Shapiro, 05 November 2008.
"The Treatment of Bush Has Been a Disgrace What must our enemies be thinking?"
Read the rest of the article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122584386627599251.html

Captain Tony, I will miss you.

I met CAPT Tony in his namesake bar in 2002 before going to sea for the first time. A wonderful, storied, dank little bar on a dark little street, in a small end of the world little town, Key West. He was in town for one night only, making his annual trip to his namesake bar for his birthday. He was larger than life, arriving in a white limo with an entourage of bubbly blondes. What serendipity. I asked him what advice he would give to someone going to sea for the first time. He told me, "Find yourself out there."

It's a student council election - who cares?

Remember high school when the cliques squared off for student council candidacy? It was a popularity contest. Now, as adults, we get the essentially the same thing. A face guy and a lousy figurehead. Why can't third parties gain any traction here? If only we could get a candidate that stood for normalcy, I'd be all over that.