"Walmonster!" written by Heidi on estrip.org

Category: home

06/07/11 09:17 - ID#54444

Walmonster!

Ugh! My first trip to walmart in 3 years! I'm so ashamed.

heidi writes at 10:01:26 06/08/11 - Comment #62872: (e:puddlediving) - NO! That was Louie's. He bought me veggie freezer food :-)

heidi writes at 10:00:41 06/08/11 - Comment #62871: Why? It was after 9pm (most of Tioga County grocery stores close at 9, some at 8) and the house needed supplies for all the guests. Louie asked me to take him, he was not in an appropriate emotional condition to drive, so that's what I did. I took a detour to the package store (uh.. a place where you by six packs). They had some okay beer options but none of the current favs (flower power, southern tier, saranac, sierra nevada...) so I just got the fallback - Yuengling Lager.

metalpeter writes at 05:19:29 06/08/11 - Comment #62853: That Video that is anti walmart someone made a movie that is anti that movie and so I say before one attacks them they should watch both movies... Where I work we ship stuff to Wal-mart, Target, K-mart, CVS, Walgreens,..... and on and on and on... So have to put this out there as what ever that legal term is like on the news when they report a story and then have to mention that said news company is owned by that company......

The thing with wal-mart is like any company of that large size their are bad things and good things... Yes they can drive prices down and yes I'm sure they pay less then other retail places and less then target and they sell food so less then tops per say I'm guessing... But see This is why costs are lower there (on some things)....

The reason why places in small towns and maybe some cities close isn't because of wal-mart it is because loyalty in this country is dead!!!! Yes it is said to see Hank The Hammer Seller close up his shop and then get a job in the hardware section of wal-mart... But see the reason he closed isn't cause wal-mart moved in it is because everyone who he goes to church with and sees at the park and sees at the malt shop and the roller rink or where ever go.... You know what Fuck Hank I'm going to go gave $1 at wal-mart ...... Listen I have done it myself perfect example is New World Records.... Great shop and if you wanted to get tickets and find really cool stuff like albums and cool acts great place to go... But if you want the new CD by an artist on the radio save a few bucks at Target or Best buy and get other stuff when there.... Every time we chose price over local we are telling the local shop to go fuck them selves and that is why places close......,

tinypliny writes at 04:17:54 06/08/11 - Comment #62852: I thought that was root vegetable of some kind.. or maybe a rocket launcher?

puddlediving writes at 02:46:29 06/08/11 - Comment #62851: ok, forget the wallyworld gasps, is Heidi buying a pepperoni stick!?!?!?

libertad writes at 09:47:09 06/08/11 - Comment #62849: My last comment was filled with sarcasm but I still believe that Walmart is not good for America. The amount of pressure Walmart puts on manufacturers to reduce costs sends jobs out of the country and further cheapens quality. Since the explosion of Walmarts life has not become easier for the vast majority of Americans. I really am not informed enough to blame the widening gap between rich and poor on Walmart but I suspect it may be a factor.

All that being said, I would never criticize people who are poor for shopping there. When you have little resources you don't have the luxury of boycotting cheap goods.

tinypliny writes at 09:31:19 06/08/11 - Comment #62846: I don't feel very comfortable pointing fingers and laying the blame at walmart's door for every local business that closes. The financial divide in this country may not be as spoken of as the race divide but that doesn't mean it is not there. It is, in fact more of a divide that drives all the disparity in many spheres of life including mental health and emotional well being.

I am not saying that walmart addresses all of these problems but it does help a bit to get, say a simple iron or some towels without paying a 500% mark up on the very same thing. It is especially helpful when you also want to get something healthier to eat that what McD's can give you and your budget hasn't really expanded overnight.

One of my friends who despises them (just because it was somehow fashionable and the politically correct thing to do) got me to watch the anti-walmart dvd just to stop me from going there. I must say that the arguments against walmart are not very convincing for people who have really known what it is like to wonder how on earth they are going to afford the month's groceries without getting sick eating just cheap bread products.

The alternative argument from the "socially activist politically correct" section of the community that believes that eating healthy is not really affordable to working class Americans would be true had it not been for stores such as Walmart, Pricerite etc. But these stores exist and so I have trouble buying that argument as well.

Guercio's, an example of a local store that has done well in spite of there being super-grocery chains nearby. Of course, its focus has not entirely been individuals but businesses. But it serves as an example how local businesses with some acumen can bypass the competition from super-stores. Not selling the same origin same brand goods with a 10X markup helps. Also, the clientele to these stores are often different to start with. I don't see many people cross-shopping at the Coop and Pricerite - simply because that overlap is minuscule.

libertad writes at 08:59:22 06/08/11 - Comment #62843: What's that I hear? I think it is the sound of small businesses closing their doors!

It is always tempting to go to Walmart. I am guilty occasionally but it makes it easier that the closest Walmart is in Cheektowaga. I got some egyptian cotton hand towels and washcloths from Sams that I just love and were so cheap.

tinypliny writes at 10:32:57 06/07/11 - Comment #62839: I don't know what the walmart in Buffalo is like (I did try to go to it once but abandoned the idea when I saw how many bus transfers were involved. I think it takes 3 transfers or some atrocious amount of waiting or both, I can't remember very well.) but the super-walmart in Rochester (well, actually Henrietta) was my favourite shop (after the chinese grocery on Mt. Hope) for the two years I was in Rochester. It was extremely well maintained and always had the best produce and I met so many cool foreign students there. I miss seeing all of them...

vincent writes at 10:27:54 06/07/11 - Comment #62837: It's funny I love going to the one's in the South but avoid them up here. To me they seem cleaner and the people are more friendlier and nicer.

tinypliny writes at 10:24:43 06/07/11 - Comment #62836: It helped me get through the first 3 months in US without asking my parents or my brother for help. Though I haven't been in a walmart for the past 4 years now, I think I will be eternally grateful that it helped me with small necessities and whatnots when I really needed them the most.

paul writes at 10:17:47 06/07/11 - Comment #62834: Why?

tinypliny writes at 09:18:28 06/07/11 - Comment #62833: I like walmart.

Permalink: Walmonster_.html
Words: 12
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/07/11 09:17

Category: family

06/07/11 03:54 - ID#54441

The little things

This is hard work... Adrian is doing okay, at least until everyone leaves and he has to deal with all the missing pieces. He made this necklace this afternoon for Andrea's casket. I have on a bracelet she made for my birthday a few years ago. Staci noticed it and said it was beautiful, I told her her mom made it for me and we all started crying.

Permalink: The_little_things.html
Words: 70
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/07/11 03:54

Category: home

06/05/11 01:31 - ID#54427

Family

A's mom died yesterday, very unexpectedly. The bus driver was just dropping her off after her dialysis appointment and she collapsed on the porch. A's dad and the bus driver gave her CPR until the ambulance came. I drove down yesterday afternoon - I was in a meeting with a client when A texted. My family is nothing like A's family - I know I've learned a lot from them about trust and communication and unconditional love, how to deal with complicated emotional stuff and complicated lives. I'm really going to miss Andrea. She's the family glue.

I asked for a family dinner as my graduation present - 13 of us, which is about the norm, sometimes there's 14 depending if Tahaun[1] joins us. That was last Saturday. A's sister Ang told me how thankful she was that I had arranged it. Staci brought her new boyfriend, it was the first time the family had met him. The first family dinner I had with them I was terrified. Sooo many people! Such chaos! I've gotten used to it in the past five years and the family is one of the many complicated reasons A is such a big part of my life.

[1] Last night one of the little kids made it clear that he thinks his name is Tahaun Solo... and then Tahaun pulled out an iPhone app that makes lightsaber sounds.... too funny.

Variety pack of family dinners - one was my graduation, the other was the four redhead kids' birthdays (Tori Rose 9, Bubba 10, Natasha 16, Joshua 18) and another was right after I got my camera.

Permalink: Family.html
Words: 291
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/05/11 02:01

Category: holiday

06/01/11 11:03 - ID#54400

Stripteasers at Nietzsche's

:-) I'm sure this will be fun. Saturday, 10pm, $5 cover.

Permalink: Stripteasers_at_Nietzsche_s.html
Words: 11
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/01/11 11:03

Category: friends

05/26/11 07:05 - ID#54349

Random images

My college friend peter came to visit. We went to hallwalls then toured allen street.

Permalink: Random_images.html
Words: 20
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/26/11 07:05

Category: friends

05/22/11 01:09 - ID#54326

Great day

I graduated! We went to dinner at betty's, then to artists and models. (e:terry), ((e:puddlediving)), jill, kelly, A, uncle dudley and bernie... Thank you!!!

Permalink: Great_day.html
Words: 38
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/22/11 01:30

Category: friends

05/22/11 01:06 - ID#54325

a couple more pix

Permalink: a_couple_more_pix.html
Words: 4
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/22/11 01:34

Category: friends

05/21/11 10:51 - ID#54323

Rapture

Terry singing

Permalink: Rapture.html
Words: 4
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/21/11 10:51

Category: school

05/20/11 03:20 - ID#54314

Pretty

I'm done with school! (i hope... I walk tomorrow... Don't find out grades till monday or later!)

Beautiful tulip. Looking forward to more rose smelling, less law... Oh whoops... That whole bar exam thing... Not thinking about it till monday... Where's my flower power?