New Wal-mart

[dknv]

I went to the new Walmart at Mae Anne & McCarren last night, and will not go back there for quite awhile!
It was a zoo, too many people checking it out, and while they had half of the registers open of course the checkers are new and had their share of checkout problems. And of course I got in a line that ended up checking out slower than the rest. (I learned late in my line-waiting that it was the 1 register for people buying cigarettes -- I'll never do that again.)
To cap it off - the lady in front of me wrote a check for $20 over -- but the cashier forgot to enter the over amount. So, she couldn't take the check as-is since her register had already recorded the lower amt, and then wouldn't balance. She had to call a supervisor which of course took some more minutes. The supervisor told her there was no way to fix it, but to back everything out, and re-ring everything. (And of course, there were LOTS of items.) Us people in the line were ready to riot.

[MikeSTI]

they shouldn't even call it Wal-Mart it should be China-Mart

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by dknv

To cap it off - the lady in front of me wrote a check for $20 over -- but the cashier forgot to enter the over amount. So, she couldn't take the check as-is since her register had already recorded the lower amt, and then wouldn't balance. She had to call a supervisor which of course took some more minutes. The supervisor told her there was no way to fix it, but to back everything out, and re-ring everything. (And of course, there were LOTS of items.) Us people in the line were ready to riot.

Idiots. I used to work as a cashier supervisor at Sam's Club. I quit because they refuse to give decent raises to cashiers, so they would either suck for all eternity, or they would quit and go somehwere else if they were good because they were underpaid.

[dknv]

oh, well that might explain another observation -- all the employees who looked like they were supervisors or managers had a hangtag that read "I Own Stock", but the cashiers didn't have one.

[tysonK]

is the hassle really worth the 20 dollars you save.
not to me.

and I remember scott saying he'd rather pay more for better service also.

of course I'm a 20 something with no real obligations to save money. save my future..

[ArthurS]

That Wal-Mart is right near my office. Traffic has almost doubled. It drives me nuts to drive to work now in the morning.

[STIwish]

OO, maybe i should go apply there so i can get the fuck out of my living hell.

[sperry]

Just what we need... a 5th WalMart in Reno.

Prepare yourself, I'm letting it all out now:

Hear that sucking noise? That's the economy drying up. Not to sound like some alarmist hippie or anything, but seriously: "repent, the end is nigh". *Seriously* I give this nation 10 to 20 years before it goes the way of the Roman Empire.

We've hit peak oil, from now on, it will only get more expensive to obtain and refine oil. And oil doesn't just mean gas prices... our very way of life, right down to the food we grow, is tied to the need for oil. The oil companies, and out gov't know this, hence the current unethical land grab in the Mid East. I don't believe our gov't is actually evil, they're just doing evil stuff because they know more than they let on to the public. Bush, and his crew (that have been around since Bush 1) all know we're, as a nation, in deep shit. Like end of the American way of life type deep shit. And when we go down, so will a whole lot of other places... pretty much the only people who's way of life is secure are the peasant farmers in rural China... that is assuming they survive the retaliatory nuclear strike the US sends over there after China nukes our interests in the Mid East due to the world wide oil crisis.

Okay that's a nuts scenario, but is it really impossible? Not really. Sear the web and read about "peak oil". Then look at the way our world's changed in the last 10 to 20 years. We've gone from the dot com boom and the unlimited horizons of a new century, to a world with color coded terrorism alert levels. Is it too hard to imagine nuclear war? Frankly, the shit's hitting the fan, and it's really too late to change it. Our oil is running out, and with it, our way of life. Even if cold fusion or something were invented and working today, it's still too late to convert our (and by "our", I mean the entire western world) infrastructure in time to stave off the war, starvation, and death we are about to endure. Think Great Depression x100.

Now, is this really WalMart's fault? Of course not... but WalMart is a great example of the symptoms of the pending situation. WalMart is quite literally a sign of the apocalypse. WalMart's never ending quest for the bottom line has eaten the economy out from under them. Almost all of WalMart's goods are imported from other countries to cut costs. Even the US companies that supply WalMart have had to ship jobs and manufacturing overseas in order to continue to supply WalMart at WalMart's ever lower price requirements. Even if they were to say "no" to selling cheaper to WalMart, then their product would be dropped and a competitor's picked up, which would be basically signing the company over to bankruptcy.

So why is WalMart like this? It's the god damned "American Way" that's why. It makes me sick to my stomach thinking about the way our greed has destroyed such a great nation.

I was watching a program on the History Channel about the Japanese internment camps during WW2. I was feeling quite ill that as a nation we'd be so scared and reactionary as to literally imprison a nationality of people, just for being from a particular country. (The DMCA and Patriot Act come to mind.) Then they talked about the unit of Japanese-American soldiers that served in Europe as a means to demonstrait their loyality to the US. They became the most decorated unit of all of WW2. I was almost brought to tears; to think of the bravery and sacrifice of these kids that decided they'd die to prove they love this country, even after the government had locked away their families... amazing. Where are the people like that today? Where are the people who've decided their lives are less important than our nation? Gone. Instead we've got citizens watching Survivor, or bitching about their carb intake, or haggling over a $30 DVD player at WalMart. I don't mean to lessen the sacrifice of today's soldiers, but they're out there dying today not to save the world from evil, but to simply stave off the end for a few more years.

For the record, I don't blame the Bushes, or Clinton, or really anyone in particular. I don't feel like the last few governments have done a very good job with the pending crisis, but frankly, this has been coming for a long time... we waited too long to notice the grave we were digging, and no matter who's in charge, we're still gonna have to lie down. You see the last generation of truly honest, hard working Americans were those young boys that died on the beaches of Normandy, or drowned in Pearl Harbor. "The Greatest Generation" they're called. These were the people that selflessly got up from their nice safe lives in whatever small city they found themselves in and shipped off to war to literally save the world from an evil man. These were the people that postponed a family to build tanks at a Ford assembly line. These were the people that were content to live with blackouts, sugar rations, and war bonds in order to help set a wrong right.

Once these humble heros returned home, or returned to their daily lives, they built a new life. And this life was based on the 1st hand knowledge of what a horrendous place the world could be. People went out of their way to be kind to each other, and to take pride in their work. When they say "they don't make 'em like they used to", these are the people that made 'em the right way. Our nation prospered like never before. Due to the hard work and persistance of this WW2 generation, America became a super power. The quality of life increased dramatically. And as every parent wishes, the children of the Greatest Generation (the Baby Boomers) grew up with much less strife and struggle than their parents.

It's a common perception among the middle class that rich people who were born into their money, simply don't respect what they've got, simply because they didn't have to earn it. And that's the world the Baby Boomers inherrited. A world where success and prosperity was inherrited. So instead of being thankful for the sacrafices their parents had made for them, and being content with their quality of life, the Boomers invested their wealth in making more wealth. As they say, "the rich get richer". The problem was that we developed wonderful means for aquiring tremendous wealth, very quickly. And without any perspective on how bad the world could really be, it became expected that Americans should be rich. Whereas the veterans of WW2 had been through hell and back, and knew evil, their children (and grandchildren even moreso, etc) were all convinced that wealth and success were manifest.

So, here we are 50 years later, and it's time to pay the piper. Our greed has multiplied with each generation. Profit is more important than humanity, "I" is more important than "us". Our instant gratification way of life, with our super-sized fries, and our cell phones, and internet porn is doomed because over the last 40 years, no one bothered to stop and take notice about what we were doing to our environment, and our economy. Chirst, look at the Enron energy scandal... really, how could someone think they could get away with it? Greed. Self righteousness. Lack of accountability. These are the flavors of the current generation of Americans.

Thomas Jefferson once said that each generation must find a conflict to fight... a trial by fire, if you will, to harden them so they'd be able to make the proper tough decisions for the future, a tempering that created great leaders who can lead the nation to great success. Jefferson's conflict was the Revolutionary War, and the founding of our nation. And while there have been many "tempering" conflicts over the last 200 years, it was WW2 that tested the mettle of our nation the greatest, and it really was the darkest of times that sow the seeds that allowed our country to become so successful. The problem is that since then, we've had it too good, too easy. We have had several generations that have gone untested. I fear the greatest test is coming. We'll get to deal with all the terrible conclusions that peak oil imply. Read about it, and see if the current world situation doesn't suddenly make more sense.

"What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'" -- Winston Churchill, June 18, 1940

[STIwish]

Damn... thats about all I can say.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

I don't subscribe to quite such a gloom and doom view, but it is pretty bad right now. Most people in this country are pretty ridiculous these days. I do have hope on the energy front though; more people are becoming aware of the problem every day, politicians are actually seriously talking about alternative energy research (and funding it, which is the most important part), and technological developments are proceeding as well. As I'm sure you know, converting the infrastructure to something else like a hydrogen-based system is entirely possible; the problem is getting the energy at the central plants necessary to make all that hydrogen. Getting the energy from somewhere off the planet is the ultimate solution, and it sounds like helium-3 collected from the moon and free-electron lasers hooked to solar arrays in orbit are actually evolving from ideas to practical solutions.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...m3_000630.html

http://www.spaceelevator.com/docs/SE...pp_for_FEL.pdf

[dknv]

Wow, that knocked my socks off.

Originally Posted by sperry

*Seriously* I give this nation 10 to 20 years before it goes the way of the Roman Empire.

So what are you doing to avoid being part of the 'Fall' (assuming you don't care to be included)?

Originally Posted by sperry

...Instead we've got citizens ... haggling over a $30 DVD player at WalMart.

Haggling, hell, at the after-Thanksgiving sale at a wallyworld back east, customers trampled a lady when the doors opened, so they could be assured of grabbing a dvd player that was on sale for $30. THAT made me sick to my stomach until I learned that the lady has a history of filing personal injury claims against companies. Geez!
http://borzoiblog.com/archives/000211.html

Some very valid points you make Scott. What's the call to action? Maybe you've done your part by raising awareness (i.e. peak oil, I'd never heard of that).

[MikeSTI]

there thinking about building a Wal-Mart in Spanish Springs now too :shock:

Nice piece Scott.........hey what even happened about the time travler thing? Didn't he say this was the big year for something to pop off?

all I can say is accept Christ into your lives and be saved

[dknv]

Originally Posted by MikeSTI

all I can say is except Christ into your lives and be saved

Amen!

[Kevin M]

Almost makes me wish there was another country with the means and reasoning to invade us. At least we would have a purpose, and it would make us examine our lives closer and think more about the whys and whats we stand for.

[MikeSTI]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

Almost makes me wish there was another country with the means and reasoning to invade us. At least we would have a purpose, and it would make us examine our lives closer and think more about the whys and whats we stand for.

we already have a purpose just most ppl are to busy being greedy to see it

[STIwish]

Yes, our purpose in this world is to subdue the heathens and steal all of their oil.

[Dean]

We need to stop fighting for oil, and invest in what the US used to be good at, inovation...

Check out this other thread if you want to see the kind of technology we should be investing in.

http://www.seccs.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=10783#10783

[MikeSTI]

yah but they will kill you if you buy it

[tysonK]

Not to long ago I had prescribed to the theory that life and relationships and everyday fodder could be explained by way of careful examination. Why is everyone so cruel, so greedy, so power hunger, so boring? Often I would turn to what were at hand; my textbooks. One tremendous thinker Adam Smith, theorized that the economy and the pursuit of happiness lay in each of the people. He went as far as to say that each person trying to maximize their happiness would ultimately lead to the good of society. Of course this used to make a lot of sense and sounded generally applicable. Now that I’m a stout 24 and basically a contributing member of society I can actually have a perspective(yeah).

As Scott pointed out in his post the basic driving force to most of the economical and even inner happiness we all want is unfortunately based on a finite amount of resources. I can side with Scott on his doom and gloom view. Because most of our happiness is driven by goods and services it can only get worse. As items become more scarce(more expensive) more and more of the world will be unable to keep up with the inflation rate of happiness. Even as Austin sites that alternative fuels maybe a viable scenario the fact of our greediness has pervaded every facet of our lives doesn’t bode well for any fuel source. We will simply get used to the new source maximize the potential and yearn for more. I can even see that with new Technology new kinds of greed will emerge and further degrade our planet. Cell Phones are a decent example it’s getting to the point that if you want any kind of success in your life you must have a cellular phone. Sucking up our money and sending potentially cancerous waves into our brains; “dude check out my new phone, it surfs the web, take pictures, plays music, feeds my dog, and RUNS my life.”

Seems like a fundamental change in thinking is along way off. I always picture those cool ultra-futuristic films where everyone is dressed in earthen pastels, the lamp shades are made of metal and sunglasses are really cool. They always make it look peaceful and boring and no one is really doing anything. Right now in 2003 it seems like everyone has to be doing everything all the time.

[sperry]

There are two inventions that will save the human race from our current greed based society:

1) Free (or almost free) Energy

2) Energy to Mass converter

Let's look at #1, Austin's got some good leads posted, that's the kinda thing I'm talking about. We need cold fusion, or high efficency solar cells, orbialt power generation, or cheap reliable geo-thermal energy... basically enough energy so we will never be looking for more or for cheaper energy for the next 10,000 years. Somewhere in the range of $0.01 to power the city of New York for a year. And something non-pollutant. Sounds impossible, and probably is, since we need it within the next 10 years.

And if you think that sounds impossible, then take a look at #2. The energy to mass converter. The idea is this: we already know how to convert matter to energy... it's call fission/fusion... aka a nuclear reaction. Now we need to be able to do the opposite, that is, we need to be able to assemble matter from either constituant elements at the cost of mucho energy, or better yet convert energy itself into matter (which is only theoretically possible). The device I'm talking about here would basically be something like the "replicator" from Star Trek.

With free energy and the ability to convert it into organized matter, we could potentially eliminate material greed from the world. Think of it this way: you're hungry, replicate dinner. Bam, starvation is solved. Homeless, houses are virtually free, assuming you can find land. Want to drive a Ferrari? Replicate one up. Hell we could even continue to use replicated gas if we don't mind the pollution. R&D for advanced materials would be a breeze, since we could simply built whatever materials we want at a mollecular level. The possibilities are nearly endless.

I used to worry about the social implications of these inventions, since it'd turn the world around in a very Marxist way, leveling the playing field so to speak, and we all know how well socialism doesn't work... It seems that people are naturally competitive, and that we require some sort of pecking order. People seem to need to organize themselves into leaders and followers, and groups are formed to attempt to dominate one another... hence war, and class, and discrimination, and all the bad things about society. Today's society is divided mostly by materialism... the haves vs. the have-nots. By suddenly and artifically removing these divisions, I'd guess we'd have a catacismic battle to re-organize the world order... 'course, that's where we're already heading already.

My hope however would be that these inventions would convert the world order to a meritocracy. A world where the pecking order would be based on intellectual and artistic accomplishment. Where being recognized to doing something cool would be the way to "one up" your peers. "Keeping up with the Jones'" would entail being more creative than them. Wealth would be measured in intelligence, not material posessions.

The big problem: we need to figure all this out in the next decade or so, while we still have the resources to research. We really should quit fucking around with wars, and put that money towards science for alternative fuels. Screw this homeland security crap... that's wasted research money. (Besides, even with all the money spent and loss of freedoms, I don't think we're any safer from terrorism than we were pre-9/11.)

As to what I'm doing? I'm doing jack squat. I honestly don't know what to do (short of building a self-sufficient bio-dome on an uncharted tropical island)... I guess can bitch like I have been in this thread, and look like an alarmist or an asshole, and be pissed off all the time like conspiracy theorists. But that takes way to much energy. So I'm going to go about my business as usual. I'm gonna get my racing in now while there's still 91 octane at the stations. I'm gonna have fun while there's still fun to be had, and plan for the future the best I can. But, at this point my future is in the hands of fate.

However, I'm gonna keep my eyes pealed, and ear to the ground. I know bad shit is coming our way, and I want to avoid stepping in it if possible... and if it's not possible, then I'll suffer w/ everyone else, but at least I'll know I didn't waste my time worrying and planning for something you can't plan for.

[tysonK]

the focal reason socialism in say the russian sense didn't work, was because the equations they used to forcast all of their needs and wants was very VERY complex and basically they didn't have enough power to eqaute how much of a given good would actually be needed during a year. Although they did come pretty close sometimes.

What free and near free energy could provide would be like a limitless X factor that we could construct in any socialistic manner we choose.

The replication and free energy technology does worry me though.

In lieu of greed would might replace it with lust for Power or contorl over other people(what scott states also). I see religion, art, and intellect coming into mortal combat with each other.

And if these new inventions bless us with interstellar travel. The Earth power influx may turn into galaxy conquest. muh ha ha.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by sperry

I used to worry about the social implications of these inventions, since it'd turn the world around in a very Marxist way, leveling the playing field so to speak, and we all know how well socialism doesn't work... It seems that people are naturally competitive, and that we require some sort of pecking order. People seem to need to organize themselves into leaders and followers, and groups are formed to attempt to dominate one another... hence war, and class, and discrimination, and all the bad things about society. Today's society is divided mostly by materialism... the haves vs. the have-nots. By suddenly and artifically removing these divisions, I'd guess we'd have a catacismic battle to re-organize the world order... 'course, that's where we're already heading already.

Actually historically most wars have been fought in one way or another over resources. I'd have to do some research to back that up more, but it's what I've read before. Sure, there are wars sometimes over religious clashes, or the occasional power-hungry dictator, but for the most part it's about resources.

As to what I'm doing? I'm doing jack squat. I honestly don't know what to do (short of building a self-sufficient bio-dome on an uncharted tropical island)... I guess can bitch like I have been in this thread, and look like an alarmist or an asshole, and be pissed off all the time like conspiracy theorists. But that takes way to much energy. So I'm going to go about my business as usual. I'm gonna get my racing in now while there's still 91 octane at the stations. I'm gonna have fun while there's still fun to be had, and plan for the future the best I can. But, at this point my future is in the hands of fate.

However, I'm gonna keep my eyes pealed, and ear to the ground. I know bad shit is coming our way, and I want to avoid stepping in it if possible... and if it's not possible, then I'll suffer w/ everyone else, but at least I'll know I didn't waste my time worrying and planning for something you can't plan for.

I think it's time to get everyone to chip in and start the compound out there. We can be well fortified against the coming apocalypse.

[MattR]

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

I think it's time to get everyone to chip in and start the compound out there. We can be well fortified against the coming apocalypse.

A compound would be fine, as long as there was an internal racetrack.

[ZER026D]

50 Hilarious things to do in Walmart.

1.Take shopping carts for the express purpose of filling them up and leaving them in certain places all over the store.
2.Ride those little electronic rides(merry-go-rounds, etc...) at the front of the store.
3.Set all the slarm clocks to go off at ten minute intervals throughout the day.
4.Start playing calvin ball and see how many people join in.
5.Contaminate the entire auto department with air fresherners.
6.Challenge others to duels with tubes of giftwrap.
7.Leave crypitic messages on the typewriters.
8.Re-dress the manniquiens as you see fit.
9.When there are people behind you, walk really slow, especially in small, narrow aisles.
10.Walk up to an employee and say ,"I think we've got a code three in housewares" and see what happens.
11.Tune all the radios and then turn them off and turn the volume all the way up.
12.Play with the automatic doors.
13.Walk up to complete strangers and say ,"Hi, I haven't seen you in awhile..." and see if they pretend to know you also.
14.While walking through the clothing department, say loudly "Who buys this crap anyway?"
15.Repeat #14 in the jewelry department.
16.Ride a display bicycle through the store; claim you are taking it for a test drive.
17.Choose someone and follow them around for ten minutes, always staying five feet away.
18.Play soccer with some friends, using the ENTIRE store as your playing field.
19.As the cashier runs your purchases over the scanner, look mesmerized and say ,"Wow!! Magic!"
20.Put M&M's on layaway.
21.Move 'Caution wet floor' signs to carpeted areas.
22.Set up a tent in the camping department.Say that others can join you if they bring a pillow from bed and bath.
23.Test the fishing rods and see what you can catch from the other aisles.
24.Ask other customers if they have any grey poupon.
25.Drape a blanket over your shoulders and say "I am batman.Come Robin.To the batcave."
26.TP as much of the store as possible.
27.Randomly throw things into other aisles.
28.Make all the calculators say hello upside down.
29.If someone asks you for directions, say "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"
30.If two or three poeple are walking in front of you, run between them, yelling "Red Rover!!"
31.Make up nonsense products and ask newly hired employees if they have any instock.(i.e.-shnerples)
32.Make up a battlefield in the entire toy aisle between X-Men and G.I. Joe action figures.
33.Take bets on battle described above.
34.Nonchalantly test brushes and combs.
35.Ask the sales clerk in the guns department if he knows were any anti-depressants are.Act as spastic as possible.
36.Hold indoor shopping cart races.
37.Dart around suspisciously while humming the Mission Impossible theme song.
38.Attempt to fit into very large gym bags.
39.Attempt to fit others into very large gym bags.
40.Say things like "Would you be so kindest as to direct me to your twinkys?"
41.Set up valet parking in front of the store.
42.Two words-Marco polo
43.Leave cheerios in lawn and garden, etc...
44.Re-alphabetize cds.
45.In auto, practice your Madonna look with various sized funnels.
46.When someone stops to look at something, quietly make off with their cart.
47.Relax in the patio furniture. cart.
48.When an announcement comes over the loud speaker, yell "It's those voices! They are after me!"
49.Pay off layaways fifity cents at a time. ( If you try the M&Ms it should be a quick payoff)
50.Drag a lounge chair over to the magazines as relax.Explain that you don't get out often.

[MikeSTI]

Originally Posted by MattR

A compound would be fine, as long as there was an internal racetrack.

I once had a plan to create my own city self-safficant with all its own resorces. The only problem was the goverment didn't like the idea that there would be no money to tax I also know that energy is not that complexed to make.....the problem is greed and everything has a price.

One of my friends was working on a project that would produce infinate energy and low mantaince due to the fact he was useing magnets to generate the energy he went to the companies with his mini R&D model and they shot him down becuase the cost to make a city size'd device was to much but the cost to make smaller divices that would say power a home was verry much affordible but the power companies then need'ed a way for it to break down so they could collect on maintanice.....see the tecnoligy is already avalibe but know one wants to release it untill they can find a way to profit from it.... he was later hired by the same power company who is paying him to keep his research to himself, it was even stated in his contract that they would own his plans so he couldn't quit and take the idea somewhere else. Hopefully when we due have the energy melt down there will be somthing to take its place...its just being cept quite untill its needed.

but then again I live by the - Its the quality of life not the quanity
this is not ment to be about money more then about good family and friends