Wal-Mart's perscriptions

[judge09]

Nobody wanted to come here because America has gotten lazy and won't get out of the big cities.

How exactly does living in a big city equal being lazy?

 

[judge09]

In my job, I'm exposed daily to extravagant living. I work around houses that range from $250,000 to $5,000,000 every day. Those people hire someone to do absolutely everything for them. They even pay someone to pick up the dog crap out of their yards from their $5,000 pedigreed pooches. I don't know what's worse, that someone would ask you to do that, or that someone would actually do it.

Isnt the american dream having the opportunity to work hard so that someday you can get what you want? There are a ton of wealthy people around south florida that pay for a lot of services including dog crap picker uppers. But I cant find fault in that. If you have the money to spend I am sure not going to tell someone how to spend it. I would find fault with them if they spent money on that and then didnt have money to pay for necessities and was somehow a burden on society.

I for one pay for a landscaper to come once a week. He keeps my yard looking great and I have more time to spend doing what I want to do. To me the money is well spent and I dont consider myself lazy. I consider myself fortunate. I am glad I make enough money that I dont have to waste 2-3 hours ever weekend doing lawn work and I can spend that time with my wife having a good time. I think there is a big difference between the lady cashing out the food stamps and some weathly person paying some one to pick up their dogs poo.

What were we talking about here...$4 walmart drugs. Yeah I am down for that. 8)

 

[90Xjay]

I don't think "buying American" necessarily means that you must ALWAYS purchase product from the US, but rather to change your buying habits. You know, much like cutting fat out of your diet. One German car and a few Japanese electronic appliances doesn't necessarily mean one is deviating form the core of the belief.

However, I'm not a proponent of the "buying American" philosophy, because I feel it sends the message that no matter the quality of the product, US manufacturers will always have customers. In the long run, that hurts them globally. Well, that and inept, ignorant, and ethnocentric foriegn policy.

But I've got to say that I agree with <<gasp>> TC and 90 as a "Wally World Hater."

As Gone and Done it so succinctly put it:

Why do most Americans live paycheck to paycheck? Why is there no discretionary income? I doubt purchasing your goods from a company (Target and Kmart included) that strong arms manufacturers to operate below profit lines is "Good" for such socioeconomic inefficiencies. We have a cultural problem. It's gluttony, it's laziness, and it's our inability to think long term when given the alternative of short term gratification.

I only go to a supercenter of any kind if it's 3 am and I need to buy a shop-vac to suck up water from a broken pipe. Oh, and to buy my fishing licenses.

Mingez you made some great points.

I think that somewhere in the late 70's and 80's there was a great brainwashing about poor quality american products. The basis which was based on the junk that came out of Detroit. That much of it had truth to it.

That was 20 years ago. The American auto manufactures, for the most part, have gotten their caca together. GM is producing some great, high quality vehicles, they just upped their basic warranty to 100,000 miles for crying out loud.

What has happend is that now the cheap non-spec crap from China is just that, cheap crap. Disposable DVD players, clothing that wears out in two washings.

American products, footwear, hand tools, steel products, welders, guns, ammo, you know the real important things in life, :lol: are now superior in quality to the Chinese crap. WE are producing good products now. But they cost more due to the pay scale, insurance, regulatory compliance, and on and on.

I was trying to find a pair of jungle boots. I wanted some from an American company, one of the ones who supplies the military.
I found some online, thought it was too good a deal and when I got them found out they were actually made in China. I worked out a deal with the guy who sold them to me, he was actually mistaken as to where they were really made at. I am still trying to buy a pair made in America and the cheapest pair I can find cost double what the Chinese ones do.

I'm guilty to an extent of what I see everywhere now.

MOST of us want American quality at Chinese import prices. We've gotten addicted to the cocaine that is cheap asian imports, look at a freight train and look at those containers, Hanjin, China Shipping thats all imported stuff headed for a Big Box Mart in your town.

As Mingez said, you don't have to be a 0% import consumer in order to feel this way. Its not pragmatic to do so. Try and buy made in America clothes only, you would spend all of your free time tracking down everthing you need.
If we rejected all imported products and components, none of us would be able to be on the internet now. No cable modems, no PCs etc.


I'm trying my best to reject those items and maybe it doesn't matter to anyone but me, and thats ok with me.

 

[Gone&DoneIt]

As Mingez said, you don't have to be a 0% import consumer in order to feel this way. Its not pragmatic to do so. Try and buy made in America clothes only, you would spend all of your free time tracking down everthing you need.
If we rejected all imported products and components, none of us would be able to be on the internet now. No cable modems, no PCs etc.


I'm trying my best to reject those items and maybe it doesn't matter to anyone but me, and thats ok with me.

I think thats where I fall too. I have not boycotted the Meglomarts of the world. I just try to be aware when shopping, of the impacts my purchases may or may not have to another little town like mine.

Gotta head to the job fellas,... you know,... gotta pay for my Sony Television, my Nakita tools, my Nissan Sentra, and my Asian Crested Puppy!!! "Work on little sweat-factories of the East,... work on."

-Brought to you by Logitech- a division of Fujitsu Japan.-

 

[redrooster]

Can't we all get along!
Sparky's post when TC announced the painful yet economical decision to buy a foreign car:
"TC, I know you and I have had our disagreements on the "buy American" issue, and that aside, I know how this must have tormented you. Nothing to feel bad about. You've got to take care of your family, as I know they come first for you, right? Even if that means sacrificing your firm patriotic beliefs. Even if I was on the other side of the fence as a "buy American only" person I wouldn't fault you. I can't see how you can afford to raise 5 kids to begin with, and what with spending $450 a month in gas, well, that's just crazy!! I got a lot of respect for you, and it doesn't change for this. "
Jeepers turning on Jeepers is proof positive that Wal Mart is the Devil!!!

 

[jeepguy46176]

Lmao rooster. I think what set sparky off is when TC gets on here and preaches about only buy american and how we are all the death of america. Then he does the exact same thing . I dont care what you say. If i go to wal-mart to get me grocries and all that stuff to save 25 or 30 bucks a week. There is no difference in him buying a german car to save on gas. Just because it was gas cutting into his budget for alot of people it is just the everyday things you need on top of gas. I am sure that pretty much everybody tries to buy the highest quality product they can afford and if it is made in the US , then great. The whole point to this post , How can you put down a company for making drugs that people need cheaper for them .Then i think somebody even said well it isnt all the drugs. Well jeezz to hell with wal-mart for doing what they can to help out.

 

[southtj]

Well jeezz to hell with wal-mart for doing what they can to help out.

You honestly think that Wal-Mart is only doing this to help people out? I don't think so. $$$ and public perception is the only thing they are interested in.

 

[southtj]

I posted this before and it is definately worth reading.

The Wal-Mart You Don't Know (full article here)
http://www.fastcompany.com/online/77/walmart.html

Wal-Mart is not just the world's largest retailer. It's the world's largest company--bigger than ExxonMobil, General Motors, and General Electric. The scale can be hard to absorb. Wal-Mart sold $244.5 billion worth of goods last year. It sells in three months what number-two retailer Home Depot sells in a year. And in its own category of general merchandise and groceries, Wal-Mart no longer has any real rivals. It does more business than Target, Sears, Kmart, J.C. Penney, Safeway, and Kroger combined. "Clearly," says Edward Fox, head of Southern Methodist University's J.C. Penney Center for Retailing Excellence, "Wal-Mart is more powerful than any retailer has ever been." It is, in fact, so big and so furtively powerful as to have become an entirely different order of corporate being.

Wal-Mart wields its power for just one purpose: to bring the lowest possible prices to its customers. At Wal-Mart, that goal is never reached. The retailer has a clear policy for suppliers: On basic products that don't change, the price Wal-Mart will pay, and will charge shoppers, must drop year after year. But what almost no one outside the world of Wal-Mart and its 21,000 suppliers knows is the high cost of those low prices. Wal-Mart has the power to squeeze profit-killing concessions from vendors. To survive in the face of its pricing demands, makers of everything from bras to bicycles to blue jeans have had to lay off employees and close U.S. plants in favor of outsourcing products from overseas.

(snip)

For many suppliers, though, the only thing worse than doing business with Wal-Mart may be not doing business with Wal-Mart. Last year, 7.5 cents of every dollar spent in any store in the United States (other than auto-parts stores) went to the retailer. That means a contract with Wal-Mart can be critical even for the largest consumer-goods companies. Dial Corp., for example, does 28% of its business with Wal-Mart. If Dial lost that one account, it would have to double its sales to its next nine customers just to stay even. "Wal-Mart is the essential retailer, in a way no other retailer is," says Gib Carey, a partner at Bain & Co., who is leading a yearlong study of how to do business with Wal-Mart. "Our clients cannot grow without finding a way to be successful with Wal-Mart."

 

[90Xjay]

....public perception is the only thing they are interested in.

Thats why they asked for and got a spot on the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and announced full sponsorship of a national meeting and special considerations for vendors who are members...

 

[jeepguy46176]

South that is a great article wrote by somebody with an agenda just the same as yours. NOBODy has to sell thier stuff thru wal-mart. There are atleast 10 other big chains that they could sell thier stuff at not to mention the thousands of others. It only makes sense anyway that the more you sell the less you have to have for each . If i can sell a product at $1.00 profit but only sell 10,000 or sell 100,000 at $.50 proit thru wal-mart , i would say i come out ahead. you can preach all ya want but bottom line it is a free market and nobody has to chooes to sell thru wal-mart. You guys cant come up with any good points on why wal-mart is bad so you jump from china , to health care and squeezeing people out of profit. Dont shop there i dont care . I dont even shop there that much but it drives me crazy how you all listen to the news and artices with a bias and take it all in as truth. I am sure the whole global warming thing is caused by us to. No way it is a natural cycle of the earth. You people are all the same, just go hug a tree. I am done talking about it because nobody is going to change thier mind because of what somebody writes on here.

 

[TwistedCU]

And I was posting why I didnt feel like it made ME any less american to shop there. Nor do I see why anyone else should feel bad for doing the same. Mr. Bold Happy

Just because I have a difference of opinion doesnt mean I cant post on the same thread. Nor does it mean I didnt understand your post.

the bold type was to display that I was speaking for myself, and no one else. Why do you feel that I would not want you to express your opinion?

Mr. Bold Happy? urple:

 

[prariepunk]

You just don't know how bad I want to give them that shopping cart bump to the achilles. Don't these people have anything better to do?

Red', we need to go bowling... I mean shopping

 

[90Xjay]

... You people are all the same, just go hug a tree......

No thanks.. I have cut about 12 down this year though and plan on cutting at least that many more. I even put extra oil in my 2 cycle saw fuel tank to smoke really purdy like... hee hee:lol:

... I am done talking about it because nobody is going to change thier mind because of what somebody writes on here.

I'm with you there for sure.
Truer words were never typed.

 

[TwistedCU]

Thanks Red. I appreciate that.

TC gets on here and preaches about only buy american and how we are all the death of america. Then he does the exact same thing . I dont care what you say. If i go to wal-mart to get me grocries and all that stuff to save 25 or 30 bucks a week. There is no difference in him buying a german car to save on gas. Just because it was gas cutting into his budget for alot of people it is just the everyday things you need on top of gas.

I'm not going to harp on this, but I want to say something to respond to this post. It was stated plainly and without getting personal, and there is good reason for questioning me over this so here goes:

I still feel the same about buying American. Yes, I bought a German car. Yes, I do buy foreign products. I have said all along that I buy American when I can. Sometimes it is unavoidable, we all know that. In this case I chose to buy the VW for several reasons.

The car deal was kind of a unique situation for me. We moved to PA because we bought a very big house on a very niced sized peice of property for less than I paid for our old house in Maryland. We bought it from family and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I spent a couple years driving up here and rehabbing this place. It is the home we always dreamed of but at a "reality" price. We were going to wait for my transfer to go through at work before moving. It fell through and it's probably not going to happen anytime in the near future. We decided to go anyway. Why? Why the hell not? Who wouldn't? Well the gas prices soared and the pressure was on. All the talking heads led me to believe there was no relief in sight. Instead they talked of it getting worse.

There was talk of D.C. and GM both making diesel cars. Neither have done so, and VW very well may quit making them next year. Between the costs of keeping up with EPA requirements and taxes it is just not cost effective. I knew if I was to get a car that I could rack up 300000K miles on while getting 50 mpg on the highway then I had to buy one now. It took me almost 6 weeks to find one as they were selling within hours of arriving at the dealerships. Some dealers were marking them up over $2500 over sticker. I bought mine in MD from a high School buddy, so I paid sticker price which was a deal at the time.

I just don't buy new cars, never was a "new car" guy. They never seemd very sensible to me, but with the commute I had, gas prices, no hope for a tranfer in sight, and all the wear and tear I put on a car this car seemed to be an investment that was far more sensible than anything else on the market. It was the only car out there that I could expect to get ten years out of with that kind of mileage and more than double my fuel economy at the same time.

The money I save in fuel more than pays the amount I financed. Put simply there is nothing else on the market like it or that could come close to being as smart of an investment so I bought one. No one else makes one.

As for the comments earlier about my financial responsibility, I support a family of seven (soon to be eight) on a lineman's income. My bills are paid on time, we have very little debt, and my plan it to be debt free in 10-12 years - including our mortgage. Maybe that will happen, maybe not, but it's feasible and we're on track. We are healthy, have all we need, my kids are being brought up in the Lord, and our home is full of love. Walk a mile...

I still pay $250 for my american boots that last 2-3 years. (They're specialty boots for climbing poles with gaffs). I still love my country. I still prefer to buy American whenever I can. Yes, I bought a german car. If any of you want to ignore that fact that it was an isolated thing and nothing more than the only thing that made sense at the time then suit yourself. I did what I felt I needed to do.

As for those of you defending your shopping at Wal Mart, why? why do you feel the need? Did I attack your actions? No, I explained mine. Keep in mind my avoiding WalMart AND Target goes much deeper than just the import issue.

Bottom line is if I had to buy bread for my family and only had a dollar, I'd diss Giant and there $1.29 loaf in a second for Wally's $.89 loaf. Ya gotta do what you gotta do to survive and I make no judgement on anyone for doing that. I'd like to see everyone supporting our economy and local businesses when possible. If your budget dictates otherwise then you have no choice. I understand that completely.


As I said throughout this thread I am determined to do what I can when I can to support working families in america. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way, but I try.

Carry on.

 

[TwistedCU]

South that is a great article wrote by somebody with an agenda just the same as yours. NOBODy has to sell thier stuff thru wal-mart. There are atleast 10 other big chains that they could sell thier stuff at not to mention the thousands of others. It only makes sense anyway that the more you sell the less you have to have for each . If i can sell a product at $1.00 profit but only sell 10,000 or sell 100,000 at $.50 proit thru wal-mart , i would say i come out ahead. you can preach all ya want but bottom line it is a free market and nobody has to chooes to sell thru wal-mart. You guys cant come up with any good points on why wal-mart is bad so you jump from china , to health care and squeezeing people out of profit. Dont shop there i dont care . I dont even shop there that much but it drives me crazy how you all listen to the news and artices with a bias and take it all in as truth. I am sure the whole global warming thing is caused by us to. No way it is a natural cycle of the earth. You people are all the same, just go hug a tree. I am done talking about it because nobody is going to change thier mind because of what somebody writes on here.

Tree hugger? ::::shudder::::

Holy moly, you don't think I'm a liberal do ya?!?!?!?

Ugh. Not.

Business are in fact forced to deal with WalMart. The amount of volume they put out dictates that. That is how the free market works. The mojority of the sales go through them so you deal with them or get sqeezed out.

Their really ugly tactic its to pick up a product or company, then slowly squeeze them into dropping prices after having increased their production after they had invested in making more product to keep up with Walmart consumers' demands. They are then stuck with complying with Wally's terms.

They take a simple pickle company that's been in business for a long long time and send them into bankruptcy.

If you think I listen to the mainstream media you completely misunderstand me. I am a die hard conservative and am absolutely disgusted with our press.

Our views are probably more similar than you think, other than our view of Walmart.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

How exactly does living in a big city equal being lazy?

Well, that's not exactly how I meant for that to come out. Like I said, I was pretty tired when I posted, I shouldn't do that. What I was meaning to say, was that the businesses we've tried to attract to our little town won't come here because they claim they've tried in other places like ours, and couldn't get employees willing to drive out of the city to the sticks to work. I do tend to agree somewhat, but I also know that, as I mentioned, other towns nearby have had no trouble getting people to come out of the city to work. I didn't mean to say that everyone living in a big city is lazy, far from it. I've got a lot of friends in Wichita and other bigger cities than that, and they wear me out when I go visit. I get worn out just listening to them talk about what all they do. But they are able to do it because of the convenience of having golf courses, bicycle paths, running paths, handball and racquetball courts, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. in the city close to home.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Isnt the american dream having the opportunity to work hard so that someday you can get what you want? There are a ton of wealthy people around south florida that pay for a lot of services including dog crap picker uppers. But I cant find fault in that. If you have the money to spend I am sure not going to tell someone how to spend it. I would find fault with them if they spent money on that and then didnt have money to pay for necessities and was somehow a burden on society.

I for one pay for a landscaper to come once a week. He keeps my yard looking great and I have more time to spend doing what I want to do. To me the money is well spent and I dont consider myself lazy. I consider myself fortunate. I am glad I make enough money that I dont have to waste 2-3 hours ever weekend doing lawn work and I can spend that time with my wife having a good time. I think there is a big difference between the lady cashing out the food stamps and some weathly person paying some one to pick up their dogs poo.

What were we talking about here...$4 walmart drugs. Yeah I am down for that. 8)

I see your point. I guess it's a difference of opinion. I, too, make enough money to have my lawn well kept (and can get a darn good deal on it since I work for the company that could do it). However, I enjoy getting out and working in the yard with my wife. To us, it's quality time spent together. And it gives us a sense of satisfaction to see the fruits of our labor. You see, I guess the difference between you and I or between the people I mentioned in my post and I, is that even though I have the money to pay someone to do a lot of the things I want done, I get no satisfaction from spending money. I do, however, get a great deal of satisfaction from putting in a few hours a weekend working in the yard or on the house, and then sitting back and admiring my work. That's why it pained me so much to have to pay someone to put the lift on my Jeep for me. If I'd had the time, space, and energy, I would have done it. I'm not dissing you or anyone else for wanting not to do the work yourself. That's fine. My brother is the same way, he'd rather pay someone to work for him than do it himself. To each his own. I like it my way, you like it your way, and I'm ok with that. But, I still can't bring myself to pick up dog poop, nor would I consider paying anyone else to do it.....that's just one of my quirks. I leave it there for free fertilizer! Of course, I do understand also that in Wichita and probably other cities, many of the homeowner associations do not allow dog poop on the ground, even in a fenced in back yard. That's a bit anal, if you ask me. Another reason I don't like HOA's.

EDIT: Oh, and BTW, thanks for hiring a landscaper crew! They need work, too!!

 

[TwistedCU]

I for one pay for a landscaper to come once a week. He keeps my yard looking great and I have more time to spend doing what I want to do. To me the money is well spent and I dont consider myself lazy. I consider myself fortunate.

Well put.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

South that is a great article wrote by somebody with an agenda just the same as yours. NOBODy has to sell thier stuff thru wal-mart. There are atleast 10 other big chains that they could sell thier stuff at not to mention the thousands of others. It only makes sense anyway that the more you sell the less you have to have for each . If i can sell a product at $1.00 profit but only sell 10,000 or sell 100,000 at $.50 proit thru wal-mart , i would say i come out ahead. you can preach all ya want but bottom line it is a free market and nobody has to chooes to sell thru wal-mart. You guys cant come up with any good points on why wal-mart is bad so you jump from china , to health care and squeezeing people out of profit. Dont shop there i dont care . I dont even shop there that much but it drives me crazy how you all listen to the news and artices with a bias and take it all in as truth. I am sure the whole global warming thing is caused by us to. No way it is a natural cycle of the earth. You people are all the same, just go hug a tree. I am done talking about it because nobody is going to change thier mind because of what somebody writes on here.

Amen, brother. Well, except maybe for that tree-hugging thing.

 

[Gone&DoneIt]

Damn fellas,... DONT YOU SEE?!?!?! IT'S THE WALMART,... IT KNOWS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT!!! IT IS TEARING US APART!!!! IT IS MANIPULATING OUR MINDS TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER!!!!

Seriously, I think it is cool that so many people feel so passionate about this topic. I agree,... I don't think this will change anything,... but that is the idea of a forum, to exchange ideas and experiences.

Anyone see the SouthPark episode about Wal Mart??? Friggin hilarious!!!! if not,... in light of this "spirited discussion" check it out if you have the chance,... no matter which side you are on you will laughyourass off.