Right to Work States

[blackout]

It sounds like you would benefit from moving somewhere more diverse and liberal.

BTW, I am not content with the never ending loop of "Just Over Broke" either.
And then they try to take away even the outlet of personal Self expression...

What's left?
At the end of the day, what is there?

 

[Warren Clark]

If I could afford to move out of state, I would.
I don't have a car atm (I'm working on getting one soon).
I would love to go to california but its mighty expensive to live there compared to where I am now.

 

[Alceste]

Like I said.
I've been applying everywhere.
Telemarketing, food service, retail, etc.

The walmart effect is self evident. Maybe your town hasn't been effected. If so you are lucky.
come to florida and see it for yourself. A walmart on everyother corner. The only successful businesses in the area are those of aaron's an appliance rental place, banks, and food services along with your occasional dollar stores and tobacco shops. Even the good will is run down and their prices can't compete with walmart.

So maybe I have experienced it longer than others, be it for the 10 years I have been consciously shopping for myself and working hard for a living.
I have every reason to be ****** with the way the government allows this economy to be run down. There are laws in place to protect the economy from being monopolized but the laws are useless when not properly enforced.

I don't get where blaming me comes into play.
I, along with every other american are being forced into a never ending loop of "Just Over Broke".
Why is everyone so content being an "American Idiot"?

I was kidding. More poking fun at Florida than you.

I'm a Canadian idiot, FYI. The nearest Walmart is an hour away and my town has building codes that don't allow chains or box stores to get a foot in the door.

 

[Kathryn]

I live in small town America. We have a WalMart Supercenter in our small town. But our small town fought back - and we're winning.

We have a Main Street program that's had fantastic success rebuilding and repopulating our formerly charming downtown area. New privately owned businesses have moved in, including upscale and/or quirky restaurants, boutiques, and loft apartments. The sidewalks and streets have been refurbished, landscaping and benches added, new lights and signs, etc.
MainStreet.org

Merchants have banded together to create a program called "Keep It In ______ (name of town)" which offers discounts for buying products and services from the local privately owned businesses (you buy a bracelet for $5 and then when you show the bracelet, you get the discount - the funds raised go back into local advertising).

We've successfully combatted the encroachment of WalMart and our little town has come out on top.

 

[Kathryn]

I live in small town America. We have a WalMart Supercenter in our small town. But our small town fought back - and we're winning.


We have a Main Street program that's had fantastic success rebuilding and repopulating our formerly charming downtown area. New privately owned businesses have moved in, including upscale and/or quirky restaurants, boutiques, and loft apartments. The sidewalks and streets have been refurbished, landscaping and benches added, new lights and signs, etc.
MainStreet.org

Merchants have banded together to create a program called "Keep It In ______ (name of town)" which offers discounts for buying products and services from the local privately owned businesses (you buy a bracelet for $5 and then when you show the bracelet, you get the discount - the funds raised go back into local advertising).


We've successfully combatted the encroachment of WalMart and our little town has come out on top.

 

[Revoltingest]

Fighting off Walmart, eh?
Yer keeping po folk from get'n them low prices.
What are yooz all....some yuppie latte drink'n cwassant chomp'n eleet snobs what puts on airs?

 

[blackout]

My (12 year old) son commented to me the other day
that We are the ones who tested and set the standard
for colored hair dyes in our elementary (and possibly middle schools).
He said that we showed everyone else that it's okay.
Him and his two sisters, and me.
Now more and more kids are doing it.
I saw a first grader with blue streaks,
the first day of school this year.
My younger daughter told me a boy this year
has his hair exactly like my son did last year
when it was electric yellow.
Same cut, colored the same way.
You know what they say,
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". :rainbow1:

Anyway, we know we started AND normalized the trend.
And this is what people have to do.
They have to normalize things in other people's minds.
They have to make what is "not normal", normal.
You have to take what seems "scary" and make it friendly.
"Different" usually seems scary to people.
But we did not do it to be "different".
We did it because it looks awesome,
and is fun and creative and Self expressive.
I like seeing both more bright color in the world,
and more Self expression.
Also though, for me, I don't want my kids
to be afraid to do things differently,
or set trends in their lives growing up,
or as grown ups.
So I have helped set that trend for them, Now.
(right from the beginning)
I also did not want them to be labeled
this or that later. (goth, emo, punk... whatever)
At the ages of 5, 6, 7, and 8,
you simply can't label the kids that way
just because they have a certain kind of hair.


Once SO MANY people do a certain thing,
it gets harder and harder,
for even corporate america
to discriminate against it.
Because they are simply discriminating against too many people,
and they wind up hurting themselves.
In larger numbers, people are less likely to back down.

 

[Warren Clark]

Its good to hear that there are towns fighting against these massive chains.
Its just sad my hometown, the space coast,has been over run and destroyed by this giant.
Is there a way to get this organization started here? I mean there aren't many independent businesses here.

In reply to Revolt, (I'm on my blackberry)
We are only people that want the best for our town.
Walmart itself was once an independent discount store and it grew. I don't have a problem with a dream that is successful. I do have a problem when that dream becomes so large that it destroys the dreams of others.

Yes I drink latte although I don't know what that has anything to do with being against walmarts imperial nature.

 

[Warren Clark]

Ultra -

That is really cool. I remember when I went back to school in michigan after a visit to florida and I was wearing my hurley rashgaurd used for surfing. After people were making fun of it a few months later other people started wearing the same thing only theirs were the cheap under armor. (Not the real thing)
I thought it was funny. I since lost those shirts. :/

 

[Revoltingest]

Yes I drink latte although I don't know what that has anything to do with being against walmarts imperial nature.

The jab was at Kathryn, & in jest....slightly.

 

[Kathryn]

Fighting off Walmart, eh?
Yer keeping po folk from get'n them low prices.
What are yooz all....some yuppie latte drink'n cwassant chomp'n eleet snobs what puts on airs?

Let me put it this way - I like lattes, but I'd rather buy them at our locally owned coffee shop rather than Starbucks. I like spinach salads, but I'd rather buy them at Nanny Goats Cafe than at Applebees.

 

[Revoltingest]

Hah! I happen to know otherwise about you.
I found this clip of you & your hubby discussing how you met.
(Has anyone ever told you how much you resemble Parker Posey?)
[youtube]lQKdEdzHnfU[/youtube]
We Met At Starbucks - YouTube

 

[Kathryn]

Hah! I happen to know otherwise about you.
I found this clip of you & your hubby discussing how you met.
(Has anyone ever told you how much you resemble Parker Posey?)
[youtube]lQKdEdzHnfU[/youtube]
We Met At Starbucks - YouTube

No, actually we met at a LOCALLY OWNED French Mediterranean restaurant over escargot and the best martinis in three states...but that's a whole other story...

 

[Revoltingest]

No, actually we met at a LOCALLY OWNED French Mediterranean restaurant over escargot and the best martinis in three states...but that's a whole other story...

A deep question.....is there such a thing as a "best martini"?
Tis like the best Twinkie....a group of individually indistinguishable & fungible things.
Hmmm....I suppose the olive makes the difference. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....olivvvvvvvvvvvvvvves!
Olives are good on salads, especially with feta cheese,
although blue cheese & dried cherries are the berries,
but I don't like those bitter little peperocini guys....nasty things.
Now, pickled Thai peppers are another story...very flavorful,
but only found at Asian grocery stores. Which reminds me,
in Hawaii, you can actually find baozi at convenience stores.
Don't get me going on food there though...I'll descend into
another Spam Sai Min screed. Then I'll just continue babbling
on with no real purpose....derailing the thread.

 

[Kathryn]

Gasp - NOT THE DERAILING OF A THREAD - NEVER!

 

[Warren Clark]

lmao wow this thread just went to random town. XP

 

[Kathryn]

A deep question.....is there such a thing as a "best martini"?
Tis like the best Twinkie....a group of individually indistinguishable & fungible things.
Hmmm....I suppose the olive makes the difference. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....olivvvvvvvvvvvvvvves!
Olives are good on salads, especially with feta cheese,
although blue cheese & dried cherries are the berries,
but I don't like those bitter little peperocini guys....nasty things.
Now, pickled Thai peppers are another story...very flavorful,
but only found at Asian grocery stores. Which reminds me,
in Hawaii, you can actually find baozi at convenience stores.
Don't get me going on food there though...I'll descend into
another Spam Sai Min screed. Then I'll just continue babbling
on with no real purpose....derailing the thread.

Where can I get thai peppers? I am pickling some ginger and someone told me thai peppers would be a nice addition...:slap:

 

[Revoltingest]

Where can I get thai peppers? I am pickling some ginger and someone told me thai peppers would be a nice addition...:slap:

You need an Asian grocery store.
They all carry them.

 

[Kathryn]

You need an Asian grocery store.
They all carry them.

I'll go today!

 

[Reverend Rick]

Most martini's have too much vermouth. A little trick I learned was to pour a small amount of vermouth in the glass first, swish around and coat the glass and then pour the stuff out.

I prefer shaken not stirred and just shake the gin or vodka with ice and serve in the vermouth coated glass.

That's as perfect as it gets. Of course you add olives, that should go without saying.