Burgers, fries, corn on the cob, and sliced tomatoes while we watch the Steelers.
I took Steve and Lily to the vet yesterday, and according to the vet he is 18lbs now and he said he could stand to lose a lb or two, but really he was not that overweight, just big, so you all can get off my back. So there!
Had to go to Wally World today to buy a new vacuum (the Dyson is broken, and I am going to go get it repaired, but I need something for the interim), so I picked up a 80 dollar Bissell which really is better than the Dyson, I think. I tried to go to Kohl’s, but I don’t know how they stay in business, there prices are so outrageous. The same vacuum at Kohl’s was 125 bucks.
At any rate, the Walmartians were out in force, and the place was packed (what I get for going on a Saturday afternoon), and they had a grand total of four of sixteen lines open. Four. I stood in line for 20 minutes before I got pissed off and went to the self checkout (which I had been avoiding because I had not only the vaccum, but about 30 little grocery items and some paintbrushes and what not). Got to the self checkout, and where they used to have one employee monitoring four self checkout machines, they had changed it so now there was one employee for eight machines. Reliably, every item I scanned required attention from the clerk, so I would scan an item, wait 3-4 minutes for her to deal with the other seven people, she would come fix it, I would scan another item, wait a minute or two for her to come back around, etc. It took about 40 fucking minutes, and I am not exaggerating. Not to mention that it was crowded and I hate crowds, it was hot, and half the people were wholly unacquainted with deodorant and the other half smelled like they had smoked six cartons of cigarettes in a broom closet.
By the time I finished, I was beyond slow burn and on the cusp of a full blown rage. My head was so red it looked like a ten lb tomato and the veins in my neck were sticking out and Shawn asked me if I was having a heart attack, and I just muttered close. I then threw them the keys and went to hunt down a manager so I could yell at someone.
I fucking hate that store, but there are so few options around here unless you go to Pittsburgh. If I could, I would blast every WalMart with every Wally World MBA/management into outer space.
Assholes.
And the Steelers run defense is ten lbs of suck in a five lb bag.
Cassidy
Every self checkout stand is someone who doesn’t have a job. I won’t use them.
gogol's wife
@Cassidy:
Me either. And Dyson vacuum cleaners suck (I mean, they don’t suck, I mean . . . oh you know what i mean).
Chris T.
… and then you gave them money.
Seriously though, all alternatives are painful. You owe your soul to the company store.
gogol's wife
I had a Kenmore that lasted 25 years. Then I bought a Dyson (for much more money, even allowing for inflation). Two years.
satby
@Cassidy: yeah, I try not to for the same reason. In addition to the fact that if I’m a paying customer the least a friggen’ store can do is check me out and take my money themselves, not make me do it for them.
mtiffany
Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot…
raven
Johnny Football looks ok.
thruppence
Walmart keeps their prices low by screwing over absolutely everyone they deal with: employees, suppliers, overseas workforces, municipalities, and of course, their customers.
TaMara (BHF)
Steve is only 18lbs? I think the vet’s scale is broken. Jake is 18 lbs and he does not look at big as Steve. And Jake isn’t fat according to my vet either. He could lose a pound, which he probably will when we move to the new house that isn’t the size of a postage stamp.
satby
Well, I have to admit I love my Dyson animal, it’s lasted 8 years and counting after I went through other brands about every two years. But it’s getting to the point where I have to think about replacing it and those Shark commercials are very tempting.
SiubhanDuinne
@Cassidy:
Nor will I. Also, I have set foot in a Walmart exactly once* in my life. Never again. Mostly because I hate everything they stand for, but also because it was such a disheartening depressing experience.
*Actually twice. I was kind of forced to take my elderly cousin there a few months ago because they will clip her toenails for $5. But I waited outside and didn’t buy anything. Next time I’m paying to give her a proper luxurious pedicure. Hang the cost, I hate Walmart with the fire of 50 million suns.
SiubhanDuinne
@TaMara (BHF):
See how the Fates their gifts allot,
For Steve is floofy, Jake is not.
SiubhanDuinne
@satby:
I also hate salad bars.
Especially in Applebee’s.
TaMara (BHF)
I have a robot vacuum (I call him Carson) that matched my brother’s Dyson for vacuum power. We were both surprised. But I love this guy. Really. He cleans, I work. Cat hair can’t stop him.
Carson in action.
TaMara (BHF)
@SiubhanDuinne: Tis true, tis true.
khead
I paid $9 to drive over two toll bridges – by choice – while going to Philly today. Just to avoid the clusterfuck that is Wilmington I-95 northbound. That said, you couldn’t give me $45 to go to the clusterfuck of our local Walmart.
SiubhanDuinne
@TaMara (BHF):
My favourite named vacuum cleaner in fiction was called “The Abhorrence.” Perfect.
HinTN
Get a Rainbow. They are expensive and they are worth it. Eighteen years on this one and it sucks just fine.
Splitting Image
From what I can tell about people who shop there regularly, screwing over The Help is a feature, not a bug. Walmart shoppers constitute the remainder of the 27%ers who aren’t also 1%ers.
I was in a Walmart a few times several years ago because a friend of mine liked to shop there. After calling Obama the Antichrist a few times, she moved on to calling Prince Phillip the centre of an international cabal of Satanists.
Oddly enough, the only place I have ever used a self-checkout was a Target, not a Walmart, and it was only because Target was the only place I could find what I was looking for. (A rare problem for Target in these parts.)
aimai
You should have shopped at Kohls. Maybe the damn thing would have cost you more in dollars but it would have cost you less in agita and you would have been giving back more to the economy.
RSR
Stop shopping there. It’s not good for your health or America.
Elizabelle
Are you going to turn up on the People of WalMart site?
PS: what Aimai said. Show Kohls some love. It’s cheaper than a coronary.
Roger Moore
@TaMara (BHF):
I have a Roomba, and I love it. Actually, everyone in my lab now has at least one Roomba, and we got one for the lab. A lab is apparently a bit much for Roomba’s tiny robot mind to handle, and I need to make sure there are no small toy mice on the floor before the one at home vacuums, but I find them absolutely fantastic. They don’t look like Rosie from the Jetsons, but I actually have a robot vacuum cleaner. It’s weird living in the future.
SiubhanDuinne
@Splitting Image:
@efgoldman:
Okay, I don’t care who you are, this is funny stuff.
RSR
@khead: I’m assuming because of the screwup of 495 being DOA?
Scott
Two words: Amazon Prime
SiubhanDuinne
@HinTN:
It’s a nice thought, but I just had my 72nd birthday, so a vacuum cleaner with 18 years to it would just be a waste for me. I mean, who the hell vacuums when they’re 90 years old?
Betsy
Sucky afternoon. That poor clerk at the self-checkout.
rikyrah
Steve is a big cat…
ok…not overweight?
sure…..
but, he is loved, which is most important
satby
@SiubhanDuinne: LOL!
Betsy
The Dyson here just broke a piece that allows it to stand up and the hose to be used. Replacement part is external but putting it in involves disassembling the entire motor!?!?. So much for the super-smart Apple-y famous Dyson design.
satby
@HinTN: the only thing I miss about my ex-husband is that he took the Rainbow with when he left.
Gravenstone
I just found out that my girlfriend discovered a lump in her breast this morning. Breast cancer indirectly killed my mother 8 years ago (was the leukemia she developed from one of her chemo meds that did the deed). I’m just fucking numb right now.
Keith P
@Roger Moore: I had an early model Scooba (died several years back), and that thing was incredible. Better than a mop, as it would vacuum the dirty water back up, leaving some really clean floors. One of these days, I’m going to buy another one.
khead
@RSR:
Yeah. Southbound has reopened so the trip back was fine. But northbound still blows. Today was stop and go from Chistiana to Chester at 11am so I just said fuck it, paid the money and went thru Jersey. Missed all of it.
TaMara (BHF)
@Roger Moore: Yup. I do a walk through and make sure there’s nothing in the way. And he is kind of like a 2 year old, I have to keep an eye out so he doesn’t run up a wall or suddenly decide to vacuum the bookshelf. Most days he’s trouble-free. I can sit at my desk and work while he sucks up all the cat hair EVERY day.
I never vacuumed every day.
lurker dean
my republican brother, who i thought was showing signs of not being an idiot, mentioned that we’re clearly entering an ice age. because we got a lot of snow last winter and this summer is relatively cool. he added that “al gore is wrong.” wtf, i really can’t take this level of stupidity.
oh, and good luck to JC on +0! you got this!
SiubhanDuinne
@Gravenstone:
Oh gods, I’m so sorry. What a scary piece of news.
BUT she caught it early, AND medical science is eight years more evolved than it was, AND she has you to be her support and champion and cheerleader. I wish her (and you) only the best. {{{{{{{HUGE HUGS}}}}}}}. Please keep us as informed as you and your girlfriend are comfortable with.
rikyrah
@efgoldman:
I read that article and just had to chuckle when I read that line.
SiubhanDuinne
@satby:
Did you at least load it up with the shrimp-shells-and-caviar before he left?
SG
So for $45 dollars, you spent how many hours pushing your blood pressure up at Walmart instead of going to Kohl’s? Your other alternative was to spend the money and time to drive to Pittsburgh? Time is money too. The time you wasted in Walmart could have been more profitably and pleasantly spent in your garden with your various four- and two-legged friends.
Anoniminous
If there is such a thing as a vacuum repair shop in your area they can have some great deals. Best vacuum cleaner I ever owned was a refurbished 1950s era Kirby. Built like a battleship – and almost as heavy – the darn thing worked flawlessly for 30 years. If it hadn’t been lost in a mix-up during a move I would still have the thing.
Allen
“Kohl’s, but I don’t know how they stay in business”.
Re. Wal-Mart: “By the time I finished, I was beyond slow burn and on the cusp of a full blown rage.”
That is how. I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than a couple of minutes in line at Kohl’s. Also, I’ve never bought vacuums or other small electrics at Kohl’s (and rarely at Wal-Mart, come to think of it; Amazon usually has it as cheap, and I can get it in two days with—so far, but not for much longer—no sales tax), but Kohl’s has some excellent prices on clothes and shoes, both on name brand stuff as well as their fairly good quality store brands. (And while I suspect that Wal-Mart’s store brand clothes are even cheaper, I can’t say I trust that they would be quality items.)
KG
@Cassidy: except for the people who make them, program them, maintain them, ship them, etc. it’s like saying you’ll only ride in elevators with operators or that you won’t use ATMs.
The self check out thing is most useful when you have a couple of items. It’s not the end of the world
Pogonip
@SiubhanDuinne: Hee Hee Hee Hee Hee Hee.
RSA
@Gravenstone: Fucking cancer. I hope for the best, Gravenstone. Help her through it.
gbear
I won’t set foot in a Walmart, but I’ve noticed that Kohl’s is another store that has cut the number of employees on the floor down to nothing. If I need to ask about anything, I usually have to check 3 or 4 departments before I can find an employee. At least the wait at checkout is never more than three people deep.
BD of MN
@satby:
If you have a shedding pet, don’t.
Mrs. BD bought one, and it is quite powerful and does a nice job, at first, but the beater bar is a sealed unit so you can’t take it apart and remove all the hair that accumulates around the bar and (more importantly) the bearings… Eventually it’ll bind up and burn out the motor. We pretty much use it as a shop vac only now…
Pogonip
John, why in the world would you go through the expensive unpleasantness of rehab and then shop at a place that will drive you to drink?
Amazon Prime is your friend. As are sales at Macy’s.
Yatsuno
@Roger Moore:
I still want my fucking condo on the moon dammit.
@Gravenstone: *hug* May the B word be prominent in your future.
drkrick
@Gravenstone: We lost my mom the same way, but my wife was diagnosed 7 years ago and she’s hale, hearty and overvolunteering to beat the band today. There are no guarantees, but they can do amazing things these days. Prayers or good thoughts as you prefer to both of you – take advantage of every bit of support you can find, there’s a lot out there.
drkrick
John, you could have saved a lot of money. Just put a Cowboys sticker on the old one and it’ll suck forever.
Remember the Onion story about the kidnapped Roomba that continued to quietly gather evidence while waiting to be rescued?
Roger Moore
@KG:
Of if you’re at a place that takes them seriously. I shop some at Fresh and Easy, which has used them exclusively for the whole time the place has been in business. The have to be able to make them work or the whole store fails, so theirs actually work pretty well. They aren’t perfect- the ones for express shoppers complain if you try to put your bag in the area for the checked out goods, so you can’t easily bag as you go with a reusable shopping bag- but they’re pretty good. I also find they’re a great place to spend coins, since they’re patient about you feeding in a lot of coins.
billb
JC, I am as pissed off as you were, but it is because you are running an anti – Merckley ad.
WTF DUDE.
Merk is my Senator, he lives in one of the poorer parts of Portland, where he and I grew up, and he is raising his family there. Taking that shthole money is buying you a fcking vacuum and selling your soul.
Barbara
@Gravenstone: Please remember that most lumps aren’t cancer, though I know how scary it is to find one. There are all sorts of other bumps and lumps that occur in breast tissue.
Best source of info on the internet is breastcancer.org and don’t overlook their discussion boards at https://community.breastcancer.org/
You might especially like the “Not diagnosed but worried” thread.
Keep breathing, the both of you.
P.S. sorry to hear about your mom.
RSR
@khead: We contemplated that southbound scenario a couple months ago, as we’re heading to the Delmarva in a couple weeks. We haven’t decided about the northbound trip in late August. It’ll be a ‘gametime’ decision.
Roger Moore
They have a whole bunch of customer loyalty stuff so regular shoppers almost never pay the list price for anything. Of course those things are also highly addictive to a subset of shoppers who are so excited about chasing down a deal that they’ll overspend at other times in order to get one.
shecky
Fuck all this walmart hate. I just can’t get on board, as much as my instincts direct me toward anti megacorporation behavior. Why do I go there so often? Because the alternatives are worse. Believe it or not. There are three Targets between my house and the nearest walmart. I swear to dog, every time I go to Target to find something, I end up buying what I want at walmart. It’s gotten to the point I don’t even bother anymore.
Last time I went was to buy some cookware. I am so over those needy boat anchor cast iron things I was talked into buying by a foodie. I found some wonderfully functional teflon pans by Brazilian company Tramontina, made in USA, at walmart for dirt cheap.
I’ve had OK luck at Kohls. They sell some name brands I like that Walmart and Target don’t carry. Don’t think I’ve ever bought anything other than clothes and shoes there.
p.a.
I don’t think it’s a case of selective perception; everyone I know who has bought electronics at WM has had to replace them within 2 years. Don’t care what Consumer Reports says; if you buy at WM think about the extended warranty.
Home Depot took such a $ hit from word-of-mouth about poor service vis Lowes that they had to hire (some)more people. Not that Lowes is any great shakes either.
Debbie
My 19-year-old Orek is beginning to show its age, and I’ll miss it when it finally kicks.
RaflW
So how long is the checkout line at Kohl’s? A lot shorter. And if you have any patience, the $125 vacuum will be on one of their quadrillion 30% off sales soon enough.
Walmart has low prices. And a very low service orientation. The lowest, I’d say (from my 1 Walmart shopping trip this year…).
Suzanne
@Allen: I have found the quality on clothes from Kohl’s to be crappy. Dresses that cost $50 that are unlined, clothes that are either for twiggy little girls with no boobs or waist or the plus-sized with armholes the size of a trash can, seams that fall out. I have found the same thing at J.C. Penney, even in the so-called “designer” lines they sell. No bueno. I would rather spend $60 on something from White House Black Market on sale and have it fit and last and look good.
Little Boots
needs more omnes. needs more music.
but mostly more omnes.
Cassidy
@KG: I didn’t say it was. You should be less dramatic. Please don’t project any hysteria you may be experiencing on me. Now, if your happy paying a big box store for them not to hire more people, that’s your business. I do not wish to encourage such attitudes.
Amir Khalid
@SiubhanDuinne:
I got about halfway through. I’m no great fan of Britain’s one Royal Family myself, coming as I do from a country with nine of them (and you should hear the stories about that lot), but the guy sounds like a kook.
Culture of Truth
18 lbs? He’s really, really big boned.
dr. luba
@Gravenstone: A lump is not necessarily cancer. if is is mobile and rubbery, chances are it is benign. Get it checked out, and wishing you the best.
Little Boots
oh good god, it’s the desperate housewives of balloon juice.
some guy
The poor will always be with/us.
gbear
@shecky: What keeps me out of Walmart is the fact that just the Walton family has more wealth than the bottom 42% of everyone else in America. And they got it by treating everyone else in the world like shit. I know that Target CEO’s are probably making money hand over fist too, but it’s not nearly as obscene as the way the Waltons operate.
Right now I am pissed at Target because they won’t post that guns aren’t allowed in the store, which is kind of a gutless stance on their part.
Edit: Link re: the Waltons http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/07/walmart-heirs-waltons-wealth-income-inequality
Amir Khalid
@Little Boots:
You and Omnes.
Little Boots
@Amir Khalid:
you are sweet, in that germanic way.
dr. luba
Electrolux. I have an old one, and it is marvelous. Bought it at Montgomery Ward back during the Clinton administration (early years) IIRC. Or perhaps during the first Bush administration. Ages ago, either way.
I’ve had it repaired twice, and wouldn’t even consider buying some new Chinese disposable vacuum.
Also, too: keep in mind that Walmart appliances are not the same as those sold elsewhere. They are often crappier (more cheaply made). This is true of some of the big box hardware places, too: manufacturers create special models for them to sell, cheaper but also lower quality than those sold elsewhere.
SiubhanDuinne
@Amir Khalid:
Oh, he is total kook. (Ickes, I mean, not Prince Philip.)
(Well, Prince Philip might also be a kook, but I don’t think he’s a lizard person.)
(I don’t think he’s a lizard person.)
Ruckus
@p.a.:
My experience is that Lowe’s has much better help, if only because you can actually find them. Much harder to do at HD.
I also see Lowe’s as a more consumer orientated and HD as aimed more at the contractor biz based on what each carries.
Suzanne
@efgoldman: Yes, but finds like that are rare there. I have better luck at the thrift, vintage, and consignment shops with accessories than with clothes. I hate shopping, so I generally like to buy clothes online.
However, Savers is a great place for Halloween. I’ve been able to get old bridesmaids’ dresses and overalls and all kinds of weird stuff over the years to make great costumes.
Bobbyk
Um, how many “mom and pops” did the wal mart put out of business?
Culture of Truth
@Gravenstone: Good wishes and support is offered to you.
Starfish
No matter how many times you tell us that Steve is just big-boned, we are going to believe you as much as we believe Cartman on South Park.
Culture of Truth
@Amir Khalid: Yeah I got a bit through before he dove off the deep end. I mean, the “inbred” stuff is lazy, but you don’t go full Nazi without more, plus etcetera
Culture of Truth
lizard-americans are people too
My Truth Hurts
That extra $45 at Kohl’s doesn’t sound so bad in retrospect.
Culture of Truth
The more I read about Louis Mountbatten, more it seem ok his genes and name wil continue.
Ruckus
@gbear:
I used to know someone who had been an investment adviser to Sam’s widow. He said all the stories you hear are probably true. And that working for them is what got him out of the business. He wouldn’t say anymore even when directly asked.
I refuse to shop at Wally World. There are other choices, they aren’t usually cheaper on everyday things other stores sell and things they do seem to be much cheaper. And they fuck over, as has been said above, everyone. Suppliers, employees, customers, the local governments, competitors. There is nothing in their stores that I need and can not get other places. I realize that this is not always the case but I refer you two sentences above for why.
Mike E
Not that any o’yous donkeys give a shit but a bolg has been satisfied…dreams do come true!
p.a.
@Ruckus: agreed. HD’s lumber is uniformly poor. I doubt many major contractors use it except in a pinch.
Little Boots
so now it’s down to lizaard americans. this. this is why omnes is so important to this site.
satby
@Gravenstone: I know a lot of people who are breast cancer survivors, better treatment options now. And a lump may not be cancer.. so wait till you get test results.
{{Hugs, that is frightening}}
Culture of Truth
Vacuums suck
Ruckus
@p.a.:
Not the HDs around here in LA. Contractors are lining up to purchase wood and any other needs there. You do see them at Lowe’s as well but during the day what seems about half the customers are contractors. As long as the products/work pass permit inspection I don’t think many contractors care what the quality is. And no I don’t think this is a recent thing.
Little Boots
@Culture of Truth:
and to think, people find you pompous on this site.
satby
@BD of MN: Thanks. Mine would be dead in a week then. Glad you told me!
Culture of Truth
I don’t shop at Walmart. What’s more I know someone who is one of a few who ever won a battle against them.
Amir Khalid
@Culture of Truth:
There used to be a street in Kuala Lumpur named after Louis Mountbatten. He was murdered by the IRA when they bombed his yacht in 1979.
Suffern ACE
@efgoldman: ah. I see. Makes sense to me. I’m glad he has decided that shouting at a lesbian is the pinnacle of his rights. That doesn’t make him a bigot. Somehow. In some world that exists somewhere. It’s not in this dimension, but that world is there.
Ruckus
@Gravenstone:
As others have said it may not be as bad as it sounds. And I’ve had three women in my family with BC. Two of them lived 40-45 yrs afterwards. Both are gone but they lived to be 80 and 95.
In any case good luck, finding this early will be a big help and as many have said the treatments are much more effective now.
Culture of Truth
@Little Boots: oh do they now
really it’s only because there’s no Walmart nearby
Suffern ACE
I have to admit that I have not kept up to date on the scientific research into pregnancy, so this article from Aeon was new to me.
I should apologize to my mother for attempting to hijack her body. Although my sister was probably worse (she always has been IMHO).
Little Boots
@Culture of Truth:
they’re very bitter. lot of bitterness here.
? Martin
@Cassidy:
Does the cashier make the shopping experience better?
They do at some stores, but not most, and certainly not at WalMart. It’s inevitable that those cashiers that only perform the mechanical function of determining the price of your items and then pointing you at the card reader will be replaced by machines that are no worse at the job. The job is charity – it provides no value at all to you as a consumer. Go to your butcher and the person who rings you up will actually make the product better – he/she will tell you how to cook it, how much to buy for the number of people you have, etc. That’s a job worth paying for. So don’t worry about the self-checkout vs the warm-blooded checkout machine, the fact that you’re giving that store money is the problem. Either way they’ve made that a valueless employee.
Mike E
@efgoldman: Thanks for utterly missing the point, but I agree with your zoo choice wholeheartedly, though. Too.
Culture of Truth
Mendacious politicians, cowardly beltway pundits, and commenters hide their opinions behind generic “people”
lamh36
Cops shot an unarmed Black kid multiple times in St Louis area tonight. Neighborhood community gather to protest and cops brings out riot gear and guns. Of course news coverage (including the AP) focuses on the “mob” that formed, rather than the fact that the cops shot this unarmed kid.
FlyingToaster
@Gravenstone: Yow. Hopefully it’s a benign lump, but blech, anyway.
The good news is that if they can figure out the cause, it’s curable. I have 8 friends who’ve survived in the past 5 years; 6 of them with genetic markers (3 from one family), two with environmental carcinogens. They’re all cancer free and their collective prognoses are excellent.
Little Boots
@Culture of Truth:
there are no “people” there are only individuals. and any sentence that starts “the American People think …” is bullshit.
? Martin
@Ruckus: It seems like small jobs, though. Ganahl is where all of the serious contractors here go. You can bring in your truck and drive out with a house worth of lumber – they have it in stock and infinitely greater variety than HD. Yeah, if you just need a few 2x4s I’d go to HD too – it’s just faster.
For speciality lumber/cabinetmaking there’s Austin Hardwoods. I do almost all of my lumber shopping at one or the other.
lamh36
sempronia
I used a gold Sacagawea dollar at Kohl’s once. The cashier refused to take it at first. His supervisor had to convince him that it was real money.
Culture of Truth
@Little Boots did you not write “people find” or was that snark
Little Boots
@Culture of Truth:
I did. then I went all deep think. but I did do that.
lamh36
Suffern ACE
@SiubhanDuinne: goodness. I had no idea. However
Should become a revolving tag line.
PurpleGirl
@Roger Moore: I’ve been able to reuse plastic bags at CVS’s self-check-out. I just hang the bag on the prong thingy. Also, I think their protocol has a “no bag” option. I’ve gotten pretty good at using the self-service machines there. One grocery store I go to has a couple of self-service and it the other check-outs are busy I’ll use them. Again, I hang the reusable bag on the prongs.
Little Boots
although culture of truth is usally in error, can it be omnes’ fault?
YellowJournalism
Big fan of Kohl’s kids section. I find that most retail clothing has gotten shoddy over the years, but the majority of casual wear I’ve had from Kohl’s lasts a long time compared to something in the same price range from Old Navy or the Gap. But Kohl’s is pretty overpriced when it comes to bed linens and household appliances that aren’t in sale.
I’ve had a Shark vaccum for over four years and I love it. Can’t remember exactly what model it is, but it is a “pet friendly” one. Picks up dog hair beautifully and it doesn’t clog. I really want a robot vaccum for the weeks when things get hectic with work and kids. I would name it and then glue googly eyes on it and draw a mouth because I’m weird like that.
? Martin
@lamh36: What an odd story. It’s being kept pretty quiet on the racing news. That’s not a good sign.
Ruckus
@? Martin:
I’d agree. I know a contractor who usually works on large projects and he uses HD only for small stuff. But when I say large jobs, their needs are delivered by semi trucks. That’s truck with an s on the end.
Little Boots
miss omnes, and steeplejack.
be fun, people.
jenn
@SiubhanDuinne: Yes! You are a Ms Tey fan, I take it!
? Martin
@Ruckus: That’s not hard. I’ve done weekend warrior projects that required a whole semi. Multiple isn’t nearly as hard as you’d think.
jenn
@Gravenstone: Please don’t panic yet, it could just be cysts or be otherwise benign. (I have had 3 close family members with breast/ovarian cancer, so I know the fear.) Thinking good thoughts towards you both!
Glocksman
As this is an open thread, I’ll add a few comments about some recent thoughts.
My maternal grandfather died at age 58 3 years before I was born because of a heart attack.
When I asked my father about it, he said that it happened because Mel Waelde was a deskbound banker who never exercised and weighed 250 despite being only 5’6 tall.
Taking into account the negative vibes that my dad may have had against my grandfather, his story rings of truth from what I could find out from other sources.
That said It was both a sad and proud moment when I realized that at my last physical, I weighed in at 219.
That’s still overweight, but it’s a far cry from the 360 I registered back in 2004.
The ironic and heartbreaking thing for me is that at my mother’s funeral, while my paternal relatives said I looked like my paternal grandfather Ted, my maternal relatives said that I was a copy of my maternal grandfather.
Due to my parents’ divorce and bitter residual feelings, it took me until my mid 30’s before I both forgave my father and began to think of him as Dad.
Today, I love him and accept him despite both his and my own failings.
Though after seeing a few pics of an angry Mel Waelde in action, I can see how I closely resemble him. :)
scottinnj
Walmart has seen weak sales growth of late -same store sales, a key retail metric, have been flat in the last couple years. basically their core customer has less money, they are going to the dollar stores which are easier to shop, or they get pissed off like Mr Cole. so to meet budget they cut labor hours, leading to sloppier stores (i was at a walmart superstore a week ago that on Saturday Morning had not one pound of pasta for sale) and fewer check out clerks, which leads to lost sales and ticked off customers and so on.
nellcote
Cops gun down Ohio man holding toy rifle in Walmart ‘like he was not even human’
Police fatally shot a man carrying an air rifle at an Ohio Walmart earlier this week.
Another customer called 911 to report 22-year-old John Crawford waving what appeared to be an AR-15 at children and others at the Beavercreek retailer.
The mother of Crawford’s children said she was speaking to him by cell phone when he was confronted by police in the store.
“He said he was at the video games playing videos, and he went over there by the toy section where the toy guns were,” said LeeCee Johnson. “The next thing I know, he said, ‘It’s not real,’ and the police start shooting, and they said ‘Get on the ground,’ but he was already on the ground because they had shot him.”
“I could hear him just crying and screaming,” Johnson said. “I feel like they shot him down like he was not even human.”
Ohio’s attorney general, who was asked by Beavercreek police to investigate the case, confirmed Crawford was holding a MK-177 (.177 caliber) BB/Pellet Rifle when he was shot to death.
===
Do I even need to mention that Crawford was a black man?
Ruckus
@? Martin:
You are a braver weekend warrior than me. And I’ve remodeled an entire house. Once.
SoulOnIce
@shecky: Because Walmart is the biggest (corporate) welfare queen around. It pays shit wages, cuts benefits and basically forces its employees to seek relief through public assistance (food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing). So, you and I end up paying for the default benefits programs for Walmart’s 1.4 million employees in the U.S. – to the tune of $6.2 billion. That’s billion, with a B.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxpayers-6-2-billion-in-public-assistance/
I don’t know about you, but the thought that my tax dollars eventually help the Walton spawn throw bacchanals in the Hollywood Hills makes me want to vomit.
Glocksman
@scottinnj:
There’s that balance between low prices and customer service that from what I’ve read Costco leans toward ‘customer service’ and Walmart leans towards ‘low prices no matter what’.
Given a choice, I’ll always choose customer service over low prices unless other factors come into play.
Such as business hours.
My work hours run from 4:00PM to 2:30AM Monday thru Thursday.
IOW, during the week if I want anything after work, my only local choice is Walmart.
That said, I make a point of buying groceries on Friday afternoons, despite that’s the time I really want to stay in bed.
Walmart is the ‘go to if there’s no other option’ option.
SiubhanDuinne
@Suffern ACE:
It should!
Mandalay
@Cassidy:
Yet you still spend your money there?
I hope you also refuse to use a toll pass on the turnpike to ensure that the booth collector keeps their job. I hope you refuse to book your own flights so the travel agent still has a job. I hope you avoid on-line banking to ensure that the teller isn’t fired. I hope you never buy a subway ticket from a machine instead of a person. I hope you only go to gas stations that will still fill your tank for you. And I really, really hope you never eat at buffet restaurants that refuse to employ waiters.
You should become BJ’s patron saint of quixotic causes.
SiubhanDuinne
@jenn:
I sure am. At least once a year or so, I reread “Miss Pym,” “Franchise,” and “Brat.” And “DoT,” of course. I do the complete Inspector Grant canon every two or three years. Wonderful writer.
Roger Moore
@PurpleGirl:
At Fresh and Easy, it will complain about “unidentified item in bagging area” if you put anything much heavier than disposable plastic bag over there. I think they can’t be so sensitive that they trip on the weight of one of those plastic bags, but anything much heavier, even a lightweight nylon bag, makes the system think you’re trying to steal something. I find it’s faster just to stack the groceries and re-bag them into my personal bag after paying than it is to wait for a person to show up and tell the machine that everything is OK.
I think they also do better with packaged items than with produce, since it’s really slow for people who don’t know the codes to buy things by weight. That makes the fine at a place like Fresh and Easy, where most of the produce is pre-packaged rather than loose, but it makes it annoying for a regular supermarket where the produce is loose. I notice that Trader Joe’s has never tried self-serve machines. My understanding is that they actually want their checkers to talk to the customers because they see it as a valuable source of feedback.
scottinnj
@Glocksman:
I’d add convenience to the list. my mother-in-law is on a tight budget so she is careful with her pennies. she now goes to Dollar General which opened up by her recently as it is alot easier to get in and out of there than the giant Wal,Mart store for an spry but slowing 83 year old. DG is now a $17 billion company and i bet alot of that came from WalMart.
Costco’s model is not really to sell stuff, it is to sell memberships. Basically their model is to run the business close to break even, with the membership fee being their profit. they have high retention, and when new members join they can sell more stuff, leverage fixed costs, lower prices, which leads to more and happier customers. it is good business. think over time this is what you will see from Amazon as well.
Glocksman
@scottinnj:
True.
I paid for a Sam’s Club membership a few years ago, and I never saw any savings over the long term, unless you count the $100 I saved because I bought my TV at Sam’s as soon as it was released instead of waiting 6 months like I would any other electronic gadget.
Sam’s Club isn’t an exclusive discount club.
Looking back, if you’re single and have few outside bills to pay, I’d advise you to screw everyone else and make sure only the creditors that count are paid up to date.
Sir Laffs-a-Lot
The only good Big Box Store is a dead Big Box Store. However Tarjey is infinitely less odious.
Cassidy
@Mandalay: I spend money at lots of passes. I’m laughing if someone tells you the craziest conspiracy story about Obama or the NSA, you’ll slobber all over their knob in your effort to believe it. I’m assuming you swallow if it involves Putin. But man, you can’t even be bothered to give a shit about people who work for a living.
As I’ve enjoyed saying in the past, go fuck yourself you mendacious sack of shit.
Glocksman
@YellowJournalism:
I work at the TJ Maxx distribution center here in Evansville in what we call ‘layup’.
That means I stylesort and write up the pricing and store sorting paperwork WRT each style of product.
If nothing else, the job has been educational WRT the difference between value and price.
After seeing what I have, I wouldn’t pay an extra nickel for Ralph Lauren over a generic shirt, as all too often both shirts have the same cost, while the markup on the Lauren shirt is twice that of the generic made of the same material from the same manufacturer in Pakistan.
Then again, I guess to some people the little polo player embroidery is worth $15.
Glocksman
Speaking of work, for the shoe fashion conscious among us, TJ Maxx (and perhaps Marshalls, but I don’t know for sure) will be having a ‘shoe runway sale’ on 9/4 WRT high dollar designer women’s shoes.
I’m not talking about your average $70 Lauren markdowns, but about the $2000 Jimmy Choo boots at Bloomingdale’s marked down to $1200.
Obviously not every store will get any of these or even be aware of the ‘shoe event’ because the market for a $1200 pair of heels is limited, but if you are looking to purchase these types of shoes, hit your local TJ Maxx.
If nothing else, you’ll help justify the double time I’ve earned working on my days off sorting the crap.
Gindy51
Shop online at Costco, better prices and usually free delivery on bigger items like vacuum cleaners, PLUS it is truly a store that takes care of its employees. As for the membership being what pays for stuff, nope. We get the executive membership and the money we get back from spending there pays for it plus some. Add in we use the Coscto Amex and we get over $500 back per year. Of course we have to spend it there, but we do that anyway. That’s a free $600 per year to shop at a store with great prices. One instance is Feta Cheese, Kroger you pay $5 for a measly 8 ounce package but $6 at Costco for double the amount. We go through that like shit through a Christmas goose (6 packages every month), that alone is worth the hour and back drive.
Walmart, have not been in one in over 15 years. Not even to use the bathroom.
Glocksman
Addendum:
The store that I know for certain will have a lot of these shoes is our flagship store on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City.
Personally, I’m not in the market for $$$ heels, but if I were, I’d be haunting the door of our flagship store.
My preferred brand of shoes is Bates, Rocky, or Hi-Tech Magnums.
IOW, something more suitable to spending 50/hrs week on than a pair of heels.
Never mind the fact that I’m a straight male who thanks to my job knows more about womens fashion than I have any right to.
Glocksman
The drawback to living in Evanshell.
I have no idea where the closest Costco is, otherwise I’d both be shopping there and seeking a job.
My union job at TJX has its perks, but pay isn’t among them.
Quinerly
Dysons and Orecks are overpriced and terrible suckers. Amazon Prime! I found a great off brand vacuum on Amazon…read all the reviews and it is a commercial grade one. I’m out of town right now and can’t recall the brand’s name. 3 story house, green carpet, blonde, long haired pets….amazing suck action!
MattF
About Walmart. It seems clear that Walmart is undergoing a long slow decline:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/business/walmart-strains-to-keep-grocery-aisles-stocked.html?pagewanted=all
Walmart Corporate doesn’t seem to know what to do about it. My own theory is the obvious one: they’ve squeezed their employees and suppliers to the degree that there’s no more juice left.
WereBear
@MattF: Yep. When your corporate model is Rampant Parasitism, there’s nowhere to go after you’ve killed the host.
barbara
@SiubhanDuinne: In a Josephine Tey novel, right? Love her stuff.
Just One More Canuck
@gogol’s wife: our Miele has lasted almost 15 years still going strong
Uncle Cosmo
No day so drab you can’t find a silver lining somewhere.
Signed, A Ravens Fan. Go Crows!
tybee
@shecky:
i’ll pay to have the anchors shipped to me. :)
Dick Woodcock
My daughter used to work at the local Walmart. Trust me when I say that yelling at a manager does no good. From what I understand, the local managers do not have a whole lot of say about the number of people scheduled.
My daughter’s store used to go to nighttime personnel at 9:30 pm. It didn’t matter how many people were in the store, they were down to 1 cashier line and 2 people at the service desk. Many people would drop their things and walk out after waiting too long. Which meant at some point, one of the service counter cashiers would have to stop what they were doing and pick up the stuff.
No matter how many times she, or others, would complain to the manager about the amount of staff, nothing would get done. Finally, the manager admitted that they couldn’t do anything about it.
She says quitting that job was one of the best things she’s ever done in her life.
WereBear
The NY Times link led me to this complain/comment section on another site, where WalMart employees are explaining they aren’t given enough workers to do what is necessary.
The sad/funny part is the people complaining about poor stocking and poor service “every time I go there.” Well, stop going there!
You are still showing up and giving them your money, so why should WalMart make anything better for you when you are masochistic enough to put up with it?
Woodrowfan
On the lighter side, some here may enjoy the comic “Retail” which is very well done.
http://retailcomic.com/
Woodrowfan
dbl post, sorry.
Glocksman
@Dick Woodcock:
I’ve noticed the same thing and have left the store rather than wait in a 20 person line because they’re too cheap to have enough help on duty to deal with the customers.
Though I was sneaky about it and wheeled my cart full of refrigerated grocery items to the back of the store and walked out, instead of leaving it where they could find it and return the items to storage before they spoiled.
That said, I do like the self check lanes simply because they’re the quickest to get through because the technophobes among Walmart’s customer base simply won’t use them.
Glocksman
@Uncle Cosmo:
Take this in the spirit it’s intended.
Fuck You.
Signed, Glocksman.
(though I’m sure our host shares the sentiment)
metricpenny
John I am so happy for you!
It is good to know you weren’t raging because of your drinking.
And, that you did not drink after becoming enraged.
Love seeing that +0!
dww44
@Anoniminous: I’ve a 27 year old Electrolux canister vacuum that has never broken down. Replaced the hose when suction wasn’t as strong as it once was. A bit cumbersome to have around but far superior to most models available today, not including the robot ones that everyone here seems to love. This is the Electrolux of old;they sold the name to a new Asian company who sells vacuums and other appliances under that name. One can still find the original vacuum at Aerus stores, where the originals are serviced tand new ones are sold..
dww44
@Scott: Maybe so, but apparently Amazon sticks it to creators and others in much the same way that Wal-mart has stuck it to its suppliers.
dww44
@YellowJournalism: Have to second this:
For 2 summers have been searching for 100% cotton tees that fit and are made of material that has a bit of heft . None of the department stores, even the more upscale ones, seem to have shirts made of material that will look good for more than a few washings. I chalk it up to the fact that they move from factory to factory in Asia, with little consistency in sizing and material. Even just ordered from LL Bean and Landsend, still not the quality that used to be had. I wouldn’t mind paying a few more dollars if the shirts would just last and look good.
P.S. So late to this thread that I am apparently communing with myself!
Uncle Cosmo
@Glocksman: Genially wishing the same back at ya, using a rusty chainsaw.
Just FYI Poe’s Crows put up 237 yards rushing vs the FortyWhiners last Thursday–220 of those by RBs who will be on the roster come Week 2. Something for you yinzers to look forward to…8^O
And just FTR I support our host in his rehab efforts & look forward for the day when he decides to abandon his Squealer addiction as well. Come on over to the dark side, JC….:D
shecky
@gbear:
I don’t care. From where I’m sitting, Walmart gets my money because they sell stuff I want to buy that Target can’t be bothered to even stock. They treat the world like shit? They treat me like a customer.
shecky
@SoulOnIce:
The only difference is that walmart is a big fat target to skewer. The retail/service industry is lousy with the same crap wages, but somehow it’s ok when those crap wages are paid by mom and pop operations. You know, because walmart!
John Cole +0
@dww44: cheapestees.com
shecky
@? Martin:
A-fuckin’-Men!
I can’t understand why folks get such a hard on for using a human cashier. It’s pretty rare I find the cashier’s interaction necessary or even desirable. Most places, from the walmart slum to unionized Ralphs, they pretty much have a fuck-all attitude.
dww44
@shecky: I disagree, but then I live in the South and both black and white check out clerks are far preferable to the non-human checkout stations. whether at Walmart or my Kroger.
To another poster who recommends Dollar General over Walmart. In my town it is far worse than its competitor.. Merchandise all over the aisles, major disorganization, the outside of the stores are unkempt. I’d guess also that perhaps Walmart built too many large superstores. The DG’s of the world are faster to get in and out of. But Dollar Tree is a way nicer store than DG.
slag
Your cat should be around 13-14 lbs max. He’s big, but he’s not THAT big. Fix it.
danah gaz
In my community, Walmart is the only real option for half decent computer and home network goods.
We had one local store which I shopped at religiously, until they started carrying the absolute worst gear on the planet – including the infamous Seagate 1TB drives which almost universally failed. I even mentioned to the owner what everyone was saying about them (on the Internet) – he talked me in to buying one anyway because they had literally nothing else. It died.
We also have a a Best Buy, which was almost as bad as the local shop in terms of stocking utter garbage (netgear/linksys/hp) – and lacking basics like Cat5 cable! Plus they are overpriced on the few decent devices they have – such as a $80 markup on a $120 dollar cannon printer. ($200 at best buy)
So I find myself at Walmart for these things when I can’t order online (due to time constraints – such as when my router failed and brought down my home network which runs all of our movies/music/TV, plus Internet)
I hate Walmart, but there are worse places, which is sad. It seems everyone is on a race to the bottom.
Oh, and that local company finally got out of the consumer computer supply business – thank goddess. They had no clue what they were doing.
danah gaz
In my community, Walmart is the only real option for half decent computer and home network goods.
We had one local store which I shopped at religiously, until they started carrying the absolute worst gear on the planet – including the infamous Seagate 1TB drives which almost universally failed. I even mentioned to the owner what everyone was saying about them (on the Internet) – he talked me in to buying one anyway because they had literally nothing else. It died.
We also have a a Best Buy, which was almost as bad as the local shop in terms of stocking utter garbage (netgear/linksys/hp) – and lacking basics like Cat5 cable! Plus they are overpriced on the few decent devices they have – such as a $80 markup on a $120 dollar cannon printer. ($200 at best buy)
So I find myself at Walmart for these things when I can’t order online (due to time constraints – such as when my router failed and brought down my home network which runs all of our movies/music/TV, plus Internet)
I hate Walmart, but there are worse places, which is sad. It seems everyone is on a race to the bottom.
Oh, and that local company finally got out of the consumer computer supply business – thank goddess. They had no clue what they were doing.
SiubhanDuinne
@barbara:
Yes, from Miss Pym Disposes. I love that book.
SoulOnIce
@shecky: Name me a single “mom-and-pop” operation that generates over $470 billion (again, billion with a B) in annual revenue, yet can’t pay its workers a decent living wage and basically lets U.S. taxpayers pick up the tab for their corporate employee benefits programs.
I don’t deny that retail/service pays crap wages…I just take particular issue with behemoth chains generating billions in revenue that exploit their workers and expect us to pay for it. Same goes for McDonalds and the rest.
Bill Arnold
@gogol’s wife:
My mom had an Electrolux. It too lasted 25 years. The brushes wore out once or twice, but they were an easy repair.
Abused too; as a kid I made a blast furnace out of fire bricks with the Electrolux as a blower. (Melted iron with it, charcoal as fuel).
Bill Arnold
@TaMara (BHF):
I have a Neato robotics vacuum too. Love it. My wife couldn’t stand the constant banging of the Roomba’s random walk. The IR turret on the neato and the proper navigation it enables were a major improvement over the Roomba. The three forays (two charge cycles) that it can make to finish up all the rooms it can find make cleaning a long operation.
The batteries do go after a while as you note. Also my house has a lot of furniture. There are a few chairs that can trap it inside their legs, and a dresser that is just barely high enough for it to force itself underneath, then it gets stuck. And it doesn’t learn.
Glocksman
@dww44:
Apparently we’re the only ones in this remaining in this thread. :)
That said, like I posted earlier, my job if nothing else is an eye opener WRT branding and quality.
Specifically, the little known fact that branding and quality seldom go together these days.
Though I will say that learning the actual manufacturer codes and the percent check needed to pass our inspection leads me to not buy clothing from that manufacturer no matter the branding it has.
IOW, if TJ Maxx thinks that a 7 percent check is necessary for quality/quantity delivered purposes, then frankly you suck as a vendor.
Glocksman
@Glocksman:
Addendum:
Some vendors are rated at a 20% check (Michael Kors) because of missing items.
They’re high enough quality, but we perform the heavy check because of the high risk of theft, whether from the carrier or (more likely IMHO as the short boxes are factory sealed) the manufacturer itself.
I’m not an expert in the field, but if it were up to me, I’d tell Michael Kors to either keep their thieving OEM’s or we would simply quit carrying their merchandise.