Girl math (whatever the fuck that is supposed to be) makes more sense than fiscal conservatism:
President Trump makes no secret of his displeasure over the cost of renovating the Federal Reserve headquarters — around $2.5 billion, or even higher by the president’s accounting.
But getting the White House to discuss another of Washington’s expensive renovation projects, the cost of refurbishing a “free” Air Force One from Qatar, is quite another matter.
Officially, and conveniently, the price tag has been classified. But even by Washington standards, where “black budgets” are often used as an excuse to avoid revealing the cost of outdated spy satellites and lavish end-of-year parties, the techniques being used to hide the cost of Mr. Trump’s pet project are inventive.
Which may explain why no one wants to discuss a mysterious, $934 million transfer of funds from one of the Pentagon’s most over-budget, out-of-control projects — the modernization of America’s aging, ground-based nuclear missiles.
So he is saving us money by taking a “free plane” and then shifting money away to refurbish it WHEN HE HAS A PERFECTLY FUCKING GOOD PLANE ALREADY.
I know I spent a lot of time talking about angry people last night, but it’s that time of year when the only paycheck is for mowing but the bills stay the same, so we manned up and went to WalMart, which is always just an absolutely fucking miserable experience here. No one wants to shop at Walmart. At least not the Walmarts around here. There may very well be amazing Walmarts in some parts of the country. They are not here.
So it’s just an awful experience because everyone here has no alternatives except a dollar general. And everyone is just angry and despite them all being furious about Joe Biden’s economy they all have 100k pickup trucks in the parking lot with tow hitches for their other toys, and they’re just mad and it shows in the way they act in the store and in the parking lot.
And everyone is so unhealthy and unattractive and I know I am not helping the averages, but half the people in the store are so large they make me look like slenderman. Every fourth person is in a motorized scooter, and you have the people who reek of cigarette smoke and have the deep creased smoker’s face and the lack of oxygen and working capillaries gives them that blue gray hue to their face that almost is kin to argyria from those nutters drinking colloidal silver. And so many of them walk like it is an activity that is new and unfamiliar to them. And may your god have mercy on your soul if you get trapped behind a scrum of them in an aisle and are forced to over hear their conversations.
But yes, there are good deals, but every deal is sort of a monkey’s paw. Avocados have been expensive as hell this summer so I have not had any since Arizona, and they had these massive ones for 97 cents a piece so I got two. The problem is they are hard as rocks and could have been fired through a civil war era smooth bore cannon to great effect. SOOO sure, I now have two 97 cent avocados, but now I have to do the waiting game and see if they ripen into proper avocados with that bright greenish yellow glow and a firm consistency with an unctious, custardy mouthfeel and taste with a few bright notes but overall earthy or will it be a mushy bitter mess. Who knows?
They do have a nicer latin American section than most places around here, and they also carry those big bags of blue diamond wasabi almonds for dirt cheap. And it’s the only place to get papaya and jicama around here. And I like the vision center because they have a decent variety of lens qualities, cheap frames, and you can go anywhere in the country and have them refitted and they come out looking brand new.
But if you have been to a walmart or store like that around here, you know how bad it is. Also, the lighting in all stores like Walmart is a fucking war crime so I am already miserable in a box store to begin with, but I just hate going there, even when I save money.
And I’m not some snooty prick who thinks walmart is beneath me, because that’s not the case at all. I mean I set the bar for luxury shopping at Wegman’s and nothing else is as good, period, end of story. Whole Foods and those boutique groceries that sell like 25 dollar strawberries fucking infuriate me, and my actual favorite places right now to shop are the Mexican IGA in Mesa and the Winco down the road. And I love those asian and middle eastern markets where the aisles are claustrophobic and everything is chaotically stacked and the lighting is dim and uneven. I generally stick to Kroger around here because I think the prices at Giant Eagle are bonkers especially in Robinson Town Center near the burgh. So it’s not that I am too good for Walmart. It’s just that it sucks.
And I feel bad for most of the people there. They don’t want this shit. I just wish they stopped hating and enabling the wrong people.
Oh, and one more thing. Every fucking time I hear some jackass Republican talk about how dirty public transit is bitching about the NYC subway or BART or some other bullshit, all I can think is “Have you ever been to a Walmart in WV?”
“A Bojangles in Kentucky?”
“Any dollar general anywhere?”
“A Love’s gas station in rural Georgia?”
“Motherfucker shut the fuck up, that’s what.”
You know what, I’m tired. I’m gonna go sit in the chair with my sidekick/tumor Maxwell and watch an episode or two of Whitechapel and crash.
*** Update ***
I pulled my post for a bit because I didn’t notice on the backend Adam was typing the Ukraine post and like AL’s Covid posts I really try not to step on them. At any rate, I remembered what I was going to talk about.
I didn’t grow a garden this year for a variety of reasons- it raining so much I couldn’t really get one in because when it was nice I was mowing, but also because I didn’t want to can a bunch of stuff I knew I wouldn’t want to drag all the way to Arizona, and this is the same dirt I have been working on since 2010 that I built up from a base of mushroom compost and hauled from my old house to here. I’ve been adding to it and feeding it and putting worms in and checking the PH and all that so maybe just throw some creeping thyme or clover in and give it a year off.
Having said that, I have hardly even noticed it because I did still grow my herbs, and I think that a lot of people who try to do a couple tomato plants on an apartment porch and don’t have the time or the space to garden properly, would really be much better served just growing some herbs. Just the basics are all you need, and most of them are very forgiving. You really have to work to kill basil, thyme, rosemary, and sage, although for me at least cilantro has always been a total failure- it just runs and runs and runs. Chives can be hit or miss.
Regardless, the amount of work and expense to grow a small herb garden (much of which you can do in your house) is such a better payoff than a handful of dwarved tomatoes grown on a patio. Even if you are eating something shitty like a frozen pizza, chiffonade a couple leaves of basil and drizzle a fruity olive oil on it can make a world of difference.
Ok, that was it.
War for Ukraine Day 1,249: Waves of Russian Drones Are Moving Across Ukraine While Russian Fixed Wings Are Up Over Western Russia Targeting Ukraine
Baud
Jackie
John, how’s Steve doing these days? Other than finally putting Maxwell in his proper place, that is :-)
JoyceH
I’m sorry your local Walmart sucks, but the one near me has the best produce and meat I see anywhere. It’s clean and uncluttered, my main gripe is that it’s enormous so it’s a real hike to complete your shopping.
zhena gogolia
I bought one of those gigantic avocados once. It had perfect texture once it ripened but NO FLAVOR WHATSOEVER, good or bad.
The only time I was in WV was in about 1978, on a road trip across half the country, and we stopped in Wheeling for the night. We went to a restaurant where you had to stand in line to get seated (I can’t remember what it was, but it was the only one around where we were), and I couldn’t believe how big the people in line were. This was before the ballooning of America. Not trying to fat-shame, just confirming your point, I guess.
The landscape was beautiful, though.
Eric S.
I get angry every time I walk into a Wal Mart and this is a primary reason.
Ryan
Exactly. Our aging B-52 fleet is miles older than his Air Force One. And it’s expected to be in use into the 2050s.
Sister Golden Bear
@Ryan:
But our B-52s don’t have gold-plated toilets, and gold-spray painted gewgaws slapped on every surface of the cabin, I mean come on man, priorities.
Downpuppy
Walmart employees are really good people. Working in that system would break me in 2 weeks, but they soldier on more or less cheerfully & always helpful.
And their rest rooms are clean & functional, unlike the nightmares I still get from a few encounters with those in Boston subways.
NotMax
To promote hard avocados ripening, put them in a brown paper bag and roll the top shut. For speedier results, add a banana in the same bag with the avocados.
JustRuss
Wasabi blue diamond s are my kryptonite. Damn those almond farmers. I’m attempting tomatoes and basil this year. Jury’s out, but my track record is not good.
eclare
@JoyceH:
I went to the Walmart near my work once. It was so filthy and the parking lot was so hard to get in and out of, I vowed never again. A friend moved from here (Memphis) to Plano and told me that the difference in the Walmarts was stunning.
eclare
@NotMax:
Yep.
eclare
@Ryan:
Aren’t our A-10’s pretty old too, with no replacement plan?
Jay
We don’t live in a food desert here. We have a Safeway, an IGA, a Save on Foods, a couple of No Name shops, a Halal market, several Asian Groceries, a European Grocery, a “ruZZian” grocery, Ukrainian actually, they bring in Babushka hand made perogy’s from Grand Forks, (two of T’s aunts work there making perogy’s and her Great Grandmother started the company), a Dollar Store.
We go to one place for meat, another for fish, another for fruit and vedge, others for spices, the chain stores or the Dollar Store for basics.
There is a Walley World, but we almost never go there.
Suzanne
If you’re talking about the one on Southern and Dobson…. you’re in my old hood. Ahhhh memories.
On the topic of herbs, I have been doing basil and mint and thyme in pots. It rained today, but it actually has been fairly dry for the last month, and I have had to do a lot of supplemental watering. No matter….. I made a delicious pasta and a tomato salad tonight and used some of that glorious fresh basil.
Citizen Dave
I’m an occasional Walmart shopper. Ours is usually not too bad, given we’re in a nice suburban city. But it is still Walmart. Had an experience the other night. Getting some small wet cat food cans. The case of cans was covered by plastic. Opened it up, found a couple of crawling things (the word is in the Stones song Shattered). Looked in another box, saw some more. A couple teenage workers talking work a few feet away from me–did not bother with them at all. My wife ended up telling a manager up front. Wife reported later the manager (a woman) actually seemed concerned and may well have done something about it. My city began food inspections with grades a couple years ago, so hopefully walmart will clean up the issue, even though it was in the back of the store, far away from the produce and in-store Subway. Nevertheless…has put me off wally world. Even though the problem was likely back at the Fancy Feast plant. Which is another issue.
WeimarGerman
Gotta give a shout out to Buccee’s, cause nothing screams GOP flyover country like 75 gas pumps and 43 types of jerky.
NotMax
@eclare
The Warthogs have been scheduled to be retired and taken out of service (in FY2026, IIRC) for a while now.
different-church-lady
I bet I’m not the first to nominate this. In fact, don’t even put it in rotation, just make it the permanent tag line.
2liberal
Those planes can’t survive in the modern battlefield any more.
H.E.Wolf
Yes! This works great. But don’t be like me and forget to look in the bag. It is very disappointing to pull out a two-days-past-its-prime avocado.
Jackie
@zhena gogolia:
I’ve bought the big avocados on and off over the years. They definitely don’t have the Hass avocado taste; they’re milder, but very creamy when fully ripe. I usually make guac with them, with a lot of doctoring up with spices and hot sauce. JC, if you’re expecting Hass flavor, you’ll be disappointed. But they’re edible with the proper attention.
(This is the post I tried posting earlier, before the twilight zone aka Cole disappeared me.)
Obvious Russian Troll
I thought the Walmarts I’ve been to near the WV border (Portsmouth, Ohio and Ashland, Kentucky) were pretty nice. We go to that neck of the woods 3-4 times a year (although I guess it’s been a few years since I’ve been in Portsmouth).
Here in Toronto, though, the Walmarts are a mixed bag. Some are really nice, and some are really shitty. I admit I avoid them; they’re not near enough to be remotely convenient.
Jay
@eclare:
A-10’s have been getting new wings since 2022, (metal fatigue).
There is no replacement plan for the A-10 because the USAF never wanted it, still does not want it and hates the entire CAS mission.
Timill
@WeimarGerman: Where did you find a Buc’ees that small?
Jackie
@NotMax: Ripe bananas + avocados in brown bag = ripe avocados and bananas ready for banana bread ;-D
zhena gogolia
@Jackie: I like to eat avocados with just olive oil, salt, and pepper, so they don’t do it for me.
Spanky
NO.
Jay
@2liberal:
Did fine in Syria, still do fine in Syria. Did fine in Yemen, better than the Predator drones and F-18’s.
Chetan Murthy
@Jay: My understanding was that any battlefield with MANPADs was pretty much death for A-10s ? Was that incorrect ?
Sure Lurkalot
Earlier this week I bought 2 avocados at my Kroger affiliate…they were a buck and a quarter each, nice size, but they DID NOT RIPEN. I cut into one last night and it was greasy and bitter. The other one is in my pantry, to be used as a weapon in case of home intrusion.
2liberal
@Jay: I was thinking with the modern SAMs they wouldn’t still be viable. From CHAT GPt, a summary:
Salty Sam
I just wanted to see that again. It gave me a frisson much like ASMR…
Scout211
Our nearest Walmart is not that bad. It’s fairly new, I guess maybe ten years old now. It has the quiet time for people with sensory issues and we shop then so it keeps me calm. The sensory time is Monday through Friday from 8:00-10:00 am. They turn off lighted displays and also turn off the music and loud speakers. It’s very calming. The produce is pretty good and the selection of products is good, too. I guess we are lucky.
Big box shopping is hard for me but it’s super hard for my husband so we go only to Walmart and Costco once a month. I’ve been to really bad Walmarts and this one is much nicer. The previous Walmart was across the road and when Walmart wanted to open a new store, the city balked. It took another ten years before the new one opened after many years of negotiations. That may be the main reason why our Walmart is fairly nice.
hotshoe
Ooh, chiffonade, that’s a grand word!
Jay
@Chetan Murthy:
Yup. In all it’s combat sorties, from the first Gulf War to recent missions in Syria and Yemen, despite the massive kill record on ground targets, better than all USAF aircraft combined, 12 A-10’s have been damaged. Two crashed on landing, two were written off as scrap, no A-10 pilots have been killed in combat.
The US has scrapped more A-10’s than any enemy force.
As we have learned in Ukraine, ruZZian, Iranian and (probably Chinese as well), AA systems, are not “all that”. More hype than performance.
Chetan Murthy
QFT.
Melancholy Jaques
Last week completed my month long, 7700 mile, North American Retirement/Baseball/Still Here Tour. It was fantastic in multiple ways. What a country!
I was trying to come up with a word for the feeling a Californian feels when they fill up with gas in a midwestern state. I felt like I was getting away with something.
hotshoe
@Downpuppy:
I figure I’m doing my part to fight capitalistic-monster when I use the restroom at Walmart without buying anything. Pretty much any time I travel out of state — and it’s been true in each state I’ve visited so far — I find Walmart convenient to the interstate, clean restroom, water-bottle-filling option at the water fountain, it’s all fine. So I figure I’ll keep doing that …
Rusty
Damn, you reminded me how much I miss Wegmans. They are in Massachusetts but not in New Hampshire. They are really are a peak shopping experience. Damn.
Jay
@2liberal:
the ruZZian “Integrated Air Defense” systems can’t even hit a basic, lumbering Ukrainian drone, based on a hobbiest kit plane. Ditto for the Iranians and probably the Chinese.
The USAF lost F-18’s to sea sickness, Predator drones to Houthi AA missiles in recent actions, while the A-10’s got in, did their CAS missions and got out, with out a scratch.
The current USAF proposal, for CAS aircraft, (F-16’s were deemed “un-survivable” in the CAS mission), is for F-35’s to take that role, using “precision weapons” at millions of dollars a pop, until a new CAS aircraft is developed, despite not even having a “concept of a plan” for training F-35 pilots on the CAS mission.
One of the roles for the A-10, since the Gulf War, is “loitering missions”. Doing loops at medium to low altitudes above US and Allied ground forces, and coordinating strike missions from F-16’s to B-52’s, where fast jets and Predators cannot survive.
Allied Ground Forces, the Marines and US Army grunts love the A-10. The USAF has hated it since day one.
Steve Holmes
Avocados, like peaches ripen best in a bag, you can put them in a bag with hard peaches and they’ll all ripen quicker. Our local Walmart is very lively with Hispanic families, nobody is dour, but the crowds are crazy on the weekends.
My favorite local grocery is Compare Foods, which we pronounce as Come-Par-eh, it specializes in Latin groceries and has a terrific selection of fresh vegetables and spices. I just follow the abuellas and buy what the get.
Steve Holmes
@Rusty: it took me a while, but I now understand that you need to buy Wegmans brand stuff there. They cookies are great, and they have these Wegmans branded buttery sea salt crackers that are like crack to my family.
Another Scott
@Jay: I had a brilliant reply written, hit Post Comment, and Redis ate it.
Grr…
Anyway, this 6 page PDF CRS Background in Brief (from 2015) gives a fuller picture of the history and pressures.
Basically, it was designed in the 1970s to kill masses of Soviet tanks. There isn’t enough money and people to keep them and the other, newer, more capable and more survivable aircraft flying in the numbers the USAF wants. Even with the huge DoD budget, they have to make choices.
FWIW.
Best wishes,
Scott.
Martin
The replacement for the A-10 is a $1000 FPV drone with an anti-tank mine strapped to it.
different-church-lady
@Rusty: literally the only place I can find fresh marjoram in MA.
twbrandt
I’ve been to a Walmart once or twice, was not impressed. Fortunately we have plenty of better options here in SE Michigan.
I’ve been to NYC many times, ridden the subway countless times, never felt threatened or unsafe. It may not be the most pleasant experience, but it is a great way to get around quickly and efficiently. Sean Duffy is full of shit.
schrodingers_cat
@zhena gogolia: I will sometimes add avocado to an egg and smoked salmon on an English muffin with bagel seasoning. Its good. Chef’s kiss. Add a dash of Schezwan sauce that I get from my Indian grocery store to take it to another level.
jackmac
“Amazing Walmarts somewhere?” Sorry, not anywhere.
Walmart was already a rare stop for me and when the store near me started aggressively checking receipts upon exiting that’s where I drew the line. Being made to feel like a criminal and to prove I to the greeter/security that haven’t stolen any of Walmart’s junk is ridiculous.
Yeah, they check receipts at Costco, too. Costco is a club and that’s among the rules for members. I’m okay with that. Besides, Costco employees are almost universally pleasant and courteous (and the company treats them much, much better).
I’m lucky to have other choices where I live, including nearby Targets that are pleasantly lit and welcoming (unlike Walmart) and reasonably priced. Jewel-Osco trips are often an adventure in sticker shock, but there are deals to be had. Even Aldi has stepped up its game.
zhena gogolia
@schrodingers_cat: That sounds great!
zhena gogolia
Wrong thread.
Jackie
Our Walmart isn’t “bad” – dependent on when you shop. I have mostly good shopping experiences if I get there by 8 a.m. Go later in the day, massive crowds, unstocked produce and shelves. So I’ve learned the early bird gets the worm applies. My go-to store is Winco, but, again early morning shopping makes a HUGE difference for most of the same reasons as shopping Walmart. Same with Costco.
I’m sensing a pattern. I HATE shopping crowded with people stores.
schrodingers_cat
Our local Walmart used to be terrible. Opened packages, messy. But since the last 4 or 5 years its been pretty decent. Target is more pleasant to shop at but there are somethings you only get at Walmart.
Scout211
Come sit by me.
When my husband could still drive and before his cognitive decline, he used to do ALL of our Costco shopping. It was so nice. I hadn’t set foot in a Costco in more than 20 years. Now we go together once a month, either on a Tuesday or a Wednesday at opening. Any other time and we just have to do without.
NotMax
@Jackie
Went into Walmart the day it opened here on Maui. On opening day it was shabby and dirty, as if it was a store in which the fixtures, floors and lighting hadn’t been maintained for 25 years.
Jackie
@jackmac:
Not all Walmarts do that, but when I’m in one that does, I started noticing that “selected shoppers” are receipts checked while others aren’t. So this Caucasian elderly woman chooses to have my receipts checked. When told it’s not necessary and get shooed on, I stand my ground and loudly insist, telling whoever that white people shoplift, too, and that ALL shoppers should be treated with the same suspicion – if that’s their policy. I have no qualms publicly shaming them.
Suzanne
FYI for Costco people, they’re apparently instituting some preferred shopping hours for the Executive members. That’s the membership tier that also gives you 2% back on your purchases, so if you shop there a lot, you get the membership fee back, and maybe more. I also hate Costco’s extreme peopleyness. So this is a win.
Jay
@Martin:
The A-10 loiter time, with full load out, is 90 minutes based on a combat range of 750 miles there and back.
A $1000 drone, has a combat range of 25 miles, 35 if there is a drone repeater on course, and a loiter time of 15 minutes with a standard Soviet AT mine.
While the A-10 was designed to kill Soviet tanks, it’s only killed a few. It’s chief uses have been destroying “fixed targets” from s-300 AA systems to Pantisir’s, soft skins and bunkers, along with what has turned out to be it’s primary mission, CAS operations at extremely close ranges against enemy infantry engaged with US and Allied forces.
The drone future, is not here yet.
Scout211
@Suzanne: Our Costco always opened at 9:00 am. Many opened at 10:00 am. Now M-F, all Costcos open at 9:00 for members with the Executive membership. They can do that now since they added the electronic card scanners at the door
In order to keep shopping at 9:00 am, had to upgrade to the Executive membership. So I guess they made some money off of me. But I’d pay extra to shop at 9:00 am, so it’s fine.
ETA: I can’t remember what the exclusive hours are on the weekends since I would not be caught dead in a Costco on a weekend day.
Another Scott
@Jay: It’s hard to have closer close-air support than a UAV you carry with you.
Even cats are getting support that way these days.
Best wishes,
Scott.
Suzanne
@Scout211: I do Costco on weeknights, if possible. It’s so much calmer and I have more fun. And we buy enough there that the 2% back always covers the cost of the membership. I even bought my car through the Costco Auto Program.
KB
OK got it. Life sucks. But there is a way not a dream done down.
I enjoy your posts because dammit you are not an idiot. Thank you for them.
prostratedragon
Hey there, Maxwell!
“The Black Cat,” Gene Ammons
Another Scott
Wow.
Popehat used to frequently repost Patrick’s “DPRK News” tweets, and they shut down for weeks/months rather than adding a disclaimer.
If he has trouble recognizing trolling these days, the rest of us may be doomed!
Best wishes,
Scott.
No One of Consequence
@NotMax: Acetylene is a helluva drug.
-NOoC
No One of Consequence
@2liberal: Really? I thought the pilot was essentially inside a titanium bathtub?
-NOoC
NotMax
@prostratedragon
Bop along with Zez.
Modern cover with higher fidelity sound.
Steve Paradis
Well yeah. They’re working two jobs to pay for all that crap, and don’t have time to play with it.
Jay
@Another Scott:
A-10’s carry 1,178 30mm rounds, tracer, HE, AP, at a rate of fire of 65 rounds per second, along with 16,000 lbs of various bombs and missiles, from dumb, laser guided to other “smart” munitions, and can hang overhead for 90 minutes or more.
While in Ukraine, the current leader in drone operations, it is estimated that up to 90% of ruZZian casualties are a result of FPV drone strikes, mostly a single drone against a single target. Small drones against a single ruZZian, medium drones against a bunker, large drones against a HQ. Often, multiple drones are used by Ukraine to destroy a target, Drone 1 immobilizes the target, drones 2,3, 4 destroy the target after it is abandoned.
Ukraine has managed to take out entire attacking ruZZian columns, with multiple drone strikes, allied with artillery, MI-8 missiles and glide bombs from MIG-29’s.
The “record” for an A-10 strike, north of Palmyra, is an estimated 1000+ enemy 200’s and 300’s, 24 soft skinned vehicles, MRAP’s, 2 Pantsir’s and IFV’s, 200 meters away from US and Allied troops in a single mission, with the CAS aircraft flying with in range of small arms, with out damage.
Drones aren’t there yet.
RaflW
I absolutely know you’re not a snob and that Walmart is not beneath you, John. And that you can say in the same post “chiffonade a couple leaves of basil and drizzle a fruity olive oil” and you’re still not a snob…
Good night, folks. Off to Price, UT tomorrow for a quick overnight visit with a dear friend (about 5 hours one way from where we’re taking a break from the MN humidity). I think the wildfire smoke is gonna suck, so I’m bringing a portable HEPA for the hotel room.
Jobeth
My pet peeve with Walmart is the shopping carts – they ‘re rusted, dirty and never run smoothly at my local store. Costco, Target and Publix all have nice heavy duty carts. Walmart makes hundreds of millions every year – can’t they spring for nice carts??? To me that (along with the dirty restrooms and closed registers) shows how little they care about their customers.
Jackie
@Jobeth:
They NEVER have enough buggy carts. The small ones that have enough storage for a one person household, plus acting like a walker of sorts. I usually only need to shop for 10 to 15 items OR less, and they discontinued the hand baskets.
2liberal
@Jay: You sound like you know what you’re talking about. I’m ready to believe the USAF is dominated by fighter jocks.
Reboot
@different-church-lady: Thank you, different church lady. You are a great American.
JML
I’m in a relatively small town, so I’m probably lucky to have 4 grocery options…but only one of them is union, so that’s where I go as much as possible. And it (Cub) is a pretty good store overall, with a decent deli, bakery, and meat department. Never actually been to the Aldi (it’s non-union and much less convenient), and never gotten groceries at the Wal-Mart (which I have almost never gone to). Super Target has been the backup, but I’ve gone there a bit less since they revealed their corporate cowardice.
NanaR
My only Walmart shopping is done on line with free shipping with $35 minimum purchase.
I limit purchases to items that I can’t find elsewhere. I’m a TRADER JOE’s loyalist. Great quality, good value and the friendliest, most helpful staff.
why aren’t you folks boycotting MAGA complying Target?
Barry
@JoyceH: “I’m sorry your local Walmart sucks, but the one near me has the best produce and meat I see anywhere. It’s clean and uncluttered, my main gripe is that it’s enormous so it’s a real hike to complete your shopping”
I live in Ann Arbor, MI, a prosperous university town. The first area Walmart was set up in the next town, Ypsilanti, the poorer neighbor. It stank.
They closed that one and set up in Ann Arbor and it’s far nicer.
Hannah Huckaby
I live in Austin, which means we are fortunate to have the best supermarket, H-E-B. Their high-end stores, Central Market, somehow are fun to go to and not obnoxious like Whole Foods, at least here in Austin. Plus the HEB corporation is very good about giving back to the community. The big flagship Whole Foods here has excellent prepared foods, produce, and butcher shop (so do the big HEBs and Central Market), but it’s so expensive and full of snotty yoga people that we don’t go there much. I used to love Whole Foods, so sad. The original WF was small and funky and had the best muffins. I’d get muffins and coffee there every Sunday when I was in law school in the 90s. For that vibe now, the closest thing is Wheatsville. We also love Costco and wish our Trader Joe’s was more like the ones in Berkeley and Emeryville we visited when visiting there.
We have an Aldi’s in the exurbs. Has anybody tried it?
dr. luba
@Barry: I’m in West Bloomfield, and the one nearest me is, physically, quite nice. But HUGE. Hate shopping there. Prefer the Aldi a few blocks away.
I go once a year for items I can’t get anywhere else (photo holiday cards; Costco no longer prints them).
chbnna
I went to a nice Walmart in Galena, IL. I was surprised by it because I noticed the lighting was different, it felt different and sure enough when I looked up at the ceiling the warehouse had skylights! There was natural light coming in throughout the store, it makes such a huge difference! It was clean and not super crowded, but Galena is a small town at the western edge of Illinois by Dubuque, IA so that helps too. I was there visiting and in small towns like that the only grocery store is going to be the Wal-Mart. So there are nice Wal-Marts. Just wanted to say that.
Denali5
I like Aldi’s for a few things- mango sorbet, small hazelnut chocolate bars, cranberry raisin cookies. They have self checkout now and it works great for small purchases.
BillD
I used to like an Asian grocery when I lived in Portland. You could buy a pig’s head (no, thanks) or that strange bee product, which they labeled royal jerry. Seriously.
Paul in KY
@JoyceH: The Walmart in Pikeville, KY is pretty nice. Much bigger than my local Central KY one.
Paul in KY
@WeimarGerman: Must be a really small one. The ones I have gone to have 180 pumps, at least. I do like their brisket.
Edit: Timill beat me to it.
Paul in KY
@Jay: You are correct about how USAF brass feels about the A-10.
Paul in KY
@Steve Holmes: I have never been in a Wegmans. Sigh…
Paul in KY
@Jay: Once they can get a 30mm gatling gun on a drone, then they’ll be obsolete.
Paul in KY
@Hannah Huckaby: My wife loves Aldi. Ours is pretty small though.