Crab And Shrimp

[Tha Wookie]

The remark was meant as something of a joke, Rocks, tho I'm not surprised you failed to see the irony.

Considering you posted like 17 times to the Environmental Terrorism thread (actually, you STARTED the damned thread, come to think of it), and considering most of your posts hectored us on the dangers and evils of development and suburban sprawl, I'm frankly amazed that you shop at places like Wal-Mart, or encourage others to do so. This is, after all, a corporation that relies on sweatshop labor to make a lot of its goods; that destroys small towns and main street business districts; that treats its employees dreadfully in terms of compensation and health care; that is presently being sued for mis-treating its women employees; that is vehemently and relentlessly anti labor and labor union; and lastly, is well known for putting its "Big Box" superstores up in previously undeveloped locations----farmland, forests, marshes, swamps, etc. Lastly, and certainly not least, they have a pretty bad record on environmental issues, both during and after the construction of their stores.

So while my comment was first meant as a joke, Rocks, it's actually kind of serious. It just surprises me that someone who is constantly reminding us to live and act on a moral plane as high as yours when it comes to environmental issues, would not only shop at Wal-Mart, but encourage others to do likewise, since they have so much cool stuff available.

Don't get me wrong.....I've no doubt you're absolutely sincere in your awareness and activism when it comes to environmental matters, and that you genuinely care about such matters as degradation of the environment, destruction of open land, water pollution, and urban sprawl. I'm positive your feelings about these matters are heartfelt and sincere.

Except when your convictions interfere with the opportunity to buy cheap crabmeat and shrimp for your trail dinners.

Then I guess a little bit of sprawl is a good thing, eh?

I couldn't agree with this statement more, Jack. People who shop or advertise for Wal-Mart have no room to talk about sprawl.

Some people are full of talk, others action. It's nice and easy to sit back and be a critic, but when you have to look for a local alternative store, maybe spend a couple dollars more (which will STAY in your community), or chop your own wood (one of my favorite metaphors), that's when you start seeing what people are really made of.

I am not attacking you, R n R, but i mean this in a general sense, because I hear people engage in fantasy activism all the time and it makes me sick. Please take no offense. We all have our own faults and many are not really educated about how Wal-mart and other similar corporations destroy local cultures and environments.

It's called integrity.

[Tha Wookie]

Oh, yeah I forgot to stay on topic.


Bumblebee tuna and Starkist are identified by the Monterey Bay Aquarium (2004 display) as brands to boycot because they use nets that capture and kill all kinds of animals, such as sea turtles, other species of fish, whales, and dolphins (but you already knew that).

They had a display that showed all the good brands and bad brands. The bad ones were, I'm sorry to say, the ones at the common markets (cheaper process; costs less than removing other creatures or using smaller nets). I know they all say "dolphin safe" on them, but that's not entirely true, and many other animals die in them, including endangered turtles.

I'm not saying don't eat them, just sharing something i learned. Make up your own mind. But if you do, don't buy them at Wal-mart for America's sake!

[Mags]

Everybody's sick of it. Let's talk about shrimp and crab!

OK. TWo things I miss about my homestate : Good pizza (see the best northeast pizaa thread) and fresh seafood. Mmmmm

Going back to visit in about a month. Clamcakes and "chowda"..here I come.

(Will not be buying this food at XYZMart, I promise!)

[treetrunks]

You know I agree with every bad thing said about Walmart and Bumblebee and Star-Kist, and these things apply to other companies; the list is endless. The problem I have is where does it stop. Should I have a list of products and stores to boycott? Does boycotting really change much?



I really hate the whole concept of the Wal-Mart’s; I would always prefer to do business with the small Mom and Pop stores that are being pushed out. I don't mind spending a little more, but apparently the draw for the big department stores is price and one stop shopping. It's hard to fight.



Tuna: I found this link to Dave’s Tuna, http://www.davesalbacore.com/categorylist.aspx?CategoryID=23

Never bought any but it does look interesting.

[Jack Tarlin]

Wookie:

I eat a lot of tunafish but I didn't know about Bumblebee and Starkist; thank you for sharing this information.

And Wolf:

Sorry, but yet again you're saying things here that aren't true; I didn't raise the unfortunate subject of Mr. Doyle on this thread. It was, in fact, your dear friend Mr. Lincoln who did. Have a nice day.

[Jack Lincoln]

I am not a "dear friend" or whatever.... I love your evaluations of some of our values. You are always right on the money.

Actually, I have not seen Lone Wolf for at least 13 years,

Whatever> I love you all and wish only the best for al of you as this year ends and our next one begins

I love you all..

[Jack Tarlin]

Actually, JL, sometimes I think you ARE Lone Wolf.

In any case, Merry Christmas to both of you.

[Lone Wolf]

Buz off, Jack. Merry xmas

[Jack Tarlin]

And I think that proves it!

[JimM]

Everybody's sick of it. Let's talk about shrimp and crab!

What he said.....only a little more so today.
Jim

[screwysquirrel]

Hey squirrel, why do you say Warren is a parasite on the AT? Do you have the balls to say that to his face or are you like the rest of the tough guys around here?

Sure I would, LW. And if you ran a operation like he does I would say the same about you to your face in Damascus. And by the way, to all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years.

[Lone Wolf]

What operation are you referring to?

[screwysquirrel]

What operation are you referring to?

If you don't know I'm not gonna tell ya.

[Lone Wolf]

You can't tell me cuz you don't know what you're talking about. There is no "operation".

[Skeemer]

I know I'll probably piss off both sides but the low prices at stores like Wal-Mart have done a lot to bring some semblance of quality of life to the lower class worker who gets by pay check to pay check. When I've shopped there, many, if not most, of the customers appear to be the "average Joe" who needs to stretch every dollar as far as he can. Sure, Wal-Mart could build their stores in delapidated downtown areas and pay full benefits and high wages, but it would no longer be able to keep prices that attracts their customer base. So what's more important to the average Joe...getting by as comfortably as he can, or saving a field with a few trees.

It pisses us off because our quality of life clashes with theirs. We love the outdoors and hate anyone who threatens it. It doesn't mean they should be able to run rough shod over the environment. They must operate within the law. We need strong envirnonmental laws to protect as much of the "wild" as we can.

You can debate it forever. Sure everyone could do more to preserve the environment. But, as long as the human race keeps multiplying and people have to find food, clothing and shelter, it is inevitable they will continue to infringe on the environment.

[Blue Jay]

Great post, Skeemer.

[Tha Wookie]

I know I'll probably piss off both sides but the low prices at stores like Wal-Mart have done a lot to bring some semblance of quality of life to the lower class worker who gets by pay check to pay check. When I've shopped there, many, if not most, of the customers appear to be the "average Joe" who needs to stretch every dollar as far as he can. Sure, Wal-Mart could build their stores in delapidated downtown areas and pay full benefits and high wages, but it would no longer be able to keep prices that attracts their customer base. So what's more important to the average Joe...getting by as comfortably as he can, or saving a field with a few trees.

It pisses us off because our quality of life clashes with theirs. We love the outdoors and hate anyone who threatens it. It doesn't mean they should be able to run rough shod over the environment. They must operate within the law. We need strong envirnonmental laws to protect as much of the "wild" as we can.

You can debate it forever. Sure everyone could do more to preserve the environment. But, as long as the human race keeps multiplying and people have to find food, clothing and shelter, it is inevitable they will continue to infringe on the environment.

A warming analysis, Skeemer, but the "average Joe" used to be able to make his own dollar in most places without the help of giant corporations. In fact, if Average Joe wanted to, he could open up a vaccum store, or a small general store, or a clothing store, or a picture frame store, or a furniture store, or a music store, or a hunting store, or a sports store, or a plant nursery, or a bike store, or a toy store, or a produce stand, or a book store, or whatever the hell else he wanted to do to make his own dollar, instead of worrying how long he can stretch his corporate allowance. He used to have time to garden and herd some cows, and can food for the winter. He used to be able to buy a quart-sized jar of pickles, but now has to settle for a gallon (under the illusion that he's "stretching" his dollar because he gets more to eat).

The truth is, any defense anyone somes up for Wal-Mart is the brainwashing spoonfed arguement that filters down to the sorry customers. If you and other people, who shop there, would wake up and see American roots culture and environment eroding into the foul corporate river, you might be less inclined to support the beast of babylon.

But once people get invested, most are too weak to face the truth.

The good news is Wal-Mart and similar stores aren't everywhere yet (YET). People MUST stand up to them! Save your town!

[grrickar]

It's not just Wal Mart, it is any big chain store - Home Depot, Lowes, malls, grocery stores, etc. Cities and towns are expanding at a much larger rate than they ever have before, and the shocking thing that I see happening is that a store will open in a particular part of town, then close the doors on that store a year or two later and build another brand new store not a mile away. Meanwhile the old building sits empty, then eventually becomes more of an eyesore than it was in the first place. All of the big chains stores are guilty of that.

Another trend I see in the South is this: a family has 300 acres of farm land that they have farmed for at least the last 40 years, then the older generation of that family passes away, and the children (who likely went to college and have careers) sell the land rather than farm it themselves, and the next thing you know a real estate developer has bought it, subdivided it, and a housing subdivision goes up. I have lived in the same place for 32 years, and I see it happening at a much faster rate than ever.

[Blue Jay]

The truth is, any defense anyone somes up for Wal-Mart is the brainwashing spoonfed arguement that filters down to the sorry customers. If you and other people, who shop there, would wake up and see American roots culture and environment eroding into the foul corporate river, you might be less inclined to support the beast of babylon.

I would love to agree with you on this one and in the past I did. The fact is the Beast of Babylon has won. In most places in my state, the mom and pop places are years gone. You can choose between Walmart, or another multinational such as Target (who is just as bad) or mail order/internet. Buying something sight unseen is a huge problem, let alone trusting you could return it if it sucks, which it often does. I hate to tell you this but American culture is a contradiction in terms, it's clearly now corporate culture. They own us. Should you fight this if you have a chance, yesyesyes, but you have to face the fact that most people do not have a choice, nor care. I would love to be a Polyanna and stop the massive Walmart abuses, but clearly that is like keeping your sand castle from the rising tide. We are fungus on an orange, accept it and try to hold on to what we have left. That fight has been lost.

[Lone Wolf]

Hey Wook, are you using a homemade puter or you using a corporate made Dell, Gateway or whatever? Don't be a hypocrite. You're part of the problem too.