The Beauty In Wal-Mart

Waldemart Watch

2007-07-20T17:44:00.000-04:00

Charkee just showed me this funny Harry Potter spoof put out by Wal-Mart Watch, in keeping with the insanity that will ensue for many tomorrow at Wal-Mart and other stores over the new book. Relates nicely to a previous submission, too!

Day Light

2007-06-19T19:13:00.000-04:00

My local Wal-Mart keeps the lights in its parking lot on all day. This way they don't have to remember to turn them on at night, I suppose. I always assumed big parking lots like that had sensors that would trigger when it got to a certain level of darkness, but it was nice and sunny when I last saw the halogens competing with the sun. Funny, huh?

-Michelle Collins

Wal-Mart Blues from the Leftist Marching Band

2007-06-14T21:55:00.001-04:00

Just received a music submission, and it's pretty great. Included with the submission: My name is Charkee and I've been Wal-Mart free for 2 years and 344 days. This is my story.

Download the mp3 by clicking here.

And be sure to check out their website, www.leftistmarchingband.org, which has more songs and information about the group. As they put it: The Leftist Marching Band is a group of adults who support political issues that some folks would call liberal.

Love it.

Val-demart

2007-06-14T09:13:00.000-04:00

Great cartoon spoofing Harry Potter from Lajla LeBlanc:

Really cool artwork. Check out Lajla's website at www.lajlaphoto.com

The Beauty in Wal-Mart, by Angella Sanderson

2007-06-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

I worked at Wal-mart for four years and even though one Store Manager made my life miserable and harassed me to a point of feeling the "need" to fire me, I would go back in a heartbeat.

I had several lawyers approach me on trying to sue Wal-Mart for discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination, but I did not want to help one of those people to try to make an easy buck against a major conglomerate like Wal-Mart.

Reason it out: if Wal-Mart was a private corporation with 500 or less employees they could afford to pay higher rates of pay, they could afford to pay more for the insurances that are needed by their employees. Consider the health coverage costs of the American people and then consider how many associates are employed by Wal-Mart, are there health insurance rates REALLY unreasonable? I don’t think so.

What other company can offer such a diverse range of positions? There is never a standstill in the Wal-Mart corporate ladder except by the individual. You can move up, down, sideways or out; it all depends on you. Think about it, what company doesn't have its problems? Is the company you work for perfect? Think about it, hasn't Wal-Mart done their best to correct any and all problems brought to light? I know I just received a check as well as my husband for past due bonuses, wages and the like. I haven't worked at Wal-Mart in over 3 years, isn't that still taking care of an employee even after termination?

What does Wal-Mart do for us everyday? Where else can you go and find any item under the sun for FEWER THAN 20 BUCKS? Now Wal-Mart is trying to improve their appearances and clothing lines to make a more appealing, up-beat clothing line and they are getting crap for it. Why? Are other companies feeling threatened? Why does Wal-Mart have such a bad name? Is it because they have adapted to this disposable society? Think about it, isn’t that what the world has become, DISPOSABLE? Disposable cameras, disposable diapers, disposable mop heads?

Who shops at Wal-Mart? The elderly. Why? Because with health care costs, cut pension plans, cut social security, they can afford Wal-Mart. Go to your local drugstore and price a bottle of children’s aspirin, a growing number of older Americans take this, now go to Wal-Mart and price that same brand, what did you find? 2, 3 maybe even 4 dollars cheaper? Wouldn’t you buy the same brand for 2 dollars cheaper if you could knowing that 2 dollars could go to your heating bill this winter? You may be saying what is 2 dollars, do this weekly times 52 you have 104 dollars, do this item by item that you buy weekly and you are looking at 500-1000 dollars by years end. Who can’t use 500-1000 dollars? How much do you want to bet that Donald Trump shops at Wal-Mart? Why? Because it makes economical sense in this time of rising gas prices, car payments, mortgage payments.

College students. Do you have them? Where are you going to go to buy your college student a new bed set, pots, pans, toilet bowl cleaners, etc., that you know is going to be abused by the end of the semester? I know I sure as heck am not going to the expensive boutiques to buy the high quality items that are probably going to be lost, torn, burnt, destroyed, used as candle holders, have burnt popcorn or whatever else only you who have had college dorm-livers know what I am talking about happen to them.

This by far is NOT saying that Wal-Mart carries crap, if you are willing to spend a little more Wal-Mart can accommodate you on this as well. They have high end items as well as low end. They have price ranges for all.

Wal-Mart will also, and I am speaking from personal experience, do what they can to try to make sure you leave happy if you for any reason are unhappy with an item purchased. They will do their best to either give you a gift card, exchange for the same or better, or find you something comparable in a near store.

Wal-Mart has a bad rap. Wal-Mart has also created many, many, many jobs for the disabled and given much to the community. We all seem to be so busy finding fault with the multi-billion dollar corporation that we OVERlook the good they are doing. Earth day, Children’s’ Miracle Network, Associates in Need, United Way, to name a few.

Look at it this way and look around where you work, EVERY company, in EVERY state, in EVERY town, in EVERY country has someone who is an unhappy, looking to make a buck, ungrateful, inconsiderate, uncaring, self-centered, gossipy, always bad mouthing someone or something person who can speak LONG AND LOUD enough to make any company look bad. We live in an imperfect society and no matter how perfect you may think you are, the sad sad reality is YOU AREN'T, I'm not, and neither is Wal-mart.

Wal-Mart does what it can to correct the situations created by disgruntled, unhappy, looking to make a buck people, AND does its best to make sure it doesn't happen again. This is not to say that the person who slipped and fell on ice and broke a hip doesn't have a right to be angry or upset or get compensation for their injuries, but I am sure if you went in and asked the Store Manager to pay your bills because you slipped in fell on ice not salted at HIS/HER store he/she would do their best to make sure you left happy.

Wal-Mart requires all associates take OWNERSHIP for their areas and managers take OWNERSHIP of their stores. The Wal-Mart that I worked in and the ones that I visited while an associate definitely took ownership of their stores and worked QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY to make any all problems right.

Wal-Mart is going to be around forever no matter what bad is going to be said. We should all learn to live with Wal-Mart and come to see it as a place that hold many opportunities for the retail world, job world and charity world. If you can't seem to put your arms around Wal-Mart then there are competitors for you, but you are missing out on a company that every time it speaks with its vendors is looking to get the best deal possible for its customers.

Wall-Mart

2007-05-21T10:59:00.001-04:00

My mother found this old cartoon from November, giving us another new perspective on the store:

Wal-Mart's New Strategy, comedy from Baratunde Thurston

2007-05-14T11:30:00.000-04:00

I just received this funny submission from a stand up comic, Baratunde Thurston. May not be suitable for younger audiences.

Visit Baratunde's website by clicking here.

The Customer Store, by Mark Lorusso

2007-05-14T09:07:00.000-04:00

I live in Las Vegas. When people think about Vegas, they think any thing anytime, which is true. Whether I want to buy a ham sandwich or rent a tuxedo I can no matter what time of day or night. If I feel like going shopping at 2AM I just drive to Wal-Mart. There is almost everything I need, food clothes, tools and auto maintenance supplys. I have been to at least six different Wal-Marts here in town and the employees were always friendly and courteous. One of my biggest gripes about other stores is if I ask a sales person a question sometimes their reply is “I have no idea.” When I ask a sales person at Wal-Mart something, if they don’t know the answer they will say “I don’t know, but I will get who can help you.”

That is one of the main reasons I shop there, besides the great prices! Sam Walton really struck a chord with the consumer when he started Wal-Mart; he must of had the average shopper in mind. In most families today both the husband and wife work, and they sometimes still have trouble keeping afloat.

After working a good 8 to 10 hours, they don’t look forward to going from store to store for milk, shoes and prescriptions. Thanks to Sam’s idea they can go to one store and still get home in time for dinner.

Here in Vegas we have some of the most expensive stores in the world. They cater to people who do not care about how much things cost. In fact sometimes they deliberately over pay just as a status symbol. Of course this is a small group, but it is an example of how important a store with great prices and service is needed for myself and others.

Lower prices are not Wal-Mart's only concern. The environment is high on their agenda to serve the customer better. In some stores they are partnering with companies like GE to help slow global warming by selling compact fluorescent bulbs. They have set up areas to help the consumer understand how by using these types of bulbs, they save money and help the environment at the same time.

Wal-Mart has found a way to do something that is very difficult in the business world, that is to charge customers a fair price for items that they need, help the world and still make a profit. Some people do not like the “Big Box” stores, but in today’s economy it works.

Thanks Be To Wal-Mart

2007-05-12T09:17:00.000-04:00

It was just a year ago when my sugar levels were out of control. I saved enough to visit the doctor and have the blood work done. It wasn’t long before I ran short on money and couldn’t afford my medicines. I went a few months without my medicine when I read that Wal-Mart had generic drugs for $4.00. I went to their website and printed up their list of available generic drugs and scheduled a drug consult with my physician.

I told my doctor of my dilemma and asked if he could arrange my treatment around the printed drug list I had with me. Well, he did. I now have four of my prescriptions at the low price I can afford. While I still struggle to stay on all of the prescribed medicines because of money, I have to think of where I would be right now without Wal-Mart.

Terry Holt

Wal-Mart Workers Association

2007-05-11T16:52:00.000-04:00

I just found a site with personal stories from Wal-Mart employees. Seems like the perfect kind of thing for me to link to: Walmartwork.org. Click on "Stories" to read about a few people.

Here's an example:

My name is Shirley Mack
I have been at Wal-Mart 1 year. I have been a door greeter and now I work in the deli. I join this organization to better Wal-Mart and tell other associates about Wal-Mart Workers Association because other associates have a lot of fear. When you walk in to go to work in Wal-Mart you never know if you're still hired or fired. The open-door policy is like the open and shut policy. I was hurt on the job when a rotisserie pan fell on my leg and foot. I hop around and it still hurts. Wal-Mart picked the doctors and they say nothing is wrong so Workman's Compensation won't pay anymore.

Blessed Art Thou, by Kate Kretz

2007-05-11T15:28:00.000-04:00

I came across a talented artist just now, Kate Kretz. She has a painting called "Blessed Art Thou," which is a commentary on the deification of celebrities by the public. The setting of the piece is a Wal-Mart. Ms. Kretz's reason: "I chose a setting where the cycle begins, creating an oppressive psychological space where the consumer is driven to reach for the tabloid, hungry for 'information' about the celebrity's private life."

See the painting, and more on what Ms. Kretz was thinking, here.

Poetry as an alternative

2007-05-10T00:18:00.000-04:00

I found this on some kind of forum hosted by the University at Buffalo, and loved it:

Each WalMart greeter should read a poem to her/his customer as they come through the door and get their carts. Maybe a broadside poem on the cart as well or in place of the greeting reading. - Gene

A Public Service Announcement from Christine Stoddard

2007-05-06T11:37:00.000-04:00

DO YOU SUFFER FROM SUPERCENTER SYNDROME?

The shelves and shelves of cheaper than cheap bags of candy in
radioactive colors. The inevitable fluorescent lights drawing
attention to garishly cut clothes in giant discount piles. The nearly
free toilet paper stacked next to bargain books and oversized reading
glasses, as if the three things were inseparable soul mates. And worst
of all, the insane asylum white walls. In fact, they might as well
truck you over to an insane asylum now because if you stay here an
hour longer, you'll go crazy.

But where are you? What place could be so shamelessly ridden with
tacky Taiwanese merchandise and the eerie charm of hospital decor?

Only a Wal-mart Supercenter---and, if you don't leave now, you'll
catch Supercenter Syndrome, the fastest growing epidemic in the
country that is also the most incurable. Once victimized by
Supercenter Syndrome, a person can never recover.

One of the reasons why Supercenter Syndrome is so incurable is because
it is so new and so rampant. Doctors didn't begin diagnosing this
disease until Wal-marts started springing up in every town in America
about ten years ago. What started as a quaint five-and-dime store in
Arkansas during the 1970's has quickly become a haunting beacon of
capitalism, plaguing everyone from bored housewives to Congressmen.
Lured in by the great deals and consistent jaw-dropping prices, even
the scientists researching cures for Supercenter Syndrome often caught
the illness themselves. This happened so frequently that funding for
research died years ago.

Even if the cure remains unknown, however, this is clear: the symptoms
of Supercenter Syndrome are easily detectable. Here are the gruesome
signs you should watch out for in your friends and loved ones:

*Unusually dilated pupils, probably from exposure to all the bright lights
*Painfully wide grins, most likely attributed to the ultra-low prices
on everything from dog socks to chainsaws
*Owning a wardrobe full of hideously unflattering clothes that could
have only been bought at Wal-mart, including, but not limited to, huge
stripes, bad tailoring, ugly colors, frumpy fabrics, etc.
*Heavy bags under the eyes due to a lack of sleep from all the time
spent shopping at Wal-mart
*Greasy hair as a result prioritizing trips to Wal-mart over taking showers
*Fanned-out ears adapted to hearing Wal-mart intercom announcements of
sales and clearance items
*Flat feet due to constant walking up and down Wal-mart aisles

As more and more Wal-mart Supercenters sprout up, fewer and fewer
Americans are safe from the deadly disease that hits loyal shoppers.
But just because a Supercenter has popped up in your town doesn't mean
you have to be a helpless victim. There ARE other stores you and your
family can visit. Of course, don't assume that because Wal-mart hasn't
invaded your town yet that you're completely immune to the disease,
either. Like any successful parasite, Wal-mart has a way of creeping
up on the most unsuspecting of customers.

Super WalMart Man, by Steven Bowers

2007-04-30T10:11:00.000-04:00

I found a poem on SmilePop.com. Here's the first stanza:

I was working at a local WalMart Store
You know, A " One Stop Shop For All "
I was searching for the girl of my dreams
And I didn't have far to fall

Read the rest here. It's fun.

"Wal-Mart Is Beautiful"

2007-04-22T20:42:00.000-04:00

email submission:

Wal-Mart's stock allowed me to purchase a home for my
grandchild and, now that I am retired, I shop there
every week to pass it on to the next generation.

A few words

2007-04-19T10:17:00.000-04:00

My uncle calls it "the devil's playground" - Lia Marchand

Taken from the Facebook group, which is open to the public.

The Art and Ethics of Stealing From Smiley, by Josh Benson

2007-04-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

DISCLAIMER; This piece is intended for entertainment purposes only. It is not recommended that any persons reading the article take any of the suggestions expressed in the article itself. The views expressed by the author do not reflect the views of the website in which this article is published.

Shoplifting from a Wal-Mart does not meet most people’s personal criteria, however, for any logical, tax paying, law abiding citizen of the United States, this statement remains very true.

The reasons to steal from a Wal-Mart are convincing to say the least. In fact, they may even encourage you to take back what’s yours. You will find that you will be in a Wal-Mart store soon enough, with those extremely fun first rising vibes of a law breaking excitement building in your gut, like when you were a kid or pre-teen. Remember the feeling? Throwing that first egg at a house, or maybe the first time you slashed a tire and made a run for it. This time will be different because even if you get caught, you will feel justified, the punishments brought down on you will feel like a victory call telling the Wal-Mart that you are not afraid of those limey bastards! Then again, you may feel none of that intensity from this article at all.

Clearly, I am not one who sees this as a mere petty attempt at obtaining what you want, the idea that shoplifting from Wal-Mart can be seen as a call to arms against the ugly foe that is present before us. Not to mention the well deserved treasure of items awaiting willing hands at the nearest Wal-Mart.

Here is the issue that Walmart presents, by which our government is very aware seeing how this comes from a report done by the Democratic Staff Of The Committee On Education And The Workforce, in 2004:

ONE WALMART STORE COSTS TAX PAYERS $420,750 per year.
HERES HOW THEY DO IT....

-$36,000 a year for free and reduced lunches for just 50 qualifying Wal-Mart families.

$42,000 a year for low-income housing assistance.

$125,000 a year for federal tax credits and deductions for low-income families.

$100,000 a year for the additional expenses for programs for students.

$108,000 a year for the additional federal health care costs of moving into state children's health insurance programs (S-CHIP)

$9,750 a year for the additional costs for low income energy assistance.

This information would make it seem as though Wal-Mart is government institution. Just like a government agency, tax payers are dishing out their earnings for Wal-Mart employee health care, food, utilities and rent. Think of Wal-Mart as being called The Federal Department of the Wal-Mart, sort of an off shoot of the US Department of the Treasury and the IRS. In a round about kind of a way, this means;

THE GOVERNMENT IS NOW TAKING CARE OF US!!

Do the math; with $420,750 worth of merchandise available at each Wal-Mart and with the 3700 Wal-Marts located everywhere across the US of A; that's $1,556,775,000 of your needs taken care of, all you have to do is go and pick it up.

Perhaps treat your local Wal-Mart like your pantry, or hall closet. You deserve it, paying as much as $50 on taxes that ultimately go towards health care and government welfare programs, that should well constitute your share in the hygienic/snacking needs department. Need some deodorant? While you’re on the way toward the personal hygiene kingdom, which most likely constitutes an area larger than your home, stop by and pick up a bag of chips on the way, maybe even a delicious bottle of apple juice.

Still not feeling it? Wal-Mart as a company pulled in a new sales record of $312 Billion, and took away $11.2 Billion net profits for 2005. And believe me, it’s not as though that money sees very much good in the world. Neither from its heirs, its corporate officers or as a company itself. Here are some numbers that will make looting a Wal-Mart feel very justified.

A) The WALTON FAMILY* Has Given LESS THAN 1% of Their
Wealth to Charity

*Bill Gates has given 58%

B) A WAL-MART Worker may donate money from their paycheck to the CRITICAL
NEED FUND, a program to aid other employees in times of crisis, like a fire or tornado.

In 2004, WAL-MART Employees gave OVER $5 MILLION to help fellow workers
The Walton Family gave $6,000

C) Wal-Mart officially states that the typical Supercenter raises gives $30,000 to $50,000 a year to local charitable needs ranging from youth programs to literacy councils.

"That's because most [fundraisers and] gifts are tiny: thousands or even hundreds of dollars to churches and Lion’s clubs and Boys and Girls clubs... such gifts are often followed by demands for public subsidies and tax breaks. "(Liza Featherstone, "On The Wal-Mart Money Trail,", The Nation, November 21, 2005.)

In the coming five years, the Wal-Mart health care crisis has an estimated growth of over $2 billion a year by 2010, costing American taxpayers an estimated $9.1 billion over those next five years. Take into account Wal-Mart's publicly stated goal of expanding by 1,500 new stores, the lack of governmental aide in busting up Wal-Mart like a modern day Standard Oil and the apparent blindness of public awareness, the pantry's door is wide open, take full advantage.

As long as the Walton family owns 36% of the world’s largest and most profitable retail corporation, they will continue to be worth at and above a collective $90.8 Billion. With this kind of scrilla lying about, don't start thinking that there isn't a war going between the aristocracy of America's extremely wealthy and the middle class. So if it’s war the Waltons want, it will be war the Waltons get.

An honest cartoon by Michelle Gobert

2007-04-16T18:44:00.000-04:00

Michelle is a member of the Facebook group Americans against the Wal-Martization of the Economy. If you have a Facebook account, you can join or read more about it here.

Rollback, by Elizabeth Gartley

2007-04-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

One afternoon in early March, Emily “Action” Adkins (named such for her ongoing series of Action Challenges) burst into my dorm room in southern Holland proclaiming:

“I have fantastic news! There are no fewer than ninety-two Wal-Mart Supercenters in Germany!” She closed her eyes for emphasis.

Indeed, according to the Wal-Mart.com website, although there are various Wal-Mart Supercenters in Canada, the UK, Asia, and even South America, Germany is the only country in the European Union which contains Wal-Mart stores of any kind.[1] There was no hesitations of “would we or wouldn’t we?” the only real question was which one?

Upon further investigation, we found that there was, indeed, a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Berlin—on Karl Marx Street.

A few short weeks later, Emily, myself, and two other of our American girlfriends were riding along the Berlin underground headed towards Wal-Mart. When we finally reached our stop and stepped out of the underground, the weather was unwelcoming: hazy and wet, windy and cold with big snow—the big sticky flakes that don’t collect, they just melt when they hit the ground.

We walked a few hundred yards, through the slush and past Döner Kebab stands, thrift stores and the Karl Marx shop, and then all of the sudden, there it was: far in the distance through the haze and snow that big blue block-letter logo. The triumph of the American Empire and all it stands for: capitalism, consumerism, commercialism. A Wal-Mart Supercenter in East Berlin, on Karl Marx Street no less, what sort of sick individual could possibly come up with something so beautiful? Some fat American greedhead with a twisted sense of humor, or maybe it was just fate, after all, could someone at Wal-Mart headquarters really appreciate this brand of irony? East Berlin (with a little help from some American experts) gives old Karl Marx one final giant middle-finger and lets him know just exactly where he can shove his Manifesto.

Damn, I wonder how to say “Rollback” in German.

We approached, and just as it couldn’t possibly get any better, there’s a McDonald’s inside. Hell, why not?

Upon entry, we saw that East Berlin Wal-Mart was lacking in that shiny, glossed-over kitsch class our American Wal-Mart stores have patented. The products were all the same, but the atmosphere was somehow different. It was subtle, but it didn’t seem so seamless. Maybe it was the floor—not bright and glistening white, but rather slightly scuffed and dirtied with the dried mud and slush people had tracked in on their feet. Overall, it felt more like one of those discount outlet stores that have to cut the Gap and Old Navy labels off so people don’t return them to the store for full price. A J. C. Penny pantsuit for two dollars, Levi’s for five.

The story felt empty, and there was no greeter and there were no sales associates roaming around pretending to be busy and helpful.

In an article that appeared in TIME a few years back, Bill Saporito wrote that while the Wal-Mart expansion had taken off in Mexico and China with great success, the German market wasn’t so welcoming. While Wal-Mart’s international division tried to “culturalize” their German managers, “German shoppers found Wal-Mart door greeters appalling and they regarded the ever helpful clerks as an intrusion on their private space.”[2]

Once inside we decided that since we certainly wanted to hit everything, the best Plan of Action was to start on the outer edge and make an inward spiral. Once we reached the inner-sanctum, we were led downstairs on some hybrid of escalator and moving sidewalk. It looked like maybe it was once an escalator—the same grated teethed sections, but rather than move apart to create stairs, they create a gradual slant downwards into the underbelly of the store, the grocery section. This is all so you can take your shopping cart down with you. The shoppers on the top level were sparse; the grocery store seems to be the main attraction. A young father heads down with his small daughter in his cart, a gray-haired lady and her adult daughter move down both holding onto their cart.

Ever since Wal-Mart introduced groceries to its stores in 1986, more of the available shoppers show up, so each store requires a smaller area to support it. Groceries have proved a powerful weapon in squashing the competition.[3]

As none of us found browsing groceries terribly interesting, we eventually grew hungry, weary and bored. We all decided it was time to wrap this adventure up. As we passed through the check-out, the girls contemplated and discussed the contradictory existence of the Milky Way bar despite the obvious presence of the Mars Bar. As we left, we grabbed some Wal-Mart flyers and exited into the cold, in search of food and shelter.

Now, I resent the hell out of the Wal-Mart in my own town, so sure, maybe there is some bad karma involved with traveling halfway across the world to visit a Wal-Mart store in a place that once represented the very heart of communism. But seriously, of all the places I’ve been in my life, I think that the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Karl Marx Street in East Berlin ranks among the highest in terms of bad karma—but I guess that was the point, wasn’t it?

[1] www.walmartstores.com
[2] Saporito, Bill. “Can Wal-Mart Get Any Bigger?” TIME, 13 January, 2003.
[3] Saporito, Bill. “Can Wal-Mart Get Any Bigger?” TIME, 13 January, 2003.

photo credit: Emily Adkins

A Friend Of Teachers

2007-04-11T15:24:00.000-04:00

Public school teachers get paid so little, yet have to spend so much for classroom supplies because the admin. wastes taxpayer money before it gets to teachers or students. As a teacher, I have often had to buy supplies for myself and my students. Nowhere can you get cheaper school supplies during sales than Wal Mart. A box of 24 crayons for 10 cents! Elmer's glue for 9 cents! spiral notebooks for 10 cents! Last year, I was able to supply a class of 30 kids with everything they need for less than $25. That's insane. Wal Mart is a wonderful friend to teachers!

-Matt Moskal

1979 to now

2007-04-11T10:45:00.000-04:00

Taken from a Wal-Mart manager's post on my Wake-Up Wal-Mart thread.

I maried my highschool sweetheart in 1979 after graduating and had a good job untill I was laid off. I had a wife, new child, new car, new house,and no job. I stopped by WalMart 362 in Winfield Al. and was hired the same day to start pushing carts making $3.75. I went from making $13.80 in my hold job to pushing carts for $3.75 but I was thankfull I had a job. I learned about Sam and Bud and how this was a great company and I worked my hardest. I was promoted to cashier, then Customer Service Manager, then my old job called me back making the same $13.80 paycheck. I went back but I did not quit at WalMart because of how impressed I was with the company and how the manager tried to tell me about my future. I worked both jobs for a while then asked Continental Conveyor to lay me off again so I would not have to quit. My manager at WalMart promoted me to a department manager and now after 23 years of hard work I am a Supercenter manager. My daughter just graduated the university of Alabama.I can never pay back this great company for what they did for me and my family.I love WalMart, and I am WalMart. Thank you Sam I can never repay you.

The Real Receipt From Shopping At Wal-Mart, by David A.

2007-04-06T20:46:00.000-04:00

Wal-Mart Image

2007-04-03T14:23:00.000-04:00

Wal-Mart is a struggling person's best friend, a rebirth of the American Way!

This is my view of Wal-Mart. I really am unemployed and Wal-Mart has saved me from starvation. I had to resort to cleaning houses for extra cash and the products at Wal-Mart made it affordable for me to do my job and gain what I spent in multiple amounts back! The tears in my eyes were wiped off by Wal-Mart, I never thought I would come to love this place that I used to see only as a landmark!

Thanks Wal-Mart.

Unemployment gives you a nightmare, and only Wal-Mart has been there for me.

- I. Duran

More from Ryan Coleman's "You Are What You Eat"

2007-03-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

Possibly Embarassing Audio

2007-03-29T16:44:00.000-04:00

I realized today that in my past there was a song recorded concerning Wal-Mart.

"Go To Wal-Mart" [mp3]

Happy Customer

2007-03-29T14:54:00.000-04:00

anonymous submission:
I love wal*mart it is my favorite store. I am there almost everyday and love being there. the people are so sweet and i have never had any problem getting any assistance or with any product. They have many diverse people working in my local wal*mart, men, woman, the disabled, and so many more that come from many different walks of life. I guess what i'm trying to say is that wal*mart may be just a store but to me when i walk in those doors i feel more at home than any other place i have shopped. They make you feel comfortable and at ease while trying to get your errands done.

Don't Drop the Soap, by Lauren May

2007-03-28T16:38:00.000-04:00

Go to Wal-Mart for a bar of soap, and somewhere else for something that lasts.

There are not many choices when you are broke. A multi-billion dollar company with equal profits has a nice ability to keep the prices down. All the while the store across the street that sells for a dollar more goes out of business and a new “Wal-Mart family” is born. We love to scream about the economy and how badly we need more low paying jobs for our starving illegal-immigrant workers. We then forget that so many of us shoppers actually make as much if not a little less. And we petition new construction sites, saying that they will destroy our neighborhoods, only to stand in self-checkout lines as soon as they open; fuming, looking desperately for assistance when they never work.

And we always say that we are fighting the enemy, and that the world needs one less corporate entity, but in a world that runs on clearance sales, we are all our own worst enemies. But the soap we buy comes buy one get one free, and that is the beauty of selling souls cheap.

A few more sentences

2007-03-27T20:38:00.000-04:00

I seriously can't think of anywhere else to shop.

I hate working at Wal-Mart.

I am there almost everyday and I love it.

A Super Wal-Mart opening near me is the most terrifying thing I can imagine.

Wal-Mart wasn't a big deal before...

if wal mart could do drugs, what drug would it do?

I just want to say thanks to everyone who has contributed so far! I'm glad there has been such a diverse range of submissions. And anyone can submit in response to anything here, just put "re: [post title]" in the submission. See submission guidelines here. Thanks!

You Are What You Eat, by Ryan Coleman

2007-03-27T18:31:00.000-04:00

Deleted Scenes

2007-03-27T18:04:00.000-04:00

taken from a response to my thread on the forum for WakeUpWalmart.com

Behind every Wal Mart Associate, is a story. A sad one at that. Not all are sad, but many are. I've talked to Associates many times, and I ask them, how do you like your job, most say Wal Mart sucks. Most hate it. Many long term associates wish they could retire, but can't. Many are very poor, many are hurting, many are on some kind of public assistance. Most are in debt and live in poor neighboorhoods. Most are below poverty level So, next time you buy that product made in China, which by the way, has cost you or your neighboor there job, and you go to the check out, remember that most workers at Wal Mart are suffering some kind of hardship, whether it be an economic issue, a job loss issue, a child issue or just a plain old "been at Wal Mart to long issue, or company store issue" just remember that poor Wal MArt associate who has made your shopping experience at Wal Mart a good one., They are suffering! And I'm not talking the ass Kissers like the Assistants, they do O.K. Why because they are the Ass Kissers and they have to look pretty, even though they are ugly on the inside.

Life Savings

2007-03-26T15:47:00.000-04:00

"This is my life savings (so I shop at Wal-Mart)"

Wal-Mart: Always Low, by Ryan Beckmann

2007-03-26T11:10:00.000-04:00

If I were just moving out of a friend or parent’s house while working at Wal-Mart, my life would be pretty bleak. As a full time Wal-Mart employee living in Austin, Texas and earning a salary of $17,118 yearly, I would barely be able to scrape together enough funds in order to get my own place. Even with a $150 kicker, I would barely be able to afford to buy a cheap Wal-Mart pillow to rest my head on. I would have no mattress, no blanket, and no pots, pans, silverware, or dishes. Even Wal-Mart prices would be too expensive. My modest 638 square foot apartment would be utterly bare that first month. I would continue to eke out a living and month by month at least 84% of my take-home income would go towards rent, utilities, food, health care, and a bus pass; the leftover savings might be spent on luxuries like forks, spoons, and knives, pots and pans, or a blanket to keep me warm. If life was extremely favorable I might be able to save up for a mattress; still, that scenario is not likely. Due to laundry, wear and tear of clothes, unexpected illness, and other miscellaneous burdens, any leftover savings would probably disappear quickly.

As a Wal-Mart employee, getting on my feet would be tough to say the least. I would have no comforts of any kind and no funds for entertainment of any kind. In fact, most if not all of the left over savings from each paycheck would probably be used in one form or another to pay for things that many consider to be necessities. After assessing this possibility of earning what the average Wal-Mart employee earns hourly, one might consider the life of such a worker as a struggle to keep his or her head above water.

Upon recognizing that, at the very least, trying to get by as a single person (without responsibilities like school or elderly parents) is incredibly challenging, it is ridiculous to think that one could raise a family with a similar income. Unfortunately, in the United States, a family of four is considered above the poverty line if its total yearly income is just over $19,000 (less than $2,000 more than that of the lowly Wal-Mart employee just addressed). If one can hardly eke out a living by oneself at such an income, how can four people survive? Surely the imaginary line that separates those in poverty from those above poverty is drawn in the wrong place. Surely the definition of poverty in America has become outdated. Raising the poverty line far past such an unlivable wage would be the only way to reflect the true economic realities of many American families.

In her book Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich addresses the issue of a livable wage in America. After finding first-hand that many ‘livable wages’ are unlivable, Ehrenreich realizes that “the problem goes beyond [her] personal failings and miscalculations” (Ehrenreich 2001: 199). Like many sociologists she sees things with a sociological imagination; she doesn’t just take the individual into account, but rather how the larger social forces influence the individual. “When a single person in good health, a person who in addition possesses a working car, can barely support herself by the sweat of her brow,” how can other Americans with unfavorable life chances, more complicated circumstances, and/or families to support eke out a living (Ehrenreich 2001: 199)? The answer is that they cannot. There is a greater dynamic at play, greater than one person or his/her family, when people work that hard just to stay in poverty.

Works Cited

Ehrenreich, Barbara. 2001. Nickel and Dimed. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Spreadsheet:

Wal-Mart: Always Low, by Ryan Beckmann

Rent	$500.00
Utilities	$100.00
Food	$280.00
Transportation	$10.00
Health Care	$125.00

Housing Deposit	$99.00
Utilities Deposit	$235.00

1st Month Total Expenses	$1,349.00
Monthly Take-home Income	$1,212.52
Starting Assets	$150.00

1st Month Leftover Savings	$13.52
Normal Monthly Leftover Savings	$197.52


Monthly Federal Income Tax	$213.98
Yearly Federal Income Tax	$2,567.70

Total Monthly Budget	$1,015.00

Total Yearly Budget	$12,180.00

Untitled Poem by Jana Alibrandi

2007-03-26T10:04:00.000-04:00

Working as a teacher's aide has its perks,
It enables me to assist children with disabilities.
To put myself in their shoes gives me the ability to grasp, attach and embrace their differences.
In knowing this
at the end of my day I feel better knowing I have increased self esteem.
Pleased to have Given to society.
Yet my pay check doesn't get larger in size even after seven years.
Thats why I shop here!
From my low fat crackers and raisin bran,
Or Kellogg's bars to Propel drinks.
I think you have what it takes to make a difference!
Keep up the esteem of your workers!
Don't worry about being different.
Just be able to put your self in everyones shoes!
I know you have!
I know you will!

Sentences

2007-03-25T20:06:00.000-04:00

Here is a collection of sentences taken from responses I got this past week. I will post the longer submissions soon. Thanks for everyone's support. And don't hesitate to send in more sentences, writing and art!

I think Wal-Mart is giving people a second chance at life.

I hate working at Wal-Mart.

The beauty of the machine is that everyday people are contributing to the downfall of society with every penny they feverishly spend there.

wal-mart took my youth and sold it for slash back prices

To me, the best and most beautiful thing about working overnight is just getting off work on a crisp, clear morning and watching the sun come up as I drive home.

many fathom believing it's all blue...

wal-mart is like cigarettes to most people; they know they shouldn't be smoking (or be shopping there), but they do it anyway and still complain.

I believe that if the customers would just look at the person waiting on them they could tell what kind of person they are.

Wal-Mart provides employment for people who generally have a hard time finding employment: older adults who are not considered hirable by many other companies and I have noticed that a fair amount of people I have met in AA work there as well.

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Submission Guidelines

2007-03-24T20:21:00.000-04:00

Send us your stories and feelings about Wal-Mart, based on personal experience. That's all. Do it however you'd like. So far we've had:

-drawings
-essays
-photos
-poetry
-personal narrative
-single sentences
-photoshop projects
-stand-up comic video
-music

Definitely open to all possibilities. It's important that submissions be based at least somewhat on personal experience. This makes things more interesting and much more powerful. See this entry for an idea of what I mean, but don't think that it's the only way to do it, or that supporting Wal-Mart is key. It's really supposed to be about you.

Non-text submissions in jpg format. If it is a written piece, text should either be pasted into email or attached as a pdf or doc file. Avoid anything potentially inappropriate. Be sure to include your name with your submission, unless you would prefer to remain anonymous.

send submissions to:

Thanks so much!