don't buy your christmas ornaments at walmart!

[Mr. Bloom]

To reiterate (in a different way) what others have said with the very harsh, and verbose, business perspective.

Wal-Mart starts by identifying what people will buy and what price they will pay. From that point, their purchasing department works backwards to identify what is available to meet that profile.

Wal-Mart is not in the business of employing underage workers in asian countries. They are in the business of meeting demand for what consumers (that is, "us" - sans much of present company.... ) want. They do that through manufacturers who Wal-mart attempts to screen...sometimes unsuccessfully.

If we don't buy, they don't procure, etc.

Despite my (I'm sorry) pretentious (in hindsight) Waterford post (oops, didn't mean to be pretentious...), we did buy three packs of cheap walmart ornaments a couple weeks ago to replace the very time consuming practice of tying a ribbon to each branch as we have in years past.

Using us as an example, if the $3 ornaments had cost $30, then we would have used alternatives. BUT, the $3 ornaments were available and for $9, we saved hours of 'work' on a year that we didn't have time to dress the tree as we normally would.

So, let's not blame Wal-Mart. As many have said, it is about what WE purchase. If Wal-Mart doesn't do it, someone else will...

Years ago, a local TV station cancelled their news program and fired all the news staff. The newspaper picked up on this with "shame on you, how could you do that" coverage directed at the station owners. It was interesting to hear what the owner said:

• we tried for years to make news work
• it cost us a lot of money
• but we were selling something that the consumers didn't want to buy
• so, we're not going to sell it anymore
• if you don't like what we did, blame it on the people who didn't watch...

Hmmm, the owner had a point...

Sorry for being verbose...

[Trek420]

People who live on the coasts don't understand how much they have available to them, that is not available in flyover country.

...... I bought my house here 3 blocks from downtown, just hoping that gas prices and other economic factors will drive that kind of environment, but so far, not.

Karen

But flyover country (or bike through country ) had downtowns, had community, had small business .... can again.

We are seeing here a subtle "implosion" as everything from vacant lots to abandoned buildings near transit centers and downtown is being renovated. Other cities can do that too. Hope yours does.

When I got dumped and had to find a home PDQ I looked near public transportation. I could have bought a bigger better newer place for less....in Modesto, Stockton, Hercules and spent my days in the car.

This place has been like having another car for me, I can take the bus, BART, Amtrack, or bike all in easy distance.

Forget where I read that cycling one errand a month or was that a week? Anyway it saves you around $1500 a year.

Bless my tiny decrepit but handy to transit home. When the price of gas skyrocketed woah doggies I was thankful to be here.

[Kitsune06]

I'd like to point out that though we'd all like to "pay a little extra" to support local artisans, and despite the fact that we do see our small towns implode , small businesses going under because unless they either cater to a very specific market or have very unique goods, they're sol in the shadow of Wal-Mart and the Fred Meyer/Albertsons conglomerate (they own more than that but I digress) for those reasons, we'd like to "pay a little extra" but it's kind of presumptuous to assume that we *all* can, or to think that it's because of *those* people who shop *there* that we lose small businesses. I know I'm not alone in saying that, honestly, my family back in WI is pretty poor. There are a lot of things they could simply not afford if they needed to go to local shops. Simple things. Clothes, food, etc etc. I say that *I* don't buy at wal-mart, but honestly, everywhere we go, we will be buying things made in china or pakistan by the lowest bidder.

the circle of blame goes 'round and 'round, but if we think of the time when small towns and businesses existed, travel and trade between countries was dramatically less, the 'very poor' did much of their own farming and worked insane amounts of hours to keep their families fed (as they do now) most people owned their homes and it just wasn't feasible to go 15-20 miles to the nearest big town to the big stores except once in a rare while as a treat.

With the growth of the american dream, where we all want all the good things in life that everyone else has, how can we tell people "No, you don't deserve xyz, you don't make enough"? We can't. Thus trade with countries that will make it for $.03 for sale in the States for $3.00 as opposed to a domestic company's price of $10.00 enables both the american dream of consumerism and the business of another country to flourish.

To change that would be just a monumental task.

[SheFly]

So, last night I went into my LOCAL Paper Store (yes, it is a chain, but a fairly regional one). This store sells mostly Hallmark products, as well as some other things like Yankee Candle, Vera Bradley, etc.

I needed ornaments and gift wrapping. I found NOTHING that didn't say Made in China. So, as much as I want to support my LOCAL store (where the same people have been working for years), I still am faced with products made in China.

My point - it's not just Wal-Mart.

SheFly

[KnottedYet]

We used to get roll-ends of newsprint from the city newspaper and paint or draw on it to make wrapping paper. We made a lot of our ornaments. Painted and drew our own holiday cards.

Now that SKnot is older, we haven't been doing that. I think maybe he and I should start that again. There's a family tradition that I don't want to fade away.

[Tuckervill]

When I got dumped and had to find a home PDQ I looked near public transportation. I could have bought a bigger better newer place for less....in Modesto, Stockton, Hercules and spent my days in the car.

This place has been like having another car for me, I can take the bus, BART, Amtrack, or bike all in easy distance.

We don't have public transportation.

Karen

[mimitabby]

We don't have public transportation.

Karen

Karen, where do you live? (You could update your profile to show your region and us idiots would stop asking you)
NO Public TransportatioN!!!!!

[Trek420]

And is there a city planning committee we can get you on to?

[Tuckervill]

I live in a town of 20,000 people in a metropolitan region of +/- 1 million. Northwest Arkansas--yes, home of Wal-Mart.

We got an interstate about 8 years ago. About 5 years ago, a bus line was started that served only towns along the interstate. It's called Ozark Regional Transit. My town is not on the interstate corridor (25 miles away). ORT doesn't go into the cities and the schedule is small. You just have to get to the interstate, that's all. Might as well drive.

There is transportation available to the disabled and senior citizens (I drove a van for seniors in my youth). The disabled can get to doctor's appointments in town and certain other specific locations. The senior van, if it is like the one I drove (different town), picks up at home and carries them to the Senior Center, and on certain days to the grocery store and Wal-Mart, and to doctor's visits in hard cases. I would bet that the vast majority of seniors don't use that service here--but rely on family or friends instead. Very few people walk to their destinations here, and it is evidenced by the lack of sidewalks on the main drag through town. Some people bike commute, but only out of necessity. If there were buses, they'd take them.

It's just different here. I've traveled all over the US, and I've seen how good it can be. In Vermont, even the small cities have public transportation, for instance. I also know this area is not unique...that outside of the biggest cities like Austin, Houston, Little Rock, Memphis, Kansas City, etc., the big-city amenities just don't exist like they do on the coasts. Some of that has to do with tax base. Some of it has to do with attitudes. You should hear all the complaints when forward thinking individuals in Memphis started talking about a light rail system. The complainers don't think it's necessary. ("They" being the ones who don't HAVE TO use public transportation and with money to buy gas.) When I first moved here, I struggled with the truth that I could not find a place to make copies 24 hours a day. It was a shock.

It was a shock to visit small towns in Oregon and see bike lanes. It was a shock to see a "share the road" sign for bikes on the FREEWAY in New Mexico. Bikes are not allowed on the freeway here. Even the big cities mentioned above, some of them don't have bike lanes (Memphis, Little Rock). (There is a movement in both of those cities, though.)

It's not the same everywhere. Wal-Mart, Tyson, JB Hunt, and Jones Truck Lines have made NW Arkansas one of the fastest growing places in the country. It's a great place to live, but the way of life is different. No well-known family farms (that aren't raising chickens for Tyson). No well-known local dairies (although I did hear of one doing the raw milk thing recently). All the grape growers went out of business, so even Tontitown's Grape Festival uses grapes grown elsewhere. No more apple festival either. The real estate is too valuable because so many people are moving here.

We have infrastructure problems because of fast growth, but the rest of the state is like that, too.

Karen

[Trek420]

The real estate is too valuable because so many people are moving here.

We have infrastructure problems because of fast growth, but the rest of the state is like that, too.

Karen

it's not just the influx of people but big box stores them selves bring envionrmental problems. Even if Walmart stocked their shelves to the brim with Organic and Fair Trade products their size alone ....

http://walmartwatch.com/blog/archive..._parking_lots/

[Veronica]

I just wonder do we really need more stuff? How many ornaments really need to go on a tree?

Years ago I started making cloth bags to give my presents in. I know not everyone has the time or the inclination, but it seemed like a little thing I could do to make less waste and I like to make stuff. They get passed around in my family. They aren't as pretty, but really what's wrong with a paper bag that your groceries came in?

I guess I just wish everyone in the whole wide world could think of ways to use or reuse what they have. Less stuff in the landfill, less energy used and maybe less of a "I only want my fair share..." attitude.

V.

[crazycanuck]

Just wandering in & letting you know we don't have a christmas tree or ornaments at our house. I still wrap my presents in newspaper.

I've not had the urge, well since i moved away from Canada, to put up a tree. Someone else can do that.

C

[Mr. Bloom]

We don't have public transportation.

Karen

Karen, yes you do!

All you need to do is stick out your thumb

[Trek420]

I just wonder do we really need more stuff? How many ornaments really need to go on a tree?

Years ago I started making cloth bags to give my presents in. I know not everyone has the time or the inclination, but it seemed like a little thing I could do to make less waste and I like to make stuff. They get passed around in my family.
V.

And now, there are these .... http://wrapsacks.com

Duck on Wheels made some lovely hand made cloth grocery bags with shoulder strap for our mutual Mom. Practical and nice lookin'

[Running Mommy]

V!!!!! You coulda been a MILLIONAIRE!
Those wrap sacks are AWESOME!!
Makes me wanna bust out the sewing machine!