Who would have ever guessed? Wal-Mart is launching a plan to try to sell 100 million compact fluorescent lightbulbs to its customers. This sort of scale distribution could have a quite measurable energy-use reduction nationwide! (Horrible confession: I have a stack of CFLs that I haven't installed yet. I know, I know, but I just haven't gotten to it.)
Okay, maybe it seems weird, but here goes:
Wal-Mart press releases and other PR/propaganda are being distributed via blogs. So, blog for Wal-Mart. Hmmm...does it pay well? Hey, I could write positive comments about how Wal-Mart helps out state economies by forcing its workers onto public assistance. Or how it improves the trade deficit with China. Or how much electricity is consumed to make the cheap injection-molded plastic crap. Or how much CO2 is emitted in generating that electricity. Or...
Most people are afraid of heights. I'm afraid of widths. -Stephen Wright
"A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler..."
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the following costs for an Iraq war:
* Initial deployment of troops: $9 billion to $13 billion
* Conducting the war: $6 billion to $9 billion per month
* Returning forces to US: $5 billion to $7 billion
* Temporary occupation of Iraq: $1 billion to $4 billion per month
As it appears that nearly every US "security" agency has been involved with spying on Americans. Activist groups targetted included environmental groups, animal cruelty (prevention) groups, Greenpeace... It sort of makes sense since we know that Greenpeace was involved with the OKC bombing, and PETA funding the WTC attacks. No wait, someone else was involved in those...
Their new War Room built to combat negative information. For each and every one of us. And their loyalty to their workers. Tom Delay may have been indicted, but Wal-Mart sent him $5000 two days later. See, they stand besides their employees.
"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." - Denis Diderot
So, I bought a gallon of Vlasic pickles from Wal-Mart. You're right, it's evil to shop there and just generally wrong. I was motivated to get the pickles by an article that originally appeared Fast Company (a generally silly magazine, but I do occasionally look at it, if I'm stuck on an airline flight with few other magazines) detailing the hurdles Vlasic (and other companies) have to pass in order to do business with Wal-Mart.
So, I bought a gallon of those pickles ($2.50), and also some sliced pickles to make up for it (see the article), and will document their existence. Hopefully my twin gals and I will eat them all before they turn fuzzy. Pictures forthcoming!