The Grinch Lives( and Would Seem to Work for Walmart)

Have you ever heard of Barry Goldberg? Odds are if you have then you might be wondering what kind of idiots Walmart has working in their management team. It seems that Mr. Goldberg was overcome with the Spirit of Christmas and wanted to do something nice for his fellow man and woman. So Mr. Goldberg went to his local friendly neighborhood Walmart and bought 130 ten dollar gift cards. Yes, that would be one thousand, three hundred dollars worth of gift cards. Then Mr. Goldberg began handing them out to people as they entered the Walmart that he had just purchased them from. Did Walmart thank him for adding a few percentage points to their sales that day? Or did Walmart purchase some more gift cards and join Mr. Goldberg in a display of true charity? Or- did Walmart's managers throw Mr. Goldberg out of their store for impeding the flow of traffic? If you have ever had a conversation with the company that would rather buy good public relations than create good public relations, you know the answer to this question already. Yes, it is true. Once people realized that there was someone giving away free gift cards, they naturally began to swarm around him. Walmart, still stinging from criticism that they let one of their associates be crushed to death, reacted in one of the more stupid ways that I have ever seen. And believe me when I tell you, that is saying something. The up side to all of this idiocy from Sam Walton's company is that Target, a major competitor of Walmart's, purchased the gift cards from Mr. Goldberg and replaced them with Target gift cards. A win-win you might say. Target looks like PR geniuses for helping a guy who just wanted to do something nice for his fellow man, and Walmart looks like the Grinches that they seem to be. How difficult is it to let someone do something nice for someone else? What a bunch of weenies. So, the next time you are thinking of doing some random acts of kindness, remember where you might get kicked out of and skip them all together. You'll thank me later.

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope that everyone is as happy as I am today. I am surrounded by most of my children, and everything I hold near and dear is within an arm's length of me. I hope that you are surrounded by the people you love and care about, and that every thing you wish for is available. I also hope for peace and prosperity to fall upon everyone what the heck-we've earned it!! I hate when some one wishes me "Happy Holidays." I always reply with a Merry Christmas to them. It's almost as though they are afraid of offending someone by wishing them a Merry Christmas. If Christmas isn't your thing- just let me know- I'll be more than Happy to wish you a Merry whatever it is you celebrate! I don't understand some Walmarts that have even discouraged associates from wishing customers a Merry Christmas. Do they understand that having the associates wish every one Happy Holidays can be offensive to the diehards looking to be offended? Holiday is simply a shortened way of saying Holy Day or hadn't they noticed? I think the majority of the population is some form of Christian-whatever happened to the majority rules? Again-if you celebrate something else-just tell me what it is, I'll be happy to wish you a merry one of those. The thing that confuses me is when the ACLU has to get involved. What is that about? I'll tell you a little story about those wankers at the ACLU. A friend of mine was arrested for something she didn't do. The police in the town she was in made up the majority of the police report because her husband rolls odometers for them. When she was falsely arrested and spent a night in jail, she contacted the ACLU to see if they would help her. The representative for the ACLU said "the problem is, you are white and this happened in a predominantly white town. The cop that did it was white, there is nothing there to generate publicity for us. We only take cases that will generate the maximum amount of publicity for us so that we can generate the most fund raising from that. Sorry..." At least they should print that on their letterhead so you know it going in. "Caucasian need not apply for help" doesn't seem like a very catchy motto for them does it. Honest, yes, just not catchy. But I digress. Merry Christmas to every one that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and Happy Holidays to whoever celebrates anything else. And thank you to the people who come in and read this every day. God bless you all. Now go spend the day with your loved ones, you'll thank me later!

Cut Hours=No Holiday Pay

I have touched on today's blog subject before. It is the practice of many Walmart stores to cut an associates hours to negate the Holiday pay that they are required to pay by law. It seems a little niggardly, doesn't it? And before anyone starts having a politically correct cow about the word niggardly please look it up. It means to be cheap or selfish. It wasn't that long ago that the politically correct crowd had a conniption fit when a politician used the word. I guess because it sounds like a bad word? If that is the case, then how can any one use the word brunt? But I digress. I have heard from many many associates who have told me that when a Holiday rolls around, their hours are cut to accommodate the Holiday pay that they are going to receive. I think that this practice is reprehensible and should be against the law. Instead of having some dumb Congressional hearings to find out if Sammy Sosa was taking steroids (you think?) could our hired legislators look into the practise of cutting a worker's hours so that their Holiday pay is balanced by the hours that they didn't get to work? It seems a little crooked to me, but I'm not a politician, so I don't see crooked on a daily basis. I don't understand how something like this is not illegal. I can only imagine how much it has to suck for the people who are faced with this problem every time a holiday rolls around. What part of this practice is respect for the individual?? Of course, if I were a store manager and looking for ways to pad my own bonus- I guess this would be a pretty slick trick, wouldn't it? But then, if I were a store manager there is a good chance that I would still be trying to pull that "I only get the bonus you get" crap. Riiiight. My share, your share, and half of his share is more like it. But anyway, before I go off on another tangent here,let me be perfectly clear with my opinion. Anyone who is having their hours cut to offset the Holiday pay that Walmart is required to pay you should run-not walk- to their nearest elected official and demand that something be done about this. If the newly elected bunch of do-nothings will not help, tell your newspapers about it. With enough media attention, even the useless government officials will have to do something. ( Just hope that there isn't another steroid scandal for them to be distracted by.) Good luck. And if you have a personal story to relate, just send me an comment, I read them all. Especially the tasteless blonde joke guy. God bless you sir. And if we can get some government attention on this deplorable theft of Holiday pay, you can thank me later.

A Conservative Party

Do you know what I would love to see in the year 2009? A truly conservative third party. I believe that the Republican party has drifted to the left until they are the Democrats of yesteryear. The Democrats have drifted so far over that they would seem to be more of a Socialist party. I would love, love, love to see an honest to goodness, Ronald Reagan right-thinking Conservative Party. I cannot be the only one who has turned away from the fiasco that is today's political scene. I cannot be the only one who thinks that we as a nation are headed down a steep road to hell. One of my favorite blogs that I enjoy is found at http://keystonetotheheartland/ and the person writing it has such an excellent grip on the world's political scene. I read it every day. And if you are right of center in your thinking, check it out, you'll be glad that you did. But before I was shamelessly plugging, I was writing about the start of a Conservative Party. The objectives would be simple-less government, more personal responsibility and less intrusion from those who think that they should think for us. I can manage my own life, thank you. I don't need Big brother to come in and cut my food for me. Which dovetails nicely with that hunk of retail wonder we call Walmart. I don't need Walmart to tell me what it is that I need from a government. When I read how much the Walton's contributed to various political organizations, I gagged. Granted, it is their money and they can spend it how they wish, but I can see the correlation between donations to a political party and political favors for a certain group of millionaires. It reminds me of the joke about an honest politician. For those of you living under a rock for the last twenty years- an honest politician is one who stays bought. But back to my dream party. There has to be more people than just me who would like to see politics take a sharp right turn back to a little place I like to call reality. The path we are on is going to be the one that bankrupts this great nation and makes us answer to other countries that only want to see us falter. Can you say United Nations? Anyway, start talking about a Conservative Party. See what your friends and family think, and before you know it, we can take our country back and put it on the Right path again. You'll thank me later.

Merry Christmas-You are Fired

When you take a seasonal job during the Christmas Holidays, you know at some point the job will be over. I think you make plans for that, and if you still need a job, then you keep looking for something else, right? But how are you supposed to plan when Walmart hires you for seasonal Holiday help, brags about being $100,000 higher in sales than they were last year, then calls all of the seasonal and part time help into the back offices and terminates them? It seems to be a lose lose situation. The people expecting to have a job are out of luck. The people who are left behind to work with a skeleton crew are out of luck. The real losers would seem to be the customers, who now have long, long lines and no customer service to look forward to if they are foolish enough to step into a Walmart store in the next few days. How do these people look at themselves in the morning? I understand making a profit, I am very fond of the capitalist system. But at what point does your conscience come in to play? I remember when Walmart hired seasonal help in October so that they could get them prepared for the Holiday rush that was coming. The seasonal people had a job until the first of the year, at the very least. Then they kept the best of the seasonal help by offering them a full time job after the Holidays. I guess the way that they do it now probably saves them millions in payroll. But how much does it cost them in integrity? It really seems like a crappy thing to do. Mr. Sam would be so proud. I guess it's one more example of Walmart's true colors showing. Ignore the warm fuzzy commercials that Walmart spends millions on and remember this when you think of Walmart. You'll thank me later.

it sure seems like theft.....

What would you call it if Walmart took $199.80 from you but you got nothing in return? Does theft sound right? Or maybe misappropriation of funds? Either way, I received an email from Jan in North Carolina, and by the time I was finished checking out her story, I was angry. Jan went into her local Walmart in North Carolina. She had a small child with her and she was in a hurry. The cashier that rang her up wanted to see some ID because thieves often bog themselves down with hungry newborns while they are checking out. Jan didn't have any ID with her, so the cashier, cancelled the transaction. No harm, no foul, right? Well it turns out that the Walmart went ahead and charged Jan's account almost two hundred dollars! I guess they didn't need any identification to steal her money, did they? And when Jan called Walmart asking for her money back, guess what happened? Why, Walmart wanted a faxed letter from Jan's bank and proof of the transaction! The word you are looking for is chutzpah. When Jan asked to speak to the manager- she was told that the manager was unavailable. Is this taking care of the customer, or satisfaction guaranteed? I can't tell. So finally, after a week(yes, seven days of free interest for Walmart) of constantly haranguing the store, they released the funds back to Jan. All of this because she didn't have the ID that the cashier wanted, but didn't need. How many times has Walmart done this and gotten away with it? How many people are still fighting to get their money back, and are being given the runaround by the biggest company in the United States? That would explain why profits are up, wouldn't it? The worst part is, Walmart could have made this right if they chose to. A simple, I am so sorry, here's a gift card for your trouble could have made this much much better for every one. Instead, there is a customer who hates the thought of ever going back to that Walmart, and who can blame her? Would you shop in a store knowing that there is a chance- a very good chance- that you could have two hundred dollars stolen from you by an incompetent cashier and a greedy corporation? It reminds me of a line from Dan Rather.... if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck... this sure seems like Walmart tried to steal two hundred dollars from Jan. If I get an answer from their corporate headquarters, I'll pass it on and you can thank me later.

One of the Greatest Men I Ever Knew

I would normally be writing about that retail haven that we all know and love, but a more personal blog is on order today. Please forgive my indulgence. The greatest man I have ever met did not come into my life until I was older. He made my Mother the happiest I have ever seen her, and he did it in ways that astounded me. I was never able to imagine my Mother and my Father as a couple. They were just so different by the time that I knew them both. But the love of my Mother's life was my step dad Jerry. He was truly amazing. He could make her laugh when others had run for cover, and he could stop her anger when other people were hiding in another room. He was kind, thoughtful and generous. His advice was always based on what was best for you, not on what he thought he would do. He was a very funny man, also. He was always ready to laugh, or joke when you spoke to him. He put his whole life into the people that he cared about. He took on responsibilities that others would have walked away from. He was just about as perfect a Father as you would pick out for yourself. One of my favorite memories of him involves watching him sit in my backyard. He was just sitting out there, relaxing and listening to the outdoors. He was absently scratching my dog, and smoking a cigarette. I wish that I could go back to that time every single day. I wish that I had written down every piece of advice that he ever gave me. I really do. So if your Dad is around, give him a call. Better yet, give him a hug and tell him that you love him. You'll thank me later.

What Does it Take to Get Your Hours?

I believe that full time is forty hours. Not 35. Not 36. Full time, or the hours required to pay your bills and still enjoy the luxury of say-food- is forty hours. All the tinkering with that in the world, isn't going to change it. If you work for Walmart, the concept of forty hours might be a little foreign to you. I say might because there are still those allotted few who get their hours. How is that possible? Who does Walmart need so badly that they must have them, but not others? Is it cashiers? You would think that Walmart always needs their cashiers so that they could check the customers out, and keep them happy. No. Is it the stockers who keep the product on the shelf so that the customers can buy it? Nope. But, take a peek in the back offices and you will see them stocked to the gills Monday through Friday eight a.m. to five p.m. Why, you ask? Well, personnel is needed to maintain schedules. (Never mind if those schedules are now generated from the home office, you must have personnel there.) Personnel is also needed to maintain the interviews for new hires.(Never mind if you are in a hiring freeze-there is always busy work to be done) In the UPC office, you are going to need at least four associates to work through the paper work that is generated. What exactly are they doing? They are maintaining current levels of many important numbers. Does that sound like gobbledy-gook? Go ask a member of management and see if you get a better answer. Regardless, when they are not maintaining important numbers, there are important phone calls that must be made and received, plus there is at least one code purple to be attended every day. (For the uninitiated- a code purple is when they have a store meeting for all associates who aren't busy with real work) This code purple is going to take at least a half an hour, plus there might be cake. Why doesn't Walmart switch this around some? Call Bentonville for that answer, because I don't have it. You may also ask them why they even have a personnel department if assistant managers do all the interviewing and paperwork on new hires. Don't expect an answer in the near future. I've placed several calls to Arkansas, I'm still waiting on answers. I'll pass on any that I get. And you can thank me later.

Do you Remember Overtime?

Do you remember overtime? If you do, there is a good chance that you have been with the company that cares for more than seven years. Back in the day, there was a wonderful manager at a Walmart. He had started off as an unloader himself, and he still remembered what it was like to need every hour on your paycheck. If there was overtime hours to be had, he let you take them. This rare breed of salaried manager could actually remember what it was like to walk in your shoes. This rare breed also put some of his bonus money back into the associates. Christmas parties were all day affairs at an off store location, and prizes were really prizes. They were not defects, and crap that was wheedled from vendors. But back to over time. Lisa sent me an email showing me what she used to make. Back when she was making 1.40 less than she is now, she was still taking home more money because she was getting overtime. Then her store had a change in management, and -poof!-the overtime dried up like a dead frog on the highway. Now Lisa works at a gas station part time. She hates working all the hours, but likes the security of knowing all her bills are paid. Plus she is able to put some money back for her retirement. She doesn't expect to be able to retire until she is seventy- but she does see that shining beacon in her future. Of course, it would be a little closer if Walmart could loosen their purse strings and shake out a little more overtime for more than the select few, but Lisa figures that worse come to worse -she can always be a people greeter. That's some dream, isn't it? If she is able to find any overtime, I'll let you know. She's not holding her breath, but she is hoping to only have to
work one job someday. If I hear from anyone who is getting overtime, I'll pass that on too, and you can thank me later.

The Best President we Ever Had

I am conservative by nature. I was young when the fiasco that was Jimmy Carter was in office, and was just starting to realize the world around me when the greatest president ever-Ronald Reagan took office. I was too young to vote, but having to endure the failures of the Carter presidency every day, I was beginning to pay attention to the political world. Ronald Reagan was amazing. He had a vision for this country, and a deeply ingrained pride that was irresistible. He made people proud to be Americans again. And the pride was contagious. He did not shirk and hide from the enemies of our country. He met them head on. He could manipulate the liberal circus that we call the media, and he did it so well that they often found themselves liking him, in spite of their indoctrination. One of my proudest memories of Ronald Reagan was when he handled the Libyan mess. He did not dabble in public debate. He did not drop sound bytes for the national media to hack over in endless debate. What he did was make up his mind and then he announced to the world when it was over. He sent the bombers to take care of the situation, and it worked. The only noise that the Lybian dictator made after that was the hollow saber rattling that he was best at. I have a relative that is fond of repeating really ugly things about Nancy Reagan. She read one of those hate mongering books by a writer who-realizing that she lacked talent-made up for it with salacious gossip. I don't care what Nancy Reagan did, or didn't do. But she was married to the most powerful man in the world, and she knew her place in the world. She wasn't trying to jealously elbow her way in and call it a joint presidency. She stayed in the background, knowing that the contributions she made to the presidency might not be recorded for posterity, but they were no less important. She supported Ronald Reagan. She gave him comfort, and a private ear to listen to when he needed it. Anyone who ever doubts this should read the book of love letters that Mr. Reagan wrote to her. It will take your breath away, the love and devotion that was shared by these two people. At any rate, I want to conclude this with my utmost envy. I am truly envious of anyone who can not only find their soul mate, but can stand by them, never wavering. I wish the world had more Ronald Reagans. I truly do.