POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: izprince1984 on April 21, 2007, 11:22:58 pm
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Yes, just when I thought it was a cruel April Fool's joke that arrived late....
"In-Front with Wal-Mart" will be on CBS and Lifetime within the next month.
Supposedly featuring Wal-Mart "associates".
I can't imagine what plot line it could have, but keeping the "grapefruit mentality" in mind, I'm sure the ratings will be over the top, and if they aren't, I'm sure Wallyworld can pull out the old pocketbook to keep things going.
Here's the truth about Wal-Mart:
Wal-Mart is a corporation without a conscience, most of their employees make less than $7 an hour and are lucky if they can work anything close to full time hours, more than half the people I work with, including myself are on food stamps, and/or Hoosier Healthwise (Medicaid), because Wal-Mart doesn't offer them enough pay to eat off of and no insurance for themselves or family.
If you do qualify for what Wally calls "health insurance", it costs about $35 bi-weekly, and doesn't pay anything until you reach a $1,000 deductible.
Wal-Mart customers are not smart enough to understand that the "savings" disappear when they pay taxes to cover minimum wage employees and their families on food stamps and health care from the government.
Wal-Mart prefers to set up shop in areas that are poverty stricken, this way they get an instant client base, and a pool of cheap expendable labor, an average Wal-Mart supercenter can cost taxpayers over $300,000 a year between tax "subsidies" and allotments made by the state to feed the workers and their families.
Wal-Mart blocks you off from pursuing a career in management in order to fill diversity quotas.
In short, I find this company so reprehensible, dishonest, and downright disgusting that I refuse to spend any money that I *do* have there, my only real goal is to not get fired until I get through school and make something out of myself, I've been hauled into the managers office to get my butt chewed out about so many ridiculous things that I honestly give even less of a shit now than when I first heard that I would be making $6.95 an hour.
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So my question is. Why do you work for Walmart? Don't tell me there are absolutely no alternative. I cannot think about working for a company that i "hate". I'd rather postpone my plans.
Milker
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In short, I find this company so reprehensible, dishonest, and downright disgusting that I refuse to spend any money that I *do* have there...
But I thought you said you were gonna buy me sumthin nice. :(
-joseph
:)
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So my question is. Why do you work for Walmart? Don't tell me there are absolutely no alternative. I cannot think about working for a company that i "hate". I'd rather postpone my plans.
Milker
Quitting in June, just need a job that works around my class until then and there's not many that will.
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Yesterday I went into the men's restroom and found a pair of panties with spooge all over them.
That's class. ::)
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Yesterday I went into the men's restroom and found a pair of panties with spooge all over them.
That's class. ::)
LOL and? what did you do with them?
I used to work as a steward in the Paris->Rome train. Good pay and interesting stories :D
Milker.
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LOL and? what did you do with them?
I used to work as a steward in the Paris->Rome train. Good pay and interesting stories :D
Milker.
I left them there of course.
I've seen some horrible things at Wal-Mart, mostly the last time I worked there, there was a customer that left their colostomy bag in the fitting room, I saw a woman take a cucumber off the shelf and carry it to the restroom, then come back about 10 minutes later and put it back up, I've seen SHIT sprayed all over the restroom stall walls, there was an old lady that shit herself and was tracking it through the produce section.
There was the time when my boss was chasing a shoplifter out the door, who was stealing Sudafed (back when it had pseudo-ephedrine in it), and I ran over and shut off the automatic door opener and watched him run INTO the door and break his nose.
Who could forget the one-way glass over the fitting room?
And then when you're stocking Pets, you find where people have stolen condoms and pregnancy tests and dumped the packaging.
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I've seen SHIT sprayed all over the restroom stall walls, there was an old lady that shit herself and was tracking it through the produce section.
OMG! That wasn't an old lady, that was me!!!
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Well said about Walmart izprince! I live in Hoosierville also (by South Bend) and two out of the three Wallys that are here are in very poor neighborhoods. About two years ago, I never knew what Walmart was up to. There is a site to see all the underhanded things Walmart does. It's (in case anyone doesn't know already) Walmartwatch.com. Unfortunately, I know some people who don't have any other choice than to shop at Walmart. I'm on food stamps also, but I like to frequent Meijer!
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Why do you think they call it work. I shop at the local Walmart stand alone grocery store in my neighborhood almost everyday. The prices are incredible. I find items that can be 50% lower than Krogers! Now, I wouldnt buy a steak there but just about everything else. I find SAms has great steaks. This store in not in a low class neighborhood.
WalMart remains one of the greatest drivers of efficiency in our economy as well as job creator.
Its a good thing that you dont like your job there. It would be very sad if you didnt aspire to more. I know I was never happy till I started my own business.
The same people who complain about high prices complain about the low prices because workers arent paid enough. Note: wages can increase prices. geez.
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Why do you think they call it work. I shop at the local Walmart stand alone grocery store in my neighborhood almost everyday. The prices are incredible. I find items that can be 50% lower than Krogers! Now, I wouldnt buy a steak there but just about everything else. I find SAms has great steaks. This store in not in a low class neighborhood.
WalMart remains one of the greatest drivers of efficiency in our economy as well as job creator.
Its a good thing that you dont like your job there. It would be very sad if you didnt aspire to more. I know I was never happy till I started my own business.
The same people who complain about high prices complain about the low prices because workers arent paid enough. Note: wages can increase prices. geez.
They wouldn't even have to raise prices, just lower their obscene profit margin.
The two reasons their prices are so low is due to exploitation of their own employees, and exploitation of slave labor in third world countries.
Also, what are 1.9 million people going to do, all start their own business?
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I dont think their profit margin is even close to obscene but then I have never seen an obscene profit. They make money on volume not margins. They also manage their inventory as well as any company in the world.
WalMart provides millions of jobs for people starting out and people who cant find work other places. What is wrong with that?
I guess the real attacks on WMT will start after the primaries. If they were making such great profits the stock might go up. Check the last 5 years. It sucks.
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Jack, you do realize that you subsidize Walmart's profits with your taxes don't you?
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philly, i have heard that argument here before, but name me one industry that isnt subsidized directly or indirectly by the taxpayer. Now, I wish we subsidized no companies or businesses, but if you are talking about health care thats totally bogus. Who made the law that the employer is responsible for providing insurance or healthcare?
I really dont wanna get into whether our health care system is good or not, cause we all agree its a fucking mess,we just disagree on how to fix it and why its fucked up.
Now if I am subsidizing WMT through my taxes, and I dont really think I am, I shop there so I am getting my money back through savings.
Do I like the interiors of WMTs? No, I hate them but I love the prices. Do I buy my clothes there? no.
The consumer should be able to shop at WMT and make the decision of whether it is a good company. Not politicians or unhappy employees.
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I suppose it's a matter of degrees jack (duh). Walmart is the largest retailer in the world. There is no reason to subsidize a retailer of that size.
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Wal Mart is the last place I will spend what $ I do have. In the early 80's worked there for 6 hours. I quit because they told me I wasn't smiling enough while I loaded 50 lb bags of cow shit into some old womans Lincoln. I left and I never looked back...
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Wal Mart is the last place I will spend what $ I do have. In the early 80's worked there for 6 hours. I quit because they told me I wasn't smiling enough while I loaded 50 lb bags of cow shit into some old womans Lincoln. I left and I never looked back...
Sounds like they haven't changed much.
When this store opened, someone told me that when they did the Wal-Mart "cheer", they pointed people outthat weren't "squigglying" enough.
As for their profit margin, they make about a 50% margin on clothing, and between 10-30% on groceries, and about 30-40% on electronics.
So yeah, they could afford to do the right thing and actually PAY people, but they don't, so John Q. Taxpayer gets more taken out of his check to pay for food stamps for all the people that work at Wal-Mart.
So like I said, it's really not much of a bargain when you think about the fact that you're paying for it, whether it goes into your taxes or Wally's cash register.
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philly, i have heard that argument here before, but name me one industry that isnt subsidized directly or indirectly by the taxpayer. Now, I wish we subsidized no companies or businesses, but if you are talking about health care thats totally bogus. Who made the law that the employer is responsible for providing insurance or healthcare?
I really dont wanna get into whether our health care system is good or not, cause we all agree its a fucking mess,we just disagree on how to fix it and why its fucked up.
Now if I am subsidizing WMT through my taxes, and I dont really think I am, I shop there so I am getting my money back through savings.
Do I like the interiors of WMTs? No, I hate them but I love the prices. Do I buy my clothes there? no.
The consumer should be able to shop at WMT and make the decision of whether it is a good company. Not politicians or unhappy employees.
Actually, on our Store Trak survey, Target beats the shit out of us in customer service, Aldi beats us on low grocery prices, and Kmart beats us on overall customer satisfaction.
When they started clamping down on payroll and sacking people (we're running on a skeleton crew now, nothing is in stock, and customers get pissed off and leave), Kmart's sales here went up about 30%.
It's my opinion that Wal-Mart is so greedy and money hungry that they'll do things to get some instant gratification on their stock price that hurts the company overall in the end, thats why their stock has slipped $20 a share over the last 5 years despite oall the new stores.
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I, for one, dont go to WMT for customer service. If I want customer service I will go Central Market(heb), the finest grocery store in US. I go to WMT to save money, and to get in and out quick, which always happens.
Why would I need customer service in a WMT? I can read the signs.
I think the thing that has hurt WMT the most are the interiors of the stores,they are so dark and horrid compared to Target which are bright and cheery colors. WMT did hire the guy who transformed target but it sure doesnt look like he has done much.
Off the local WMT grocery store to get my morning can of Rip It for $1!!!!! Its like 2.50 in Krogers. Rip It rocks, liquid speed
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I, for one, dont go to WMT for customer service ...Why would I need customer service in a WMT? I can read the signs.
Jack,
Part of customer service, to me, is the cashier. When there are about 20 checkout lanes but only four are open with long lines, that's crappy customer service. Those are the times I'll leave my cart full of whatever (frozen food included) where I was standing in line and go somewhere else. I'd gladly pay a few cents more per dollar to have enough cashiers.
David
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My experience in employment goes back a few more years than 1984. I've worked for large corporations, small companies and entrepreneurs. Despite the crummy benefits, I prefer to work for entrepreneurs because you are most likely there to make a personal impact.
It's not your boss' fault that you hate your job, it's your own. Can't you make starvation wages any other place?
That having been said, I'd sooner eat dirty pussy than shop at Walmart. And since I have a choice, I don't do either.
Brent
(Who feels that one must live by his principles on order to be respected)
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bucko, could be the line of the year. But having been there and done that, I will take the walmart.
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It's not your boss' fault that you hate your job, it's your own. Can't you make starvation wages any other place?
Amen! For someone who professes to hate the "whiners" of the world, he sure does an awful lot of it himself. I call total BS on this whole "poor-me-I-have-to-work-at-Wal-Mart" groaning. Surely that isn't the one and only employment possibility in town.
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What do you expect from someone who embraces hypocrisy? Criticizing "welfare queens" while collecting food stamps... I mean really. Does it get ANY lower?
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I, for one, dont go to WMT for customer service. If I want customer service I will go Central Market(heb), the finest grocery store in US. I go to WMT to save money, and to get in and out quick, which always happens.
Why would I need customer service in a WMT? I can read the signs.
I think the thing that has hurt WMT the most are the interiors of the stores,they are so dark and horrid compared to Target which are bright and cheery colors. WMT did hire the guy who transformed target but it sure doesnt look like he has done much.
Off the local WMT grocery store to get my morning can of Rip It for $1!!!!! Its like 2.50 in Krogers. Rip It rocks, liquid speed
1. Customer service is important, you see, Wal-Mart designed the store I work at as a pilot store, they jumbled the departments around and everything is in the damndest places, a lot of the time I couldn't find it even if I did give a shit about whether the customer got what they came for, Wal-Mart was hoping that you'd have to double the time you spent looking for your items, and in the mean time, you'd see all kinds of impulse crap along the way and buy it too.
As far as getting in and out quick, that never happens at this store, they cut payroll so bad that we're lucky to have 2, MAYBE 3 cashiers during our busy hours, the average wait time in line is around 10-12 minutes, unless you want to use a self-checkout, which are annoying as all hell if you have a lot of items, or a large item that you can't pass over the scanner.
2. The decor is horrible, agreed.
3. The Dollar Tree next door has Rip It for $1 and I don't have to stand in line for an ice age to get it or hope the Uscan is open.
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Amen! For someone who professes to hate the "whiners" of the world, he sure does an awful lot of it himself. I call total BS on this whole "poor-me-I-have-to-work-at-Wal-Mart" groaning. Surely that isn't the one and only employment possibility in town.
Actually, it pretty much is, I don't think a single person I work with actually LIKES Wal-Mart, but they've put all the other stores in town out of business.
There used to be a lot of manufacturing and agriculture jobs here, but most of the manufacturing has gone to China, and whats left of it has been taken by illegal immigrants that all probably have the same Socialized Insecurity number.
The only other thing in town that really does any hiring are the nursing homes, so you have people that really don't want to be nurses or nurses aides that are taking the classes just because there is nothing else to do.
This is the third time I've lost a good paying job and had to work at Wally, the first time I was working 40 hours a week but it was just barely above minimum wage, and I had my car reposessed, I had to find this hole in the wall apartment to live in, and I was donating blood plasma to buy my groceries, because I did not want to be on food stamps.
So you can ridicule me all you want or call me a hypocrite, but food stamps were far, FAR from being my first choice, and I'd really like to see you live on what a job like this pays.
Anyway, I could be a lifer at Wal-Mart, beg for whatever hours I can pick up at minimum wage, and stay on food stamps forever, but I am honestly trying to be better than that, if I was a hypocrite welfare queen, then I wouldn't even be trying to pick up the pieces and move on.
Thank you.
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My friend you do a very poor Travis Bickle imitation.
Now please clarify...is it the corporate giants, or The United Socialist States of Amerika that causes all your problems? You're all over the ballpark on that one...sounds like you just want to complain...and it certainly sounds like you just settle for things so you can have something to complain about. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out after losing a car, three jobs and your negative status that things just might not be working out for you. A change might do you and your sour attitude good. Maybe Monster.com might be a good place to start...I'd steer clear of public relations.
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My friend you do a very poor Travis Bickle imitation.
Now please clarify...is it the corporate giants, or The United Socialist States of Amerika that causes all your problems? You're all over the ballpark on that one...sounds like you just want to complain...and it certainly sounds like you just settle for things so you can have something to complain about. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out after losing a car, three jobs and your negative status that things just might not be working out for you. A change might do you and your sour attitude good. Maybe Monster.com might be a good place to start...I'd steer clear of public relations.
The United States has this weird mix of free market capitalism with a side dish of socialism, and it does not work very well.
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You sure go out of your way to prove it...the not working very well part.
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This is the third time I've lost a good paying job and had to work at Wally, the first time I was working 40 hours a week but it was just barely above minimum wage, and I had my car reposessed, I had to find this hole in the wall apartment to live in, and I was donating blood plasma to buy my groceries, because I did not want to be on food stamps.
So you can ridicule me all you want or call me a hypocrite, but food stamps were far, FAR from being my first choice, and I'd really like to see you live on what a job like this pays.
Anyway, I could be a lifer at Wal-Mart, beg for whatever hours I can pick up at minimum wage, and stay on food stamps forever, but I am honestly trying to be better than that, if I was a hypocrite welfare queen, then I wouldn't even be trying to pick up the pieces and move on.
Thank you.
So you live in the one town in the universe with a Walmart but no fast food?
And yes, temporary suspension of your principles is still a suspension of your principles. Honestly, your sad story impresses me little, but the fluidity of your principles has left quite an impression.
Brent
(Who lives and dies by his written word)
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Indiana, normally a repressed ultra conservative state, is raising it's minimum wage to $7.25 an hour to force Wal-Mart to pay at least a survival-level wage.
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Indiana, normally a repressed ultra conservative state, is raising it's minimum wage to $7.25 an hour to force Wal-Mart to pay at least a survival-level wage.
This legal move is directly aimed at Wal-Mart then? Not companies all around- just Wal-Mart?
I can't help but note that in another thread, you spoke of how easy it is to live in your town on 10.50 / hr. That's pretty striking to me. The difference between a survival-level wage and easy street is 3.25 / hr?
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I did a search for job offers in Huntington, Indiana on Monster.com, jobs with less than 1 year experience. Returned 294 offers. So it looks like Walmart is not the only shop there..
Milker.
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I did a search for job offers in Huntington, Indiana on Monster.com, jobs with less than 1 year experience. Returned 294 offers. So it looks like Walmart is not the only shop there..
Milker.
GASP !!
SHOCK !!
UTTER DISBELIEF !!
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Or maybe Jamba Juice and all of those other companies are also corporate cockroaches?
Milker.
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Actually, it pretty much is, I don't think a single person I work with actually LIKES Wal-Mart, but they've put all the other stores in town out of business.
There used to be a lot of manufacturing and agriculture jobs here, but most of the manufacturing has gone to China, and whats left of it has been taken by illegal immigrants that all probably have the same Socialized Insecurity number.
The only other thing in town that really does any hiring are the nursing homes, so you have people that really don't want to be nurses or nurses aides that are taking the classes just because there is nothing else to do.
This is the third time I've lost a good paying job and had to work at Wally, the first time I was working 40 hours a week but it was just barely above minimum wage, and I had my car reposessed, I had to find this hole in the wall apartment to live in, and I was donating blood plasma to buy my groceries, because I did not want to be on food stamps.
So you can ridicule me all you want or call me a hypocrite, but food stamps were far, FAR from being my first choice, and I'd really like to see you live on what a job like this pays.
Anyway, I could be a lifer at Wal-Mart, beg for whatever hours I can pick up at minimum wage, and stay on food stamps forever, but I am honestly trying to be better than that, if I was a hypocrite welfare queen, then I wouldn't even be trying to pick up the pieces and move on.
Thank you.
Oh, please. I don't live that far from your area and even I know that Wal-Mart is not your only option. You obviously haven't put much effort. I have no sympathy for people who whine, whine, whine and refuse to do anything about their situation.
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Iz- do you drink a lot? Because one phrase comes to mind: Poor me, poor me, pour me another drink! :D :D
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I have really hesitated to comment here but the b..s is flowing too hot an heavy to resist any longer.....I have been in the Military ( talk about low pay for hard/life threatening work) worked for a major corporation and had many occasions to contract with small /independent businesses.
All companies exist to make a profit at least the IRS thinks so... they claim it is a Hobby if you don't make a profit regularly... how much profit depends on the shareholders expectations...the stock tends to tank when you don't meet expectations.....WalMart shares haven't done well recently... I personally have had dealings with companies that pay a minimum of $12/hr, but you still have to pay taxes/health insurance/and buy your own ( required) company uniforms....I have also had dealings with Target...great company ..makes good profits..uses same policies as WalMart...start at min wage..buy your own redshirt/tan slacks..work lousy hours on short shifts so you don't qualify for benefits... but they have a waiting list of potential employees... apparently that is good enough for some reason.....
As already mentioned..there is no sacred text anywhere that says an employer has to provide anything other than a safe place to work and minimum wage with the exception of agricultural workers and food service workers who don't get either....
This whole discussion comes down to a simple axiom..."you get what you accept"..the only real freedom you have in this country is to move on....lots of places in this world that is not an option...
If you sit around/whine/bitch/moan/and find excuses then you are giving up your only real freedom....vote with your feet....!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nick
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prince are you always cynical/mean? or is it because you dont have access to bipolar medication? if its the latter then i suggest you get it...
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This legal move is directly aimed at Wal-Mart then? Not companies all around- just Wal-Mart?
I can't help but note that in another thread, you spoke of how easy it is to live in your town on 10.50 / hr. That's pretty striking to me. The difference between a survival-level wage and easy street is 3.25 / hr?
$3.25 x 40 hours a week x say a 4 week month = Additional $520
Rent = $110 a week
Car insurance = $56 a month
So that's the difference...All my rent...my car insurance...
So yeah, it is a huge difference when you think about it.
It's all your earnings going towards bills vs. having $500+ left over each month.
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GASP !!
SHOCK !!
UTTER DISBELIEF !!
What a jackass, all the results are in Ft Wayne, which is like 35 miles from here, and with a much higher cost of living.
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This legal move is directly aimed at Wal-Mart then? Not companies all around- just Wal-Mart?
Wal-Mart is by far the largest minimum wage employer in the state, in every state that tracks employers of people on welfare, Wal-Mart is ALWAYS the highest, both in numbers and in percentage of employees on such programs.
So yeah, most "living wage" ordinance is aimed squarely at big-box retail and other Mcjobs.
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What a jackass,
Guess you missed that warning from the moderator you received this morning about personal insults.
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I dont think their profit margin is even close to obscene but then I have never seen an obscene profit.
Jake....don't you think oil profits are a little obscene? Like Exxon's 1st quarter profit of $8.4 Billion (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5368207)?
robert
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What a jackass, all the results are in Ft Wayne, which is like 35 miles from here, and with a much higher cost of living.
You're right, you are perfect just where you are doing whatever it is you do.
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What's a grapefruit mentality?
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What's a grapefruit mentality?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit_Mentality :)