Would you kill to shop at WalMart?

[KF1Z]

Sick.
To be SO anxious to go shopping..... 
=============================

NEW YORK (AP) - Police say a Wal-Mart employee was knocked to the ground and later pronounced dead after opening the store to anxious shoppers on Long Island, New York.

A spokesman for Nassau County police says it was "utter chaos." One women said shoppers were acting like "savages." Other witnesses say even as the man lay on the ground, shoppers streamed into the store, stepping over him. Police say dozens of store employees who tried to help the man were also trampled by the crowd.

At least four other people were hurt, including a woman who is eight months pregnant. Police say she and her baby are said to be OK.

Surveillance video is being reviewed for possible criminal charges. But police say it could be hard to identify individual shoppers.

[W1ATR]

Sickening, isn't it. Some poor a--hole doing his job lost his life over greedy shoppers' impatience.

A stampede of sheep spending money they don't have,(credit), on useless junk they don't need.

It was a good day for China.

[Mike/W8BAC]

One news report stated "the doorway collapsed under pressure from the shoppers as he approached to let the shoppers in" . Gives "door buster" a new meaning.

Cattle. Time to reinvent Christmas.

[KB5MD]

The exact same thing that has ruined this country and put us into the crisis we're in....GREED! GREED! GREED!

[WB2YGF]

And of course, someone did a cellphone video of the police giving CPR and CBS aired it 
http://www.youtube.com/v/7aUwmsi6Wc0

It was bound to happen.  If you are going to incite hundreds of stampedes every year eventually luck will run out.

[AMroo]

They are all just looking for something cheaper that comes from places that use slave labour and substandard conditions.

They are doing their fellow Americans out of a living.

Pay more and support your neighbors and yourself.

[Opcom]

The exact same thing that has ruined this country and put us into the crisis we're in....GREED! GREED! GREED!

yow! you could not have said it better! Greed is the devil's instrument; played like a bagpipes. Greed. May God have mercy on this nation for the sake of God-fearing citizens and I'm not ashamed to ask it. Rightly, the averaged sample no longer indicates any claim to mercy or prosperity.

[ka3zlr]

I think it's Awesum....and only Reinforces My Faith....

Just wait till the N.A.U. takes effect....haaa haa....LOL...

[Opcom]

N.A.U. - what's that?

[Pete, WA2CWA]

N.A.U. - what's that?

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Neighbors Are Us                                   *

[Tom WA3KLR]

Couch potatoes fighting to get HDTVs and video games.  What a shame.

[k4kyv]

A stampede of sheep spending money they don't have,(credit), on useless junk they don't need.

It was a good day for China.

Cattle. Time to reinvent Christmas.

The exact same thing that has ruined this country and put us into the crisis we're in....GREED! GREED! GREED!

You guys have said it all.  What more could I add?

[WA1GFZ]

I know Don,
They are just getting warmed up for the day when food is presented to them in the same way.....

[W1UJR]

I know Don,
They are just getting warmed up for the day when food is presented to them in the same way.....

Right on point Frank!

We are only one step away now, the government sends out the plastic "credit cards" which take the stigma out of being on the public dole, soon we'll be hearing how it is demeaning to actually make them "go out" for the food.

I spent the Thanksgiving Holiday near Detroit visting the YL's family. They live outside the city, in a safe and rather tony suburb, but I asked her to show me downtown, what an eye opener. How the mighty have fallen, inner city Detroit looked like photos from Somalia, complete with roving gangs, bombed out buildings, and abandoned vehicles.

The sad thing about Wal-Mart is the very people who shop there are largely those who are losing their jobs to China.
They're literally eating and spending themselves out of a job, lifestyle, and soon enough, country. Although, perhaps we can take heart, for the Chi-Coms may not be too interested when they see what we've devolved into as a country. Much of the wealth sent to the Middle East or to China itself, a race of the under class breed not to work, and a national infrastructure in decay. They may well turn around and ask "Why bother, they've already defeated themselves."

Who is John Galt?

[flintstone mop]

The U.S.A. has lost total sight for the true meaning of Christmas.
Apparently we haven't hit the bottom yet. If there was an economic contraction here, then why are we still busting down doors at Wally-World??? yea "live Better"

Fred

[K1JJ]

Apparently we haven't hit the bottom yet. If there was an economic contraction here, then why are we still busting down doors at Wally-World???
Fred

Frank said:
"They are just getting warmed up for the day when food is presented to them in the same way....."

---------------------


Two good points, OM's.

We're only about four months into this present down cycle. It's still "1929."  We'll just have to see what the headlines read 1-3 years from now in "1930-1933."


I had a conversation with my cousin from Florida. He just bought up his fifth real estate property near Palm Beach. $$.  He thinks this is just a "standard" recession.  I'm concerned about his agressiveness this early in the cycle. He may become one of the ones puking 'em out later.  Many people who are still financially "OK" have no idea of how serious this could get and have not changed their lifestyles at all... sigh.  Their 401K's are down 50% and don't want to look at it anymore - thinking it will recover as it always does. But let's hope for the best.

Here at home  - just this week a strong, major CT bank had it's foreign parent holding company (now bankrupt) taken over by the Scotish govt. We have some $ in that bank.  That's how it happens. The wild big gun banks take over the small, conservative banks and corrupt them. It even extends across country lines.

Now the biggest bank in America, Bank of America, is choking on it's $15 billion dollar takeover of Countrywide (billions in bad loans) and its "brilliant" $50 billion purchase of Merril Lynch. Yep, buy a brokerage firm in the biggest bear mkt in history. Needless to say, BOA's stock has dropped from the 50's touching a low of 10 last week.  Depositers want conservative bankers managing their money, not crazy speculators and takeover artists. Amazing it goes on, still.

My question is, who's gonna guaranty the guarantor? (US govt)

T

[W1RKW]

My question is, who's gonna guaranty the guarantor? (US govt)

Us.  Every, 14 days after April Fools day.

[WA1GFZ]

Tom,
I was down the beach QTH this weekend and noticed most of the big bucks homes on the market >$1mil (on the beach) do not have for sale signs on them anymore. Many of these places have been on the market for 2 years.
This means the last flipper must have lost out. This little place across the street from me sold for $70K about 7 years ago and worked its way up to over $300K in 3 flips. It has just sold but I bet at a lower price. (I'd have a hard time paying $100 K for it).
I agree with your cousin if the right things happen in Jan. The real problem is a middle class job base. Without one we become third world quickly.  FDR created jobs by building roads and bridges. We sure could use a little repair in that dept. Question is are Americans ready to turn off the video game and get off their asses. 

[K1JJ]

  FDR created jobs by building roads and bridges. We sure could use a little repair in that dept. Question is are Americans ready to turn off the video game and get off their asses. 

For sure, Frank...

Whenever I see hundreds of athletes running up and down a football field or basketball court, I visualize the $billions of dollars and millions of hours that have been invested and wasted. Then there's the millions of people sitting on their asses watching. They all should all be out building bridges, roads, buildings, planting crops, working in healthcare, etc. Can you imagine what could be accomplished?

Of course, I'm being a little ridiculous, but we sure have a lot of waste in this country -  energy that could be funneled elsewhere.

2008: "The year everything changed."

Actually, I'm concerned for my cousin. He may join the house pukers later on.

T

[k4kyv]

A stampede of sheep spending money they don't have,(credit), on useless junk they don't need.

I understand it is called Black Friday because that day's consumer spending binge is what's expected to finally bring retailers, who have been operating in the red all year long, into the black.

But what attracts so many shoppers to the stores that day is the sale prices: 50%, 65% or more off the regular price.

Now, if they are still able to make enough profit to slip into the black after selling at such ridiculously deep discounts, doesn't that mean that their consumer junk was incredibly overpriced to begin with?

[WA1GFZ]

Bruce,
All we need to do is take the government off the public dole and things will change. Free cradle to grave health care. Take a job for 4 years and retire rich. Put them all in the SS and paid health care like the rest of us and watch how fast things get fixed.
The royalty class welfare system. Then there is corp. welfare, we pay to send our jobs away.

[Jim/WA2MER]

Time to reinvent Christmas.

Christmas was reinvented years ago, and the Wal-Mart thing is the result.  Time to restore Christmas.

[KF1Z]

But what brings so many shoppers to the stores that day is the sale prices: 50%, 65% or more off the regular price.

Now, if they are still able to make enough profit to slip into the black by selling at such ridiculously deep discounts, doesn't that mean that their consumer junk was incredibly overpriced to begin with?

But Don....
That's just the problem...
There are not many discounts on "Black Friday"!  
Haven't been for quite a while...

The retailers know that shoppers blindly EXPECT discount prices on that day....
And subsequently rake in the profits, because the average shopper doesn't even look at the prices to compare!

(The discounts don't happen for a couple weeks yet.)


An example that is year round...
We have the Hannaford food stores up here...used to be Shop 'n Save...
Used to be that if you  bought a big bag of something, it cost less per unit than a small package...right?
But NO, that is not the case anymore, a large package costs MORE per unit on at least 50% of the products.

They get much more profit because shoppers just EXPECT the cost to be lower, but they don't bother to take the time to look.....

Let's face it... there are too many people who just plain ain't smaht 'nough to know they is gettin' scrod.,

Just means the rest of us have to be extra careful where we step!

[KF1Z]

Time to reinvent Christmas.

Christmas was reinvented years ago, and the Wal-Mart thing is the result.  Time to restore Christmas.

How many people even think Christmas is a religious holiday anymore?

Like so many other things, it has evolved FAR away from it's origion.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Doing my homework, every mall store that I visited were offering deep discounts on many of their "main" items. Of course, all the accessories were still selling at their "regular" prices. The main point of the deep discount is to draw you in, to get you to buy the item, and then make up profit margin on the accessory and ancillary type items. Nothing new; it's been going on for years, but with poor September and October sales results in many stores, the hook has to have nicer and prettier meat on it. I came home with a new 24 inch widescreen computer monitor for $429; lowest previous store prices were $499 to $549 and lowest internet pricing was $459 plus shipping. Of course, sales person did their job trying to sell me better cables, extended warranty, professional home setup, etc.

If you can afford it, this is also a good time to buy real estate but, besides price, location should be a prime consideration.