"All Talk/Too Much Brains (Not Enough Cock and Balls)" by TQ/HC

on Wal-Mart
Last week the Daily Show had a story done by Samantha Bee (Union Jacked) about a Wal-Mart that closed its doors after a union was started by its employees. I was astounded that I hadn't heard about this story in the legitimate, mainstream media. I had to search to find that CNN link before I started writing this to have something other than the Daily Show clip as background. A story like this, showing a blatant case of Wal-Mart, an American company, stifling American labor traditions like the right to organize, should be huge news in the states. But most people never heard it, not to mention your average Wal-Mart shopper.

The practice of shutting down a union store and opening a new store down the street from the closed one is something I first heard about in Schlosser's Fast Food Nation. He describes a Canadian Burger King pulling the same trick a while back. Apparently, large chains, retail and fast food, have done some cost analyses and have found that it is cheaper to open a new store than meet the demands of unionized workers. Hmmph.

Anyway, PBS reran the Is Wal-Mart Good for America? episode of Frontline last night. It's a really in depth study of the vast effects of Wal-Mart on the economy. Those segments may take a while to load, but it is worth the wait.

on Norman
I'm still living in Norman. Class is going well so far. I've got a test on Friday. Should be a push-over. I've just been sitting around the house when I'm not studying. Picture this: two Republican college students taking in one Democratic college student for the summer. I smell sit-com. It'd be good if they had more one-liners and I didn't drink as many White Russians. I'm banging my head against the wall in my free time, so, please, feel free to suggest some new activities to engage me.

I finally watched The War Room the other night. Really good doc. Watching the footage of Stephanopoulos and Carville at work back in 1992 is inspiring. Carville is hilarious. A drinking, swearing Cajun Democrat. You can't beat that.

Last night I watched Michael Moore's The Big One. It was made as a documentary of his book tour for Downsize This for the BBC. Some good parts here, but not as cohesive as his other work.

the Jobey Poll
a) Who ya got in game 4: Pistons or Spurs?
b) Where did the Christian Scientists stand on the Shiavo thing?