Anti-Americanism

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Solinar said:
As, Walgreens did where I live, the big box stores / national chains come into a neighborhood with a cookie cutter mentality. - Mean while - the small local businessness have struggle to survive in a less than hospitable business environment.
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That's one problem I have with Walmart, but I really don't see it as much with Walgreens. I also see it with the new ilk of mall-centric chain restaurants, as they tend to siphon business away from the individually-owned places. (Anybody who thinks that Olive Garden is an authentic Italian restaurant ... Jeez!)

And --- it's certainly not un-American to bash Walmart or (formerly) Ma Bell or Microsoft or politicians or televangelists (do they even have those in France?) or any person or entity who thinks their doodoo does not stink! It's an American pastime. 🙂
 
Starbucks??? I was under the impression that Boeing and Microsoft were taking up a good deal of space, too. Besides, I prefer my coffee straight with no added flavors!
 
Nikki's doodoo does not stink. $600K of butt medical attention and surgery and you get doodoo that does not stink. No Colon. If you do not have a colon, your doodoo does not stink. After 4 years of medical attention and surgery, we know doodoo. And it does not always stink.

But trust me, it's not worth it just for doodoo that does not stink. And you cannot do colon transplants. I volunteered. The thought of being able to fling "ostomy appliances" at people during management meetings was my happy place for about a year. And even then, it would not have stunk.
 
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Right on dll; coffee should taste like coffee. I just can't believe people think Starbucks is great coffee! People around here (college town) have to have coffee and have to have Starbucks!
 
Roger Hicks said:
I have received a private post taking me to task for my lighthearted comment that mercifully, I do not have a Walgreens anywhere near where I live, because I am in rural France.
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I thought along the same line as you. I too live in a place where there is no Walgreens.

I understood your post clearly as a joke.

And yes, I do prefer the localy roasted and brewed coffee over Starbuck's 🙂
 
dll927 said:
I would agree that large stores should probably stay out of smaller communities, for reasons already noted. But I also happen to live in a town with ONE camera store, and they charge what the traffic will bear. Once I bought a roll of Velvia 50 slide film at their price, I went back to mail-ordering from B&H in NYC. So there is still the matter of competition by price, and most of us favor the lowest prices we can find.
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Indeed. I think it's inaccurate to blame WallyWorld, etc. for the decline of smaller, community-based businesses. We've declared with our wallets that we prefer the lower prices of the chains & comglomerates. We've chosen a more homogeneous shopping environment, even if that choice was to an extent unintended. But lack of intent has no bearing on impact. We are responsible. Now as to the longer-term cultural impact of this...we shall see.

-Dave-
 
I can throw a rock in either of two directions from my home and practically hit a Walgreen's.

Some days, I think I might just do it! :angel:
 
Man, I thought it stung even buying the 400UC at Target, the young and hip's Wal-Mart. It was worse that on that trip I also bought some stuff at Home Depot, which was strictly out of sheer laziness -- they're in the same strip mall, which I drove to 15 miles from my apartment, when there's two independent hardware stores a mile from me that I can walk to. I'm slowly getting acclimated to this suburbia laziness of one-stop (driving and) shopping. I never would have done that in Philly. All that said, I admit I regularly feeling like I should be buying things elsewhere as I fill my cart at Target.

Roger, I chuckled when I first read that post.

Re: the photo project. I'm reading "Walker Evans: The Hungry Eye," and it makes me think of what he said about color being vulgar, and that color is only appropriate when the aim is to portray vulgarity. Unfortunately, most strip malls would make for very bland mauve and tan shots. The "Welcome to Vanillaville" series?
 
I'm a French citizen living in the States. I actually buy my deodorant at Walgreen 😉 I avoid them for everything photography though.

Fred
 
Now Starbucks is a shop I can - in good conscience - avoid like the plague! It's not that their coffee isn't good (I really don't know, having never drank it) but their prices go against my fiscally conservative values. Besides, anything other than a good cup of Columbian coffee just isn't coffee, is it? I like my coffee percolated but that's almost impossible to find these days, including in my own kitchen. Sigh..........

BTW, we have exactly ONE Walgreens in Warner Robins, GA, and two CVS' plus an Eckert's Drug Store. I bought the Walgreens' brand Agfa color film because I like the colors it gives........ and the price was pretty good too.

Walker
 
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My word! I don't look at the forum for half a day and what is everybody up to? Wally World Bashing. Shameless.

Sorry that someone felt it was ok to chide you in a PM Roger.

WM is a perfect mascot for the new millineum. Businesses that wrap themselves in sheeps clothing, portraying themselves as caring and participatory in the very communities they rape. I don't patronize WM as I disagree with their policies for employees.

I suspect the problem is not endemic to America.

I really don't consider myself as an anti-globalization wonk. I just think there are fair approaches that have not been explored as yet. Capitalists and communists alike have it wrong. Both cater to a limited few while claiming to help the many.

There... now I have offended both the left and the right.

Having said all that, I sure did rush out to find that big Kodak discount at Target. Not a whole lot better. I just can't afford to pay twice as much for film.

I'll have some "French" fries now. Despite the fact that they are actually Belgian.
 
What puzzles me is the way that some people take any criticism -- even humorous -- of any country as an insult. After all, nowhere is perfect. We even let the English in to Cornwall! Some of my favourites in robust debate:

A T-shirt with the British Labour Party 'rose' logo and the word BLIAR.

Another T-shirt with sometime British PM John Major wuth a small Hitler moustache and, underneath in Fraktur, the slogan "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Kein Fuehrer"

A quote from a guide to Germany (by a German): "The typical German Old Age Pensioner -- and there is no other kind..."

Kushwant Singh in India: "Ninety percent of what appears in Indian newspapers is politics, and the other ten per cent is pure rubbish."

And the slogan of the left at the last French presidential elections, when the choice was between Le Pen and Chirac: "Vote for the crook, not the fascist."

Can anyone else provide local examples? We all remember "Nixon's the One..."

Cheers,

Roger
 
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dll927 said:
But I also happen to live in a town with ONE camera store, and they charge what the traffic will bear. Once I bought a roll of Velvia 50 slide film at their price, I went back to mail-ordering from B&H in NYC.
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Interestingly, as far as real camera shops, chains have never really taken off. (Well, except for Wolf/Ritz, but do they really count? <vbfg>) The best prices seem to be from the independents, yes, like B&H, Adorama, etc.

Yeah, I know that Best Buy and the like has good prices on the point and shoot and the digitals, and yeah, I always see those featherweight Nikon N{some number} at Wally World, but the B&H type places seem to still be doing a good business.
 
The problem is that it is becoming harder and harder for those that quickly cry "Anti-American" to realize that it is precisely Anti-American to seek retribution for merely speaking one's mind and only that.
 
Roger, there was a political cartoon in the local paper the other day that absolutely cracked me up. Chirac had a sign saying "Vote for the EU Constitution". He was also holding a leash with a French Poodle on it and the poodle was titled "French Voters". It had it's leg cocked and was wizzing on Chirac's leg. Chirac had a look of bewilderment on his face. A perfect cartoon IMO.

Walker
 
Fedzilla_Bob said:
Sorry that someone felt it was ok to chide you in a PM Roger.
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I didn't chide, I took offense and complained in a private message. You'd rather I did it in public?

I wasn't going to say anything at all in public, but Roger has felt the need to air this, so fine.

I was mistaken in my assessment of what Roger meant by his initial statement. I was wrong and for that I have apologized and do again apologize.

In writing back, Roger felt it important to tell me that my president is a crook, as sort of an offhand remark, like talking about the weather. I responded with some prime jabs at France, which I should not have done.

And that's pretty much the end of it. It started out as me mistaking a problem Roger had with all big box stores as a problem with Walgreens (and thus American stores) in particular. It ended with a snottty remark by both of us and that's where it stands.

Am I thin-skinned? I'll take that hit. Twice now, I have read something Roger said and taken it the wrong way. I don't think others usually do that to me, just Roger. But if it is *me* then fine - I'll just learn to ignore what appear to be off-the-cuff insults to me, since I'm obviously wrong about what he means.

Sorry to waste everyone's time with this.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks
 
not a waste of time bill. obviously others have felt the need to respond and have taken the time to do so.

sounds to me like you have owned up to your end of things here and that's enough for me.

i'm going to lock this thread now cause i fear the membership may wonder off into personalities, i.e. bill vs roger and i'll have none of that.
you are both valued members.

thanks to everyone for participating.
joe
 
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