Maul-mart

Just what we needed: one more reason to detest Wal-mart and vow to never shop there again. The footage of "Black Friday" shoppers was all over the news the day after Thanksgiving. Customers queued up in line for hours to be the first in the door at 5:00AM the day after Thanksgiving. Wal-mart was advertising unbelievably low prices on popular merchandise items... which were, of course, only available in very limited supply.

So, of course, thousands of anxious, cranky red-necks were waiting in pre-dawn, sub-freezing weather for hours to race, shove and brawl with another to buy one of the five available X-Box 360s in stock. People were screaming, franticly shoving one another, falling, being trampled... it was like a Garth Brooks sighting at a Nascar racetrack.

Seriously. The behavior being generated and exploited by Wal-mart is bad enough. But here's an interesting point. Across the country, at these pre-dawn shopping melees police, paramedics and firefighters were required. Crowd-control, arrests of overtly garrulous shoppers, medical attention for trampled patrons: all of these needed services being provided by tax-payers. While Wal-mart makes more record profits.

Just as tax-payers pick up the tab for the health care of Wal-mart employees. Full-time, underpaid Wal-mart workers have no health insurance... but they still need health care.

The heirs of Sam Walton, founder of Wal-mart, are usually scattered throughout several of the top 10 slots of the annual Forbes list of billionaires. Isn't it clear why?

No health care for underpaid workers. Forced overtime hours for workers without overtime pay. Exploitation of third-world laborers, making about 18 cents an hour to make cheap products to be sold at low Wal-mart wagers.

Uggh! But everyone already knows this... and we still go crazy to get in the damn store and pay $1.99 for a battery-operated, made in China, nose-hair remover to give to Aunt Gertrude for Christmas.

Boycott Wal-mart.... sorry, Maul-mart.

The Governor Has No Clothes!

Well, perhaps California has come to its senses! Perhaps the hynoptized-by-muscles-and machismo bullshit is beginning to wear off. His blind ambition has been revealed. Let us take a deep breath and remind the voters here in the 5th largest economy of the world and arguably one of the most progressive states in the U.S., that Arnold is a former apologist for an Austrian, Nazi war criminal, and an unabashed groper of women. AND! that he starred in "Kindergarten Cop"!

Apparently, here in the wee hours of Election Day, it appears that all of Governor Schwarzenegger's ballot initiatives have failed. Despite the butt-loads of corporate money. Despite the advantage of his celebrity status. Despite her sheepish, stand-by-my-man-regardless-of-my-family's-political-legacy, someone-feed-me-I'm-anorexic-so-obviously-my-brain-is-not-working-properly, NO!-really-I'm-still-a-Democrat Maria Schriver. Despite all the guest appearances on Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey and Beavis & Butthead. Despite the frequent inability of American voters to think rationally... Justice is perhaps, finally being served! Cold.

Arnold's initiatives have gone down in flames. The voters see him for what he is... finally. There is no there, there. He pretends to be a moderate, yet embraces vigilantism against immigrants. He states that he doesn't have issue with gay marriage (on Jay Leno no less!) and then vetoes a law which would legalize it. He claims to be revolted by his predecessor's corporate contributions, and then doubles them within months of his ascending the governor's throne.

Hopefully, this trend indicates that Arnold has lost his star quality with California voters. Not a moment too soon. Nation-wide, today, the Republican party has had their asses handed to them on a platter... well, except for the anti-gay marriage initiative in Texas, which is comparable to having people in hell vote in favor of ice water. [I say, it's time to return Texas to Mexico... except, perhaps, for Austin...]

I predict that Arnold will find reason to not run for re-election and will return to film-making. And then we will all really, truly suffer! Can we survive another "Jingle All the Way"? Another over-the-top action flick? Another bad film with Danny DeVito as a cranky/fiesty side-kick? [note to Barbara Streisand: implement height requirements at all future celebrity political fundraisers.]

Arnold's done. The chimera has fizzled out, and the voters now see through him. Now, would someone please sit on Maria Shriver and force-feed her a ham and cheese sandwich?!?!