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Photographer arrest raises questions about would-be models' safety
A local photographer has been arrested, accused of drugging, then attacking a 16-year-old aspiring model.
Alan "Miles" Fork is in the Johnson County Jail, charged with five felonies, including sexual assault of the teen he was taking photos of in lingerie.
Fork used to operate Indy Premier Models out of a downtown Indianapolis office, and most recently out of his Greenwood apartment.
We did some checking and found Fork has no criminal history or complaints with the Better Business Bureau. But his arrest raises questions about people preying on young wanna-be models hoping to be the next big discovery.
Photographer and owner of Studio K Photography, Ken Kneringer, has seen a lot of young girls with big dreams of becoming a model.
But the president of the Professional Photographers Guild of Indiana also knows the risk of trusting the wrong person behind the camera.
"There is a potential, for some danger out there," Kneringer said.
Police say that's what happened inside a Greenwood apartment, off of Fry Road.
A 16-year-old girl went there for a modeling shoot with a photographer her mom says they trusted: 42-year-old Alan "Miles" Fork.
"He approached the victim and her mother, saying there was a company out of Chicago that was interested in the photographs of her, kind of selling them that this would be good for her modeling career. The victim's mother couldn't go. He didn't want anybody else there. He came and picked her up so he had her alone," explained Greenwood Assistant Police Chief Matthew Fillenwarth.
The victim's mother tells Eyewitness News she trusted him, knew him for a year, but didn't know he got her daughter alone that day.
When the teen got nervous about modeling lingerie, police say Fork gave her alcohol and Adderall to calm her down.
Then they say he videotaped himself sexually assaulting her when she passed out.
Police fear there may be more potential victims.
"These are young girls. They want to be models and you know, they want to be famous," Fillenwarth said. "He's good at selling that and preying on their dreams."
Experts warn there's a new danger too: photographers using the internet to prey on pretty girls and promise the world - some with ulterior motives.
Some websites that pair models with photographers allow aspiring models to upload their own photos, without parental consent or age restriction.
"There's a lot of danger out there. A 14-year-old girl can put her photos out there, without her parents' permission and become mixed up in that world," Kneringer explained. "It's highly unregulated and if you're doing this without your parents' input, be very, very, very careful. Moms need to know this stuff can happen behind the scenes without their knowledge very, very easily."
Kneringer says legitimate photographers never take pictures that make teens uncomfortable, teen models never have to wear lingerie, and that studios always let Mom in on every shoot.
In fact, at Kneringer's studio, they built a specific place for parents to sit and watch what happens behind the lens.
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"They're always in the studio at the same time with us," he said.
Kneringer recommends doing extensive research on any photographer and getting multiple references, to make sure a dream doesn't turn dangerous.
"Check them out. I mean literally go to people, talk to clients, make sure they've got some kind of references on the website and then talk to other clients if you're nervous. You know, say 'can I talk to somebody that's been here'. We often hear quote - professional photographer - and that's not always the case."


text:
Complaint: Judge Edith Jones' Speech Showed "Racial Bias"
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What's being said
Hellman's comments are spot on, with this exception:
"I don't see how you can sit on a case when you've articulated these views."
He should have said:
"I don't see how you can sit on a case IF you've articulated that certain racial groups are predisposed to crime"
I clerked for Judge Jones, and have had the privilege to call her a friend for more than 25 years. She is among the kindest and finest individuals I have known. I have never heard Judge Jones disparage anyone because of race, ethnicity, gender, age, or mental or physical impairments. Frankly, I have not known Judge Jones to belittle or disparage anyone. I find the complaint filed against her, as well as the claims questioning her fairness, to be utter nonsense.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Can U help me to code for book issue and book deposit. . .
because i have difficulties in this part! plz help me on the project!
and i really need all your help! . .
Printable View
Can U help me to code for book issue and book deposit. . .
because i have difficulties in this part! plz help me on the project!
and i really need all your help! . .
50 posts here and you still haven't figured out how to ask a question. Based on just looking through your code I would suggest:
- Stop using char arrays, you should be using std::string
- You no longer need conio.h since you defined your own console functions.
- There is no need for txt files here, just do IO in binary mode and read/write structs directly
- When your program starts, open your "database" and read the whole thing into memory. I would suggest using something like a std::list here. If you are not allowed to use the STL, make your own.
- Conversely when your program is done, write out your list into the file.
- You are asking us to violate the homework policy; we are not going to do that. Come back with a specific question.
Make those changes I suggested above, reformat your code, and then post a specific question on what you need help on. Not just a "Can someone finish my homework for me" question.
Another general piece of advice is not to mix logical components of your applciation. There is no reason why your functions related to GUI should be related to a student. A display function should only know about displaying stuff, not grades and student IDs.
In the following snippet:
You should not use read and write for name of your streams. There are member functions with those names already defined and you may get confused as to which you are dealing with, your stream or the member function.Code:
ifstream read("book.txt", ios::in);
ifstream read2("book.txt", ios::in);
ofstream write("temp.txt");
We are not going to go through all that code mindlessly. You need to be more specific about what you don't understand and post the relevant parts. This is in addition to the rest of what's been said already.
ok , but can u help me a little bit, just an example? because i don't know how to start ...
On what? You have failed to specify what you need help with.


text:
By Ann Marie Shambaugh
Carmel officials confirmed that they are on pace to complete all of the dozens of projects funded through $242 million in bonds approved in January within four years.
The City Council approved a resolution May 16 that outlines the city's interest in purchasing land for 38 of those projects. Most will transform intersections into roundabouts, while other projects involve trails, road reconstruction and streetscapes.
Councilor Kevin Rider questioned whether the city could complete the lengthy list of projects in four years and still allow traffic to flow with so many sites slated for construction.
"The key is to be able to space these projects out during this term. We need to start all these now," Mayor Jim Brainard said. "It doesn't mean construction will take place this year or next year, but it's important the conversation can start."
City Engineer Jeremy Kashman said the city has experience in this area, citing the transformation of intersections along Keystone Parkway into roundabouts. Like it did with that project, the city plans to meet monthly with affected business owners and create a website to keep the public aware of road closures and other issues.
Councilor Sue Finkam asked that the city fast track the website so it is available before any of the projects break ground.
"I think you underestimate the number of calls and emails we get," she said. "Someone spray paints a sidewalk and I'm getting a call."


text:
"Monster" star Charlize Theron leads a secret life filled with her own monstrous demons â including a gruesome family killing, a shattering career blow and shocking drug whispers.
And The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively that she's planning a hush-hush marriage to her longtime boyfriend, Irish actor Stuart Townsend.
The issue that goes on sale Friday reveals how Charlize's mom shot her abusive husband to death after he threatened to kill her and 15-year-old Charlize, how the killing played a key role in the beauty's most surprising career move ⦠and more.


text:
social networking
Social networking app settles over privacy violations
On the same day in February that it released its recommendations on mobile app privacy, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with Path, a social networking app.
Technology: Why all lawyers should be on Twitter
As a lawyer, you should be on Twitter. Please don't stop reading. Hear us out.
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act grows up
FTC makes changes in light of a new world of web technologies
Litigation: The risks and opportunities of social media
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and MySpace. These words have become part of our social and cultural lexicon.
Lawyers should use caution when researching jurors online
In an age when one Tweet can cause a mistrial, it's no surprise that lawyers want to keep tabs on jurors' online communications.
Companies sue employees over LinkedIn, Twitter accounts
Suits raise the issue of ownership of social media profiles for company purposes
E-Discovery: The end can justify the means
The enormous cost of electronic discovery can sometimes be justified by the information it yields. Today's business is conducted electronically.


text:
- Vitamin Guide
- Health Conditions
- Health Centers
- Diet & Weight Loss
- Herbal Remedies
- Current News
- Food Guide
- Recipes
Kick the habit now to improve your chances of getting pregnant
Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages to double your potential for conception
Stop drinking coffee and tea, and avoid other caffeinated products
This natural substance may improve the likelihood of pregnancy; take 500 mg twice a day
Consult with a fertility expert to find out if there is a medical reason for your infertility
Copyright © 2017 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
The information presented by Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Self-treatment is not recommended for life-threatening conditions that require medical treatment under a doctor's care. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2017.


text:
Welcome to dickblick
, null
not null?
Browse more:
The Sparmax TC620 Compressor is a robust, fully automatic 1/6 HP compressor equipped with a generous 2.5 Liter air tank and two air outlets for attaching two airbrushes simultaneously. The TC620 offers worry-free and virtually maintenance-free operation.
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® Sparmax is a registered trademark.
Dick Blick Art Materials®, Blick®, Blick Studio®, and Artists Pick Blick® are registered trademarks of Dick Blick Holdings Inc.
© Copyright 1999-2017 Dick Blick Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
The average SAT scores for students in Defense Department schools rose in 2010, putting them above the national average for critical reading and writing but below the national average for math, according to the Department of Defense Education Activity.
Between 2009 and 2010, DODEA students' average scores increased from 505 to 510 on the critical reading section of the test; from 498 to 499 on the math section; and from 492 to 494 on the writing section.
The national average for SAT scores in 2010 was 501 for critical reading, 516 for math and 492 for writing.
DODEA will look at how well its curriculum standards, SAT prep programs and other factors are working together to increase students' test scores, Acting DODEA Director Marilee Fitzgerald said in a news release.
"While DoDEA's performance on the SAT is on a positive trajectory, we want significant gains in our average scores," she said.


text:
49ers sign former Redskins DE Evans
Published: March 4th, 2009 | Tags: Demetric Evans, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins
Former Redskins defensive end Demetric Evans signed a two year deal with the 49ers worth $3.8 million.
Guidelines: Fan feedback should be within the guidelines for the NFL community. These guidelines will be used to identify those comments that will be removed from display on the site. Please keep your comments relevant to the topic, not abusive or combatant towards other fans, and don't share any personal details. Use the "Report" link to help keep the community at its best.
Comments may be no longer than 2000 characters and will post to the site shortly after submitting.


text: Deal 46 clicks NovaTuneUp: Free Scan & Free 15DayTrial Get a free scan & a free 15 day trial of NovaTuneUp - Speed Up Your PC Today from Novastor. Your two cents Share GET DEAL Did this coupon work for you? YES NO Share this exclusive offer with others! Copy this link and share it anywhere Copy Tweet Share Add comment Leave the community your two cents … Your name


text:
This is a stupid garden variety bug and I'm not sure why I didn't catch it previously. The patch included is against fairly current sources, but it may apply cleanly against 7.0.2 as well. On Fri, 6 Oct 2000, Vilson farias wrote: > I found a irregular behavior with constraints. > > I can only set a referencial integrity between these tables when there are > no data, even if there are no change to referential integrity violation.
Next: From: Bruce Momjian Date: 2000-10-10 17:13:25 Subject: Re: Referencial integrity when there are timestamp primary keys Previous: From: Tom Lane Date: 2000-10-10 16:12:09 Subject: Re: Pb with arrays in PostgresQL


text:
2003 Suzuki Aerio
accessories - interior Problems
Worst 2003 Aerio accessories - interior Problems
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Curious how the 2003 Aerio compares to other years?
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How Can i get involved on the farm?
- We host open workday every first Saturday of the month as part of our First Saturday programming. These workdays are open to the public - no application required. Please sign up in advance to make sure you get a spot. We do take walk-ins if and when we have extra space, but spots fill up fast so it is best to sign up ahead of time so we can know to expect you.
- If you would like the make an ongoing commitment to the farm, please considering applying to be a Workday Leader. Workday Leaders are long term volunteers who add a lot of value to the farm, and act as mentors to incoming volunteers. We ask that Workday Leaders participate in at least 2 workdays/month for 6-months to a year. Workday Leaders also get access to our calendar of trainings and workshops. Please see the position description and application below to learn more!
- We welcome all volunteers to the farm. If you are between the ages of 13 and 18, you must bring a signed copy of the Volunteer Registration Form with you.
- Volunteers 13-15 years old MUST be accompanied by a parent/guardian/chaperon in the field.
- Volunteers under the age of 13 and family groups are welcome to explore the Youth Garden.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate service learners on the farm, unless you are a part of our workday leader program. If you show up for a volunteer workday expecting service learning hours, we will be unable to sign your hours, and we will have to turn you away.
In case of rough weather...
- Workdays are canceled in the case of heavy, continuous rain. Cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook page an hour before the workday.
What to bring and wear...
- Proper farm clothes are those that you are comfortable in and don't mind getting dirty.
- Closed toed shoes are mandatory. Long sleeves, pants, and hats for protection are encouraged, but not required.
- Bring your own hat and gloves or borrow from us.
Workday Leader
What Workday Leaders are all about...
Volunteers who complete 50 hours on the farm will be given the title of Workday Leader. We consider Workday Leaders to be an integral part of our farm operations. Workday Leaders will participate in and lead workdays with farm staff and interns. As Workday Leaders, we encourage you to attend our ongoing staff and intern trainings, including workshops on agriculture, food systems, non-profit management, and community engagement. Workday Leaders are mentors to incoming and prospective volunteers, and be part of Veggielution's work to build community, steward the land, celebrate the diversity of San Jose, and connect over growing and eating food together.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, as positions open up. Fill out an application here. Please direct questions about position availability to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Commitment & Responsibilities
Duration: 6 month or 1 Year, as specified in application.
Attend at least 2 workdays/month
Participate in at least 3 trainings and workshops
Duties include: harvesting, transplanting, greenhouse work, weed management, orchard management, compost management, and more!
The Ideal Candidate for this Position has...
An interest in sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, & community building
The desire and willingness to engage in conversation with each other, members of the public, and across Veggielution programming
Respect for the dignity and intelligence of physical labor*
Willingness to work in all weather conditions
Humility and a sense of humor!
*We recognize that not everyone will be able to perform all activities that are part of the work of operating a farm. If you have a disability, or are concerned about being able to participate as a volunteer, please feel free to contact us. Farming requires all sorts skills, and there are many tasks that are less physically strenuous where we need helping hands - including plenty of greenhouse work!


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UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. (Jan. 10)
The British and United States delegations here have been discussing what next steps should be taken in connection with the entire Arab-Israel issue. Confirmation that such discussions have been held came today from a spokesman for the United States delegation.
Neither he nor British spokesmen, however, would indicate the position taken by either delegation on the pressure of the Afro-Asian bloc for a new General Assembly resolution which would condemn Israel for not having completed its troops withdrawals from the Sinai Peninsula or the Gaza Strip.
Britain's position regarding suggestions that some kind of United Nations jurisdiction be set up over the Gaza Strip has already been voiced in the House of Commons, it was pointed out here. Selwyn Lloyd, Britain's Foreign Secretary, told Commons last night that UN jurisdiction over the Gaza Strip would be one way of settling that problem.
The United States "basic position on Israel's troop withdrawals was reiterated here today as one "stressing the need for full compliance with the United Nations resolutions calling for the withdrawal of all Israel troops behind the armistice lines."


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Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:00 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
The heart of the problem is that most People like Walmart
Last edited Thu Nov 22, 2012, 06:27 PM - Edit history (3)
Analysis of Walmart America ought not overlook the preferences of real people. The people are not merely cattle forced into Walmart. The biggest single reason Walmart is able to do what it does is that many people like Walmart. Their perception, based on experience, is that access to a walmart makes their lives much easier and increases their standard of living.
The malignant effects of Walmart wouldn't pose any threat if Walmart were not very popular, and Walmart is popular because customers would, on average, rather go to Walmart. (It's like crystal meth... terrible long term problems, but there's no doubt that people like it. A lot.)
Outside of large cities, Amazon.com has destroyed the category of book store, music store and movie store. How? Because people who loved books and music and movies preferred shopping at Amazon even though doing so would inevitably make the world worse for people who love books and music and movies.
The great majority of people prefer convenience and lower prices over paying a surcharge to maintain a real-world sense of community.
In economic terms, Walmart cannot be separated from Walmart customers. It is emotionally satisfying to blame a villain (Walmart), but if Walmart were destroyed another Walmart would take its place because our economic ecology almost mandates Walmart.
It's the ecology, not the creatures within it. Our current economic ecology has a whopping walmart niche in it.
And it doesn't help to say that Walmart imports inferior Chinese goods. That is a customer choice. If there was the same level of demand for some more expensive high quality American goods then Walmart would sell those, and would co-opt the manufacturer, demanding lower prices than other stores get in exchange for the huge sales volume Walmart can provide, and would force all small stores selling expensive high quality American goods out of business.
The modern monopolist model works for goods in general, not just Chinese goods.
And this modern explosion of de facto monopolism is due to computers... born from the productivity boom of the 1990s.
A perfectly efficient market will price compete itself into oblivion. This is the paradox of wage slavery applied to retail. Hourly "wage slaves" are cheaper than real slaves because the real slave has a baseline subsistence wage. You have to feed the slave enough to keep the slave alive.
The wage slave, however, will work for below subsistence if that is where the market sets the wage. A starving man will work for a crust of bread. And when he eventually becomes to sick and weak to work, another worker takes his place.
Similarly, a business will operate at a loss before finally closing its doors, and will price compete to a small loss if that is the only way to get customers. (If you cannot find an item below cost on the internet you probably aren't looking hard enough.) A business will take inventory on credit to maintain cash-flow, even while actually losing money on each transaction. (And the supplier extends that credit to maintain their flow of goods out of the warehouse.)
In the incredibly price competitive world of the internet and computer-assisted inventory and delivery the only way to having an pricing power is an effective monopoly.
Hence Walmart. Hence Amazon.
The modern environment has the sweet spot, the attraction-point, of the carnivorous de facto monopoly and that environmental niche will be filled.
I don't know what the solution is, but I know what the problem is not. The problem is not villainsnot a few people with moral aberrations. The ecology demands the rise of the predatory mega-retailer.
And only government can change the ecology. The individual players cannot.
65 replies, 5663 views
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The heart of the problem is that most People like Walmart (Original post)
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Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:03 PM
lunatica (34,331 posts)
1. Paying starving wages isn't villainous?
I will never work for you.
Response to lunatica (Reply #1)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:11 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
2. Unless one is expecting a hero to set things right, villainous is not a useful category
The solution to below-subsistence wages was not the moral improvement of capitalists. It was the institution of the minimum wage.
If the economy has an ecological niche for villains then villains will be created to meet the demand for villainy.
The point being that there is no point on focusing on villainy unless one thinks the human race can be purged of all real and potential villains. If not, the problem is the ecology, not the creatures within it.
The only way to change an economic ecology is to change the environment.
Because if we are going to blame people then the Walmart customer is as culpable as the Walmart owner. The whole horrible thing operates from the collisions of human nature and material reality.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #2)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:53 PM
iemitsu (2,610 posts)
18. "The whole horrible thing operates from the collisions of human nature and material reality"
in the context of government policy.
We do not have to live in a place where capitalism dictates the conditions of human existence and we don't have to lose the benefits of capitalist investment to create a better world. We just need to regulate how businesses operate in the geopolitical world.
Only in America do CEOs expect to make 500 times what their highest paid employees make. Only in America do CEOs justify destroying worker's earned pensions in order to compensate themselves more richly. If these practices were illegal, as they ought to be, we would not be subject to that sort of abuse.
It is too simplistic to just accept that Walmart supplies what customers demand. And since Walmart enjoys huge government subsidies, which allow it to bring low priced goods to the customer, it cannot be said that "market-place laws" inevitably bring Walmart like stores to our communities.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #2)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:29 PM
leveymg (36,418 posts)
38. Classic Blame the Victims post. If you don't like villain, try predator. That's quantifiable,
particularly where wages paid are so low as to require large numbers of employees to rely on public benefits. The cost of that to taxpayers is tangible, and is estimated to be $1.57 billion a year. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1063143
Add predatory antitrust practices and the cost of killing off smaller competitors, overseas sourcing, offshoring profits, and the overall costs to American society of tolerating Wal*Mart operations are in the tens of billions per annum.
What are people supposed to do about this if governmental authorities won't? Unfortunately, it's not in our political economy for people to take direct actions, other than to withhold purchases. That much, at least, should be encouraged.
Response to leveymg (Reply #38)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 02:34 AM
iemitsu (2,610 posts)
60. Thanks for pointing out so many truths about Walmart's business plan.
They go to great lengths to insure that they are not subject to the same "laws of the Market-Place" that rule the rest of us.
For Walmart, the "laws of the market-place" dictate that we (tax-paying, non-corporate citizens) subsidize the building of their stores by paying for the area's needed infrastructural upgrades, by providing access roads to the stores, by covering the costs of employee health care, and usually by covering lost county or city tax revenues, resulting from tax breaks offered as enticement, to locate a store in the community.
And, as you mention, there are other costs a community must shoulder to host a Walmart.
I have never been inside of one and so can easily and gladly withhold purchases.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #2)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 04:54 PM
HiPointDem (20,729 posts)
45. "the walmart customer is equally culpable" = false equivalency because of the
different power relations between the two and the entire 'ecology' of power.
comparing the culpability of the walton family to the culpability of an individual customer is so much rationalizing horseshit.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:11 PM
rsmith6621 (6,942 posts)
3. Walmart Would Be Able To Sell USA
....products but they strong armed low balled USA manufactures to the point they either went out of business or said HELL NO to WM... In that the customer and WM are to blame.
And it doesn't help to say that Walmart imports inferior Chinese goods. That is a customer choice. If there was the same level of demand for some more expensive high quality American goods then Walmart would sell those, and would co-opt the manufacturer, demanding lower prices than other stores get in exchange for the huge sales volume Walmart can provide, and would force all small stores selling expensive high quality American goods out of business.
Response to rsmith6621 (Reply #3)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 05:21 PM
HiPointDem (20,729 posts)
47. oh, baloney. 'customer demand' isn't responsible for walmart's move to foreign
suppliers. walmart was using foreign suppliers *even while* touting its wonderful "buy american" policies.
they got exposed, and that was the end of the lying "buy american" campaign.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:14 PM
Little Star (16,270 posts)
4. A lot of people like Walmart. I'm not sure about most...
Plus some people have no choices but to shop there.
Response to Little Star (Reply #4)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:19 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
5. Fair enough. Substitute "enough" for most.
There are enough people who like Walmart to enable the Walmart effect.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #5)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:14 PM
cyclezealot (4,802 posts)
30. Not us
We do KMart..And we don't do Wal Mart or Amazon..
. Compare employees of both Wal Mart and K Mart.. . If WalMart employees could only speak freely.
The K Mart employees we've met often say, we once worked at Wal Mart and the one's we met are bitter.
Shop K Mart please. Help encourage Wal Mart to have some competition.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:21 PM
Scuba (53,475 posts)
6. Short-term thinking is cancerous in cases like these. Liking WalMart because you like ...
... a low purchase price ignores later costs (energy consumption, repair/replace, etc.). Few Americans understand the concept of "total cost of ownership over time".
WalMart might get high marks for convenience of cheap crap, but I'l take my built-in-the-USA SpeedQueen washer, thanks. Cheaper to own and operate in the long run, despite costing a bit more up front.
And that doesn't begin to address the societal problems WalMart imposes on us.
Response to Scuba (Reply #6)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:31 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
11. And the Amazon case is even more pointed
One of the great joys of any book or music lovers' life used to be browsing in real-world stores... feeling a sense of community in your passion. Getting out... exploring.
But the only reason the small store survived was on the sale of Madonna albums, Tom Clancy best-sellers, Harry Potter movies.
And most people wanting those few popular things were happy to buy them for cost at Best Buy.
And then the aficionado turned on the stores also. Listen at Tower, order from Amazon. And since Amazon wasn't a real space it had a bigger selection than any real-world store could.
Next thing we knew, Tower was gone.
People will take a lower price today... they just will. (I should say, we just will.)
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #11)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:38 PM
Scuba (53,475 posts)
13. I've spent more hours in used book stores than I can count. When I die, my ghost will haunt one.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #11)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:39 PM
tularetom (23,664 posts)
40. IMO amazon didn't kill Tower, iTunes did
Tower Records was able to withstand many changes in the marketing of music from vinyl to tape to CD's but it was unable to compete with digital downloading.
Admittedly Amazon is now in the downloading biz, but they were a relatively latecomer to the show. CD sales were already well down the crapper before Amazon made downloads available.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #11)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 04:06 PM
BuelahWitch (9,083 posts)
41. But what about the small sellers who sell on Amazon?
Most products that Amazon offers are also offered new and used by other sellers. I buy a great deal of used textbooks used from small businesses on Amazon (which are not local, but they are small businesses just the same), and have sold books on there as well. There are very few to no non-chain used book stores in my city and that is a shame because I loved the ones I frequented in Salt Lake City.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #11)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 06:21 PM
FarCenter (18,170 posts)
48. Small bookstores used to be filled with crappy fiction
Many communities didn't have large bookstores unless there was a college bookstore open to the public. The small bookstores had a small inventory of best selling fiction and similar trash, so to get books that you actually wanted to read required ordering them.
When Borders, Waldenbooks, Barnes&Noble came to town they killed the small bookstores by offering a much wider inventory.
But Amazon and other online bookstores offer a much wider selection -- essentially everything in Bowkers. And they provide much more information about the books.
So Amazon and other online bookstores have greatly improved things for the reader.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #11)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 06:46 PM
OneMoreDemocrat (913 posts)
49. Excellent point...
I always try on/out any new hockey gear locally and then buy it online for a much lower price.
Further, good point overall that Walmart exists because the climate is ripe for it to grow and thrive.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:22 PM
nadinbrzezinski (154,021 posts)
7. Even that is changing
And many of the people who shop there can't afford other places...or...there s nowhere else.
There are towns in this country where Wally World is it.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:27 PM
Democracyinkind (4,015 posts)
8. Or it's simply the fact that Walmart's corporate strategy is predatory
Sure, us humans - us Americans especially, are more than willing to trade instant bargains against long term stability... But I remain unconvinced that this is the main reason for Walmart's success.
If what you wrote was the WHOLE truth (no denying it plays a significant part), we'd be selling our organs on every street corner.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:28 PM
Laochtine (394 posts)
9. 1 corporation to rule us all
I'd rather die then pay a lower price to enslave humans.
Response to Laochtine (Reply #9)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:28 PM
Democracyinkind (4,015 posts)
10. Reminds me of my Sig :)
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:35 PM
leftyohiolib (5,917 posts)
12. re: walmart's pricing
Well it turns out that Walmart's prices are low but not necessarily lower than everybody else.
Arch-rival Target, who has continued to make gains at Walmart's expense, may actually beat out Walmart when it comes to lower prices, according to recent studies.
Customer Growth Partners, a retail consulting firm, compared the two retail giants' prices on 35 brand-name items across three categories in stores located in Indiana, New York and North Carolina. Based on consolidated results, Target beat Walmart by about two dollars.
The Consumerist blog, owned by the Consumers Union, quotes the president of Customer Growth Partners as saying, "For the first time in four years, our price comparisons between the two has shown that Target has a slight edge over Walmart. Target stepped up its game during the recession... The company caught up with Walmart on making its supply chain more efficient so it could bring down prices on items people frequently buy."
source: http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/04/27/Target-Walmart-Prices.aspx
Response to leftyohiolib (Reply #12)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:42 PM
Democracyinkind (4,015 posts)
16. They are cheaper, though
flipside: Just long enough to run all competition out of town.
Response to leftyohiolib (Reply #12)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:44 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
17. Yes. A de facto monopoly always has high prices on some things.
The whole point of being the only game in town is to have pricing power, so the prices can't all be low.
So you have enough things priced to appear cheap, while pricing up other things to have profit.
In the case of Target, as a younger business they are probably more competitive. (And being less rural in focus, is probably operating in more competitive areas.)
All Walmart has to do is make your one-stop shopping a little cheaper overall. But they will never be the cheapest for everything.
Amazon is a good example of this. They are so cheap... except when they are not. There is plenty of stuff mixed in at higher than average prices. But if you are only going to shop at one place they are cheaper... and many people like convenience.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:39 PM
iemitsu (2,610 posts)
14. All of your points are correct in a world that assumes
the laws of the market-place (capitalism) are laws of nature, or divinely inspired laws and not the creation of man. You assume that capitalist laws work in a vacuum, without the influence of other variables, when actually all economic systems work within the context of government charters/rules. These are agreements between businesses and a government, whose people the businesses want to access (exploit).
If a government fails to be a good steward for its people and lets capitalists run amok, the conditions you describe prevail, but when governments are good stewards of the public trust, then business is regulated in a fashion which allows both the business and the community to flourish.
We do not have to be the victims of capitalist greed. What are presented as "market-place laws" are nothing more than what a business can get away with legally. As America deregulated business, over the last few decades, we have seen the quality of life for most working Americans decrease. This is not the result of natural market-place processes it is the result of policy decisions.
These can and must be changed if we want a country that is worth living in.
Response to iemitsu (Reply #14)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:42 PM
Democracyinkind (4,015 posts)
15. This!
Also, there is currently a thread on Video+Multimedia that touches this topic. Maybe you wanna join in there too? (The Marx thing)
Response to iemitsu (Reply #14)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:55 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
19. That is almost opposite to what I said
The OP boils down to: Only government regulation can change an environmental ecology. (I think we are in agreement there.)
The moral education of Sam Walton will not change anything because some other Sam Walton will do just the same things if that is what the environment allows/demands.
The "wage slave" problem was addressed with a minimum wage, not with the moral education of employers.
You are incorrect in suggesting that the laws of the marketplace are man-made. Human psychology is a key factor in how humans operate within those laws, but that is not the same thing.
And the fact that government changes the environment is always part of the overall equation. Government changes the environment in response to the effect of our natural market behavior.
(Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations talks about the natural tilt toward monopolies and the need for government to change the playing field to resist that. There has never been capitalism without government except in Ayn Rand novels.)
Basic concepts of supply and demand do not presume any particular environment. They just suggest what will happen in a given environment.
A minimum wage law changes the risk/reward equation in paying people too little money. If such a law had no penalty then it would change nothing. But the law has enough teeth to change the equation of the employer's self interest. Paying $1/hour is less good than going to jail is bad.
That is still a marketplace decision, same as any other.
The government changes the economic environment for all players and the optimal economic behavior changes.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #19)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:07 PM
iemitsu (2,610 posts)
26. Where do you think the laws of the market-place come from if not from mankind?
"You are incorrect in suggesting that the laws of the marketplace are man-made. Human psychology is a key factor in how humans operate within those laws, but that is not the same thing".
Market-place laws are not natural laws, they are determined by policy.
Response to iemitsu (Reply #14)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 07:02 PM
laundry_queen (8,646 posts)
50. Excellent post
Spot on analysis of how economics works in the real world. Although I must state that even my econ textbooks, when looked at critically, explains all of this.
Response to laundry_queen (Reply #50)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 01:57 AM
iemitsu (2,610 posts)
59. Thank you. It really drives me when
people act as if "the laws of the market-place" are anything other than rules, that any given country designs, to regulate or control its economy. These rules can be whatever those in charge want them to be. They are not written in stone and weren't delivered from heaven on golden tablets. The rules are different from place to place and they change over time.
Sure, there are human dynamics or responses to economic conditions that can be tracked, and quantified, and ultimately be labeled "laws", when enough like responses are counted to suggest that specific economic conditions elicit certain human responses, but the conditions are still created by governing bodies, not by some magic, unchangeable, "Laws of the Market-Place".
Capitalism was devised in modern times to aid in the growth of industry and the distribution and trade of manufactured items. It has worked pretty well to achieve that end. But in the process of sponsoring industrial wealth it also sponsored horrific poverty and misery.
Capital is an invention of human beings, to convert wealth into portable and safe notes-of-exchange, designed to make the trading of goods and services easier. Money is a promise, created out of thin air, with inconstant value. It's ephemeral. Nothing about capital (money) is constant, including the laws that govern it.
The "laws of the market-place" are the rules that the monied/business/government elites use to justify the huge inequities and human suffering that their policy decisions sponsor. By referring to these decisions as "laws" they hope to avoid personal responsibility for who benefits and who is harmed by their choices.
Response to iemitsu (Reply #59)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 03:51 AM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
63. Sorry, but you are mistaken about the nature of markets.
The error is so fundamental that it is hard to know where to start.
It really drives me when people act as if "the laws of the market-place" are anything other than rules, that any given country designs, to regulate or control its economy.
The nature of the marketplace is that thing which is regulated by rules, "that any given country designs, to regulate or control its economy."
Don't you recognize that the regulations you refer to wouldn't do a thing if there was not a natural state to regulate?
Government obviously does not create the base conditions of the marketplace. If it did then there could be not marketplace without government, which would mean evolution doesn't work and none of us even exist.
Have you asked yourself, regarding your picture of the matter, "What would the world be like if this was true?"
Have you ever wondered why all mass transit systems that charge a fee to ride have mechanisms to deal with people wanting to ride for free? Why aren't there enough people choosing to pay double to off-set the people choosing to pay zero?
Where did the tragedy of the commons come from? It quite obviously is not a government invention.
Most people prefer the most in exchange for the least... intrinsically. That is the raw material that economic rules shape.
A cat will take greater risks to get meat the hungrier the cat is. That is an economic risk/reward decision the cat makes.
What government created the first human act of barter?
Natural laws dictate that given our particular set of rules and our particular environment, the action of natural laws within our economy, within our regulatory constrains, or lack of restraints, something(s) Walmart will tend to exist.
Start torturing everyone who owns a chain with more than five stores and Walmart will be much less likely to exist. Did the government create our human aversion to being tortured? Was everyone fine with pain until government came along?
We might as well say that gravity is something created by elevators.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 02:58 PM
Bombtrack (9,523 posts)
20. The ones who don't work there
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:01 PM
underthematrix (3,759 posts)
21. I don't like WALMART
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:03 PM
ancianita (6,674 posts)
22. The solution is that they need to grow the fuck up, face that they're feeding the predator...
and shop elsewhere. Be disciplined. Change shopping habits. Make the right choices. Make local choices. We get the country we're willing to pay for. Seriously -- and no disrespect to how you see this -- no matter how tight people's budget, this is really not a complicated decision for those who spend according to their consciences and not expedience. This country needs to end its walmart addiction.
Response to ancianita (Reply #22)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:36 PM
snappyturtle (14,656 posts)
39. Amen and hallelujah! I urge all to comparison shop. I say this because I've
done so and was amazed. Not only can buy closer to home but I can avoid poorer grade fresh vegetables/fruit and meat. I don't have to subject myself to the downsizing my local Wal-Mart has undergone both in product selection and fewer associates (longer check out times) and unhappy employees. I live with very little income and I am better off avoiding W-M. We've been conditioned to this "live better" shop W-Mm meme.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:03 PM
BeyondGeography (29,896 posts)
23. Reading "To Serve God and Wal-Mart" right now
Can't help but think the Republican Party is Wal-Mart, Democrats are Target, and that Wal-Mart's best days are behind it.
Wal-Mart is not just fundy-soaked with red state roots, it has benefited mightily from Big Gov't from the get-go. The Ozarks as a retirement destination happened because of dams and man-made lakes built by the Army Corps of Engineers; the first real Wal-Mart was built near a military base because Sam realized the shopping alternatives were so bad people bought everything at the exchange (henceforth Sam kept a close eye on defense spending, which really took off under Reagan, when choosing
locations); retirees cruising around in RV's in guaranteed economic security were another key constituency, etc.
Against that backdrop, it's cruelly ironic that a company that owes so much to Big Gov't essentially uses the safety net to underpay its employees and pad its
I find this company to be a big lie, and I hope it eventually drowns in its own contradictions, like the double-dealing conservatives who love them so. If there ever was a retailer that was tailor-made for the keep your Gov't hands off my Medicare crowd, it's Wal-Mart.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:05 PM
GoCubsGo (17,698 posts)
24. Most people I know can't stand to shop there.
The vast majority of them shop there on a regular basis. They hate the crowds. They hate the cheaply-made products. They hate the cluttered aisles. They hate the long checkout lines. The real problem is that an awful lot of people put up with that crap because they have been convinced that Walmart has the best prices on everything. So, they automatically go there, without bothering to check out all the sale papers, couponing web sites, etc.
Response to GoCubsGo (Reply #24)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:08 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
28. I have only shopped there once in my life, and my friends
don't shop there. It gives me the creeps.
But I and my friends are not representative of everyone.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #28)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:22 PM
GoCubsGo (17,698 posts)
33. Just about everyone I know shops there.
Family, friends, casual acquaintances. But, whenever I point out web sites to them, such as couponmom.com or southernsavers.com, their Walmart visits become less frequent. As soon as they find out they can get much better deals elsewhere, they don't automatically run to Squallmart. Shopping around has gotten a whole lot easier with the Internet.
About the only time I go there is for craft supplies. The only other nearby option for that is Hobby Lobby. While Walmart gives me the creeps, too, it doesn't even come close to the level of creepiness at Hobby Lobby.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:05 PM
rrneck (17,671 posts)
25. What would a Wal Mart look like
if you got rid of all the unnecessary crap they sell? People need stuff to live, but nobody needs half the stuff Wall Mart sells. Their primary product is the illusion of wealth through the accumulation of stuff. The more stuff people have, the richer they feel. It's a sort of "retail therapy".
Wall Mart's business model exploits consumerism in it's lowest form. They are the biggest disaster capitalists of the lot.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:08 PM
brewens (4,973 posts)
27. If these corporations were making use of overseas labor but still allowing us to maintain
a high standard of living, I suspect we wouldn't mind so much. Say unions were strong and worked things to make a 30 hours a week at good wages the norm. There is enough wealth being generated to do that IMO. The only thing is that we'd be relying on exploiting slave labor to maintain that.
I have to admit that as long as the corporations are abusing people overseas, I'd go along with their kicking part of that my way. Wrong yes, but if that were the case, I'd probably fall for ignoring the plight of the workers like the 1% does now.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:13 PM
Lionessa (3,894 posts)
29. But those low prices and the "lack" of profit thereby caused
should be shared by all involved, instead it falls almost exclusively on the lowest 97% of workers at Wal-mart and at their related suppliers.
Response to Lionessa (Reply #29)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:19 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
31. I agree. But that is because of the system, not because of Walmart.
If wolves keep coming to eat your chickens you would put up a fence. Whether the wolf is evil is kind of irrelevant.
With single payer health care and a higher minimum wage the effect of Walmart would be less bad without changing the moral quality of Walmart management in any way.
That's what the OP is about... Walmart is not a unique evil, it is an inevitable product of a set of economic realities.
Only changing the environment can change the creatures in it.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:22 PM
coalition_unwilling (14,180 posts)
32. George McGovern, ca. 1972, propsoed a Guaranteed Annual Income (aka
"Negative Income Tax" that all citizens and permanent residents would qualify for, irrespective of the person's employment status. This proposal would constitute a true safety net and serve as a floor to force employers like WalMart to pay a living wage. Why? Because if every person received a Guaranteed Annual Income without working at WalMart, only the promise of greater compensation would lure them off unemployment to staff WalMart's aisles. (Functions for labor in the same manner as agricultural price supports function for agricultural commodities.)
I've often wondered why the Democratic Party has not pursued this as the next logical extension of the New Deal and Great Society.
Response to coalition_unwilling (Reply #32)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:23 PM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
35. +1
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:22 PM
CheapShotArtist (333 posts)
34. Love them or hate them,
Wal-Mart's business strategy is pretty clever. The owner knows that there are a ton of people out there who are struggling to make ends meet, and he knows that less affluent people are willing to buy more shit from him. That's why he sells some of everything in his stores and he makes his prices lower than his competitors, so all the dollars come flowing in. It's just like the situation where 5 people own 90% of the media. It's about eliminating the competition so that people have nowhere else to turn to.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:24 PM
99Forever (14,524 posts)
36. Cheap prices for shitty products.
What a fucking bargain, eh?
Wallyworld apologists make me want to
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 03:28 PM
bhikkhu (10,424 posts)
37. The same could be said of the entire "corporate culture" market dominance
If you look at your dollars as votes, every day the majority of people vote for the corporations that dominate the consumer landscape. If they didn't, things would change immediately according to their different choices, so in a way "corporate dominance" is a very democratic expression. It gets voted back into power every day.
For the record, I do like to think of my money as a vote, and I spend it carefully. Its one of the few ways I have of making any difference anywhere, and I choose to use it as a means of keeping local businesses that treat their employees well healthy, of rewarding people who do good work, of rewarding care and fairness, and so forth. I haven't spent a dime at Walmart in over a decade.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 04:07 PM
johnd83 (593 posts)
42. Local stores don't carry the variety of amazon or other online stores
I wind up doing most of my shopping online not because of liking online stores but because they are the only people who carry the stuff I want to buy. I don't shop at walmart much for the same reason.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 04:48 PM
Iggy (1,418 posts)
43. You're Forgetting: Our Economy Stinks in General
if MORE people were employed, and if more people were making the income they should be-- people would have MORE disposable income, and we wouldn't need cheap ass wal-mart stores to begin with.
Not sure why this causality gets lost in the equation.
Response to Iggy (Reply #43)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 04:04 AM
cthulu2016 (10,960 posts)
64. Walmart took off during the best economy since the 1960s.
The explosion of Walmart was the single most dramatic example of the productivity gains of the 1990s.
Response to cthulu2016 (Reply #64)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 07:33 AM
Iggy (1,418 posts)
65. Correct, However, New Businesses Survive Due to Specific
reasons. plus, Wal Mart has changed significantly since the 1960's- for the worse
Are you implying if people made more money, they would still shop at cheap ass, poor-service Wal Mart? that may be true, but they couldn't do so based on not being able to afford shopping someplace more upscale.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 04:51 PM
HiPointDem (20,729 posts)
44. "like"? compared to what? most people earn less than $16/hour, that's why they
"like" walmart.
they'd "like" saks 5th avenue too, if they could afford it.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 04:55 PM
PETRUS (2,898 posts)
46. I'm wondering
Is Walmart a manifestation of the liberal paradox?
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 07:21 PM
SheilaT (23,156 posts)
51. I am often dismayed that I cannot convince otherwise
liberal/progressive/Democrats not to shop at WalMart. They will hold on to the claim that the prices there are cheaper.
I have not been to one in about a decade. A year or so ago I wound up inside a Sam's Club with a friend who was looking to buy some specific things. The store did not have the specific kind of coffee filters needed. There was something else she wanted that they did not have. I checked on the prices of two or three other items, and when we went to a local grocery store, all of the things were cheaper at the grocery store.
I have also heard many complaints about the crappy quality of goods there. I often remind people that "You get what you pay for" is always valid.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 07:44 PM
marybourg (4,850 posts)
52. I grew up in suburban NY, but in many small towns and rural
places in this country, there was little or no selection, quality or variety available to consumers. Walmart was a boon to them when one opened near them. The best shopping they ever had. Difficult for us big city folk to appreciate and some of us are too young to even remember when there were no Walmarts. I don't shop there at all, but I understand why others do.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 08:25 PM
sigmasix (794 posts)
53. OP is pretty close
But it sounds to me an awful lot like the arguments in favor of rational government regulations applied to corporate citizens within a capitalist economy.
I agree.
Any person with an open mind should recognize the need to protect employers from being their own worst enemy by using regulations (rules of the game) to stifle the worst abuses represented by monolithic retail operations. We used to have protections for workers that wanted to help the employer to function as a good citizen by joining a trade union. Americans were smart enough to understand that empowering the workers to ensure that their voice is heard when the employer makes decisions that affect the daily environment of the work-place and the future of the workers and the surrounding comunity, was just a necessary application of American pragmatism.
The OP makes the point very clear that corporate citizens like Walmart will never choose what is best for America, unless they are forced to by regulations and powerful unions.
High national rates of unionization, a return to labor rights and powerful regulations are the only way to force bad corporate ciitizens to do what is right. The black friday strikes are just the begining of the push to re-establish common sense and fairness to the employment and economic landscape of America.
I'm typing all this on a phone, so please be patient with my entries if you happen to notice a couple run-on sentences or other grammatical mistakes. I would hope that here at DU, content is more important than form.
Response to sigmasix (Reply #53)
Thu Nov 22, 2012, 08:37 PM
nadinbrzezinski (154,021 posts)
54. Some will attack you on grammer
but I will say just this. Labor unrest is growing. I am covering more and more of those stories.
Yes, tomorrow will be at a local Wallmart to cover this.
But there is also one thing that is happening (part of the pressure by the way), there is a significant group of people who will not shop at Wally World and dislike them highly... they are also part of the pressure.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 12:41 AM
lbrtbell (2,389 posts)
55. The heart of the problem
Is that many people have no place else to shop.
People in rural areas aren't given a lot of choices. The only option would be to drive much farther, which causes the problem of polluting the air and wasting gas.
Or, in my case, I'm just too disabled to drive that far. I'd be in too much pain to make it home.
The problem isn't with Walmart customers, but with Walmart execs being too greedy to pay their employees well and give good benefits.
I think the Black Friday walkout/boycott is a good start. Another thing that would help, is if other chain stores would stop being even greedier than Walmart, by refusing to build supermarkets in smaller cities, so they could be accessed by rural and small city people who have no "mom and pop" stores in the area.
The problem with Walmart is that it's not JUST an issue of Walmart's greed. It's an issue of all corporations being greedy.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 12:59 AM
0rganism (20,030 posts)
56. OP nicely states the premise of the South Park episode
which is quite hilarious, imho, if you like that kind of thing, not that there's anything wrong with that.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 01:08 AM
rDigital (2,239 posts)
57. It's a race to the bottom until we unionize Wal-Mart. nt
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 01:34 AM
AlexSatan (535 posts)
58. On the other hand, with Amazon
it has allowed me to buy books I otherwise would not have. For example, at the beginning of each school year, we buy used copies of each of our kids' textbooks (often under $10 each) so they can have a copy at home and one at school so they do not have to lug a heavy backpack back and forth.
I would not have done that if not for places like Amazon. And a book gets more use that it otherwise likely would not have,
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 03:24 AM
bluestate10 (10,942 posts)
61. Some items can't be purchased online efficiently and high volume sellers can't handle
their sale. Such items are small in number, but they exist. My concern is that some classes of labor will be under pressure forever. Before modern transportation, laborers and semi-skilled workers were isolated for competition with cheaper labor and semi-skilled workers in other parts of the world. Faster, efficient transportation reduced the isolation, creating situations where companies could move some types of labor to locations of the world where that labor was cheaper. The manufacturers would in turn sell the less expensive products in wealthier markets for standard prices, creating an enormous profit for them and higher ups in their companies.
The solution being proposed by politicians is to up-skill the population. While this approach will work over a period of a generation, in today's world, it will fail to produce economic stability for those up skilled workers.
One solution, IMO, would be to up-skill workers while applying tariffs on products that are made in inexpensive markets, forcing those products to cost as much as products made in the USA. The problem with that approach is that consumers will be paying more for basic items like clothing, household products and shoes, as well as luxury items such as electronics and electronic games.
A second solution is the stove-piping of manufacturing and consumerism across the world. This approach is one where products are manufactured and sold ONLY in the country that they are manufactured in. In this model, products made in inexpensive labor markets can only be sold to consumers living in the country of those labor markets. More expensive labor markets would consume only products made in those markets, cheaper imports would be banned completely. This model has not been used at any time in the history of humankind. Typically, what has happened is that a labor market that had an advantage over other markets, such as what the USA enjoyed over most of the world for decades, would produce products for it's consumers and export those products to markets that could not make those products. This model would work well for workers all over the world, and since workers are consumers also and taxes are involved, the model would work for consumers and governments. The entities that would be left in the cold would be multinational manufacturers and export/import shipping organizations, since these very groups wield large economic and political power, I don't see this solution working unless political leaders worldwide decide that it is the model that will be used and honor agreements with each other not to import in products made less expensively, or export products out of a labor market if those products are made in the targeted markets.
Response to cthulu2016 (Original post)
Fri Nov 23, 2012, 03:34 AM
Manifestor_of_Light (20,745 posts)
62. I hate Wallyworld too,but I live in a rural area with no choices.
Lots o'destroyed downtowns.
20 miles to wallyworld, kroger or HEB one way for groceries. And a Lowe's.
55 miles to Target, one way--Lufkin.
150 miles to Costco, one way--Houston or Dallas.
My town has no dry cleaner, no florist, a very small hardware store, and a few greasy spoon restaurants I refuse to eat at. The only healthy place is a Subway sandwich store.


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Christine Burger was vice president of operations at a software company before she launched Noodle & Boo in 2005. Four years later, the company has expanded to South Korea and added Glowology, a women's line, to the original array of products designed especially for babies and children with sensitive skin. Since 2007, the company has donated 20 percent of its proceeds to children in need. Burger lives in northern California with her sons Andrew,10, and Matthew, 6, and is in the process of adopting a 5-year-old girl from Ethiopia.
LN: How did you start Noodle & Boo?
CB: When I got pregnant with my second son I stopped working, and I wanted the next chapter in my life to be helping children. I had this moment when I thought of all the children who had parents who couldn't be their advocates. I thought about being a social worker or going back to school. But my core competency is business, and my interest in skin care grew because Andrew, my oldest, had really sensitive skin, eczema. And then I thought, how cool would it be to start a company that made really great products for sensitive skin, where we could target a large part of our profit to people who help kids?
LN: What were your biggest surprises?
CB: Starting a business sounds really easy, but it's a lot of hard work. At the beginning, we were packing boxes in the warehouse, doing all the physical stuff, and my husband would say, 'What do you want for dinner?' and I would say, 'Anything that doesn't require me to lift my arms.'
LN: What was most challenging at the beginning?
CB: The outreach to the retailers was the hardest part, because everybody wanted to know who sold your products and who used your products, and I was like, 'Nobody sells them, and nobody uses them.' They wanted famous people, and name-dropper type retailers. Our first celebrity was Gwyneth Paltrow. Right after her son Moses was born, she wrote a letter saying that she used our products every night, and they were wonderful.
LN: How did you expand into Glowology?
CB: We heard over and over from our retail base that more than 50 percent of their sales were going to women using the products for themselves. If it's good enough to put on a newborn with sensitive skin, its good enough for women. We took our base formulas for babies and made them more sophisticated.
LN: Where do you see Noodle & Boo in the future?
CB: We are going to be a worldwide company, so we are going to take our sweet spot and blow it up. Right now, we are launching in Hong Kong, and then we are talking to Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.
LN: How has the beauty industry changed since you've entered the field?
CB: In the marketing focus and on the push for natural ingredients. Then there's the visibility of parabens and all the different buzzwords for potentially dangerous ingredients. It evolves and changes, and what is totally acceptable one year is not the next.
LN: What are most women looking for in beauty products?
CB: I think they want to feel safe, and they want good results, and they want a product that makes them feel good.
LN: Which product is your personal favorite?
CB: The Balm for my dry feet. I think I've seen a transformation since I've used it. The Ultimate Ointment in the baby line is also really good for my lips. My husband's favorite is the conditioning hair polish.
LN: What are common misconceptions women have about beauty?
CB: That more is always better. We scrub and peel and exfoliate and do a lot of different things, but there's something to be said for soap and water and a good moisturizer.
LN: What is your most important beauty advice?
CB: A lot of how beautiful you are comes from your attitude. We are all getting older every minute of every day, and the most beautiful women, it has to do with who they are. S


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Occupy, the Musical? Mr. Satan Goes to Wall Street Gets L.A. Reading
Chairman Barnes (as Satan, left) and Stephen Simon (as Larry Summers) in a reading by Sacred Fools theater company
Howie Stier
A highly ambitious theater performance dropped Wednesday night in L.A., one that has the aim of helping to revitalize the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Performed in a reading by members of the Sacred Fools theater company, Mr. Satan Goes to Wall Street is a full-blown musical satire that's a wistful paean to that brief moment in our history. But Camelot it ain't.
You've got to bring a thorough knowledge of events leading to and around the Occupy protests to appreciate the lyrics. Since former Treasury Secretary and Obama White House appointee Larry Summers has cast the world into economic misery by lifting banking regulations, according to the show, Summers is doing Satan's work for free. So God fires Satan. "You stole my job," Satan sings to Summers. To earn it back, Satan brokers a deal with Summers. He must go to Zuccotti Park in New York and break up Occupy Wall Street by ending an affair between two young occupiers -- a college dropout and a union organizer.
The hourlong show shines with 10 witty, lyrical pop tunes, tightly crafted with journalistic details documenting elements of the Occupy protests that ended eight months back; pepper-spraying cops, Chipotle-loving media and food-obsessed vegan activists are referenced in a show that is intended for an August production in Zuccotti Park. Permit or no permit, writing team Sam Precario and Hieronymous Bang say they'll pull it off, and also move the show to the streets surrounding the upcoming Republican and Democratic conventions in Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., respectively.
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The evening's reading was a fundraiser for the tour cast with Bang's Imagination Liberation Front troupe, and the musical will return to an L.A. theater setting if things work out.
Bang, an Austin, Texas-based playwright whose previous work won raves from this newspaper (L.A. Weekly theater critic Steven Leigh Morris cited the political comedy I'm Gonna Kill the President!: A Federal Offense as among the best L.A. theater productions of 2005), crafted Mr. Satan as guerrilla theater.
Pulling off the production under street conditions will be a challenge. "If we have to go from street corner to street corner, we'll perform our play," Bang tells LA Weekly. "We're not eager to get locked up, but that's one of the factors we've considered. We believe we can get our message out without that happening."
Guerrilla theater has colorfully played a part in the recent political dialogue, notably the Billionaires for Bush -- top-hatted and tiara-wearing culture jammers who garnered media fame perplexing passersby by pretending to be wealthy George W. Bush supporters on the streets of New York. Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping stage performances in which a robed choir belting anti-consumer hymns in public spaces.
Bang distances himself from those efforts; his is straight-up musical theater. "What distinguishes what we do? We don't adhere to sloppy street-theater mentality," he says, adding that Mr. Satan's production values will be "sending a message that maybe this movement is more organized than anyone thought, and can create something meaningful." Moreover, the intent is to rekindle the outrage at economic disparity that Occupy launched. "We can inspire people, get them to say, 'That's a funny thing they did about Larry Summers, I'm going to learn about him.'"
For more information on the show, visit its website mrsatangoestowallstreet.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Twitter at @howiecantbestop, and for more arts news follow us at @LAWeeklyArts and like us on Facebook.
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Hundreds of NOAA employees and partners participated in the 4th annual NOAA Restoration Day in Maryland and Virginia. This is one of the largest voluntary federal employee sponsored environmental stewardship events in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Virginia event was held at the Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Center in Charles City, VA. - Maryland event at Jug Bay.
NOAA scientists with AOML's Physical Oceanography Division and the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center partnered in a joint research cruise aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster this past March-April 2007 to gather biological and physical oceanographic data from the coastal waters of the Virgin Islands. L-R: Dave Leaphart, Grant Rawson, Ashly Beebe, Natasha Davis, and Estrella Malca.
Two National Geodetic Survey field parties combined with crews from the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Aircraft Operations Center to perform Airport Obstruction Surveys this summer in support of safe navigation at 22 remote airports in Alaska. L-R: Lt. Jason Mansour (NOAA Corps), Lt. Kristie Twining (NOAA Corps), Chief of Survey Party Tim Wilkins and Joseph Kordosky both (NGS).
Two National Geodetic Survey field parties combined with crews from the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Aircraft Operations Center to perform Airport Obstruction Surveys this summer in support of safe navigation at 22 remote airports in Alaska. L-R: Lt. William Pierce (NOAA Corps), Lt. Nickie Lambert ( (NOAA Corps), Chief of Survey Party Ron Bailey (NGS), and Andrew Serak (NGS).
NOAA partnered with Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Oceans to host the fifth annual NOAA Science Camp in Seattle. During the week-long camp, 53 middle-school-aged campers worked on a hypothetical fish kill in the Puget Sound. L-R: Curran Fey and Dr. Nick Bond of JISAO show campers a TAO buoy used to collect ocean data.
In August the Castle Rock fire surrounding the mountain resort town of Ketchum burned over 48,000 acres. After the fire was contained the threat of flash flood and debris flows took center stage. Sherrie Hebert, Pocatello WFO Service hydrologist joined a Burn Area Emergency Response Team to assess flash flood and debris flow potential. Helicopter pilot John Rourke briefing Sherrie Hebert.
In August the Castle Rock fire surrounding the mountain resort town of Ketchum burned over 48,000 acres. After the fire was contained the threat of flash flood and debris flows took center stage. Sherrie Hebert, Pocatello WFO Service hydrologist joined a Burn Area Emergency Response Team to assess flash flood and debris flow potential.Sherrie Hebert with Forest Service Botanist Kim Pierson.
NOAA's National Weather Service in Indianapolis, Indiana hosted a display booth at the Indianapolis Air Show. The booth was a big hit, especially on the morning of the 25th as occasional rain showers plagued the opening of the show, and the active radar display kept all aware of current conditions. Skies cleared, as forecast and the Navy's Blue Angels put on an awesome display.
National Weather Service personnel from Aberdeen, South Dakota shown outside their facility. L-R: Dave Hintz, Ron Crouch, Anthony Gionta, Aaron Dorn, Amy Parkin,Stan Keefe, Jeff Zeltwanger, Jennifer Zeltwanger, Troy Kleffman, Travis Tarver, Tim Kearns, Mike Fowle, and Jim Scarlett. Kneeling in front: Lisa Johnsen and Ramsey Johnsen.
National Weather Service personnel from Aberdeen, South Dakota have been actively involved with their community. This summer they participated in the annual Brown County Fair at the Aberdeen Fairgrounds. The booth was shared with Brown County Emergency Management and the Community Emergency Response Team. Jeff Zeltwanger (NWS) talks to interested children about NWS programs.
Greetings from St. Louis WFO! The Weather Forecast Office in St. Louis. An open house in October hosted more than 1,200 visitors. L-R back: Jon Carney, Steve Thomas, Doug Tilly, Jim Kramper. Middle Row: Karl Sieczynski, Fred Glass, Eric Sheridan, Scott Truett, Ben Sipprell. Front Row: Jim Sieveking, Mark Britt, Brandon Baker, Neil Hill, Eric Lenning, Ron Przybylinski.
Greetings from St. Louis WFO! The Weather Forecast Office in St. Louis. An open house in October hosted more than 1,200 visitors where they met NWS staff and learned more about NWS products.
Bill Scaife leading his wife into Alaska. Triangulation party of William M. Scaife
George C. Mattison - in charge of second C&GS photogrammetric mapping project Mapping of Mississippi Delta and Passes
Lt. F. D. Moran on right - flight mission with Aero Commander.
C&GS Ship PIONEER wardroom. Standing L to R: Karwisch, McCaffrey ...... Patrick on end Sitting L to R: Harley Nygren, Horace Conerly, Captain William F. Deane, CME De Steuben, Miller Tonkel
First crew of NOAA Ship WHITING. Chief Boatswain "Pappy Haynes" tall man standing in middle
LCDR Commander John Bowie's base camp at Watertown, Yukon, Territory. L to R: David Sammons; Eli Packer, geodetic engineer; bush pilot Sam White Lieutenant Commander John Bowie; Mr Smith, Canadian IBC representative
Last camp at the end of the trail. Oscar Risvold left center; Lester Odgers on right
Along the road from Lima to Huancayo, Peru. Lieutenant Commander A. P. Ratti, C&GS, on right Lieutenant Colonel Pedro A. Delgado, Peruvian Army on right. Planning cooperative survey project with Peru
Arctic Field Party: Robert Earle on left, Don Jones on right.
Office tent at camp at Mile Post 253 on the Alcan Highway. L to R: Bachtel, David Sammons, Lieutenant Commander John Bowie Eli Packer, geodetic engineer
Admiral Eugene Taylor, NOAA Corps.
PATHFINDER wardroom 1959. Front Row: Carter, Keltner, Stavran, Harper, Kinney Center Row: Nygren, Clark, Captain Rubottom, CME Gilgan, Popper. Back Row: Poor, McCall, Meiers, Taetz, Wiener, Newton, Ten Eyck, Degroot
Wardroom of ?? Front Row: Bryant, Partington, Pierce, Healy, Ulm Back Row: ?,?, CME, ?,?, Williams, Tonkel
Unidentified wardroom of unidentified ship. John Ellerbe is front row, far right
Unidentified officer on unidentified ship.
Wardroom of the PATHFINDER 1956.
Wardroom of the PATHFINDER 1957.
Wardroom of the PATHFINDER 1958.
PATHFINDER petty officers ca. 1958.
Crew of the PATHFINDER ca. 1958.
PATHFINDER chief petty officers 1958.
Elsie Karo, wife of C&GS Director H. Arnold Karo, at 150th Anniversary of C&GS with President Dwight D. Eisenhour.
President Dwight David Eisenhower speaking at the 150th Anniversary of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. Rear Admiral H. Arnold Karo is sitting to his left ( right side of picture.)
Captains George Anderson and Fred Peacock reviewing survey work on the Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship HYDROGRAPHER while operating in the Gulf of Mexico.
Retirement of Captain Gilbert T. Rude. Front row L-R - Captain Rude, Rear Admiral (UH) Leo Otis Colbert, Rear Admiral (LH) Jean Hawley in center of photo.
Ensign J. Austin Yeager.
L-R -- Rear Admiral Jean Hawley, Commander Frank S. Borden, Rear Admiral Leo Otis Colbert, Captain Gilbert T. Rude.
L-R -- unidentified, Rear Admiral Raymond Stanton Patton, Director C&GS 1929- 1937, and Captain Gilbert T. Rude. On the occasion of the commissioning of the USC&GS Ship HYDROGRAPHER.
Captain Gilbert T. Rude and Rear Admiral Leo Otis Colbert on occasion of the retirement of Captain Rude.
Chief Engineer of the OCEANOGRAPHER and Lieutenant Clarence Burmister on the after deck of the USC&GS OCEANOGRAPHER.
Officers and crew of the newly commissioned HYDROGRAPHER, Commander Gilbert T. Rude, commanding.
Wardroom of the SURVEYOR. Bill Scaife, second from right standing.
Chief Engineer (note propeller on sleeve) and Lieutenant (j.g.) Clarence Burmister on the after deck of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship OCEANOGRAPHER.
Lieutentants Robert A. Studds and Francis Gallen on the stern of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship PATHFINDER.
Ferdinand Hassler directing the placement of the great theodolite on Fire Island.
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Federal officials are still insisting the relief wells will be used as the ultimate solution, however the Wall Street Journal is reporting today, "But BP officials have in recent days refused to commit to pumping cement down the relief well, saying only that it will be used in some fashion. BP officials haven't elaborated on other options."
"The vast oil reservoir beneath the well could still be worth billions of dollars... but BP isn't saying whether it plans to cash in on this potential windfall... The company won't comment on the possibility of drilling in the same block of seafloor someday or selling the rights to the entire tract to another oil company," the article concludes.


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TAMPA — Deputies were searching for two men who robbed a gas station and shot the owner in the leg Wednesday night.
Two men walked into the BP station at 9702 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and demanded money. As the two attempted to take money from Tae Chun Kang, 42, the owner struggled with them and a gun fired, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Kang was taken to the hospital with a non life-threatening injury, deputies said.
A family member of Kang's was in the back room during the robbery just before 8:30 p.m. and called 911.


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Interior designers have a need for the custom interior signage, attractive graphics and innovative display solutions offered by Signs Now that is two-fold.
For your own design firm, you'll need exterior signage to identify your location as well as lobby signs to welcome clients. Your office will also serve as your showroom—displaying your professionalism to prospects with the custom framing, wall graphics, large prints and other interior signage design solutions you feature. Our special event solutions such as posters and banner can also assist in your efforts to promote your business.
Of course, when it comes to addressing the needs of your design clients for custom signage, graphics and displays, Signs Now serves as a convenient, all-in-one resource. If your design portfolio encompasses signage or display solutions for lobbies, wayfinding, ADA compliance and others, rely on us for affordable, attractive ideas.
Click on any of the links below to look through your many architectural sign design options. Then, drop into Signs Now to discuss your ideas.
Call Signs Now Spokane at (509) 928-3467 for more information.


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THE preferred bidder for collapsed Clyde shipbuilder Ferguson is expected to be unveiled as early as Monday, following weekend talks between interested parties and the administrators.
Engineering tycoon Jim McColl was one of four bidders who submitted offers for the Port Glasgow yard by the 5pm deadline on Thursday, the administrators said yesterday. He is pledging to invest "many millions" in Ferguson Shipbuilders and aims to return it to its former glory by creating hundreds of jobs.
Ferguson, which was founded in 1902 and is the last commercial shipbuilder on the Clyde, collapsed into administration last week, with 70 of the remaining 77 employees made redundant.
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Mr McColl's attempt to revive the yard yesterday received the backing of Rangers directors James and Sandy Easdale, owners of bus company McGill's, who had submitted their own bid.
A spokesman for the Easdales said: "The Easdale brothers are delighted that a businessman with Jim McColl's engineering background is keen to take over the yard. Sandy spoke to Jim this morning, and his plans are exactly what Inverclyde needs. We are informed that our bid is competitive and has reached the shortlist but we feel that Jim McColl is better equipped to take the yard forward. We said all along that we would step aside if somebody with an engineering pedigree and access to markets wanted to get involved. As local businessmen the Easdales have a strong interest in seeing a thriving Inverclyde economy."
Mr McColl, one of Scotland's richest men, who saved about 550 jobs at Weir Pumps in Glasgow in 2007 by buying that business from Weir Group, appears likely to be a frontrunner to buy the Port Glasgow shipyard.
However, he emphasised his belief yesterday that it was not a done deal. He said: "Clearly if it had just been quite straightforward I think we would have found out today. The administrator has got some interesting offers when he has to take the time to go through them."
It is understood that administrators expect to take the process forward over the weekend, and then gather their thoughts on Monday. It is believed an announcement of the preferred bidder could come on Monday.
Blair Nimmo and Tony Friar of KPMG, who were appointed as joint administrators of Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited, Newark Joiners Limited and Ferguson-Ailsa Limited on August 14, said: "The joint administrators will now assess and clarify the terms of each bid with a view to hopefully selecting a preferred bidder in the early part of next week. All efforts are being made to conclude a sale of the group and its assets as quickly as possible."
First Minister Alex Salmond, who visited the yard yesterday, said: "I have great hopes that the work undertaken in this century-old yard will continue under new ownership and securing this remains an absolute and immediate priority."
Union leaders claim the prospects for the stricken yards are "abundantly brighter" after Mr McColl's bid. Jim Moohan, regional organiser for the GMB union, said: "Jim McColl is a very successful businessman and I'd be confident he could stabilise the yard and develop a strategy and then move the yard forward. I don't know who'll take over, four bids are in, but whoever does will need the assistance of the Scottish Government and all political parties because the yard needs an order book. [Ferry operator] CalMac needs to be brought back into the picture. But the prospects are abundantly brighter than they were this time last week."


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Did you know that last year the city of Santa Clarita issued more than 3,400 construction permits, ranging from multimillion-dollar shopping centers and office buildings to small homeowner projects, such as patio covers and water heater replacements?
Generally, when the public hears about state and local building-code permits, household improvement projects generally don't usually come to mind. However, obtaining a permit for your home project is just as important as securing approval for a major construction project.
Believe it or not, building permits are required for most home improvement projects, including new patio covers, decks, block walls, even replacement of old equipment such as water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners or water pipes.
Permits are also needed for construction projects, alterations, additions, and miscellaneous plumbing, mechanical and electrical installation.
Safety is a top priority for the city of Santa Clarita. The city's Building and Safety Division works closely with the community to ensure that building projects meet the highest standards of safety through the permitting and inspection process.
The city's building and safety process involves plan review, permit issuance, inspections, certificates of occupancy and records maintenance for all new private construction.
One of the benefits of obtaining a permit through the city's Building and Safety Division is the ability to increase the value of your house when selling or refinancing property.
A permit with a final-inspection approval by the city inspector ensures that your household project is thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for compliance with State-sanctioned safety protocols and building codes.
Residents can also save money on homeowner insurance by having the Building and Safety Division approve construction plans.
Santa Clarita currently has one of the best insurance ratings in California, helping property owners save money on required home insurance. Additionally, Santa Clarita residents can save money on monthly utility bills by installing a new energy efficient water heater, furnace or air conditioner.
Be sure to obtain a city permit to verify that improvements meet the state Energy Commission standards for maximum energy efficiency.
With professional architects, engineers, inspectors, and friendly support staff, your city staff is happy to assist you in achieving compliance with construction regulations.
For some Santa Clarita residents, home-improvement projects can be stressful and confusing. Understanding that time is valuable, the city established a permit center on the first floor of City Hall to help streamline the process. This is done by bringing together various divisions within the city in one easy-to-access location at City Hall.
The new permit center features a centralized location for city planning, building and safety, traffic and development staff to assist customers by saving time and dramatically improving communication between city departments.
The one-stop permit shop provides residents with knowledgeable staff to help explain city permitting in plain language, as well as move the building process along with greater ease so residents can get on with their plans.
The city's Building and Safety Division has standardized engineered plans already available for many household projects, allowing homeowners to obtain a permit right over the counter. The process is fast, simple and, most importantly, ensures work meets state and local safety codes.
Additionally, the new permit center compliments the city's recently launched ePlans system. The new and innovative online platform allows everyone to submit their plans via the web for approval by the agencies that need to view them.
It's important to keep in mind that before hiring a contractor, homeowners check references and verify the status of his/her license through the Contractors State License Board at cslb.ca.gov.
To apply for a permit, check the status of a permit, pay permit fees or find out more information, visit Santa-Clarita.com/ePermits.
For additional information or questions, call (661) 255-4935 or stop by the city of Santa Clarita's Building and Safety Division in Suite 140 on the first floor of City Hall.
Bob Kellar is a Santa Clarita City Councilman and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Reader question: HP kicker motor or not
By Gary Korsgaden / Guest columnist
Reader Asks: Should I add a small horsepower kicker?
I have been hashing around your suggestion of putting on a small horsepower kicker motor on my tiller 1890 Warrior. It seems like a lot are simply locked into 9.9 kicker motors. My barge is a 2002 with a same vintage 115 horse Yamaha outboard motor. Since I brought her home I have been busy engineering ways to make the old girl a more efficient fishing machine. You're the first person that has set up a small motor for trolling. I have my electric trolling motor on the portside of the transom and would like to add a "small horsepower kicker" to the starboard side. Your thoughts! Jerry Brink -Hudson, Wis.
Jerry, on my 1994 Lund Pro V Tiller originally I had a 9.9 horsepower kicker on the starboard side on the rear transom. The engine ran very well and was a welcome addition to those trips trolling for walleyes on lakes like Mille Lac's and Lake Erie. Loved having the piece of mind of having a second engine in the event my main engine failed. The downfall was the weight on the transom 390# for the two outboards dropped rear of my tiller boat. While back trolling the starboard corner of the transom would take in water on those windy bumpy days. I sold the motor, but realized quickly, I missed the piece of mind that a spare engine afforded, a motor that just sipped on gas with the range of trolling speeds that "kicker engine" offered.
Solution, I added a lightweight 3.5 horsepower four stroke. At a mere forty pounds on the starboard side of the transom I have been pleased on the ease it starts and the ability of trolling speed in ranges of .6 mph to a high of 4.8 mph. Compared to the 90 hp I had been using for trolling, the gas savings has been significant.
Jerry another fact to consider, outboard motor mechanics, will tell you trolling is not necessarily good for larger outboard engines. Long hours of trolling on larger two or four or two stroke engines can cause them to load up with performance robbing carbon. Consequently, if not cleaned out from time to time could cause performance problems down the road.
To date I've been very pleased with my "small kicker engine." A couple tips to keep them running smoothly,: First, always add a gas conditioner to the fuel. Second, top outboard mechanics recommend that it is not necessary to run the "little guy" out of gas after every use. Third, invest in a high thrust propeller to give you desired torque at the low end. A high thrust propeller will take away top rpm speed. Instead I will add desired thrust at the slow rpms. The engine will run at a lower RPM to achieve the desired trolling speed.
If you decide to go down the road of adding a small horsepower kicker to your 2002 Warrior, confident you will be extremely pleased like I have been.


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HMX Files for Chapter 11 for Second Time
HMX, parent company of Hickey Freeman suits, has filed for bankruptcy. This is the second time the New York based company has filed for Chapter 11, the first time being in 2009.
Hickey Freeman suits have many fans, including President Obama. Despite this, HMX gave no reason for it's recent filing. Insiders said the India-based firm, SKNL, that had saved it three years earlier, refused to pump more cash into HMX not long after buying it.
HMX also owns Hart Schaffner Marx, which agreed to be acquired by Authentic Brands Group. An insider said Authentic Brands plans to partner with a company that will keep it's Rochester, NY factory open. However, HMX warned employess at the factory and in Manhattan offices that most jobs will be cut.
The bankruptcy is a huge embarrassment to Sen. Chuck Schumer, who in August brokered a deal for emergency financing - intended to safeguard jobs "for years to come." Yesterday, Schumer blasted HMX, saying the company had not "lived up to its commitments."