Texsox

I missed that. I love it when it is unpaid, and the employer is expected to force people to take unpaid time off. I know I would rather work 6 hours straight and eat afterwards then be at work 6.5 hours and have to eat at work, or at some place really close on a :30 break. BTW, in Mexico, large plants are required to provide free meals for their employees. And a medical care, usually a Doctor on staff, in the plant. Oh, and transportation, usually on company buses. They are so far ahead of us

I watched as my parents buried my brother, that is not the circle of life and something as a parent I cannot imagine. for the Dungys and any parent who is burying their child.

awesome. Thank you

How can you blame the employer for their employees using government programs?? If you don't like programs for working poor, have them eliminated and push for a minimum wage over the poverty line. Do you think these programs are in place just for WalMart employees? They are for working poor and cover not only medical but child care costs as well.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 22, 2005 -> 06:22 PM) Well, since employer-provided health coverage has bee the mainstay of the U.S. health insurance system for decades, you'd certainly hope that it should be Walmart's job to give their employees health insurance. Otherwise, they would just be either getting healht coverage from the government and the taxpayers or sitting at home suffering and sometimes nearly dying because they can't afford to see a doctor (much like a member of my own family). Walmart does offer health insurance. I'm not certain how many people here work for employers that *give* insurance. I will bet the percentage is low. Walmart, like most employers, charge a portion of the health insurance fee to the employee. A large number reject the coverage, some out of economic necessity, some because of spousal coverage, and some because of government health care programs that they qualify for. People earning $7.00 per hour ($14,000 annualy) will usually also qualify for some form of gov assisted health care. From the employer side. Insurance coverage for a family of 4 will cost about $800 ~ $1000 per month depending on coverage. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that it's even lower, like $500 per month. For a full time employee, that is about $3.00 per hour in benefit. If you are paying someone $9.00 per hour, well above minimum wage but not much over the poverty line, free health insurance is an almost 25% increase in employee cost to the company. So many companies have the employee pay for part of their coverage. In turn, many employees voluntarily reject the coverage. If you want to stop Walmart, you also have to stop every other employer who hires people for less than about $8~$9 per hour.

QUOTE(whitesoxin' @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 11:34 PM) Well you see I asked for his address and phone number and I got his cell #, but then my friend informed me that he is on steroids and is a huge dude. So I just got $20 for a car wash. Little dudes have guns. Always best to not crack skulls and find a quiter, gentler, form of revenge, the dish that is best served cold.

BTW, I have made a donation in all of your names to The Human Fund, Money for People

There is one local business here Chicago Dogs (great name in South Texas) that I visit weekly. They are opening a new and bigger location and he has a wall to decorate. Another customer brought in some ScRubs stuff. I wanted to print and frame a Soxtalk.com and Chicago Dogs pic for the restaurant. My skills are pretty crappy, but if someone could come up with something, their artwork will be framed and displayed. I was hoping for Chicago Dogs almost like a screen name would be displayed and of course soxtalk.com, included so maybe I could find the other two Sox fans in South Texas. I was thinking around an 8x10 so you have some space to work with.

I couldn't have said this any better. From a message list I belong to

The Top 5 Homeland Security Christmas Cards 5> Two lists we seek this Christmas Day, one Naughty and one Nice. So hand them over now, Fat Boy -- we won't ask you twice. 4> May your holiday season be filled with all the joys and pleasures you find dear. Which, according to your web-surfing history, includes Honduran cigars, Coca Cola collectibles, naked Asian girls and vibrating butt-plugs. 3> In the meadow, we will build a snowman. We'll pretend his skin and beard are brown. We'll say, "You al Qaeda?" He'll say, "No, man!" But just in case, we'll haul his ass downtown. 2> We see you when you're sleeping. We know when you're awake. We like you in that nightie but we know those boobs are fake! and Topfive.com's Number 1 Homeland Security Christmas Card... 1> A child was born on Christmas Day. Despite the "savior" hype, we've searched the manger twice 'cause he's a Middle-Eastern type.

All part of the media bias

QUOTE(Mercy! @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 06:10 PM) First, we all have biases. I think somewhere along the line, many began to associate that concept with unthinking, hateful prejudice and began to think that it was a bad thing. Why not consider bias as having a particular point of view based on your life experiences? Regarding the national media, the whining about media bias in this day and age intrigues me. It’s a little like complaining about some of the trash on TV. Who in the world makes you watch or read these things? There’s a news source for every possible political persuasion these days. I make a big distinction between the legitimate journalism sources, the cable bloviators, and most anonymous bloggers, not that some bloggers don’t fill an important niche. And the bloviators I just never listen to. Regarding Drudge, maybe he has moved more from the Right to the Center, and maybe his site is a useful source of information. But I put him in the category of self-loathing closet case who hurt a lot of people over the years, and I try not to click on his site just out of principle. I actually use his site as a jumping off point for the daily news. It is almost all links and they are usually some of the better sources. He also have a very good list of the world's news sites from the WSJ to the Village Voice, and a pretty good list of columnists.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 22, 2005 -> 07:41 AM) Ah, only opinions need to be sited... I see now. BTW, who did say that?

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 06:57 PM) The Walton family represents the ultimate in greed and it makes me sick. f*** them and their greed. I'll buy my milk elsewhere. QUOTE(Mercy! @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 08:12 PM) We understand. But just be careful out there.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 06:45 PM) Sure get your $1.98 gallon of milk. Oh by the way your also helping shell out to subsidize all the millions of dollars being spent on Wal-Mart employees who are on welfare, getting food stamps and getting all sorts of state and federal aid because their greedy company doesn't pay them enough and provide them with benefits. Maybe you are exempt from helping pay for that welfare but I'm pretty sure my taxes help pay for that. I've heard that complaint before and I don't understand it. We have government programs to help the jobless and the working poor. Working poor use those programs. Are all those employers bad? Is the complaint about those programs, the workers, or the companies? If it is a good program, why complain about the working poor using them? If it is the workers, why criticize them for using a program they qualify for? If it is the companies, then we should eliminate all working poor programs and increase the minimum wage to above the poverty level. These aren't special WalMart only programs that the government puts out there. I was involved in a program discussing the varies hurdles to child care help for the working poor. Child care cost are huge compared to the wages of a new worker. There are various programs, through multiple agencies, with multiple requirements and qualifying standards. It was agreed, that it wasn't the lack of programs, but the inability of poorly educated, young mothers (sorry, but it always fell on the mom) to make sense of it all. I was lost after the second hour of alphabet soup. The solution was for more employers to be knowledgable about these assistance programs and having the HR managers help direct the workers. Giving every employee a $60 per week raise was never even considered. The company that was regarded as the role model in helping their employees make sense of it all? Walmart.

QUOTE(Mercy! @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 08:12 PM) We understand. But just be careful out there.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 05:57 PM) *cough COUGH CO ......... UGH* Now another swipe at Bush and his inability to chew a pretzle. You all hate our President.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 22, 2005 -> 07:10 AM) I take it you missed the very start of this thread, because otherwise you are just picking on me, and now I have to cry about it Yours was an opinion piece.

Damn, damn, damn, didn't the Blackhosers just trade for him? Seriously, didn't Probert register a .38 after a motorcycle accident in Detroit? IIRC when a reporter asked him how he could still walk, he said it must have been the cocaine?

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 12:23 PM) These pretzels are making me THIRSTY!! Is that some sort of swipe at Bush? Wait until Kap reads it, then your ass is grass my man.

QUOTE(Mercy! @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 11:42 AM) Whatever happened to “I like to watch?” Signed, Questioning on the Northside. Only after I am too old and modern medicine can't help, will sex change from a participatory sport to a spectator sport. But just in case, could you send some pIctUrEs? :rolly

WalMart is the shining example of American Capitalism. They beat the world at the US retail game. Using every advantage they could muster, they became the #1 retailer. Now we see what the victor looks like, and some people are unhappy with they picture. Survival of the fittest. Mom and Pop died because they couldn't compeat. Local manufactures died, because the couldn't compeat. Walmart remains standing.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 11:09 AM) You'll know they're up to speed when they start having dead people voting. Actually each dead person may vote 73 times. Once for himself and also for the 72 virgins