I work at a Wal-Mart in Indiana and we're constantly being asked by customers if we can get them the coupons directly. It may not be an official route, but why not stop by your nearest electronics/retail chain and give it to someone in the television/electronics/etc dept and ask that it be given to someone who needs to purchase a box? Yeah, I mean, you're just trusting a random person with a $40 coupon, but hell, I doubt the gov't has a better idea of what to do.
Hey, guys. I submitted this story anonymously as THX-1138.
I actually got this story from http://www.theninhotline.net/ and was just trying to get it copied over here and completely forgot to cite my source.
The guys and girls over at the hotline are the number one source for NIN news on the net and I feel like a horrible fuck for not properly citing. Check these guys out. They know their stuff.
I'm 18 and a senior in high school. I work at a hometown Wal-Mart in a small town of about 5,000 in western Indiana. It pays much better than anything else around here that will hire me. (45 cent raises yearly and the chance for paid vacation, as well as profit sharing bonuses, and the best part, no flipping burgers)
I've seen the documentary about Wal-Mart, and to my knowledge of the inner workings, it's all true. However, the way the stores function really comes down to the store management, and has much less to do with corporate policy.
I happen to work with a great management team, save for one department manager from Hell. Aside from her, my store manager and the two assistants are really great people and good at what they do. The cashier situation you described likely had more to do with people calling in rather than poor scheduling. We had a similar situation at our store in the Christmas '05 season. Inexcusable? Yes, but I can guarantee they tried calling people in, and I don't know what the situation is like at that store, but at mine, if there are no cashiers, management will work the registers themselves. All of them. Not just one or two.
As for your situation with the worthless employee near the pharmacy, that IS a problem I see at my store. See, I like nearly 100% of all the people I work with. I'm the youngest employee at our store, but we all get along and it's pretty much like a family, but I work with a lot of lazy people. Yeah, I can see how hard it would be to get motivated with such lackluster benefits. I mean, Hell, our discount is only 10%. This is something that management has trouble working on in every store. It is hard to motivate people to do better.
I work in the the Electronics department mostly and I know that if I ever have to direct someone to a product, I will personally walk there, show it to them, ask them if they have any questions, and be on my way. I do take pride in my work, at least when it comes to things I am knowledgeable about. This needs to be done more often, clearly, but how can you force people to be knowledgeable and courteous when you bascially have to hire anyone, as per corporate policy?
We do have training, but they are done with modified PowerPoints and are completely worthless. Everyone I know skips through them because they take so god damned long.
Yes, Wal-Mart has some service issues to get past, but don't blame one store for your experience with the company as a whole.
Seriously, what isn't? a perfect opportunity for Linux for some of you?
I realize that Linux has many many benefits to other OS's, but for the love of God, if it was going to takeover like everyone believes it should, then why hasn't it by now? Probably because of no centralization. If Linux was one product, one marketable, boxable product, then one company could advertise, and perhaps it could take off.
If the Linux model stays the way it is, it will never be the desktop of the masses, I promise you. Linux is a great thing, and I love it, and yes, some distros are usuable by anyone, but it's a niche OS. Without one unified group, it simply cannot win./off-topic rant.
And to that effect, think of all the fans that won't give this game the time of day, simply because they are loyal to Halo.
Personally I think this will be a great game, but I know several people who've already said it's just another Halo rip-off, based on what they've seen of it. Misunderstanding.
Exactly. I'm 18 and was A+ certified last year at 17.
Now I don't claim to be the end-all, be-all of computer knowledge, but I know what the fuck I'm doing. I hate that people generalize us older teens with computer know-how into a category of pretenders that think they know a lot because they can change wallpaper and know a few shortcuts. The true techies don't show off, it's just what we're good at and what we enjoy.
Just because we're young doesn't mean we have any less expertise than the recently trained technician at the local shop.
What if that doesn't work, you ask? Sell your house!
It's obviously why you're getting spyware! Your house is infected! While you're at it, burn all your posessions and detox your family! Those pesky bugs stop at nothing!
In other words, it's not really a conscious decision where people actually THINK about what OS to use, and choose Windows. They just buy something.
Oh, right. I agree with that completely. What I am saying is that people don't know what they're buying. Many people don't even realize there is more than Windows out there. They don't realize there are alternatives, but I know that even if they knew about other contenders, they wouldn't want to migrate once they realized what it entails.
I understand completely why consumers, especially us, want there to be OS choice and OS competition for everyone. Having three or four major OS's that end user every-day Joes would use sounds like a Utopia. In fact, if I had it my way, there would be Windows, Mac OS X, a revolutionary easy to use, yet powerful, Linux (shh.), and another free OS.
However, since most consumers don't know very much about computers, they're not going to understand that their software doesn't work between OS's without hard-to-use (for them) emulation software. With all of those choices, people are going to stick with the name and software package they trust. Windows is going to win no matter what, unless Microsoft goes the way of the dodo. The vast majority cannot handle the confusion and differences between OS's, and they don't want to understand it. Even if somehow all the OS's could use each other's software natively, then what would be the point in having more than one?
I hate to see one operating system dominate the market just as much as you guys do, but there will always only be one primary operating system for (at least) the consumer market. Whether it's always going to be Windows, I cannot say. I just know that people are happy with standards, and they don't want to have to screw with migrating to something new, even if they know it could be better for them.
The protons...they just kept...swarming and surrounding me...The protons!....The horror!
Babies were screaming! Children were crying! Animals were being slaughtered!
THE PROTOOOOONNNSS!!!..
-shudders-
It's interesting to note that 'A New Hope' was the only Star Wars movie to feature cursing.
Owen says something to the effect of "He better be back by noon or there'll be hell to pay".
Obi-Wan says "He didn't want you going off with me on some damned fool idealistic crusade."
And then on the death star scene, either Han or Leia says one of those words again. I can't quite remember what exactly was said, but there hasn't been a curse word since in any of the other films.
I received The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for GameBoy when I was in first grade, but I beat it within the next 2-3 months. Also, I received Super Mario RPG in second grade, and I beat it before I graduated to 3rd grade.
RPG's have helped me not only reason better, but expand my vocabulary, concentrate on puzzles more efficiently, and focus on the big picture, rather than what enemy I am currently facing.
All kids are different in how they learn, but they sure made a difference for me when I was that little.
If only they'd hired a competent Project Manager that knew his/her stuff when it came to delivering software on time, under budget, and to spec, without continuous deathmarch sessions, then they never would need to come out with an "here's-all-the-stuff-we-wanted-to-put-in-but-coul dn't" version.
If only they would've been doing this when GTA3 came out. Then I wouldn't have ran all over all those old ladies with ambulances because I played a videogame where it allowed you to.
/sarcasm
Seriously though, I can understand not letting anyone under 10 get games like this, but why make it illegal for a completely well-minded 13 or 14 year old to play Half-Life 2 or Doom 3?
Needing a parent to be present when you're 5 years old and buying Manhunt is fine, but carding everyone who buys something that's rated M?
Just because a band pumps out 36 albums a year doesn't automatically make them good.
Now, granted, there are much worse things than AFI, but the only way I could accept a band like AFI doing a cover of a song written by Trent Reznor would be if it was a tribute.
Slashdot Mirror
I work at a Wal-Mart in Indiana and we're constantly being asked by customers if we can get them the coupons directly. It may not be an official route, but why not stop by your nearest electronics/retail chain and give it to someone in the television/electronics/etc dept and ask that it be given to someone who needs to purchase a box? Yeah, I mean, you're just trusting a random person with a $40 coupon, but hell, I doubt the gov't has a better idea of what to do.
Not knocking the religious, just saying that 1/3 of Americans believing in the supernatural should not surprise anyone.
http://www.theninhotline.net/
Alright.
I'm 18 and a senior in high school. I work at a hometown Wal-Mart in a small town of about 5,000 in western Indiana. It pays much better than anything else around here that will hire me. (45 cent raises yearly and the chance for paid vacation, as well as profit sharing bonuses, and the best part, no flipping burgers)
I've seen the documentary about Wal-Mart, and to my knowledge of the inner workings, it's all true. However, the way the stores function really comes down to the store management, and has much less to do with corporate policy.
I happen to work with a great management team, save for one department manager from Hell. Aside from her, my store manager and the two assistants are really great people and good at what they do. The cashier situation you described likely had more to do with people calling in rather than poor scheduling. We had a similar situation at our store in the Christmas '05 season. Inexcusable? Yes, but I can guarantee they tried calling people in, and I don't know what the situation is like at that store, but at mine, if there are no cashiers, management will work the registers themselves. All of them. Not just one or two.
As for your situation with the worthless employee near the pharmacy, that IS a problem I see at my store. See, I like nearly 100% of all the people I work with. I'm the youngest employee at our store, but we all get along and it's pretty much like a family, but I work with a lot of lazy people. Yeah, I can see how hard it would be to get motivated with such lackluster benefits. I mean, Hell, our discount is only 10%. This is something that management has trouble working on in every store. It is hard to motivate people to do better.
I work in the the Electronics department mostly and I know that if I ever have to direct someone to a product, I will personally walk there, show it to them, ask them if they have any questions, and be on my way. I do take pride in my work, at least when it comes to things I am knowledgeable about. This needs to be done more often, clearly, but how can you force people to be knowledgeable and courteous when you bascially have to hire anyone, as per corporate policy?
We do have training, but they are done with modified PowerPoints and are completely worthless. Everyone I know skips through them because they take so god damned long.
Yes, Wal-Mart has some service issues to get past, but don't blame one store for your experience with the company as a whole.
Please let it be called GOOS.
Seriously, what isn't? a perfect opportunity for Linux for some of you?
/off-topic rant.
I realize that Linux has many many benefits to other OS's, but for the love of God, if it was going to takeover like everyone believes it should, then why hasn't it by now? Probably because of no centralization. If Linux was one product, one marketable, boxable product, then one company could advertise, and perhaps it could take off.
If the Linux model stays the way it is, it will never be the desktop of the masses, I promise you. Linux is a great thing, and I love it, and yes, some distros are usuable by anyone, but it's a niche OS. Without one unified group, it simply cannot win.
Personally I think this will be a great game, but I know several people who've already said it's just another Halo rip-off, based on what they've seen of it. Misunderstanding.
Exactly. I'm 18 and was A+ certified last year at 17. Now I don't claim to be the end-all, be-all of computer knowledge, but I know what the fuck I'm doing. I hate that people generalize us older teens with computer know-how into a category of pretenders that think they know a lot because they can change wallpaper and know a few shortcuts. The true techies don't show off, it's just what we're good at and what we enjoy. Just because we're young doesn't mean we have any less expertise than the recently trained technician at the local shop.
Yeeehaw!
Well, everyone took a vote, and they got voted off the island.
What if that doesn't work, you ask? Sell your house!
It's obviously why you're getting spyware! Your house is infected! While you're at it, burn all your posessions and detox your family! Those pesky bugs stop at nothing!
In other words, it's not really a conscious decision where people actually THINK about what OS to use, and choose Windows. They just buy something.
Oh, right. I agree with that completely. What I am saying is that people don't know what they're buying. Many people don't even realize there is more than Windows out there. They don't realize there are alternatives, but I know that even if they knew about other contenders, they wouldn't want to migrate once they realized what it entails.
Here's the way I see it.
I understand completely why consumers, especially us, want there to be OS choice and
OS competition for everyone. Having three or four major OS's that end user every-day
Joes would use sounds like a Utopia. In fact, if I had it my way, there would be Windows,
Mac OS X, a revolutionary easy to use, yet powerful, Linux (shh.), and another free OS.
However, since most consumers don't know very much about computers, they're not going to
understand that their software doesn't work between OS's without hard-to-use (for them)
emulation software. With all of those choices, people are going to stick with the name
and software package they trust. Windows is going to win no matter what, unless Microsoft
goes the way of the dodo. The vast majority cannot handle the confusion and differences
between OS's, and they don't want to understand it. Even if somehow all the OS's could
use each other's software natively, then what would be the point in having more than one?
I hate to see one operating system dominate the market just as much as you guys do, but
there will always only be one primary operating system for (at least) the consumer market.
Whether it's always going to be Windows, I cannot say. I just know that people are happy
with standards, and they don't want to have to screw with migrating to something new, even
if they know it could be better for them.
The protons...they just kept...swarming and surrounding me...The protons!....The horror! Babies were screaming! Children were crying! Animals were being slaughtered! THE PROTOOOOONNNSS!!!.. -shudders-
It's interesting to note that 'A New Hope' was the only Star Wars movie to feature cursing.
Owen says something to the effect of "He better be back by noon or there'll be hell to pay".
Obi-Wan says "He didn't want you going off with me on some damned fool idealistic crusade."
And then on the death star scene, either Han or Leia says one of those words again. I can't quite remember what exactly was said, but there hasn't been a curse word since in any of the other films.
Like spelling errors?
I received The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for GameBoy when I was in first grade, but I beat it within the next 2-3 months. Also, I received Super Mario RPG in second grade, and I beat it before I graduated to 3rd grade.
RPG's have helped me not only reason better, but expand my vocabulary, concentrate on puzzles more efficiently, and focus on the big picture, rather than what enemy I am currently facing.
All kids are different in how they learn, but they sure made a difference for me when I was that little.
fixed.
Isn't that her job?
it would have been better still with Natalie Portman...covered in hot grits, of course
Gabe Newell to the rescue!...Oh, wait..
Why doesn't anyone go after child porn distributors? Because no one is losing money.
I was in it for 4 years. It was very beneficial in teamwork, coding, development, engineering, and creative thinking. MOD PARENT UP!!!
Seriously though, I can understand not letting anyone under 10 get games like this, but why make it illegal for a completely well-minded 13 or 14 year old to play Half-Life 2 or Doom 3?
Needing a parent to be present when you're 5 years old and buying Manhunt is fine, but carding everyone who buys something that's rated M?
Blasphemy.
Now, granted, there are much worse things than AFI, but the only way I could accept a band like AFI doing a cover of a song written by Trent Reznor would be if it was a tribute.