Bumper sticker of the week: Impotence: Nature's way of saying ''No hard feelings.''
Quote of the week: ''Wherever I found resistance to oppression -- whether in Africa, in Latin America, certainly here in America in the south, I joined that resistance. Do not submit. It is extremely critical that repression be met full head-on and that it be resisted with every fiber in our being.'' Harry Belafonte
Peever Boycotts (New and expanded edition):
-- McDonald's: Way too big. They control the fast food industry. Do yourself a favor, read Fast Food Nation. You definitely get more for your money, you're just never quite sure what it is. Do yourself a favor, pass by the golden arches.--
Kentucky Fried Chicken: The birds they are using are so odd the FDA is not sure whether they should be called chickens. They use so much antibiotics they're starting to sell the stuff as a cure for the common cold. Between the fat and the grease, they'll be clearing your arteries out with dynamite.--
Salvation Army: Militaristic, which makes me nervous from the very beginning. Reminds me of the old Christian hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers, which would not be one of my favorites. The Army has become way too big for a non-profit. How can you have so much money if you're supposedly giving everything away? And to top it off, they sell things to the poor that I give them. That ain't right.--
The Red Cross: New to the list, thanks to 60 Minutes. Seems they take advantage of disasters to pad their budget. And you talk about some high salaries? I suppose they think they should act like any other business in America -- take advantage of any situation and cheat us. I'm thinking until they get a little more control over themselves, they're out. I'll keep my blood until I see a bit more accountability.--
I'm personally boycotting Econo-Foods. My life has never been the same since they moved from Seminary & Fremont to Henderson Street. I think it was very selfish of them. Obviously, they thought they could make more money on Henderson. With Henderson St. under construction, we'll see.--
The United Way: Local United Ways do not disclose their operating costs and salaries to the public. This is wrong. If I give them my money to distribute to local charities, I should have a right to know how much of it they use on themselves. No info, no money. Simple enough. Besides, it's much more engaging to take your money directly to the source. You might actually see what's going on and get involved. Before you right-winged crusaders get too giddy, I completely support the United Way in cutting off the Boy Scouts for their exclusivist policies. In fact, I'm going to add them to the list.--
The Boy Scouts: This para-military organization has gone awry. Get your kids out of this outfit and have them join a real gang. Who the hell needs to learn how to rub two sticks together to make a fire when you can build a bomb in less time?--
ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox: These corporate advertising machines are not fit for man nor beast. They've dumbed down these stations to an IQ level of about 62, which unfortunately seems to appeal to quite a few people. Censorship of programs has dramatically increased, as it becomes more and more apparent that the corporate owners of these stations don't want you to hear anything that might upset their advertisers. It's a bad situation growing worse, kind of like my jock itch.--
Nike: Speaking of jocks. Nike, the footwear king of the world. If you don't recognize that check mark, you obviously aren't from this planet. Nike's recipe for success: Have your products made in third-world countries for $2.50 per pair, plus material costs of $5.00, pay a tariff of 5 cents, and you got yourself a $7.55 pair of Michael Jordan's to sell for $125 to some parent who can't afford it, but doesn't want her little sweetie to do without. Between aggressive marketing and third-world labor, Nike is a capitalist's dream come true. Cheat everyone, all the way, and live to tell about it.--
Wal-Mart: The company that ruined downtown U.S.A. They are now the largest company in the world, displacing GM. The Walton family is the richest in the world. Many would say this is a great American success story. I think it stinks. It's a massive rip-off of the American worker. They pay most of their employees just above minimum wage, provide benefits to few, give workers just enough hours to keep them from full-time, and insist that they not unionize. They are big enough now that they name their own price from distributors, undersell everyone else, and can afford to build massive stores with everything in them from groceries to gas to gadgets. This was one of the most damaging things to happen to small-town America in the last century.