Wal-Mart Hearts the Caucasianally-Challenged

Wal-Mart’s race-baiting:

“Wal-Mart is working for everyone,” read the newspaper ad, which ran in January in more than 100 newspapers nationwide, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. “Some of our critics are working only for themselves.” The same day, the company launched walmartfacts.com, a website to counter criticism of the kind you may have read in this magazine. Along with some misleading information intended to make Wal-Mart’s wages and benefits sound much better than they are, the new campaign materials feature many smiling African-American faces; the website explains, accurately, that Wal-Mart is a “leading employer” of Hispanics and African-Americans.
As Jesse Jackson and other black leaders have pointed out in response to this boast, the slave plantation was once a “leading employer” of African-Americans as well. But this ad campaign was only the latest salvo in Wal-Mart’s fervent battle for the goodwill of black America, inspired by the difficulties the company is having as it tries to move into urban areas.
Wal-Mart spent more than $1 million on a PR campaign backing a voter referendum to build a Supercenter in Inglewood, California, where the majority of voters are people of color, and was decisively defeated last year. The company faces continued resistance in Chicago as well, where it has been trying to open stores in black neighborhoods. A Wal-Mart on that city’s West Side is scheduled to open by next February–to the frustration of those who opposed it–while plans for a South Side store have been scuttled. Controversy continues to rage about a Wal-Mart project in New Orleans, and in late February plans for a New York City Wal-Mart were scrapped in the wake of protests by labor, small business and neighborhood groups. Much of the opposition to the retailer has been led by activists of color. And, of course, since many people of color are poor, Wal-Mart depends on them as shoppers and as workers. It’s no surprise, then, that the company would be eager to appeal to racial minorities.

Fucking wonderful. Despite the “urban fear” of crime, drugs, and violence perpetuated by the Colorado Springs of the country, this is a fine example of how these communities refuse to be cowed by their labels and are coming together to protect their own. God bless ’em.

HOT

Link:

“Welcome to York,” says York (Pa.) Daily Record managing editor Randy Parker about the truly Onion-esque story that ran in his paper today.
“Man Charged With Assault on Sheep” was the headline, and the true-life story, by Caryl Clarke, begins: “Somebody was making nighttime visits to farmer Terry Patterson’s sheep barn in the 600 block of Big Mount Road in Paradise Township.” It goes on to tell of a man arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a sheep after the barn owner installed a barn alarm and intercom system to prevent such attacks.
But there’s more. Clarke’s story details the police arrest report and ends with a pull-out box highlighting previous incidents of bestiality in York, including a 1997 case involving a live turkey in a food plant and a 1992 encounter between a man and a ram at the York Fair.

T-2:36

Until I turn another year older — technically. The good news is I already look 40. Hopefully I can just grow into it now.
Also, I’m missing your present. So get on it…

RNC Luv

Having donated no money — ever — to the GOP, nor in anyway affiliated myself with the party — ever; and in fact having slammed this president on every given occasion, accusing him of drug use and the defacto murder of school children; the RNC felt compelled to send me this today:

[note: picture may have been altered.. by me]
So, um… can we please stop calling them “better organized?”

Abu Alberto

Wolf is softballing Gonzales right now. He’s a piece of work.

“No one can produce credible evidence of abuses of the PATRIOT Act.”
Yes, that’s because the PATRIOT Act allows all investigations to be conducted in complete secrecy. Number of terror convictions? Now 1, Lynne Stewart, and that was a PR stunt. She wasn’t shopping eBay for Cesium-237.
“It’s (The PATRIOT Act) one of the reasons we haven’t had a terrorist attack in 3 years.”
Hogwash. There’s no evidence of this. The absence of an attack does not validate allowing the government to spy on its citizens. It was 8 years between attacks on the World Trade Center.
“We don’t engage in torture.”
Well, schmeeve submits Exhibit A into the record: Abu Grahib. For which people have been convicted.
Alberto also spread-headed getting a narrow definition of torture, and the President is exempt! Ain’t that fucking grand!
“We don’t want to hold [imprison] people indefinitely…”
Gitmo: 4 years and counting. Convictions? 0.

What an asshat. I’ve watched less than 5 minutes, and I can’ts takes no more…

JimmyJeff

I have a bit of politics fatigue, so haven’t been so active lately, but this Jeff Gannon/JD Guckert thing is worth following. Nutshell: GOP plant asking softball questions of Bush & McClellan, and a former gay escort now (well, until recently) anti-gay writer for “fake” news organization owned by powerful Texas GOP organization. “8”+ cut, Top!” in case you were wondering. I wonder about the “+”
Salon’s got the low-down.
AMERICAblog for continuing coverage. (and links to naked Gannon!)
Anderson Cooper grilled the fellow “family” member — and did a shockingly good job. Media Matters has the video.
Seems Armstrong Williams was tip of the iceberg.
Seriously, don’t you people get tired of being lied to?

“Genital Bracelets”

Is that what we’re calling cock rings these days?
Meanwhile, over at the Blake trial:

Under the influence of drugs, he said, he once crawled into a cage of monkeys that were smoking cocaine.

Yeah, I’m pretty much bored.

SS

Chuck Schumer gives us a handy calculator letting you know how poor you ass be when Bush finishes “fixing” Social Security.

Realtor

Any recommendations for SF?
Yes, tired of renting. Financing confirmed and ready. Whee!