Miscellaneous, distracted, various, and inimitable

[heironymouspasparagus]

So the right to not like guns is written down.

You think faith is a choice?

Sure it is - part of the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Some people's pursuit of happiness is to dislike guns.  I absolutely believe they have that right and support their exercise of that right.... up to the point where it interferes with MY right to like guns (and own them and use them in various shooting sports).


Do you feel faith doesn't have an element of choice?  Maybe I am looking at it from the "other end" of the process....belief in a faith comes to me after looking at what is in my heart and mind and then choosing to act accordingly.  

I guess I'm not sure how one could believe something if they didn't choose to do so...??  Like people who hear all evidence showing the age of the earth as dramatically more than 6,000 years, but still choose to not believe its age.  

[heironymouspasparagus]

Great. Now I have stolen lawn mowers on my conscience!

Look, you are wrong about me not having any confrontation with a gun wielding criminal. I walked in on a robbery in progress at a nearby convenience store where my two young kids were busy looking for pop and candy. No big deal really. I opened the door for the guy because his arms were full of cigarette cartons, cash and a pistol. He said thanks. My cool thinking saved us all some additional heartache. He was caught and is serving time. And, I accosted a prick stealing Halloween decorations off my porch whereupon he offered to beat me. I chased him off the porch and knocked him to the street where his accomplice was waiting in a car. No, they aren't true home invasions with wild eyed murderers, but both were accomplished without gun play. I see lesser disagreements all the time end in gunshots and tragedy.

I play the percentages with non gun ownership just I like do with seatbelts. Thousands of homes are broken into out of hundreds of millions. Odds are if you own a gun you are more likely to be injured by it than if you don't. Increases the likelihood of theft as well I would guess.

But I totally affirm those who don't wear helmets and those who carry. I think we can co-exist.

As well you should...lawn mowers are dangerous!!

Sorry to hear about your events.  If I can avoid violence in any fashion, I am more than willing to run away at a seconds notice - that is always my chosen response.  Sadly, too many times gunshots do occur.  And millions of times a year (if one can believe anything the FBI says), bad people doing bad things are foiled in there nefarious schemes by armed potential victims.  That tired old hack about the owner more likely to be injured than if don't is another one of those "Brady Bunch" urban myths that just isn't real.  Right up there with the "fact" that "everyone knows" that Obama wasn't born in Hawaii, but Kenya.

There are thousands of homes broken into just in Tulsa every year.  Many millions nationwide.

[Townsend]

Sure it is - part of the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Some people's pursuit of happiness is to dislike guns.  I absolutely believe they have that right and support their exercise of that right.... up to the point where it interferes with MY right to like guns (and own them and use them in various shooting sports).


Do you feel faith doesn't have an element of choice?  Maybe I am looking at it from the "other end" of the process....belief in a faith comes to me after looking at what is in my heart and mind and then choosing to act accordingly.  

I guess I'm not sure how one could believe something if they didn't choose to do so...??  Like people who hear all evidence showing the age of the earth as dramatically more than 6,000 years, but still choose to not believe its age.  

We differ in our understanding.

[heironymouspasparagus]

We differ in our understanding.

Are you just locked into your belief without the ability to adjust based on additional info?

[Townsend]

Are you just locked into your belief without the ability to adjust based on additional info?

IMO, liking something or not liking something isn't really a right.  You just do or don't.

As far as a faith goes, I'm not sure you choose to have a faith in something.  You have a faith or you don't.  I've never made a choice to have faith in anything.  I do or don't.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Just couldn't resist this - kind of like "Burning Man" or Sturgis for Goth's...


Hearse Con, be there or accept your role as a bitter failure at life.
http://www.hearseclub.com/hearsecon/hearsecon.htm

[heironymouspasparagus]

And who could possibly ever imagined that retail would be a great place to work...??!!   Costco #2.

Wanna bet WalMart is paying attention and gonna pick up on that?


http://www.glassdoor.com/Top-Companies-for-Compensation-and-Benefits-LST_KQ0,43.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=Comp&Benefits14&utm_content=Comp&Benefits14

[Gaspar]

And who could possibly ever imagined that retail would be a great place to work...??!!   Costco #2.

Wanna bet WalMart is paying attention and gonna pick up on that?


http://www.glassdoor.com/Top-Companies-for-Compensation-and-Benefits-LST_KQ0,43.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=Comp&Benefits14&utm_content=Comp&Benefits14

Costco is also significantly more expensive for the equivalent (staple) products at Sam's or even Walmart.  Salary and wage costs are simply passed to the consumer.  A Wholesale club's primary market is businesses that use them for basic staple supplies.  

For instance, we buy our printer paper from Sam's for $7.28 a ream.


When Costco opens, there is very little chance we are going to buy the same product for $11.89 a ream.  Heck! The savings on one ream pays form my gas to drive to Sam's 20 times over!


Employee wages are all relative to consumer prices.  If you want to celebrate companies that pay higher wages for similar work, make sure you and the businesses you frequent shop there.  For most of us, who need wholesale products, the Sam's price is far more attractive, and there is no shortage of friendly helpful staff.  It is responsible for us to buy our wholesale supplies from the vendor that offers the best price because we then get to pass that savings to our customers.

Note: McGill's also pays their cooks more than Steak n' Shake.  I don't frequently take the kids to McGills for a burger.

It's wonderful that we will now have these options for wholesale to the public clubs, because they offer some different products.  I'm glad that heiron will now have a place to shop guilt free, but I'm still buying my paper and supplies from Sam's at the best price.  

[heironymouspasparagus]

Costco is also significantly more expensive for the equivalent (staple) products at Sam's or even Walmart.  Salary and wage costs are simply passed to the consumer.  A Wholesale club's primary market is businesses that use them for basic staple supplies.  

For instance, we buy our printer paper from Sam's for $7.28 a ream.


When Costco opens, there is very little chance we are going to buy the same product for $11.89 a ream.  Heck! The savings on one ream pays form my gas to drive to Sam's 20 times over!


Employee wages are all relative to consumer prices.  If you want to celebrate companies that pay higher wages for similar work, make sure you and the businesses you frequent shop there.  For most of us, who need wholesale products, the Sam's price is far more attractive, and there is no shortage of friendly helpful staff.  It is responsible for us to buy our wholesale supplies from the vendor that offers the best price because we then get to pass that savings to our customers.

Note: McGill's also pays their cooks more than Steak n' Shake.  I don't frequently take the kids to McGills for a burger.

It's wonderful that we will now have these options for wholesale to the public clubs, because they offer some different products.  I'm glad that heiron will now have a place to shop guilt free, but I'm still buying my paper and supplies from Sam's at the best price.  

OUCH!!  Zing, zap, POW!!  Got me!!  Oh, woe is me....  WOE IS ME!!!


Oh, wait.... except for the FACTS, that always seem to get lost in the shuffle....

You are comparing 8" x 11" at Sams.  And 11" x 17" at Costco.

The SAME paper at Sam's is $11.98 - or about what... 9 cents MORE than Costco...??

[RecycleMichael]

Costco is also significantly more expensive for the equivalent (staple) products at Sam's or even Walmart.  Salary and wage costs are simply passed to the consumer.  A Wholesale club's primary market is businesses that use them for basic staple supplies.  

For instance, we buy our printer paper from Sam's for $7.28 a ream.

When Costco opens, there is very little chance we are going to buy the same product for $11.89 a ream.  Heck! The savings on one ream pays from my gas to drive to Sam's 20 times over!

You are buying the wrong paper.

First of all, you don't need 98 brightness. 92 brightness is great and has a better look with less bleach used to produce. Secondly, you should be buying recycled paper. When you buy recycled, it creates a demand for recyclers to sell their product. It is as important as recycling itself to buy stuff that is recycled content.  

I would recommend this paper. It is comparable with what you buy now and 30% recycled content.

http://www.staples.com/Staples-30-Recycled-Copy-Paper-8-1-2-inch-x-11-inch/product_492071

[RecycleMichael]

I have also tried this paper and loved it. It is not made from killing trees but from killing plants (which are easier to grow). It is made from sugar cane.

http://www.staples.com/Sustainable-Earth-by-Staples-Copy-Paper-8-1-2-inch-x-11/product_398457

[Gaspar]

OUCH!!  Zing, zap, POW!!  Got me!!  Oh, woe is me....  WOE IS ME!!!


Oh, wait.... except for the FACTS, that always seem to get lost in the shuffle....

You are comparing 8" x 11" at Sams.  And 11" x 17" at Costco.

The SAME paper at Sam's is $11.98 - or about what... 9 cents MORE than Costco...??

You are correct.  I'll buy my paper at Costco.  Good catch.  I missed it.  In fact it seems that Costco beats out Sam's in most categories.  I stand corrected.
http://www.businessinsider.com/sams-club-vs-costco-vs-bjs-2013-4

[heironymouspasparagus]

You are correct.  I'll buy my paper at Costco.  Good catch.  I missed it.  In fact it seems that Costco beats out Sam's in most categories.  I stand corrected.
http://www.businessinsider.com/sams-club-vs-costco-vs-bjs-2013-4

Not always they don't - just like Sam's is NOT always the best buy over WalMart and even Reasor's.  One MUST watch them all; all of the time.  When in OKC area for a few days, I always make it a point to go to Crest - really like the stores - overall, they probably run maybe 10% higher than WallyWorld, but there are a LOT of things where they are the same and sometimes cheaper.  

And I don't mind paying a higher price for the exact same article IF there are offsetting features to the experience that make it worthwhile.  I like the layout and look and feel of the Crest.  Plus the smaller herds of people.

I bought a Linksys router (EA6500) in town rather than saving $20 mail order due to "immediate gratification" considerations, plus, I had a brick and mortar place to return to if there were issues, plus it supports, in my small way, to the employment of a fellow Tulsan.  I also don't do the "self-checkouts" - I HATE those things - because it is just so aggravating to me to do the scanning beyond about 3 items, plus it just means another person possibly out of a job.


As far as Sam's versus....I have kept that membership primarily for tires.  I have enough vehicles that I get to buy tires for, that it pays the membership cost every year PLUS a bunch.  I will certainly be checking Costco, too.  I am very anal about tires - will only use Michelin - and there is one particular type that I have used on all the cars and light trucks for probably 30 years and just have no interest in trying anything else.  When you can consistently get 85,000 to 90,000 miles on a set of 3/4 ton light truck tires with no blowouts, well, why mess with success!!  (Flats are different from blowouts, and those are easily fixed by many shops...)

[dbacksfan 2.0]

And I don't mind paying a higher price for the exact same article IF there are offsetting features to the experience that make it worthwhile. 

This is why I prefer Costco over Sam's Club. Costco just has a nicer feel to it, and the people that work there are much friendlier than Sam's.

[Gaspar]

  I also don't do the "self-checkouts" - I HATE those things - because it is just so aggravating to me to do the scanning beyond about 3 items, plus it just means another person possibly out of a job.

Not always.  Go to Depot and they have one lane open with one checker and a whole line of people, and 4 self-checkouts with one customer and 4 employees attempting to help that customer figure out why his item won't scan.

Jason's Deli recently put in a self-service kiosk that requires an employee and a manager to help customers figure out how to use.

Until we get RFID tags on everything, there will always be the need for people to pass things over a laser, and push the "credit" button for you.