LISSA’S: My one and only "both sides" blog on Wal-Mart

Why do many hate Wal-Mart?

The second nature to many Americans in this day and age -- hating Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Like many divisive issues these days (think Democratic candidates), many Americans either love or hate Wal-Mart. There seems to be little to no middle ground.

Who is to blame for all the hatred towards Wal-Mart? The retailer itself? How about the customers who keep it at the top? These are questions that constantly see emotion overtaking logic when the questions arise. Let’s take a look at them a little more closely today.

Why Wal-Mart exists

Wal-Mart, like many retailers, started small and over the course of many decades grew and grew to become the world’s largest retailer -- mostly on the back of its operations in the U.S. By offering "everyday low prices" to consumers, it was able to build a following that eventually pushed it further in sales than any of its competitors.

As most of the world knows by now, Americans love bargains (or the perception of bargains). We like our cell phones to be "free" (along with that hefty two-year contract), we like our food to be cheap (hence, double coupons and tasty but nutritionally worthless processed foods), and we certainly like our gas free. In the case of gas, there’s not much we can do to make it cheaper.

When it comes to retail goods, though, we can make things cheaper -- using competitive advantage to our advantage. Wal-Mart recognized this and I’ll posit that it invented the supercheap mentality by using the "big box, low overhead" type of store and merchandising format while actually lowering prices to almost always beat the competition. In smaller markets with many smaller stores (the ubiquitous "mom and pop" contingent), Wal-Mart has been accused of putting many of these locations out of business. Hence, we have the central question: just whose fault is that?

Getting the customer addicted to low prices

In the 1980s, there were many discount retailers to be found: TG&Y, Venture, Target, K-Mart and Wal-Mart. Which one survived? We now know -- and it was because of Sam Walton’s unwavering pledge to give the American consumer the best (lowest) price on anything carried on its shelves. That may sound like some marketing spin from Wal-Mart, but in researching this thought, many people believe it’s true. Fast forward to the early 1990s -- Walton passes away and his children take control of the retailer. All of a sudden, pricing becomes even more prevalent than ever and the push to enter new markets -- and completely conquer them -- becomes paramount.

Wal-Mart begins making more business deals in China and in low-cost producing nations and is able to kill just about every large national discount retailer -- except Target Corp. All of the previously mentioned competitors fizzle out, and even K-Mart is folded into Sears Roebuck to form a combined company called Sears Holdings, which really isn’t doing a thing, retailwise, since its merger.

Once the year 2000 gets here, Wal-Mart’s ruthless attitude has already planted the seeds in many American minds -- many of whom cannot stand the retailer now. It gains a reputation of killing small business, drying up the smaller downtown shops of small-town America and recruiting as many customers as possible with "everyday low prices" and huge, big-box store locations. Want even more savings? Wal-Mart begins pushing Sam’s Club wholesale stores to small businesses and heavy bargain-seeking customers who would like to buy in bulk to save even more. Think pricing has everything to do with retail merchandising? It does. At least, for the vast majority of those who shop in America.

And, the hatred grows

Here we are in 2008, and the hate that fills the minds of many Wal-Mart watchers continues to grow. Take Charles Smith’s case -- he’s a 50-year-old computer store owner in Georgia. He also hates Wal-Mart with a passion, and runs two websites to prove it: Wal-Quaeda and Walocaust. It’s no secret what Smith is comparing Wal-Mart to in the names of those two websites. But, why would someone compare the world’s largest retailer to a terrorist organization as well as Adolf Hitler’s regime?

It comes down to the thinking that Wal-Mart’s unstoppable fixation on pricing and store growth make it the largest target. Like Microsoft Corp., Wal-Mart is the biggest kid in the sandbox and subsequently draws more arrows in its back than anyone. But, who made it that way? In a country that was built on personal freedoms and personal responsibility, Wal-Mart has become the social retailer. That is, is supplies a certain market demographic who otherwise would find it difficult to survive due to "normal" retailer prices. This is the picture: a family of five who live on a combined annual income of $35,000 per year. Take the situation and duplicate it by the millions. Have a nearby retailer who offers anything and everything, all at bargain basement prices. And we wonder how Wal-Mart became as large as it has.

Following its growth, the animosity towards the retailer has grown right along with it. Charles Smith goes on to day on his Walocaust website that "I worry that by even implying that anything could compare to the horror of the Holocaust, the worst tragedy in history, I cheapen the term." But Smith saw a report "on the TV about how many goods Wal-Mart was importing from China and how many jobs this cost America." This is true and is baked up by fact after fact. Hence, the basis for hatred has grown by those in America who have seen manufacturers in this country become extinct as Wal-Mart constantly moves business overseas. Although we live in a global village, there are many who believe protecting America at all costs is the answer. It’s standard national protectionism instead of progressive global thinking. After all, many of us have those large mortgage payments, right?

But, this is a free country, with everyone free to make their own decisions. Customers choose to shop at Wal-Mart to save a wad of cash. Wal-Mart, in turn, is reacting to demand with supply. It’s standard economics, and by that account Wal-Mart is a champion. Instead of paying a 100% markup at a mom-and-pop store, Wal-Mart supplies the same product for a 22% markup. As a result, customers flock to Wal-Mart and not the smaller store. Result: the smaller stores become extinct due to lack in innovation in competitive practice. Whose fault is that? Can you blame the bargain-seeking consumer? If that logic holds, then every Wal-Mart hater actually hates the "price is everything" American consumer -- not Wal-Mart itself. Right or wrong? Tell me what you think below in comments.

source: Blogging Stocks

LISSA’S: Higher-paying firms get better employees.

CHICO -- University of Denver business school instructor James O’Toole has a message for employers: Pay the lowest and you can expect the lowest performance.

O’Toole, who holds a doctorate, is convinced after his research and reviewing other studies that employers who say they must reduce costs by paying workers less are making a mistake.

The professor and author believes employers can’t afford to pay employees less, pointing out that they get what they pay for.

And while they may be saving money in labor costs, he believes other costs, including absenteeism and pilfering, are higher and erase any savings.

By paying low wages, companies attract a kind of work force he describes as being lower in ethics, loyalty, knowledge and performance levels.

O’Toole, whose appearance at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was underwritten by the Northern Rural Training Employment Consortium and sponsored by the Center for Economic Development at Chico State University, has written the book "The New American Workplace: How American Workers can Successfully Compete in World Markets."

O’Toole believes employers who try to cut their costs by outsourcing jobs are also in error.

"Customers get angry if they’re talking to someone in India and can’t understand what they’re saying."

O’Toole criticized Wal-Mart for its management decisions to cut costs, but complimented Costco in many of the same areas.

While he did acknowledge that Wal-Mart has changed its policy about certain

areas, that doesn’t qualify the retailer as a "high-involvement" company, which he considers the best model for both company success and worker satisfaction.

O’Toole categorizes as "high involvement" companies Harley Davidson, Southwest Airlines, SRC and UPS. These firms — which he says pay better — are able to mobilize a work force that is "educated and engaged."

Employers who pay more are able to attract a work force that is more dedicated to customers and creating solutions, has low turnover, higher productivity, and is engaged in assuring the company’s future.

O’Toole criticized business schools and unions for not doing their part as well. Business schools, he said, are not teaching the principles that create high-involvement companies. Unions, he said, are not being effective.

While he suggested that employees could try to convince managers and owners that high-involvement is an improvement, he said, "Bosses don’t listen that well."

However, managers and bosses may be more inclined to listen to their peers at successful companies.

source: Chico Enterprise Reord

LISSA’S: Depression is rage spread thin.

Hell.. this is my hell... I hate Texoma and I want out. I’ve wanted out for years now. 4 years later, I am still sitting here in Whitesboro.. Texoma. I can’t get out one way, but I’m about to take another way out of this.. my hell. Soon, oh yes, soon.














































"You know it ain’t easy
For these thoughts here to leave me
There’s no words to describe it
In French or in English
Well, diamonds they fade
And flowers they bloom
And I’m telling you
These feelings won’t go away
They’ve been knockin’ me sideways
They’ve been knockin’ me out lately
Whenever you come around me
These feelings won’t go away
They’ve been knockin’ me sideways
I keep thinking in a moment that
Time will take them away
But these feelings won’t go away."

LISSA’S: Since my dad’s side of the family has suddenly taken interests in our blogs....

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LISSA’S: Humanity vs. Corporation ~ The high cost of low prices

Every time Debbie Shank, a woman living in Jackson, Mo., asks about her son Jeremy, she has to be retold that he was killed in Iraq.

She starts to cry uncontrollably because each time is like hearing it for the first, again and again.

Shank was in a horrific car accident in 2000 that stripped her away completely of her short-term memory. She did not even remember the interview she had with CNN that allowed her and her husband Jim to tell their story.

They are one of the many victims of humanity vs. corporation. Eight years after her accident, she lives in a nursing home. Her husband Jim has prostate cancer.

In 2000, she started working for Wal-Mart as a shelver and got on its health care and benefits plan. All was well because the Shank’s settled the accident in court for $ 470,000. This money went into a trust fund to help care for Debbie, cover living expenses and eventually would be used to help send their youngest son to college.

Their lawyer made Wal-Mart aware of the damages the Shanks’ received. Within the fine print of its health care policy, it states "Wal-Mart has the right to recoup medical expenses."

In laymen’s terms, since Wal-Mart covered the majority of her medical bills, supposedly Wal- Mart was entitled to the equivalent of the money its insurance company paid out in damages.

Wal-Mart is currently suing the Shanks’, ironically for $470,000. They only have $277,000 left of their trust fund. According to its policy, Wal-Mart is right, but morally, severely wrong.

The corporate typhoon Wal-Mart’s net profit for the third quarter in 2007 was $90 billion. You have to keep in mind that it was its net profit; the money Wal-Mart received after all the bills were paid, from light bill to employee salary.

The $470,000 only makes up .0005 percent of its profits. Because of this, Jim had to divorce Debbie to receive Medicaid. They were forced to give up their rights of matrimony, the ultimate expression of unconditional love one could display for another.

But it is still not enough.

If Wal-Mart wins, they lose everything. They will not be able to afford to send their youngest son to college and afford housing.

Jim will lose his car and the remainder of their medical bills will be theirs to be reckoned with. Collecting bills is the a hobby that keeps on taking.

The Shanks have gone to court twice already. Both times the judge ruled in Wal- Mart’s favor. Next: The Shanks are taking their case to capital hill, the U.S. Supreme Court. Hopefully, third time will not be a charm for Wal-Mart.

As a result, I’ve included my own recommendation for what Wal-Mart’s new tagline should be:

Always low prices. But it will cost you.

source: The Shield - USI

BILL'S: Disposable Love, Disposable Life, Another WIHAT

Years ago, the things you bought had meaning. They had value. Now for convenience, we buy things without meaning, everything is disposable, and we now live in a disposable society. But the more I look at it, it is not just the way we live, but the way we run our lives. Everything is disposable and we don't care. And from what I have seen, people in Texoma take disposable to all new levels.


To start my story off, let me start with a friend of mine. One of my closest friends. This is a guy who will do anything for a friend. Just with me, he has helped me when my times were extremely tough. If it weren't for him, my family wouldn't have had a Thanksgiving or a Christmas this year. He has tried to help me better myself for my family. And this is just me. I can't imagine how he is with friends he has known longer. All I know is that this is the type of person I would have been honored to serve with during my term in the Army. The one thing I don't understand, all the women in his life have claimed their undying love, but this is a story only in Texoma. Recently, he met "the one" and she said that she felt the same. They worked through many problems, mainly regarding her ex-husband, who she was still sharing a house with. But they swore they wanted to be together, and she told him that he was the one she wanted. The times they were together was magical. They made plans to just pack up and move away to Austin together, to start a family, get married and live together happily ever after. Almost a fairy tale. But then again, this is Texoma, and happy endings are not allowed. Less than 24 hours after making their blissful arrangements, my friend goes over to her house to pick her up. Low and behold, she is in bed with her ex-husband. She tells my friend that she decided to go back with him. Both families were in shock. No warning, and many questions left unanswered. Did she ever really mean it, or was she just using him for thrills? How could someone throw away "the love of a lifetime"? All I know, this just shows how people live and love in a disposable society. It is only useful until you can toss it aside. No care what anyone else thinks, or feels. And this is just one story in a forest of tales. He is not the only one. I have heard story after story after story about how the women up here throw their marriage vows to the wind, until they need to act good. Then they put on the veil of good behavior until they can throw away their vows to play with the next guy's emotions.


Of course, it doesn't stop there. I have heard stories of women in the surrounding area which have had to give up their jobs, which they have become successful in, just to move away because their husband was having an affair. In this area, affairs are more of a hobby. It isn't who is having an affair, it is who isn't. People act like the heart is something you go into Wal-Mart to buy. You can pick up a couple over in Health and Beauty Aids, just because you know they are going to break. And while you are there, why not run over to toys and pick up a new collection of feelings. It just doesn't make sense. Is everyone here just so insensitive that they are just immune to matters of the heart?


But to continue on with a matter closer to my heart. If you follow our blog, I am sure you read Lissa's story "After 31+ years, ..." A controversy within her own family which started with one picture.



A picture which I found a little humorous. But apparently this area has their Bible Belt too tight around their waist. Her family found no humor in it, and called her atheist for sending this out. To me, religion doesn't have to be so stiff that a person cannot joke or to have fun. What is life without just a bit of humor or fun. I don't find the need to be rigid about a King James idyllic version of Jesus in a Village People routine. Are we supposed to be that tight lipped? I am a religious person, but I grew up in a religion that was a bit more fun, and made learning about the life of Christ an interesting and enjoyable endeavor. But here, the tight lipped people have no room to laugh. At first I assumed it was because of the fact that most of the people on Lissa's father's side of the family are ministers. Okay, maybe they are more strict. They work at churches, write Christian music. Okay, maybe they have a place to complain. The most recent person to become an ordained minister in this family is Jason. He has gone on Missionary missions, written original Christian music, and has his own congregation. Impressive person. He just got married, came back from his honeymoon, and posted pictures on his Myspace account.





I can see where this minister would be held in higher regards than his own cousin, my wife. I can see why Lissa's aunts and uncles put her down and this guy does no wrong. Everyone in her family says they don't judge, and they are the last to judge, but then again, Jason the minister told everyone to be ware of the "whale over his shoulder" in this picture. I guess it is a minister's way of showing "love thy neighbor."



Yes, this is the attitude of people up here. It doesn't just end with customers, people on the street, or idiots driving down the road, no it goes with family as well. Even they consider family disposable. Just because Lissa's grandmother didn't like her mother. Now the family prejudices have carried on even over 11 years after the grandmother's death. But fortunately, they "don't judge." Even Jason's sister, who has had 2 children by "immaculate conception", if you ask the family. In a quote, when the question about race on one of these miracle babies was raised, the answer was "they are Elms." But yet, Lissa has never been accepted as a legitimate member of the family. Again, Wal-Mart must sell family loyalties. It is sad how easily you can throw away even family.

Final case in point. We live just outside of Whitesboro in a small residential area. The house next door to us has been foreclosed on. We watched as they came out and changed the locks, so we expected people to be out working on the house. A couple of days later, a truck came to the house and got stuck in the yard. We took pictures of the truck stuck in the yard and the damage it was doing.





I went to work and came back that night realizing that there was a pile of trash in the neighbors yard. I went out and looked through the pile and was able to match up the trash to the items in the back of the truck.





So, this goes to prove that everything is so disposable, people are willing to dump their trash in a neighbor's lawn. But think this is where the story ends? No, it still goes on. I took this story of this truck dumping his trash in the lawn to Environmental Protection Officer of Grayson County, Jim White; Grayson County Commissioner Precinct 3, Honorable Jacki Crisp; Grayson County Constable Precinct 3, Todd Booher; Justice of the Peace Precinct 3, Mike Reeves; Grayson County Clerk Aimee McAdoo; Grayson County Director of Planning, Jim White; Commissioner Precinct 1, Honorable Johhny Waldrip; Constable Precinct 1, CC “Buddy” Wade; Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Honorable Gregory J. Middents; Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy, Ron Brown; Whitesboro Chamber of Commerce; Janis Crawley, Director, WIDCO/WEDCO; Charlie Haldeman, KXII News Director; KXII Newsroom. Out of all of these people, I figured someone would do something. To date, not a single person has contacted me, not a single person has replied, not a single call returned, no one has come out, and no one has even cared. That is Texoma. A place where you can dispose of your trash anywhere you want, and no one cares.

In my last trip to Houston, I made a realization. Almost halfway between here and Houston you cross over Bliss Creek. Aptly named. Everything South is almost like climbing the stairway to heaven. But crossing to the north puts you on the Escalator to Hell..... Find me someone with community pride. Find me someone who cares. Find me someone who still has morals. To me, no pride, not caring and no morals is hell.

I prefer the real life. Where illegal activities are still persecuted by law. Where people still know the meaning of love. And where there is still humor and no judgements. Maybe I am going to hell, but at least I know it is still a step above North Texas. I will be bettering myself. And I will be in great company. Side by side with my loving wife who I support completely, my sons who I have instilled by same sense of humor, my caring parents who taught me to be the person I am, and the teams at Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, SciFi Channel, and the cast and crew of Battlestar Galactica. Amen.

LISSA’S: Quick thought from our friend "Moondog"

I got this in my email as kind of a welcome back from our short trip to Houston... from our friend "Moondog":

Are You back in the "Land you Love" "Texoma, Texoma, it’s your kind of town,,, Texoma, Texoma, pull the lever and flush it down.. "

LISSA’S: After 31 + years, I AM SO FRIGGIN’ DONE!

Well that’s it. I am 31 years old and I have finally broken ties with my dad’s side of the family. This side of the family is close, but only between themselves. My mother and I were outcasts of the family anyways. My grandmother (by blood only) was furious at my mom for taking her only son away. She held that grudge to her until the day she died. She even had the nerve to go up to my mother when she was pregnant with me, get in her face, and say "That WAD in your belly is not my sons!". Well funny.. if I wasn’t my daddy’s girl, then why the hell do I look identical to my youngest aunt? Even the mega-beast grandmother couldn’t explain it. She even made me when I was a child, 5th grade (her granddaughter by blood) pay for half of my birthday present, while my mom (struggling to make ends meet) had to pay for the other half.

Now that the mega-beast grandmother has died, my aunt is carrying on her feelings. Here’s how it started:

I send out stupid and funny emails daily. This aunt is (was) in the list. The email that I sent out was found in Photobucket of 3 strangers and an oil painting of Christ. The painting had His hands up like a "Y".. and the other 3 guys were lined up next to it, gesturing with their arms "M" "C" "A". So it looks like the "YMCA" dance. That’s it. I found that to be a bit funny, with a twist of stupid. But my judgmental aunt replies to me back:

Just curious. Are you a believer in Christ? I guess the subject has never came up between you & I.

What is this?? Just because I send out one stupid picture joke of 3 guys I don’t even know, then she wants to question my religion? This is a PRIME example of my problem against religion.. at least the religion that’s in my family. I’m not saying I’ve got a problem with God.. I’m saying I’ve got a problem with judgmental "Holier Than Thou" people that criticize you and put you down no matter what.

So I replied this.. as lightly as I could because I didn’t want to make war:

Duh, of course I am.. but sorry, I don’t feel I owe you an explanation.

I am 31 years old and I truly feel I don’t owe any explanation to anyone.. even family. So then I get this snotty letter back from her:

YOU sent the disgusting crap to me and then act like I’ve done something to offend you??? You have got to be kidding And while you do not "owe me an explanation", you do owe me the courtesy of not sending me your trashy emails.

Does this sound very Christian-like? Family-like? Well it is according to the Elms family.

My own thoughts on her response stems all the way back from the day mom met my dad. It comes from the cold roots that the mega-beast installed in on her 3 daughters to hate their brother’s family. Why do I feel this way? Well let’s look at this:

My cousin (from my dad’s middle sister) is a so-called self acclaimed ordained Pentecostal minister. He goes to church like a good wind-up toy and puts on the best "Spiritual Show" he can perform. Oh.. according to the Elms family.. he does no wrong and because he is a "ordained minister" he will never do no wrong. Well this perfect "actor" just got married. Okay, nothing out of the ordinary about that for an "ordained minister". He has a MySpace page as well. Okay, nothing wrong with that. Well, combine the two, and this "ordained minister" lets some of his true side show. It’s funny to see what happens to an "ordained minister" when you take him away from an audience and put him with friends! There is a picture of him holding a very large blow-up penis.. and he is holding it in front of his crotch like it was his own penis with a big, proud smile on his face. Another photo had him at the beach with a large, obese woman in the background. She had no clue her picture was being taken. His caption for this picture was "Look out for the whale behind me". Not real Christian-like I say... Another photo had him standing in front of a Christmas tree holding 2 little round ornaments in front of his crotch area like they were his testicles, with a big smile on his face.

But yet, this family member is "all holy" and can never do no wrong! His sister is still in high school with 2 kids by 2 different daddys that aren’t even around! Oh, but this is an accepted Elms.. she can do no wrong either.

So this is the letter I get back:

I won’t talk to your dad about anything, you are a grown woman. Apparently its high time you speak for yourself because you seem to have been holding in ALOT.

I won’t argue with you about my mother not liking Teresa. She didn’t. Its not a secret. I won’t debate my mothers actions, or your mothers actions or my sisters actions or whatever nieces or nephews you may want to pull into this. I answer for MYSELF AND MYSELF ONLY.

Of course there is no debate about feelings in this family. When it comes to this sensitive subject and it makes the Elms look bad, it’s always "hush-hush".

I find this next couple of sections letter pretty funny...

I don’t judge ANYONE.....PERIOD. Not you, not Jason, not Crystal, not anyone. I’m not perfect, nobody is, but I do and will ALWAYS find a picture like that YMCA offensive.

You know, it occurred to me when I got that picture that you could be atheist for all I know. I know how you were raised but people do their own thing after they get grown. I just wondered where you stood on that. It was just a curiosity on my part, not a judgement. You shocked me when you sent back a reply pretty much telling me to sc - ew myself. So I fired one back not to send me trash. Reflex reaction.

Okay.. this is the judgemental-hypacritical part I am talking about. Let me quote: "I don’t judge ANYONE.....PERIOD"

But her next paragraph states this.. and I quote again: "You know, it occurred to me when I got that picture that you could be atheist for all I know. I know how you were raised but people do their own thing after they get grown."

Looks like to me she is judging my religion just because of one stupid pic I sent out from the internet.

This is the rest of it:

But I would very much like to hear of when I, ME, PHYLLIS has treated YOU, MELISSA badly. WHEN??? TELL ME! Don’t pull in everyone else in the family. I was there when you graduated high school. I was there when you got married. I try every year to remember your birthday. I’m not perfect at the birthday thing but I try. I would really like an answer and I think I deserve it if you are going make our relationship "dead". Lets at least make this about YOU & ME.

I quote again: "Don’t pull in everyone else in the family".. Well I guess it’s okay to look, point out and analyze my one decision to send a stupid email, but let’s not make note of the rest of the family’s sins? That’s what I get for being born on the shit bottom of this family’s todem pole.

I’m SO FREAKING DONE with this side of my hypocritical family... I wrote her back a long letter expressing my feelings, and told her to consider me dead.

I hate Hypocritical religious people... especially when it is blood.

LISSA’S: WALOCAUST & WAL-QAEDA

I found 2 GREAT websites: Walocaust and Wal-Qaeda. These sites are created and ran by the same person that is also fed up with Wal-Mart’s bullshit. I found it by a letter I got in my e-mail from Wal-Mart Watch describing Wal Mart’s defeat in court when they tried to sue Charles Smith for the websites. Visit them and pass them around to your friends!

http://www.walocaust.com/

http://www.walqaeda.com/

Federal Court Rejects Wal-Mart’s Trademark Claim Against Web Critic

Public Citizen Argued First Amendment Protects Parody of Company’s Logos

WASHINGTON, DC - March 21 - A federal judge today upheld a Georgia man’s First Amendment right to criticize Wal-Mart’s business practices by using satire to compare its destructive effects on communities to both the Holocaust and al-Qaeda terrorists.

In rejecting the company’s claim of trademark infringement, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta found that Charles Smith’s parody Web sites (www.walocaust.com and www.walqaeda.com) and related novelty merchandise were protected speech and that a reasonable person would not confuse their use with Wal-Mart’s legitimate trademarks. The court also rejected Wal-Mart’s claim that it has trademark rights in the "smiley-face" that Smith used in one of his parodies.

Public Citizen and the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia Foundation defended Smith after Wal-Mart sued the Conyers, Ga. man in 2006, claiming he infringed on its trademark by creating parody logos and Web sites built around the "Walocaust" and "Wal-Qaeda" concepts, including the image of an eagle clutching a yellow smiley face, similar to the one Wal-Mart uses in advertising. Smith also put the design on T-shirts, bumper stickers and other items that he sold on CafePress.com.

Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr.’s decision reaffirms an important point of trademark law – that even though a parody is placed on a T-shirt and sold, it nevertheless represents non-commercial speech that is fully protected by the First Amendment and, thus, is not a proper basis for a trademark action, said Paul Alan Levy, a Public Citizen attorney, who represented Smith along with Gerald Weber of Atlanta.

"This ruling shows that even the biggest company in America is subject to parody, and that trademark rights must yield to the right of free speech," Levy said. "This is a resounding victory for First Amendment rights and sends a clear message to big corporations that would try to use their deep pockets to intimidate and silence their critics."

Although Wal-Mart spent more than $200,000 on an "expert" witness to prove that consumers seeing these parody T-shirts were likely to be confused, the judge properly recognized that the expert’s testimony was junk science and flew in the face of common sense.

READ the decision.

LEARN more about Internet free speech

source: common dreams news center

LISSA’S: The Hypocrisy of Being "Pro-America" and Shopping at Wal-Mart

THE HYPOCRISY OF BEING "PRO-AMERICA" AND SHOPPING AT WAL-MART

By: M. Kaufman



"Attitudes that are deeply rooted are difficult to change, even though critical thinking may tell you something else."

A few weeks ago, I found myself following an "All-American" pick-up truck: American flag and eagle reflective decal blocking the entire rear window, a real flag flying from a pennant holder, "Support Our Troops" decals covering the tailgate. It was only when the driver turned off the road into the Wal-Mart parking lot that I did a double-take. How could someone so proud to be an American shop where the majority of products are imported from China or some other country where manufacturers can shut down operations in the U.S. to take advantage of paying next to nothing in wages there or have no regard for environmental concerns?

There are some cases, like the American Wal-Mart shopper, that are tempting to argue because they can be supported by facts. For example, the Andersonville Study of Retail Economics in the Chicago area, www.AndersonvilleStudy.com, found that for every $100 spent locally, $68 remained in the community - compared to only $43 spent in national chain stores. The study also revealed for every square foot occupied by a local firm, the local economic impact is $179, compared to only $105 for a chain store. A similar study conducted in Austin, Texas, produced an even more dramatic difference.

Still having to work for a living (not to mention being able to afford paying taxes and insurance to live in Fernandina Beach), I can be just as price-sensitive as the next guy. But what’s the point of saving a few dollars from my own wallet when it could cost the jobs and livelihood of some of my friends and family?

Fortunately, more and more people are realizing other things are more important than price: a sense of connectedness and concern from another human being; the feeling that washes over you when you’re in a fresh and innovative environment; the convenience of not having to walk through acres of aisles to find what you’re looking for; and most important of all, the knowledge that the money you spend locally in the community stays in the community to support programs and services for local residents.

In general, beliefs that are deeply rooted and firmly entrenched are just about impossible to change without that ability to think critically. It was wonderfully refreshing and uplifting to read a poem that eighth-grader Laura Delori of St. Joseph, Mich. submitted to win her local poetry contest, which she titled Free Thinking: "You live life carefully and with a closed mind. But, you let yourself go and soon you’ll find, things aren’t as they seem. Anything is possible, if only you’ll learn to think outside the box. And then in turn, the world will make sense in its own strange way. So in conclusion I tell you this: You can close yourself up, and be sure to miss, or you can think for yourself, and find total bliss."

Maybe it’s high time we respect the wisdom of our youth as much as we do the wisdom of our elders - especially when that "wisdom" is nothing more than beliefs that have never been given a second thought.

source: My Nassau Sun

LISSA’S: Wal-Mart ~ Always Low Prices, Always High Crime

It’s Been A Quiet Week At Wal-Mart’s Parking Lots & Bathrooms

It’s been a quiet week in Wal-Mart parking lots and bathrooms. The market may be tanking, but crime at Wal-Mart shows no signs of slowing down.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened this past week at Wal-Mart---just the litany of usual bomb threats, drunk driving, child molestations, armed robberies, and assorted mayhem. While you were shopping for Mickey Mouse Lawn Furniture in Aisle 6, every miscreant on the planet seemed to be converging on Wal-Mart parking lots or bathrooms. Just this past week:

· Sunday, March 16: A 28-year-old man was arrested at the Santee, California Wal-Mart after a 9 year old boy reported being assaulted in the store’s bathroom. The boy was in the bathroom while his mother waited outside. Police say a man grabbed and groped the boy over his clothing. The boy ran out of the bathroom and told his mother about the assault. The woman then reported the assault to Wal-Mart staff and the Sheriff’s Department.

· Tuesday, March 18: A Wal-Mart in Bismarck, North Dakota reports another bomb threat. The south Wal-Mart received a call at 9:05 am from a caller who said a bomb been placed in the store. The employee who answered the phone asked where the bomb was, and the caller hung up the phone. The store was evacuated, and employees searched the building, A member of the bomb quad responded and found nothing suspicious.

· Tuesday, March 18: Two girls ages 7 and 12, were browsing the toy aisle at the Indiana County, Pennsylvania Wal-Mart when a man grabbed them. Police said the assault was caught on surveillance video. The man can be seen walking through the same aisle as the girls several times before he approached them and grabbed them from behind. One of the girls screamed, which caused the man to run away. The girls found an adult in a nearby aisle, who alerted store managers.

· Wednesday, March 19: A Wal-Mart customer service worker in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was stabbed after an argument with four teenagers. Officers said employees tried to break up the argument at a store in northwest Oklahoma City at about 10 p.m. One of the teens pulled out a knife and stabbed the man several times. He is in serious condition at a local hospital.

· Thursday, March 20: A woman filed a suit against Wal-Mart after she was abducted and dragged around the parking lot. The victim, from Hedgesville, West Virginia had her purse-snatched in the mall parking lot adjacent to Wal-Mart. The suit says she finished shopping at approximately 7 p.m. and began unloading her groceries from her cart into her car. The woman claims she was abducted by another female and dragged into her vehicle. Her abductors threw her pocketbook out of the vehicle, but continued to drag her while she was partially out of the vehicle. According to the suit, the same people victimized another female earlier in the day at the same parking lot.

· Thursday, March 20: Police in Cedar Rapids, Iowa responded to a reported bomb threat at Wal-Mart, but found soon after arriving that the threat was a hoax. An anonymous caller threatened to blow up the store’s pop machines. After a search of the area, it was determined there was no validity to the caller’s claims. "There are a lot of bomb threats that get called in, and you have to take them all seriously, but a lot of them are unfounded," a police spokesman said. Customers at the Wal-Mart were not warned about the call due to the clear lack of credibility of the threat, according to police.

· Thursday, March 20: Police in Papillion, Nebraska arrested a man on suspicion of groping a woman inside a Wal-Mart store. Pictures from a surveillance camera were used by police to find and arrest the assailant. Investigators said he never touched the woman with his hands, but is suspected of making inappropriate comments and pressing himself against her.

· Friday, March 21: Police in Pascagoula, Mississippi are investigating an attempted armed robbery and assault of a woman at a Wal-Mart, which took place around 2:40 pm. The unidentified victim was taken to Singing River Hospital by a private vehicle. Because her name was not released, her condition was unavailable.

· Friday, March 21: One person was arrested after shots were fired during an armed robbery at a Wal-Mart in northwest Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The victim was robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot. Investigators said the victim and robber got into a struggle over the gun, and at least one shot was fired. The robber ran off, and the victim followed. Air units followed a suspect, and police took him into custody.

· Friday, March 21: Three schools in Brandon, Florida were locked down in the mid-afternoon because of a robbery at a nearby Wal-Mart. The schools were locked down for an hour. The security measure took place after a man walked into the Wal-Mart on East Brandon Boulevard, smashed an electronics case, took eight iPODs, and carried them out of the store in an empty shoebox.

· Friday, March 21: Winona, Wisconsin police said a man who got in a scuffle at Wal-Mart turned out to be drunk and driving with his young children. Police responded to a call from the Wal-Mart Supercenter of a man fighting with several other people. The scuffle started when a group of people noticed a man "acting aggressively toward one of his children." When several of the people in the group told the man to "stop hurting the child," a fight broke out, which led to the call. The man was taken into custody and booked for third-degree driving under the influence.

· Saturday, March 22: Two men on their way to a prayer service in Winter Haven, Florida discovered the body of dead man in the driveway of a church. Police identified the man as an employee of the Wal-Mart distribution center down the street from the church. Police said the victim may have been attacked near the Wal-Mart distribution center, and his body dumped at the church.

Wal-Mart has become a national stage for almost every kind of human drama: domestic violence, stalking, murder, rape. It all happens in Wal-Mart parking lots. It also happens in Target parking lots, Home Depot parking lots, and other sprawling roadside attractions. But it happens more often at Wal-Mart because it controls more than 4,000 U.S. parking lots that make very convenient staging areas: they are crowded, they are near the interstate, and they are easy targets.

If this criminal activity were just a corporate problem, it would be bad enough. But the cost of this crime to the public runs into the millions of dollars annually. There is the cost of the responding to incidents, the investigations, the write ups, plus the arraignments, the court dockets, the trials, etc. These are all public costs that are not often figured into small town budgets. One big box store in Massachusetts named a local cop as it’s "employee of the year" because he spent so much time chasing after shop-lifters fleeing from the store.

Wal-Mart has been less than forthcoming about the extent of its crime problem. But the subject has been a sore point for more than a decade. In 1996, the company’s Vice President for Loss Prevention admitted that "80% of crimes at Wal-Mart were occurring not in the stores, but outside their walls, either in the parking lots or in the exterior perimeter of the

Wal-Mart promises you will find low prices at its stores--Always. Based on police logs this past week across America, you will also find a wide assortment of crimes against persons and property---Always. After all, criminals need to "live better" too.


source: The Huffington Post

FAGBUG: Erin’s Story

I ran across this MySpace page today and found it to be sad, yet inspirational all at the same time. It is sad to know there are closed minded freaks out there that would actually think they are somebody important to do this to another person. Who the hell do these asshole freaks think they are?!?

Yet this story is inspirational because this strong young lady didn’t let these cowardly criminals get her down. This is the story of FAGBUG and Erin Davies:

What is Fagbug?
On the 11th annual National Day of Silence (April 18, 2007), Erin Davies was victim to a hate crime in Albany, NY. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on her VW Beetle, Erin’s car was vandalized, left with the words "fag" and "u r gay" placed on the hood and driver side of her car. Despite initial shock and embarassment, Erin decided to embrace what happened and film a documentary about her 58-day cross country tour around the US and Canada in her car known worldwide as the fagbug.

What’s the Goal?
Erin’s goal is to get 1 million people (both gay and straight) to add rainbow fagbug stickers to their cars so no one will be targeted like she was again. To order a fagbug sticker or t-shirt go to fagbug.com

Booking Fagbug?
Upon the completion of the Fagbug cross country tour, Erin’s editing the fagbug documentary, as well as booking a national speaking tour. To bring Fagbug to your campus email Erin at erin@fagbug.com

FAGBUG MYSPACE:

LISSA: Art of Falling Deceptions

First the background. A little while back, Wal-Mart entered into contracts to sell services such as DirecTV, Vonnage, and different internet services. The problem: many people don’t want to get their services in a different package from Wal-Mart. These companies are starting to come down on Wal-Mart for not holding up their end of the contracts. But Wal-Mart has taken steps to change that.

I just found out that during a recent meeting, Wal-Mart has begun to force their employees to lie and use scare tactics to get you to sign up for services through them. They are banking on your ignorance to help them make their contracts. In an effort that rivals the Y2K scare, Wal-Mart is using the Analog Shut Off Date. February 17, 2009, the Federal Government has ordered all over-the-air broadcasts to be changed from analog to digital.

This is where they are hoping you are idiots. First of all, this will only be "over-the-air" broadcasts. In other words, if you have an antenna outside, or a pair of rabbit ears behind the TV, and that is the only way you get TV, then you will be affected. If you get TV by cable or satelite, this will not affect you. But they don’t want you to know this. Wal-Mart has now instructed their employees to tell you that cable services use analog signals, and they will be shut off February of next year. First thing, analog by cable is not going to be affected. This is not being broadcast over the air. The government wants to free up over the air frequencies to be able to sell them to high bidders for other reasons. If you have cable now, you will have it then. But Wal-Mart is forcing their employees to lie to you, so you will drop your cable company and sign up with them to get DirecTV.

Secondly, let’s use a little logic. I have a hard time thinking that a company making millions of dollars off of providing you television service is going to throw their hands up next February and say, sorry, can’t help you anymore. Quite frankly, some cable companies get their signals digitally, but change it to an analog signal, send it over the cable, for your convenience. So you are not forced to buy a new television by February. Cable companies are looking out for you. Do you think Wal-Mart is?

One catch, signing up with Wal-Mart requires you to pay a $285 downpayment. This just happens to be Wal-Mart’s commission. Now DirecTV will pay you back this downpayment, at a rate of $5 per month. So, in a short 5 years, you will get your money back. Before Wal-Mart got a contract, the downpayment was only $50. But total startup cost if you order directly from DirecTV? $0. Exactly, you can save $285 just by ordering direct. Something Wal-Mart doesn’t want you to know.

In our area, DirecTV does not offer local channels. So, when you buy your new high definition Television with digital tuner already installed, and they scare you out of your cable company for DirecTV, now they need to sell you a separate digital tuner and rabbit ears. Yes, they think your brand new, wall mounted LCD TV would look good with a box below it and some old fashion rabbit ears to really bring out just how high tech you are.

This is just an example. The lies they are also being forced to tell include, when you buy a computer or a Playstation 3, they need to talk you out of your internet service and get you on a Wal-Mart special (and no, it is not the Wal-Mart service they stopped giving away cds for a long time ago) account. When you buy a laptop, they are supposed to take you to the connection center and get you to subscribe to a service with internet on a cell phone company. If you look at a phone, they are supposed to get you to drop your phone company to get you to sign up for Vonnage, which is phone over high speed internet. Don’t have high speed internet, see beginning of this paragraph.

And this is what it has all boiled down to. The associates were told earlier this week that they have to do this. They have to convince people to sign up with Wal-Mart contract services. They were told the lies to tell you. They even have placed in a team of professional liars. Associates who have even more in depth training to be more persuasive on lying to you, or to try to scare you. And what if they don’t? They were told that they would be replaced. They have been threatened with either a pay cut and getting moved to a worse section of the store, or termination, if they don’t lie to you, or scare you into a contract.

This is the monster you have created. This is the monster you support and follow blindly. If this is who you support, then you really are the fools Wal-Mart wants you to be. They know the current economy, and have posted in many publications that they hope the economy stays down. Because it has brought you to them. Why help? If they can get you in high cost contracts, then they keep you out of your means of support and keep you shopping at their stores. Welcome to the real world, wake up and realize - you are being taken advantage of, and they are getting richer because they are keeping you stupid.

BILL’S: Matt Dillion, Your My Hero

A friend of mine has started writing again. I was glad to hear that he picked up the guitar again and has started adding to his song list. I thoroughly enjoyed his "Taco" Song while part of "Socratic Method", and I was sad to hear the outcome of that band. But after reading some of his blogs, I knew that the bands creative talent came from Mr. Matt Dillion. I invite all of you to check out Matt’s blogs. You can find him in my Friend’s List. His writing style is almost poetic and confounding. Something that could blow your mind or make you think.

A few days ago, Matt came up to me and told me personally that my encouragement has inspired him to write more. I was real excited that little ol’ me would inspire someone to write again. It meant so much to me. But then I got a copy of song he dedicated to me. Check it out for yourself.... Should I be worried?

LISSA’S: Wal-Mart ~ Do as we say, Not as we do.

March is National Women’s History Month - and there’s no denying that Wal-Mart has had an enormous impact on women.

In front of the camera and in the public eye , Wal-Mart claims it is "committed to empowering all women." But behind closed doors, Wal-Mart sends its employees a very different message.

Take a look at this "behind closed doors" footage of Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott at a 1995 Wal-Mart logistics meeting:



Having seen the video, it should come as no surprise that Wal-Mart is the subject of the largest class-action lawsuit in America’s history: Dukes v. Wal-Mart. Over 1.6 million women are suing Wal-Mart for business practices that deny them equal job assignments, promotions, training and compensation. Wal-Mart might suggest that the performances featured in the footage from this 1995 meeting were intended to be funny, but discriminating against women is no joking matter.

As the largest corporation in the world, Wal-Mart should set the right example and treat all employees with respect. Unfortunately, it looks like the company still has a long, long way to go.

LISSA'S: Heather Mills (formerly McCartney)

Sad, ugly, 1 legged gold digger.....











Heather Mills awarded $48.6 million from Paul McCartney in divorce settlement





LONDON - Paul McCartney was ordered Monday to pay Heather Mills $48.6 million to settle their divorce.

A document released by the Family Court said the judge awarded Mills a lump sum of $33 million plus the assets she currently holds worth $15.6 million.

"I'm so, so happy with this," Mills told reporters following the closed hearing.

The court also ruled that the couple's 4-year-old daughter Beatrice should receive a "periodical payments order" of $70,000 per annum. On top of that, McCartney will pay for the child's nanny and school fees.

"I'm so glad it's over," Mills said at her impromptu news conference.

"It was an incredible result in the end to secure mine and my daughter's future and that of all the charities that I obviously plan on helping and making a difference with — because you know it has been my life for 20 years," she said.







McCartney left the court without making any statement.

While pleased with the financial settlement, Mills intends to appeal to prevent publication of the details of the settlement for the couple's daughter.

McCartney, 65, and Mills, 40, went to court last month to decide on Mills' share of his fortune, which had been estimated at as much as $1.6 billion.

Judge Hugh Bennett, however, found that the total value of all of McCartney's assets, including his business assets, was about $800 million.

Mills said the settlement vindicated her decision to fire her lawyers. The legal fees, she said, instead "could easily go to charity."







"Obviously the court do not want a litigant in person to do well, it's against everything that they ever wish, so when they write the judgment up they're never going to make it look in favor," she said.

"But all of you that have researched know that it was always going to be a figure between 20 and 30 million (pounds), Paul was offering a lot less than that, which you'll see in the judgment, and very much last minute to put me and Beatrice sadly through this ... incredibly sad."

Mills had sought almost $250 million, while McCartney had said she should receive $31.6 million, including her own assets, which the court assessed at $15.6 million.







She had harsh words for McCartney's lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, who was well known for representing Prince Charles in his divorce from Princess Diana.

"She has called me many, many names before even meeting me when I was in a wheelchair," said Mills.

The settlement has been a long time coming for the couple, who separated two years ago, after four years of marriage. At the time they said the parting was "amicable" and insisted "both of us still care about each other very much."

But the split has grown fractious since McCartney filed for divorce alleging his wife's "unreasonable behavior."

Mills — a former model whose left leg was amputated below the knee after a motorcycle accident in 1993 — claimed McCartney had failed to protect her and their daughter from slander, death threats and other abuse, and accused the media of persecuting her. In November, Mills said she had been "treated worse than a murderer or a pedophile," despite years of work for land mine victims and animal welfare charities.







McCartney met Mills in 1999, the year after the death from breast cancer of his first wife, Linda. That marriage was one of rock's most enduring unions, and produced three children, including fashion designer Stella McCartney.

Mills and McCartney married at an Irish castle in June 2002, amid rumors the former Beatle's children disapproved of their new stepmother. The couple's daughter was born the following year.

LISSA’S: Hair Removal

Hair Removal

By: Anonymous

All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The Epilady, scissors, razors,

Nair and now...the wax. Read on.........

My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: "Maybe should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet."

So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom. It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I’m not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!)

So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ("Cold wax," yeah...right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works!

OK, so it wasn’t the best feeling, but it wasn’t too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire. With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the wax strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my hoo-ha and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (it was a long strip)

I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!!

I’m blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!!

Vision returning, I notice that I’ve only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP! Another deep breath and RIPP! Everything is spinning and spotted.

I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...must stay conscious.

Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.

I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There’s no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???

Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip...it’s not! I touch. I am touching wax.

I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake...remember my foot is still propped upon the toilet? I know

I need to do something. So I put my foot down. Sealed shut! My butt is sealed shut. Sealed shut!

I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don’t let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!" What can I do to melt the wax?

Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I’ll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right???

*WRONG!!!!!!!*

I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit.

Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...in scalding hot water.

Which, by the way, doesn’t melt cold wax.

So, now I’m stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cemented myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!

I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It’s a very good conversation starter.

"So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!"

There is a slight pause. She doesn’t know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or hole or hoo-ha?"

She’s laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else’s night.

While we go through various solutions. I resort to trying to scrape the wax off with a razor . Nothing feels better than to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I’m pretty sure I’m going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.

My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax.

What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD THAT BURNS!!!!!!! The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It’s sooo painful, but I really don’t care. "IT WORKS!!

It works !!" I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair....THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT!

So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I’m numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.

Next week I’m going to try hair color....."

BILL'S: Gone Stupid

I started out as a big fan of the CMT series "Gone Country," at least until the last episode. At which time, I feel the sanity level went out the window with the taste of the house they filmed it in.

For those of you who do not know, "Gone Country" took seven celebrities from different genres, made them do some of the stupidest stunts, such as clean out barns, ride ATVs, and make dinner for John Rich's family. All of these things were to make these celebrities find the country side of themselves. They were paired with song writing teams and over a period of 10 days were told to write a song and perform it on stage in Nashville. The one who did the best at becoming country would get his single produced by John Rich and be on his way to becoming the next country superstar.

I hated the times John Rich actually came on the show, because of his cocky nature and self absorbed personality. He would always come on wearing rhinestone pants and full length fur coats which would make Liberace proud. His "country music" concerns included such comments as "I would kill for country music." He bought Barbara Mandrell's log cabin and put the group up for the show. The house had been changed from head to toe with painted portraits of himself and the contestants. And had useless items such as a wooden grizzly bear climbing one of the support columns inside. This bear would raise his arm to cover his eyes when the doorbell rang. Some things are just too country. But I got lost in the footlong doorknobs in the shapes of J and R on the doors.

The contestants were:

Carney Wilson. Famous for being part of Wilson Phillips, she had to fight her fears of being alone. She has overcome alot in her life, and to me has a great look to her. She quickly showed her great attitude on John Rich's challenges, and proved herself as an outstanding cook when cooking for the family. Her song was about her daughter and she quickly became the one everyone felt was the one to beat.

Maureen McCormick. Famous for being Marsha Brady and not for her solo album that was released a long time ago, she had to fight her nervousness and stage fright which took control of her during the first few episodes and the reputation of being Marsha, Marsha, Marsha every middle aged man's teenage wet dream, and still having that draw today. She also had to battle her need for a smoking partner, which she found in fellow smoker Bobby Brown. In the final episode, she got on stage and sang in front of a rowdy group. Her song and performance was extremely mellow, but she stopped the crowd and had almost everyone in the audience's attention with her words and feelings.

Diana DeGarmo. Famous for her time on American Idol as a pop princess, she had to fight to overcome her pop influences. She was criticized many times on being the baby of her group by her fellow contestants and for her being too pop by John Rich and even brought to tears because telling John Rich that she had always wanted to do country music brought on a fight from John Rich who did not like her answer. Her song was spot on in pitch and tune and made a dynamic performance which displayed all of her talents that took her far in American Idol. Personally, I thought it was still a little pop, but John Rich said it was pure country.

Sisqo. Famous for the group Dru Hill and his solo song "Thong Song" and many crazy dance moves. This guy had to overcome all stereotypes to make it. Again, his song to me sounded a little urban, but he was able to get the audience excited, until he broke out in dance and lost the attention of the audience. In my opinion, he should have been next to last in this contest, but what do I know. Obviously, I don't know what country is.

Bobby Brown. Famous for his boy band New Edition to his bad boy solo career to his even badder boy Whitney Houston husband reputation. The only struggle this guy had was to overcome his alcoholism, which lead him to drink himself to sleep many times, and his "sleep-walker urination" issue, where he would get up in the middle of the night and sleep walk to Dee Snider's bed and almost pee on him. He went through a life changing moment, when he went to the Children's Hospital and met a terminally ill child literally within moments of death. The meeting had him shaking and crying for hours afterward, but miraculously the child made a complete recovery after the meeting. His song dealt with his wanting to become a new man, and was extremely powerful. In my opinion, he proved his ability to break through all boundaries.

Dee Snider. Famous for being the lead of Twisted Sister. He came in with a bad attitude towards country music, but quickly changed as the contest continued. His competitive nature came out in full force. He quickly proved himself as the shoulder to cry on and a source of helpful information when others broke down, and always had to fight to keep from getting peed on at night. His song had people in the audience up on their feet dancing and feeling good. The only upbeat, just fun song on the show. His song dealt with the fact that he hadn't planned anything for life after the age of 30, and really brought down the house. Unfortunately, John Rich's father, who is a minister, was in the audience and Dee flipped the bird as well as shouting out the line "I can f*ck all night" and it quickly eliminated him from the competition. Other than that, I thought it showed that even country can use a boost and some fun. And the audience loved it.

Then there was Julio Iglesias, Jr. Famous for...well, having a famous father and brother. During a contest where the contestants had to perform a song they were famous for, Maureen couldn't get the nerve to get onstage, and Julio had the nerve to sing his father's song "To All The Girls I've Loved Before." Only he sang it with John Rich. During the linedance competition, Julio turned the linedance into a sexual innuendo. His song sounded more like a Latin Love Ballad, all the way down to breaking out in Spanish verse in the middle of the song. To me, this was clearly the last place person. There was absolutely nothing country about his song. But then came the thoughts of the first two episodes. In episode two, John Rich and Julio shared the father's song together. But in episode one, John Rich told Julio during their meet and greet session that Country Music needed a Latin Crossover. He wanted something to bring the Hispanic listeners over to Country. This told me that John Rich had made his decision before the contest ever began, and I still feel the same way. Julio was the winner. Not out of talent, but because the women swooned over him and he could bring a large audience to the world of country music.

To me the contest was exciting to watch, but quickly lost it when the final winner was announced. Julio was the least country person in the group. Least in appearance, in action, and in song, but the winner of the popularity and potential income. I think everyone else did better, but then again, what do I know? I don't have any full length fur coats, cowboy hats, cowboy boots. All I have is good taste. Obviously this means I am not a good judge of country. But I still hope they come back next season.