Doug Kanter wrote:

Probably right...but, sheesh, the CIA Handbook?

Quick & easy, as long as you don't need a ton of detail.

A ****load of people at the CIA have extremely boring jobs.

I don't know why this is but when looking up maps of countries and basic
statistics, a good many are from CIA data. Must be a free source. Not
very detailed and often not very current.
LZ

"Ed" wrote in message
...

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
news
"Ed" wrote in message
...


K-Mart's coming back from chapter 11 with a vengeance. I think the
public's
going to be pleasantly surprised.

I still don't like their checkout system, but I have noticed that some
WalMarts are going the same way.
Ed



The checkouts here seem normal. What's up with the ones you've seen?

Finding one with a person to check you out. Each one of the
self-checkouts
means 3-6 less workers. And self-service is about all they have in
K-Marts.
Ed



Those machines are candidates for bullets. When visiting a friend in another
part of NY state, I used to go with her to a Price Chopper supermarket. I
tend to NOT put every damned thing in a bag when I shop, but the machine was
programmed to look for a change in weight on the bag platform after each
item was scanned. This computerized voice would keep saying "Put item in
bag....put item in bag...." A gallon of milk in its own bag??? So, I tried
keeping one heavy item aside as a way of helping the machine feel
comfortable. Didn't work. It seemed to know the approximate weights of
packaged foods, and if the degree of change on the bag platform was wrong,
it wouldn't let me continue.

"Lone Haranguer" wrote in message
...


Doug Kanter wrote:

Probably right...but, sheesh, the CIA Handbook?

Quick & easy, as long as you don't need a ton of detail.

A ****load of people at the CIA have extremely boring jobs.

I don't know why this is but when looking up maps of countries and basic
statistics, a good many are from CIA data. Must be a free source. Not
very detailed and often not very current.
LZ

I'm sure we could find more accurate stuff by simply looking for web sites
from the governments of various countries. But, I'm really busy cleaning
fishing reels, rising bread dough, drying laundry, listening to music, and
waiting for Molson Golden to reach the perfect temperature. Who cares about
GNPs of Switzerland?

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 21:10:55 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote:
Those machines are candidates for bullets. When visiting a friend in another
part of NY state, I used to go with her to a Price Chopper supermarket. I
tend to NOT put every damned thing in a bag when I shop, but the machine was
programmed to look for a change in weight on the bag platform after each
item was scanned. This computerized voice would keep saying "Put item in
bag....put item in bag...." A gallon of milk in its own bag???

Yeah, I hate those damn things. The local Kroger has them. I like to
scan everything, pay, *then* bag directly into the cart, like in a real
checkout line. Walmart's machines let you do that. But the stupid
machines at Kroger won't.

I've found that if I act dumb, the supervising cashier will sometimes, in
exasperation, come over and scan and bag my purchase for me. If that
doesn't work, I've just walked out, leaving my half scanned load of groceries
for the clerk to put back on the shelves. After I did that a couple of times
at the Kroger, they now open up a real checkout line when they see me
coming. Heh, heh.

Gary

In article .net,
says...

Sure thing, bigot. Their economy is based (not
"floated", your needless and bogus pejorative) on the
provision of some sophisticated services, chiefly
financial ones, to the rest of the world.

Servicing fine individuals like Saddam Hussein, Baby Doc, Fernando
Marcos, American Corporate Scum, Adolf Hitler and many member of the
Reich. You bet they're a real stand up "service" economy.

Anything else you'd like to know, bigot? I only want
to help you; to lift the scales from your eyes.

You're the one with scales. They count among their illustrious
corporations some of the worst polluters in the world, Ciba Geigy and
Nestle.

Personally, I love the country for it's splendor. I don't like the
businesses they're in. Neutral, my ass. They're mercantile.

Tell me they haven't profited greatly from the misfortunes of peoples
across the globe, "sanctimonious vegan asshole."

jps

In article .net,
says...
jps wrote:

In article k.net,
says...

jps wrote:


In article .net,
says...



I have lived there, for a year, and I've visited
several times. It's an outstanding place.


What happened, couldn't afford to live there?

I was an exchange student.

You ran your mouth without the relevant facts. Moron.

That's a cheap way to live in a country where the poverty rate is about
$50K/yr.

Just how is it Switzerland lives so highly on such a small economy?

High productivity.

Bull****, they collect tolls off of blood money.

Their fake economy is floated on the backs of people who've been stolen
from and worse.

Do a little research and your eyes will be opened.

Then maybe you can answer to the rest of my claims rather than cherry
picking with a vapid answer.

jps wrote:

What happened, couldn't afford to live there? Outstanding it may be but
it's economy is way inflated. Poverty is $50K a year there.

How can you say it's inflated, they live on exports and sell in the
world markets. They compete very well without sinking to the level of
Walmart.

It may be a very expensive place for us to live but the percentage of
Swiss living below the poverty line doesn't even rate a decimal place
while ours (US) is around 13 percent. That says something about their
economy and how they use it.

Rick

In article k.net,
says...
jps wrote:

What happened, couldn't afford to live there? Outstanding it may be but
it's economy is way inflated. Poverty is $50K a year there.

How can you say it's inflated, they live on exports and sell in the
world markets. They compete very well without sinking to the level of
Walmart.

It may be a very expensive place for us to live but the percentage of
Swiss living below the poverty line doesn't even rate a decimal place
while ours (US) is around 13 percent. That says something about their
economy and how they use it.

Rick

Anyone making less than $40K/yr. is subsidized by the federal gov't.
They don't allow poverty.

If they had to compete in the world markets without skimming blood
money, they'd be in a different situation economically.

jps

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003, Dave Thompson wrote:
In each case
when Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, Costco, Home Depot or Lowe's came to town all the
small INEFFICIENT retails sang songs of woe. In every case, those retailers
who studies their markets and offered selection and service survived and
prospered. Those who had been lazy and grossly overcharging their customers
promptly went out of business; deservedly so.

Well said.

What also isn't mentioned is that those small inefficient retailers which
gouge their customers often pay their employees LESS than Wal*Mart. Most
pay minimum wage and expect their employees to put in unpaid overtime.
When a Wal*Mart begins construction the first thing the employees at the
dinky little stores do is fill out job applications at Wal*Mart.

A Wal*Mart is opening locally next year. I can predict which local
retailers will die and which ones will survive. None of the doomed ones
will be missed.

In the case of one particular business, I will cheer when it closes its
doors. The owner offended me to the point that I will drive 30+ miles to
get to (what is now) the nearest Wal*Mart rather than buy from there, even
if the cost of the gas is more than the price savings. Needless to say,
that individual is one of the head cheerleaders of the anti-Wal*Mart
group (which just lost their final appeal).

As for the ones that will survive... They're the ones which, when I ask
about something they don't carry, say "We can order that for you, and if
you're in a hurry I can have it fedex'ed here tommorrow." They're the
ones who want to sell me the products that I want to buy (as opposed to
the products they want to sell).

-- Mark --

http://staff.washington.edu/mrc
Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.

jps wrote:

In article .net,
says...

jps wrote:


In article k.net,
says...


jps wrote:



In article .net,
says...




I have lived there, for a year, and I've visited
several times. It's an outstanding place.


What happened, couldn't afford to live there?

I was an exchange student.

You ran your mouth without the relevant facts. Moron.

That's a cheap way to live in a country where the poverty rate is about
$50K/yr.

Just how is it Switzerland lives so highly on such a small economy?

High productivity.


Bull****, they collect tolls off of blood money.

Prove it.