Mothers these days..
Jul 15, 2009Well today was fun. I went swimming, tried stilts (they’re hard), attempted to burn stuff with a magnifying glass (which, despite sounding cool, is really, really boring.. and hurts your eyes), tried sour cream (gross but good somehow)… If that’s not enough, I also uhh.. “accidentally” waxed my arm? Just one square centimeter.. Don’t ask. But yeah, for all those who “live vicariously” through me, I hope that was a satisfying fix of.. living vicariously.
(booooooom, of course)
You know what else? I went to a Wal-Mart. GOD, I know, totally not okay. We had to, for whatever reason. I wanted to hate it (I do hate it. ew ew corporation ew union ewww killing family-owned businesses ew), but it was so nice and clean and organized and shiny and stuff. Totally disappointing.
I hear there’s actually a documentary about the epic disgustingness of Wal-Mart, sorta like Idiocracy? Or whatever that’s called. I kind of want to see it to make sure that I’m not falsely hating something. Because, when it comes to hatin’, it’s pretty embarrassing to detest something you don’t even know about..
Oh! I thought I’d let you know I was just in a list of “influential Jewish teens” over yonder on in the paper world. And on the internet, but “paper world” sounded cooler. I am very proud of myself. And’cha know what? You should be too! Because, really, it wouldn’t have happened without you guys *awww*. Pat yourself on the back!
I am yet to receive the actual copy of the magazine, but I saw the list online. There’s also another article *about me* in the magazine – on the next page! I’ll post scans or whatever when I get it, plus another something specialllll.
Title: quote from neighbor, Emma, on moms not knowing how to use their own cell phones.. heh.
Yeah, i saw that documentary on the disgustingness on wal-mart. Ever since that we dont shop at wal-mart unless its an emergency. xD
I saw that documentary too. Wal-Mart BAD.
And… you’d never had sour cream before?! I mean, yeah, sure, the thought of eating cream that’s /sour/ isn’t very appetizing.. but… like… haven’t you been to Taco Bell and gotten something with sour cream on it?
I learned about your blog from J-Vibe’s 18 Under 18 Contest! Mazal Tov :) I am friends with one of your fellow winners, David Schenirer! Congrats!
I was surprised about the sour cream comment too. It’s so good! I think you’ve been missing out. Nachos with salsa, guacamole and sour cream = yum!
oh yes, future will be bright with all you wonder kids growing up. you and tavi aren’t alone. yesterday I visited the concert of portugal the man, wonder kids as well. how old are they, 19?, 18?, 17? incredible live show.
1. lots of Sarahs are here, it seems.
2. Sarah J: I’ve never been to Taco Bell! Nevah. Or at least I’ve never eaten anything from Taco Bell. It just looks so gross and plastic and disssgusting.
3. thanks guys!
I really dislike Walmart. Not because of the union thing – honestly, businesses can run the way they want to imo, as long as they abide by the law and treat their employees by the law. I don’t know – I’ll be honest when I say I haven’t done a ton of research into it.
The thing with Walmart is they offer a lot of products at good discounts so that poor or working class people can buy them. I hate going there and we always spend too much there, but we’d spend about 25% or more if we went somewhere else.
We were just there last night and it was, as usual, a miserable experience.
I prefer Target, but I’m sure there are people against them, too. You can always find someone that doesn’t like something.
Wal-Mart employs thousands of people who might otherwise be unemployed, so that’s one good thing they contribute to society. It’s not a very nice store, though. The lines can be awful and it’s hard to find someone to help you if can’t find an item. Be wary of film documentaries, though. Many of them are skewed towards the director’s personal bias, and sometimes this results in exaggerations of the truth. Michael Moore is a great example.
On a lighter note, congratulations on your new distinction. They aren’t mistaken: You really are a neat kid :)
Congratulations on making the list! I didn’t realize your dad was Jewish until I started reading your blog. I never think about rock stars being Jewish (yes, I know about Gene Simmons), so it usually surprises me a bit.
I didn’t see the documentary, but I hate going to Wal-Mart. They sell shoddy products and their sales people don’t have a clue about anything. I agree with Brett about Target.
Have you seen Idiocracy? It’s one of my favorite movies. You can actually see some of the things in the movie starting to happen.
Mike, my dad isn’t Jewish. My mom is, though :)
Congrats! You’re a poster boy for making geeky cool LOL!
Wal-Mart is nasty! I’ve been in the one by my house twice. Both times I felt sort of claustrophobic – too many people and too much stuff packed onto high shelving that doesn’t allow you to figure out where you need to go in an effort to get out FAST. The second time, the woman who checked me out was in desperate need of a shower (and a shave, but she couldn’t help that). Both of these things are simply my opinion, however. The fact that I watched the one in Decorah, IA kill many of the little stores downtown (and within walking distance from school) during my college years is what makes me lothe the place.
I read the article about you in JVibe. AWESOMENESS! Congratulations! And yes… Wal-Mart sucks.
This issue of JVibe has been sitting on my desk for a while – now I’ll get to it sooner than later. Confession: I came to the Wilco party quite late in the game. YOU were my entry point when I was working with ‘Disadvantaged Teens’, encouraging them to write. Your blog opened up the “15 Minutes of Fame” possibility to them. So, you’ve unintentionally performed two mitzvahs (the best type, I think): opened up a world of writing to teens who, otherwise, might not have felt the need to express themselves, and introducing me to Wilco’s music. My first Wilco, live was at last year’s Tanglewood, and I will be at the concert in Dutchess County NY on Saturday. Namaste, Young Tweedy.
Big congratulation to you for making that list. Seeing all you teenage blog stars makes me somehow feel terribly old at only 25.
I completely see your point with Wal-Mart, but that’s globalization, isn’t it? I recently wrote an article about big companies taking over the world. Here in germany we call this phenomenon “americanization” when every city center is more and more occupied by the “big players”.
Interestingly, Wal-Mart failed to start business in germany. They opened about 100 stores in the mid-nineties, but had to pull out having incurred losses of 3 billion euros (about 4,5 billion dollars).
I’ve also noticed the many Sarahs around here.
I can’t believe that you’ve managed to avoid sour cream AND Taco Bell for 13 years. I stopped eating at McDonald’s a few years ago because I got sick to my stomach when I ate that nasteh crap, but Taco Bell is something I can handle, especially when I’m on a long road trip.
Got my issue of JVibe last week. Congratulations on being chosen as one of JVibe’s “18 Under 18” teens. The article about you was pretty cool reading too. Mazel Tov!
woo go Spencer!congrats!
oh, stilts are fun…yet complex.
Samm Levine from Freaks and Geeks! Aw… And, you of course as well. haha
wow, so many posts. I’ll just have to chime in myself. Here’s what I don’t like about WalMart: they’re so big they have the power to pressure vendors of Stuff down on their prices. It’s basic business, but I’m not a big fan of basic business: “hey little game company” (Cranium, in my world, back when it actually was a little toy company and my husband worked there), “we can sell 80-gazillion of your whazzooo game if you sell it to us wholesale for penny profits, and then we’ll sell it for $3 less than the small-family-owned toy store down the road…” which is great for those people who couldn’t afford it at the family-owned toy store but it ultimately kills the small toy store and can lead the small game company to ruin as well. Plus, from an urban planning standpoint they’re a nightmare – ugly buildings in ugly seas of asphalt off of ugly giant roads, often not serviced by buses… my two cents. phheww.
geez, I think it’s great you’re an “influential teen” but I think I would have been frightened by this when I was 13, the same way if anyone ever decided I was influential now, it would freak me out a little. Or a lot.
Walmart stirs up a lot of conflicting feelings it seems. It’s really hard all around. I hate the way culture has gone in a lot of ways. Too much sameness.
Spencer – imagine a time when going to McDonald’s (or whatever chain) as being a special trip. Nowadays, people go there to eat almost every day. Most of the food is vile and I’ve been doing my best to avoid it at all costs, but that convenience factor kicks in sometimes and becomes unavoidable.
But back to the sameness angle – why is it you have to have a Starbucks, a McDonald’s or a BP Amoco (or whatever it’s called these days) in every town? Why do we need so many Best Buys, Walmarts or TGI Fridays? I just don’t get the culture that’s sprung up in the last 20 years.
What’s worse is traveling across the country and seeing it everywhere, too. You think maybe it’s just a big city and its ‘burbs thing and then it’s everywhere.
The person that mentioned Idiocracy is sadly, most likely, on the money. Once semi-intelligent to intelligent people stop reproducing as much and the dummies continue to do so, we’re all screwed.
Happy Friday! Just call me Downer Brett.
Brett – that sameness is also what’s hurting the music industry. Places like Walmart only carry the top 100 or so albums, which makes it a lot harder to discover new music. Large record stores like Tower Records & Virgin closed, which means even less variety.
walmart = disgusting
target = fucking rad (because of their kickass product design)
some stores are just weird.
i refuse to walk into my local shoprite because the last time i was in there i saw a baby drinking starbucks coffee, a man with only two teeth, and at last 6 women dressed in street clothes. and by street clothes i mean standingonthecornerwaitingforagentlemancustomer clothes
I can’t wait to read Guys Vs. Girls: What are they thinking? I’ve been to Wal-Mart once and Hooters once, on the same trip. I bet Nels Cline shops at Wal-Mart constantly.
I haven’t seen it mentioned yet, but the documentary in question is called
“Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price ”
http://www.walmartmovie.com/
Check it out…
p.s. Captcha = expanses Mrs. Weird… :-/
[...] [we] watched Jaws last night. It was five bucks at Walmart (sorry sorry again sorry we went to Walmart sorry) so we got that and a few others, including a set of 20 Hitchcock [...]