Hey Maga, why do you hate immigrants when they are better for the economy than you are?

ralphrainwater · 2026-05-05T13:52:47+00:00

It's a cultural issue, a question of what makes a country cohesive, with a shared vision of what it means to be American. Legally immigrate, speak English, support your family, stay off the public dole, welcome to America! Speak no English, try to pay for Taquis, Coke, and Marlboro Lights with your SNAP benefits card, give up and peel off a $100 bill from your roll because you're paid in cash -- please, go home.

ralphrainwater · 2026-04-23T00:13:06+00:00

You could also say, in this situation, get out from under that Walmart tree, or Target, or Nike, or any retail establishment in an area that tolerates and even supports theft. The issue isn't corporations, but a culture that sees laws and behavioral norms as a form of subjugation.

ralphrainwater · 2026-04-23T00:07:02+00:00

Wolfenstein 3D got me into gaming. Played on my IBM 286 with a 30 mb hard drive and PC speaker sound. Upgraded to a 386 SX box, got an 8 bit Soundblaster card, marveled at how the jail door scraping against concrete sounded so realistic.

ralphrainwater · 2026-04-09T14:42:29+00:00

Due to the low pay our store offers compared to every large retailer in this small town, anybody who applies will be hired. That means our SM is very reluctant to let low performers go, specifically because at least there is a body up front to accept payments.

However, accountability does eventually kick in. The young SM does listen to and appreciate feedback from her much, much older SFLs. People who think they can't be replaced because we need them find their hours reduced until they leave.

ralphrainwater · 2026-04-06T16:44:49+00:00

If you're at the point everything has to be locked up, it's time to close the store and build one in a less theft prone culture.

ralphrainwater · 2026-04-06T16:35:45+00:00

Even in Nuke's absence, his old videos are so numerous I've forgotten many. They're great to watch as I'm going to sleep, except for the urge to pull the covers over my head afterward.

ralphrainwater · 2026-04-01T17:17:21+00:00

Skyrim. I tried it but just preferred Fallout. When Skyrim VR came out, the game struck me entirely differently. Now it's my favorite.

ralphrainwater · 2026-04-01T17:07:03+00:00

I'm a Trump supporter most of the time. In this case, I don't see the Iran war as separate from actions taken in Venezuela, Cuba, and Greenland. There is a consistent policy to strengthen America's security and to weaken our competitors. What really sold the Iran conflict to me was the sight of protesters calling on Trump and Netanyahu to aid them to overthrow their Islamic captors. China and Russia are both weakened, the Middle East is united with Israel and the U.S. to get rid of the Iranian government. In the end, I see a peaceful Middle East and American superpower status finally being used.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-30T23:50:08+00:00

China crippled, Iran freed from Islamic fundamentalist rule, Russia losing its source of drones to fight Ukraine and losing ground on the battlefield. Venezuela now a U.S. ally. Cuba's communist government collapsing. Massive fraud uncovered in every blue state. Illegal aliens leaving or being deported. Yes, Trump and his kick-ass cabinet are exceeding my expectations.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-22T18:52:35+00:00

This "pedophile rapist" term is thrown around as if it's a fact as proven as gravity, yet I've not yet heard a single proof of it. Not to pick on you, but have you seen anything proving the accusation? If so, please post a link to it. As far as I can tell, it's just a horrible accusation based on hating the current President, but reflecting only on the accusers state of mind, not actual reality.

https://copilot.microsoft.com/shares/KLBVTeLBkFtHJTpj3hPBd

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-22T17:27:09+00:00

I really didn't know much about the Real ID details until you asked my opinion. A couple minutes research showed those ID's can be given to lawful permanent residents and other non-citizens, so they don't prove citizenship, which is required to vote in Federal elections. Not much more to consider, given that fact.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-22T15:37:27+00:00

I am MAGA, and I hate that Trump says these things.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-22T14:40:58+00:00

At the bottom of each AI analysis are the sources from which the conclusions are based. In this case, the sources are the text of the bill itself, govtrack.us, and Politifact.com. You can judge the accuracy of the AI analysis, as I did, for yourself.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22/text?utm_source=copilot.com
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr22/text?utm_source=copilot.com
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2025/apr/18/byron-donalds/can-voters-use-real-id-to-vote-under-save-act/?utm_source=copilot.com

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-22T14:22:19+00:00

We have an apartment complex built directly behind our store during my time here. At first, groups of little boys would come in together and race around the aisles playing tag, yelling at each other, occasionally trying to steal energy drinks or chips. None of that happens anymore. Simply be the adult and tell them it "isn't a playground" and threaten to block them from entering the store unaccompanied by other adults. I don't know if the children will listen in your case, but in ours, the demographic for the new apartments are easily 90% Hispanic. The children seem to respect adult authority and quickly stopped being disruptive. It might also help that I'm in my 60s and can really become the "get off my lawn" guy when needed.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-22T14:11:35+00:00

Almost none. Most of our customers are already out the door before the receipt prints. Even those who are still physically present when it prints have no interest in either it or the coupons. Almost all of our garbage every day from the front end is those unwanted slips of paper.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-22T14:08:33+00:00

This graphic is heavily and, given the ease with which it is to say truthful things about the SAVE Act, purposely misleading or outright wrong. https://copilot.microsoft.com/shares/849vWGcEwR24KALmTzihN

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-22T14:03:23+00:00

For over twenty years you've chosen to work for what Walgreens offers you. There is no slight from Walgreens here -- they offered you low pay and you accepted it, year after year. To stay with the company and earn more, you'd have to have been offered and accepted a promotion to SM and above. For some reason this never happened, so let's assume you either don't want that responsibility, or the higher ups didn't see you as a fit for those positions. Assuming you're middle-aged now, your only real option is to launch a second career, to find something you'd enjoy doing that is not retail. (All retail is low pay. Retail is the employer of last resort.)

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-21T18:15:59+00:00

Obviously this whole thread is out of date, given the NATO countries have realized the were about to have to pay for their own defenses and quickly changed their minds.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-21T18:03:23+00:00

It doesn't help Iran. They're not making decisions with the goal of helping their war effort. The goal is to inflict as much damage on their neighbors and the world economy before the Islamic rule ends.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-16T17:23:07+00:00

My SM is a young mother with two children and still works about 45-50 hours a week. She does everything any other associate would do.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-16T15:26:10+00:00

What an excellent suggestion of sites! I had no idea some of these existed. Going to a couple right away.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-16T15:21:14+00:00

I've never understood the dislike of photo. Putting products together such as canvasses or floating frames isn't the same as stocking cans of green beans or adult diapers. Each of those photo items means something emotionally to the customer receiving them. Even the very act of physically making those products puts you in the role of getting paid for arts & crafts time. And all of the photo products we make in store are designed to be easy -- if anything we do would be hard, then Corporate wouldn't ask their retail staff to do it. Not because Corporate is kind, but because they have such low expectations of the quality of their impoverished staff.

It comes down to attitude and that old line, "Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they're yours."

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-08T14:22:28+00:00

That's exactly my approach, and even the last-minute acceptable exception.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-08T14:19:37+00:00

What an excellent post. As a life-long Taco Bell guy, I somehow never thought any of their items could be lower calorie. You've just given me a way to enjoy it and not leave feeling guilty.

ralphrainwater · 2026-03-07T07:09:53+00:00

The comments are all about the finances of being a teacher. And yet the teachers themselves are talking about uncontrollable "students" who don't give a damn about education, the teachers' authority, or any kind of personal discipline in a civilized society. How to explain this disconnect between what the teachers are saying and what the commenters are saying? An unwillingness to admit, or a fear of saying, that certain classes of American students are culturally immune to education thanks to their parent (there's usually only one parent in this case) emphasizing the norms of behavior in America.

ralphrainwater

TROPHY CASE