Sunday, June 26, 2022

EDITORIAL: WHAT IS WRONG WITH WALMART #02022?

 THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITORIAL.

ADDENUM: NEW MATERIAL ADDED JUNE 29, 2022!

I have been a customer of the Walmart franchise for many years now.
I know times are tough.
The pandemic😷 alone has had a serious effect upon the global economy, yet there is absolutely no reason why the safety of both employees and customers need be at risk.
I am not blaming any employee for the situation I'm about to report on. They're just following orders and trying to keep their jobs.
However, among other rules, I have it on good authority that the Walmart Corporation does NOT allow any pallets, with or without merchandise, upon the public selling floor after 7 in the morning.
A rule that my local outlet, #02022 has broken on at least 5 6 occasions that I can document.

May 16, 2022
THE FIRST, May 16, 2022.
Although this is a "back aisle" and one would not normally be in the vicinity unless you truly needed something from there, I did.
Hence discovering the mess and took a picture of same with my cellphone that I later posted on my Facebook wall.
The first stack is empty pallets, with several more full of merchandise beyond that going all the way to the magazine wall at the end of the aisle that also serves as the divider between this portion of the store and the outer edge of the Electronics department.

THE SECOND, May 26, 2022
As you can see by the dates between the two incidents, I do not go to any store daily, but I do visit several on a regular basis, including the Walmart in question.
This time the only aisle affected is the magazine aisle.
Being the avid reader I am, I always check this department out if wherever I am has one and was shocked to discover what I saw that day.
Granted, the merchandise was relatively neatly stacked along one side, provided no one needed anything the pallets were blocking, but still...
May 26, 2022

THE THIRD, June 5, 2022
Same aisle as the second incident, only this time the pallets are centered in the middle of said aisle and merchandise on the second pallet, including a coffee maker and a microwave oven look like they're leaning to the left, if not on their way to falling outright.

Having worked over 20 years in the retail industry myself until my heart/medical issues took me out of "the game", I could cut the employees some slack depending upon the circumstances.
But besides there being no one around to even ask about the situation, while no one from that side of the equation was available either, management should definitely know better.
June 5, 2022

Hence I contacted Walmart's corporate office and let them know what was going on not only on this day but about the two previous incidents as well.
I was thanked for informing them of the situation and promised it would be corrected immediately.

HOWEVER...

THE FOURTH, June 8, 2022
As you can see in this cellphone picture, there were only 2 pallets in question blocking the rear of the magazine aisle. One of them full of air conditioners.
This was less than a day after I had contacted the Walmart corporate office and decided to remain
June 8, 2022
silent, although I had posted the first three incidents on my Facebook page.

Now you'd think that at this point it would be "All's well that ends well." Right?
WRONG!

THE FIFTH, June 22, 2022
I have THREE different images to share with you from my most recent visit to the local Walmart in question.
The first is from the same magazine aisle of past incidents.
June 22, Image 1 of 3

It is just one lone pallet of I have no idea what, but once again it is totally blocking the front entrance of that aisle.
Aisle blocking, besides the potential safety hazard it poses, is also a fire safety risk.
What if someone had entered the aisle from the other side when the fire alarm started blaring or something worse happened?
They'd have only one way in or out of that aisle with the other one blocked.

The other two images, believe it or not, are both from the Grocery section of the store!

June 22, Image 2 of 3
As you can see in the second image, while there is plenty of center aisle space in which to leave something, as clearly represented by the customers being able to still navigate the diary aisle to shop this, as well as every situation illustrated in all the other images, IS a safety hazard!
And for the record, I am taking the photo with my cellphone so that is not me bent over looking at the yogurt.

The third and last image is in the central aisle of the store from the Grocery side entrance of Walmart #02022.
The swinging doors at the far end of the picture are to a storage area although, only being a customer, I have
June 22, Image 3 of 3

no idea what is actually kept back there.
The pallets are on either side of displays that were already placed in the center aisle, which makes for a longer trip around them if someone had to leave in a hurry in case of fire or some other emergency.

NOW THEN...
To repeat my previous position, having worked over two decades within the retail industry mostly between Macy's and Office Depot, I am not trying to get any hard working employees in trouble.
I was actually able to talk to a couple of staff on duty June 22 but other than "Can I help you?" and other Customer Service related statements, no one either could or would say anything about "the proverbial elephant in the store."
And of course, no member of the management staff seemed to be on duty at the time.
Or at least, none that I actually saw for myself.

I seriously debated whether or not to post the more recent pictures, let alone even say anything.
I know times are tough but even if whoever left all the pallets in the pictures was just following orders, those who gave the orders should know better.
While all the freight involved was probably put up in time and the empty pallets removed, I shudder to think what might have happened had there been an actual emergency of any nature while those obstacles hindered floor travel.

ADDENDUM: THE SIXTH INSTANCE, JUNE 29
June 29, Image 1 of 2

Had to go shopping again today and once more my local Walmart #02022 apparently still hasn't gotten the message.
The first photo is the Magazine aisle totally blocked from front to back. I have no idea what is on any of these pallets, but the boxes upon the front 2 certainly don't look safely stacked. Noticed the bottom two facing the cross aisle where I was standing when I took the picture with my cellphone.
If those two boxes should happen to give in from the weight they're bearing, the ones on top would come spilling out into the cross aisle with no warning!

June 29, Image 2 of 2
The second is a view of the "back aisle" the Magazine aisle connects with and as you can see, the pallet line from there extends outward.
As far as I know, the floor is level. Can't say the same thing for the merchandise on the pallets.
And once again, no sign of a manager on duty and no employee in the vicinity could or would discuss the matter with me when asked.

Hopefully the next time I set foot in my local Walmart the situation will be corrected and (presumably) never happens again.

But still waiting for that to happen as of June 29, 2022.

Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief: The Free Choice E-zine
June 26, 2022

THE ABOVE WAS AN EDITORIAL.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: EARLY DOG DAYS

I'M BACK! 😉
Hello Everybody! Koda Canine here!
Humans claim July/August are "The Dog Days of Summer" but I've got to tell you, as hot as it's been in my neck of the woods this weekend, NO dog in their right mind would want to be out in this weather if they had a choice in the matter!

Granted the working dogs like those belonging to the police, fire department, the various branches of the military and those with sentry/security employment don't really have much choice. Yet any responsible pet owner takes care of their furry friends, making sure they have plenty of water and shade if they have to be outdoors on a day like this.

So... HOW HOT IS IT?

There's a human adage about "There's no use crying over spilled milk," but on a day like this the milk has evaporated before it even reaches the ground!

It is so hot, farmers are worried about their cows giving powdered milk!

My people put ice cubes in my water dish to keep it cool.
The ice cubes left to migrate North for the summer!

Want to cook dinner without heating up your kitchen any more than it already is?
Just put everything in your pots and pans on the sidewalk and keep an eye on the time so nothing gets overdone!

It's so hot that my people's frozen TV dinners were ready to eat by the time they took them out of the freezer and closed the fridge door. 😲

Birds are pulling worms out of the ground with oven mitts.

Squirrels are gathering nuts for the winter with tongs.

And it is so hot today, I tried looking at the thermometer to see what the temperature reading was and the digital readout said, "I don't have numbers that high."

Climate change is real folks! Deal with the problems now while you still can!

Take care.
STAY SAFE! 😷
And please be back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!KC.

Saturday, June 25, 2022

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JUNE 19-25, 2022

"THE SUBJECT OF ABORTION SHOULD ONLY BE BETWEEN A WOMAN AND HER DOCTOR(S)." COLIN POWELL. (1937-2021)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WE NEED MORE
GUN RESPONSIBILITY!

BULLYING HAS TO STOP!
BAN BOOK BANNINGS AND BURNINGS!

GET VACCINATED, WEAR YOUR MASK😷
& BEWARE ANY VERSION OF

JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH, AT LEAST IN AMERICA.🌈
JUNE 25 IS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE ANNE FRANK DIARY'S FIRST PUBLICATION.
JUNE 30 IS ASTEROID AWARENESS DAY.
JULY 1 IS CANADA DAY, REPUBLIC DAY IN GHANA,
AND INDEPENDENCE DAY IN RWANDA.
JULY 2 IS WORLD UFO DAY.
JULY 3 IS BELASRUS’ INDEPENDENCE DAY.
JULY 4 IS AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY.

AM😷NGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*COVID and its variants continue to be a global problem. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Thankfully the vaccination battles continue too. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*The state of the world, as of June 25, 2022.
*Unfortunately, Monkey Pox has become a serious medical issue also. (There are 6/SIX separate links in this item.)

*Update: June 20.
*June 25: Have Russian forces captured Sievierodonetsk??? They have others. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*The Free Choice E-zine does not support terrorism, no matter what the “cause” or alleged “justification”. Thus we will only be posting news items in this section whenever terrorists are brought to justice.

THE CLIMATE CHANGE CHRONICLES…🌐

😢PASSING PARADE…
*The innocent lives lost during the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.
*Actress Carol Raye (a long career between British and Australian productions) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Actor/playwright/composer James Rado (debuted as King Richard in The Lion In Winter, co-creator of Hair, more) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
CAPITAL CHAOS: JANUARY 6, 2021>AFTERMATH
*Republican Senator Ron Johnson’s possible role in events. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*The hearings. Day 4: June 21. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*The hearings. Day 5: June 23. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Trump’s actions still affecting former election officials. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*What part did Ivanka Trump play??? And what did she actually say??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
POLITICALLY…
*Opinion: The Bill/Law is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.
    • Those in the LGBTQ+ community are living "an abnormal lifestyle choice" and define marriage as that between "a natural man and a natural woman".
    • Any sort of gun control measures are seen as a direct violation of the Second Amendment and "our God given rights".
    • The United States should leave the United Nations.
    • Abortions should be abolished and for "equal protection of the laws to all preborn children from the moment of fertilization".
    • The "certified" results of the 2020 presidential election are in error and Acting President Joseph Biden was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States.
    • Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent thereto. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this long item.)
*THE SUPREME COURT HAS OFFICIALLY OVERTURNED ROE V. WADE, leaving the issue of abortions to the individual members of the United States.
*The potential future consequences of this action. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*"We were lied to!"—Selection Committee members concerning recent appointees.
*The states of Texas (see above), Iowa, Oklahoma, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee are among the 22 states against abortions. (There are 6/SIX separate links in this item.)
*Michigan and Colorado are the only known pro abortion states at this time, with the rest of the country pending. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
SOCIAL (IN)JUSTICE…
*On June 28, 1969 the Stonewall Raid and subsequent Riots occurred, which led to the start of the Gay/LGBTQ+ Pride movement.🌈

😷THE US VERSUS COVID-19…
THE US VERSUS MONKEY POX…
IT’S FACT CHECK TIME!
MEANWHILE, IN CONGRESS…

*Mo Brooks is on his way out. Who will represent Alabama after the November election???
ELSEWHERE…
*Explaining the situation more realistically than others. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
😀AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…
*"But I don't take up much room." and a dog who knows its way around the house.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JUNE 25, 2022

😎FUN FACT
Honeybees🐝🐝 pollinate over 90 known crops, besides flowers.


FAMOUS FIRSTS🥇
Who is the only professional basketball player to score over 38,000+ career points?

BEFORE AND AFTER
Two separate items share at least one word, and so can be combined to create something new. Based upon the clue below, do you know what the new thing is?
Mister Toad goes to Tara.

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the June 18, 2022 Puzzle Corner.

COMMON BONDS
The items in each subset below have something in common. Do you know what it is?
01. {Marvin Gaye, 4 Non Blondes} = ♫What’s Going On?♫
02. {The Monkees, Steve Winwood} = ♫Valerie♫
03. {Subsets 1 and 2} = Different artists releasing different songs with the same title.
HUH? (misquotes)
The misquote is below. All you have to do is give us the correct quote and source. Ready?
♫Saving his life from this warm sausage tea.♫ IS ACTUALLY ♫Spare him his life from this monstrosity.♫ from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Sunday, June 19, 2022

SUNDAY FUNNIES: FATHER'S DAY 2022

Catty Comedienne

Canine Cut up
 Hello Everybody!
Today you have both Piper D. Katt AND Koda Canine here as we team up to celebrate FATHER'S DAY!

That's right Piper. The last couple of years have been ruff with first COVID 😷 and all the stuff relating to it before Monkey Pox started rearing its ugly head.

So, it's a great time to pause paws and remember how important family is.
Especially fathers!

Or in other words, it's joke time!

What is the first thing any dad does on Fathers' Day?
Wake up.⏰

What kind of music♫ did the kids play for their dad on Father’s Day?
Pop music.

What did the Panda🐼 give his daddy on Father’s Day?
A big bear hug.💗

What did the baby corn say to his mommy?
"Where's pop?"

A father asked his son if the kid had seen the newspaper.📰
The son replied that newspapers were old school and people used tablets nowadays before handing the father his.
That fly🦟 didn’t stand a chance!😉

When asked if she knew how old her father was, the daughter replied, "My age. I've known him my whole life."

A young English lad asked his father if he had ever been to Egypt.
The father replied no, which caused the child to ask, "Then where did you get mummy?"

What does a baby computer call its father?
Data.

Hmmm... I thought we had more than that.
I guess it just proves that being a parent is serious business.
After all, anyone can be a father. That's just simple biology.
But it takes someone special to be a dad.

In any event, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, and please be back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!
PDK and KC.

Saturday, June 18, 2022

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JUNE 12-18, 2022

ARE YOU AWARE OF THE KROGER/WALGREENS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WE NEED MORE
GUN RESPONSIBILITY!

BULLYING HAS TO STOP!
BAN BOOK BANNINGS AND BURNINGS!

GET VACCINATED, WEAR YOUR MASK😷
& BEWARE ANY VERSION OF

JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH, AT LEAST IN AMERICA.🌈
JUNE 18 IS AUTISM PRIDE DAY.
JUNE 18 IS INTERNATIONAL PICNIC DAY.
JUNE 19 IS JUNETEENTH, WHEN THE LAST SLAVES IN AMERICA
DISCOVERED THEY WERE FREE.
JUNE 19 IS THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MUSIC MAN, THE MOVIE.
JUNE 19 IS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF BATMAN RETURNS.
JUNE 20 IS WORLD REFUGEE DAY.
SUMMER FOR THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, WINTER FOR THE SOUTHERN, OFFICIALLY BEGINS JUNE 21.

AM😷NGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*COVID and its variants continue to be a global problem. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Thankfully the vaccination battles continue too.
*The state of the world, as of June 18, 2022.
*Unfortunately, Monkey Pox has become a serious medical issue also. (There are 6/SIX separate links in this item.)

*Update: June 18.

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*The Free Choice E-zine does not support terrorism, no matter what the “cause” or alleged “justification”. Thus we will only be posting news items in this section whenever terrorists are brought to justice.

THE CLIMATE CHANGE CHRONICLES…🌐
*Save the planet today! There’s no time to delay! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)

😢PASSING PARADE…
*The innocent lives lost during the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.
*Voice actor Billy Kametz (Pokemon, Neon Genesis, much more) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Actor Philip Baker Hall (Seinfeld, Modern Family, Rush Hour 1, a lot of other TV and movie work) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Actor Henri Garcin (Mata Hari, 2006 The Pink Panther, more) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Comic book artist Tim Sale (DC, WaRP Graphics, Marvel, more) is no longer with us.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
THE BORDER WALL-KIDS-IMMIGRATION ISSUES…
*Former “President” Trump declared a “national emergency” to build his border wall, separating
families upon apprehension. President Joseph Biden nullified the emergency, but other matters pertaining to these issues still have to be dealt with.
NOTE: While we are doing our best to provide coverage, the above is a serious ongoing issue. Especially since no one has yet to full y discuss the health and safety of all the “detainees” as well as the various costs under Donald Trump of separating families and who is truly responsible for the deaths of FOUR “detainees” (known to date), let alone if anyone might actually be making a profit from this situation.
CAPITAL CHAOS: JANUARY 6, 2021>AFTERMATH
*Rudy Giuliani claims Donald Trump had nothing to do with January 6 and that “the Democratic Party needs to be destroyed!” 😵
*Trump knew, but won’t admit it??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*The hearings resume. Day 2, June 13. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Day 3, June 16. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Where “pardons” available??? To who and why??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*There’s also “The Big Rip Off”. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
POLITICALLY…
*“What primary?”—New Mexico Republican Voting Commissioner. “THIS ONE!”—New Mexico Judge. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
ROE V. WADE…
SOCIAL (IN)JUSTICE…
*WHY???
*June 19 is Juneteenth Day, when the 1865 African Americans of Galveston, Texas finally heard they were free! Presumably the rest of the state already knew.
THE ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL & OTHER SENSELESS SHOOTINGS…
*“No se habla Espanol.”—The Texas Department of Public Safety.
😷THE US VERSUS COVID-19…
IT’S FACT CHECK TIME!
MEANWHILE, IN CONGRESS…
*How close are we to a possible “gun deal”??? WELL, you see... (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
ELSEWHERE…
😀AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…