AtticaFlinch

I think most people at Disco Green will actually be focusing their attention on the cooling waters of the fully functional fountains rather than the buildings surrounding the park. It's hot here, and all. Priorities. I'll register my disgust with the building's facade by not ever renting a room there. Granted, I probably won't ever rent a room in the same city as where my house is located, but still...

Actually, in this thread I've twice related how I saved $20 on a baby crib at Walmart vs Target. I grant you, it's anecdotal evidence, but it's not nothing. It was the exact same make and model, and even the UPC code was identical (I'm occasionally that anal-retentive in real life, and this was one of those occasions). I contend $20 is not an insignificant amount of money if you're counting pennies. Also, I've unfortunately only recently discovered that the price per ounce of the store brand baby formula (identical ingredients to Similac) is ridiculously cheaper than HEB, Kroger, Costco* and Target brands. I say "unfortunately" only because I hadn't discovered the price disparity till I moved out here to the 'burbs near a Walmart only a few months ago. When I was a hip inner-looper, my Walmart trips were infrequent as that meant a trip to the dreaded Dunvale location, so price shopping baby formula never included Walmart. That means for about eight or nine months of my kid's life, I was getting raped trying to feed her. Fortunately she's too young to remember that. No kid needs an image of their father getting bent over by the vile baby formula guilds forever tainting their memories. *Yeah seriously, Walmart is cheaper than the store brand of a discount wholesale club. If you don't believe me, price it yourself. Costco's store brand is Kirkland; Walmart's is Parent's Choice.

Thanks for reminding me. I amend my previous post here to reflect that anywhere the phrase "Heights residents" can be found should be prefaced with the qualifier "some". Paternalism, or maybe some oddball notion of a Heights manifest destiny.

You think we all secretly agree with you, but are just arguing for argument's sake? I know you've got a really high opinion of the right and moral position on which you've chosen to make your stand, but really, not everyone sees Walmart as being evil and malevolent, or as in my case think Walmert is no more evil and malevolent than any other corporation. Having money isn't a grave sin. Acting douchey to others who don't share in your bounty is though. Fine, you've got a lot of money. You don't want to shop at Walmart. Good, no one cares. Neither Central Market, Costco nor Whole Foods is far from you. We already know you won't shop at the Walmart, so no harm no foul for you at all whatsoever. However, there are people who will shop there, and frankly their quality of life concerns vastly outweigh any Heights pretensions. Oh, and I really don't know how many times this has to be said, but in yet another attempt to clarify this point, I will repeat it yet again. This Walmart is not only for Heights residents. The Yale Street plot is a strategic location to draw as many people as possible from the entirety of the inner-loop. The people of the Heights cannot for some reason seem to grasp this point, and they seem to continually lose sight of the fact they share the rest of the inner loop with people of various means. And speaking for what's best for those of lesser means based on your emotions and not reason reeks of paternalism and doucheyness. No, everybody pays property taxes. Landlords don't gift their civic obligations to their lessees. The taxes are subsumed by the monthly lease cost. Also, considering all Houston property taxes are paid for by all Houstonians and not just Heights residents, and those dollars are then doled out where they're needed throughout the entire city, no one neighborhood and no one resident has any more say than another. Ultimately, if you paid the property taxes on the one piece of property in question, then you could decide what would go there. Otherwise, unless you're willing to outbid Walmart, you have no say. Are you seriously mythologizing your opposition to an inner-loop Walmart near the Heights as somehow being on par with civil rights, child labor and consumer protection progress? It's no wonder it's been impossible to reason with you. Yours is a quest worthy of Jesus, Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr combined. Keep fighting then, brave soldier. God speed. It's weird you'd reference Ayn Rand to support your thesis that the government should interfere with a business' ability to do business. Very weird indeed.

I'm sure he's tired of saying it. Many of us are tired of saying it. It's tiring to justify the word affluence, especially as to how the meaning changes along with the context. Walmart's corporate affluence isn't the same thing as a Heights resident's desire to appear affluent.

I've been meaning to tell you, Red, I like "Margaritaville" as much as the next guy, but that shirt is frankly appalling.

I tend to agree with you, PorTENT. That photo is taken from this very website. It even says so on the bottom of the photo.

This is the incredible shrinking thread.

I agree this is a complex and multifaceted issue, and if I'm not mistaken, I think that was also Marksmu's larger point. By questioning people's visceral emotional responses and highlighting their incongruities in logic, Marksmu appears to have underlined the fact most people weren't rightfully acknowledging just how complex the issue is. I think his analogy made plenty of sense. Then again, I wholly support the construction of the Walmart even though I hate Walmart. (How's that for complex?)

That's pretty and all, but where's the image of the people who'll actually be in the park? Like this guy:

You're right. It certainly would have been better to leave the entire lot a parking lot. All or nothing, I say. It's the internet way.

On what do you base this presumption? Walmart has no construction within the inner loop on which to determine precedent. Your presumption is based purely on emotional conceit and contains zero facts. As for the lights, I still don't get it. How is this different than any other thru street connecting Heights to Washington across I-10? Besides (and again), your argument with regards to traffic is against development in general, not against Walmart. Any development on the lot in question will affect traffic, whether it's a Walmart, an HEB or some mixed-use pseudo-urban mid-rise housing development with ground floor retail. It really doesn't matter what it is. You should just be grateful the developers and Walmart are on the hook for most of the costs of infrastructure upgrades. If Yale, which is a cruddy, pothole-filled stretch of pavement, will be redone with no costs further than tax abatements to the Houston resident, then good for us and good for Walmart. It already sounds like they're acting like more than responsible neighbors. And while I've never used it, I'm almost certain there's a dedicated bike trail just for people like you who wish to cross I-10 without risking their lives. Isn't it over by Studemont? I'm certain there's a thread about it somewhere on HAIF. (Edit: Nevermind, 20th filled in the gaps here.)

That was probably lice.

What about those tiny tabletop tripods? Has anyone had any experience with one of these? These are clearly meant for hobbiests and people who just want a steadier shot. I take one of these things with me whenever I take a trip. I get much better photos with it.

I'm not quite certain how you arrived at the number of six traffic light for EACH exit. Regardless, you have to encounter a traffic light to get from one side of 10 to the other now anyhow. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you, but I really don't see how adding a Walmart will affect your life any more than any other development... most especially with traffic. Just take one of the numerous alternative routes available to you if traffic gets out of control.

With your trusty TI-85?

I don't know. If someone wanted to kill themselves in a classier and more dramatic way, the Hyatt is only a couple blocks away. A parking garage is just so... plebian. It's unfortunate when people feel the best way to manage their problems is to avoid them altogether. I recently read a report, I don't remember where, that followed several dozen people after failed suicide attempts, and only a handful of them ever made a second attempt. I think suicide is justifiable when you're either old and infirmed or have a terminal illness. Otherwise, it's the lazy man's way of solving difficult problems.

Well good. Considering traffic is so much better in the loop and alternative routes are readily available everywhere, then it appears to me the traffic congestion argument can be finally put to bed.

They have to build retention ponds. It's in COH building codes. If they don't build the ponds to be visible, then that means simply that they've submerged them... which is good. It's less of an eyesore then. Welcome to urban living. Traffic's a bjtch inside the loop. Get over it or join me in the 'burbs. Those are your two options. With development of any kind will come an increase in traffic. This charge is hardly unique to Walmart. Have you driven downtown lately? It has traffic lights every .1 mile too. And the traffic on the north/south streets there get much worse than that on Yale. Again, urban living has its drawbacks. I don't understand how you can live in the center of a city and not expect development to happen. I don't get it. There are three Targets inside the loop and one directly outside the loop in Meyerland. None of those are more than 5 miles from another Target. That means their spheres of influence overlap at 2.5 miles too. So what? Are you an agent of Target? I can't comprehend how the charges you level against Walmart as destructive are somehow acceptable business practices when Target does the exact same things. Is it because they offer more chrome-plated kitchenware that looks better in your hip house in your hip neighborhood than does Walmart? I just don't get it. Success in preventing a Walmart relies more in proving a negative ecological or cultural impact of the construction than in a feckless Facebook petition. As that land has been developed for 100+ years now, and now sits ravaged as an empty and overgrown wasteland, there is zero ecological or cultural value to be destroyed there. The negative impact of this store is zero. On a positive note though, it does give a certain type of people something other than "Free Mumia" benefits to rally around.

This describes all wood sourced from the US and Canada. I applaud McDonough's efforts to promote American enterprise.Funny though... Walmart has their pick of the litter when it comes to contractors. If one contractor balked at their practices, Walmart could have just gone to the next one in line, especially now. It's rice and beans or famine out there in the construction biz right now. Most contractors would bend over backwards to land a Walmart deal. Instead, Walmart continued to use the one who practiced socially and ecologically responsible construction. Why? I'm not suggesting Walmart is acting as a responsible corporate citizen, but I do find it interesting they chose, as least in this case, to go with a (likely) costlier method of construction over the cheap. Could it be they've grown so large, they can devote some of their revenue to improving the planet? I've found, in my line of work, businesses that have achieved more than just moderate success tend to turn their focus on improving the planet vs growth for the sake of growth. Perhaps Walmart's dominance isn't such a bad thing as they're able to focus less on revenue growth and more on things their competition cannot - like the environment and poverty. Again, I'm not suggesting anything improbable like the Waltons are the next Andrew Carnegie or even the next Bill Gates, but it is something interesting to consider as a possibility.

What's Walmart's market share across individual sectors? I ask this realizing they're the biggest retailer, but what percentage of the grocery sector do they control? Electronics? Toys? Clothing? Et cetera. I'm curious if their dominance has more to do with the fact they dabble in everything or if they really are becoming a monopoly. Without knowing the facts of it, and not having the time to research it, I'm going to bet it's the former. If they have ten percent market share, or even considerably less, in every sector, then I would imagine that would still be enough to make them the world's largest retailer.

I think that's an unfair misrepresentation. You have to debate logic with logic though, not emotions. If you offered more than your opinions and hyperbole, it would be more welcome. I promise you that. You and Crosstimbers... When will you realize this Walmart isn't exclusively for Heights residents? This location is central in the loop, has the requisite amount of land and is in a safe neighborhood. That's why it'll be built at this location. It's intended for all the residents of the inner loop, not just Heights residents. This is a very basic point which you consistently seem to be unable to grasp. Your entire Crosstimbers contention is predicated on the fact another Walmart will be built on Crosstimbers. The Crosstimbers location still won't conveniently serve everyone within the loop. Is it tacky to point out a failure in reading comprehension?

I'd wager most Heights residents opposed to this thing have internet connections, and if not, they're using their iPhones to connect with the web. I'd also wager most, if not all, people who're trendy enough to oppose this thing are also trendy enough to have a Facebook page. And I think it's safe to say I was being exceptionally generous in only looking at people who live in the Heights - as this thing is most definitely not only meant for Heights residents. Your 44% doesn't exist in the real world, and most likely, neither does my 6%. Most likely, the percentage of Heights residents who will shop at this Walmart will be somewhere very close to the national average of 84%, give or take a percentage point or two. But I get it. It's cool not to like Walmart. It won't be difficult to find people who'll jump on your bandwagon. Just remember though, trends come and go. There was once a time when Dee Snider was cool and Napolean Dynamite was funny. Fortunately those days are behind us now. <--Not cool. <--Not funny.

Let's stretch the bounds of reality and assume every one of those people is a Heights resident, and let's stretch reality further still (and make the assumption that several Heights residents have made) and assume Walmart is only targeting Heights residents; and also bear in mind the Heights has approximately 41,000 residents. With that in mind, the Facebook opposition represents less than 6% of the targeted population. Considering only 84% of the American population shops at Walmart in the first place, I'd say the Facebook opposition to the Walmart construction hasn't yet mustered sufficient numbers to worry the corporate brass.

That the Heights already has a slew of corporate retailers that's somehow ok isn't supposition. Here's an admittedly incomplete list of corporate retailers actually in the Heights (for ease of definition, I'm arbitrarily setting the boundaries as 610 to the north, I-10 to the south, N Main to the east and TC Jester to the west): -Kroger -Home Depot (Guh... the Walmart of big box hardware) -Lowe's (Awesome, the Target of big box hardware - much better to shop here) -Buffalo Exchange (even quirky can be co-opted by corporate imperialists) -Advance Auto Parts (at least it's a Houston based corporate retailer, right?) -O'Reilly Auto Parts (not so Houston based - fun fact: I once worked for the Houston based auto parts retailer that was eventually was bought by this Midwestern company) -Autozone (also not Houston based - fun fact: I used to live in the city where this auto parts retailer is headquartered) -Pep Boys (also not Houston based - fun fact: I have been to Philadelphia, which is where this auto parts retailer is based) -CVS (really cares about preserving the authenticity and character of every neighborhood they develop in... unless it's Midtown) -Walgreens -Starbucks (the horror! the horror!) -Fiesta (brown people shop here, but it's still a corporation) -Sally Beauty Supply (I'm sure they're paying top wages though) -Quiznos (at least it's not Subway, amirite?) -Subway (crap) -HEB (!!!) -Blockbuster (at least it used to be... I don't know anymore) -Ross (though I'm sure no one actually shops here as they're buying all their clothes in quirky boutiques) -Mattress Firm (because while "they" are buying their mattresses at Gallery, those who live below 20th need a place to get their Sealy Posturepedic) -Payless Shoe Source (Seriously?) -Big Lots (for the McVictorian set) -Chase Bank (the Target of banks, so it's ok) -Bank of America (the Walmart of banks - where's that petition again?) -Burger King (the Target of burger joints) -McDonalds (the Walmart of burger joints) -Wendy's (the Kroger's of burger joints) -Jack in the Box (the Randall's of burger joints) -Whataburger (the HEB of burger joints) I'm certain this list is enormously incomplete, but it's a start. I expect the online petition calling for the removal of these retailers to go up immediately. In place of the all the burger joints, we'll make sure to put in taquerias... but not an Aranda's, a Ruchi's or an El Rey. They're getting a little too big for their britches. And this is only kinda sorta tongue-in-cheek. I totally support the destruction of corporatism and the mandatory social hierarchies it creates. Of course, if we were to eliminate hierarchies, class systems, all inequalities, unequal access to resources and corporate unethics, then we'd have to cull back the human population of this planet substantially. Unfortunately, our current system and all the damage it's wrought is about all that allows us to successfully support the lives of almost seven billion people. If we could bring that number to a more manageable level, say about a billion people, then we could start talking about massive overhauls that make sense. Otherwise, we're pissing in the wind, supposition or not.