Three letters

First, on the evolution debate:

Back in the 50s as a young teenager I asked Mom (Dad, the minister, wasn’t home at the time) how they felt about “evolution” vs. the Genesis story. Her answer has stuck with me all these years. “We believe the Bible tells us why we’re here, not how we got here or how long we’ve been here.” Another dear friend, a pretty conservative retired pastor, said he thinks it’s a waste of time for us to worry about how long we’ve been here – instead we should worry about we’re doing while we’re here. Hear hear! -- Paul Cooper, St. Petersburg

Dear Paul Cooper: Good words to live by. I always add the comment that God Almighty, creator of all things, maker of the Universe, etc., etc., certainly could have had dinosaurs if he wanted to, and if anybody claims to know what a "day" is to God, they know more than I do, and ought to set up shop.

Next, a question about conservation land and taxes:

I was wondering if you had heard any news about "A Sembler Bill.   I heard about it on NPR. In case you have not it is a land conservation bill our Florida legislature has passed or is in process of passing to preserve land or partial land (partial being the operative word) to save from development. When I heard the name of the bill I almost choked on my coffee!  I have been trying to find more information about it on the web but find nothing. Have you heard anything? Why would a big developer want to conserve land? Maybe it would make for good reading in the Sunday times? Thank you for listening! -- Julie Goode, St. Petersburg

Dear Julie Goode: I haven't heard it called "the Sembler bill," but there IS one thing going on that might be what you're talking about. We have to vote on it in November. It's a "conservation" tax break for land owners -- if they promise to set aside their land for conservation, they can be taxed less on it. Some people think this idea, which was passed by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, was meant to benefit big land owners like the St. Joe Co. If you think this is not what you were talking about, or if there's something else I don't know about (which would not surprise me), let me know.

Lastly, yet another question that reveals the extent of my personal ignorance:

THIS WEEK'S SWEETBAY HAS A BIG AD FOR GREEN PEPPERS--$1.49 PER POUND, REGULARLY $1.99 PER PD.  THE REGULAR PRICE MAKES A  HEALTHY PEPPER $I.OO EA. WHILE AT MY ME VEGGIE STORE, THEY ARE 2 FOR $1.00---WHY????? -- ROSE W.

Comments

[Inflation Watch]

Rose, that is called competition and entrepreneurialship (sp). How do you think Publix and Sweetbay get away with charging the prices they do when you can save at least 10% or more on most items at Wal-Mart. At Publix a Kashi Chicken Pizza is $5.99 and I can get the same item at Wal-Mart for $4.79. Even at Sweetbay, its only $5.29. It all adds up.

[Chuck]

Perhaps the green peppers at your local veggie stand are picked by child labor.

I'm more interested in your affinity to green peppers when they are clearly inferior to red or yellow peppers.

In Paris the average baguette (from a boulangerie) costs around 1.25 Euro or $1.94. At a grocery store in the United States sandwich bread costs well over $2. WHAT UP?

[Rich]

I'd say Sweetbay might have more overhead to cover (including advertising) than your local food stand.

[Justin Elza]

Maybe your local food stand just has a sweet hookup for red peppers.

Or maybe Sweetbay has an agreement with one their produce distributors to buy x, y, and z over a certain time period for a set price, etc, etc. regardless of real time fluctuations.

Or maybe its a government conspiracy!

A pepper is picked in a western state, delivered to a production facilty, cleaned and packaged, put on a truck and driven to a depot half-way across the country, unloaded, reloaded onto a local delivery truck and finally taken to Sweetbay.

Each step (combined with ancillary overhead like advertising as mentioned above) adds pennies to the pepper.

The local veggie stand buys local. So the peppers were picked, washed and delivered to the stand - likely the same day. That's why they taste better and cost less.

Likely the same reason the baugette costs less at the bakery then the over processed sandwich bread costs at the supermarket.

Local ingredients, local craftsmen = better food and better price.

[Justin Elza]

Giving your money to Walmart? Yikes.

[Chuck]

Watch the Penn and Teller Bullsh*t episode on Walmart haters.

You'll change your tune.

[Howard Troxler]

I asked the expert on this pepper question -- my colleague Janet Keller -- who sent this answer to Rose:

When you say "veggie store" do you mean produce stand? If so, I surmise the reason for the higher price at Sweetbay is simply overhead. They have a lot more expenses (just image the electricity bill and employee salaries/benefits) than the produce stands/markets have. They charge more because its costs more for them to do business. It is frustrating though! Plus red peppers are even worse. -- Janet K. Keeler
Times Food and Travel Editor

[Justin Elza]

Watch China and rural America in the coming years, you'll change yours.

[Justin Elza]

Haven't shopped at Walmart in 10 years. I don't "hate" them, I just understand the implications of the big box and choose to give my money to local businesses.

[Chuck]

Come on man. I'm serious. You're not really one of these people that wants to destroy Walmart, are you?

I choose not to shop at Walmart because I don't really feel the need to do so however millions of Americans depend on Walmart.

I'm telling you, watch the show and you'll realize why Walmart bashing makes no sense. Unless of course you find striking similarities to the opponents they profile on the show.

[Chuck]

Ok well that's borderline but not an uncommon way of thinking. The bottom line is that Walmart does more "good" than "bad".

They just get hammered by extremists.

[Justin Elza]

I've seen the show Chuck. I don't care for Walmart nor its business practices. The fact that so many people "depend" on it is, in my opinion, part of the problem.

I certainly wouldn't chain myself to anything to stop people from shopping there, I just don't do so myself.

[Chuck]

Well like I said, I don't shop there either. I might consider shopping at the one they build on the old Albert Whitted Airport site - just to make people mad.

[Justin Elza]

Maybe they should just tear down all of downtown St. Pete and build the world's largest Walmart, 5 times the size of the Mall of America!

I have green peppers for free... in my garden out back!

[Chuck]

Probably better than these ultra lounges that keep popping up all over the place.

Places like Push and whatever that new one is called will take St. Pete's douchebaggery element to new heights.

Too bad my generation seems to no longer be interested in a shot of whiskey and a beer.

[Justin Elza]

I'm all about the whiskey.

I'll stay away from Push as well. Anyone who goes there or holds an event there is, as you say, probably a douche bag. ;)

[Chuck]

This sounds like a potential column to me, Howard.

Is there a direct correleation between the emergence of Ultra Lounges and the quantity of douche bags inhabiting the surrounding area?

[Rich]

Justin,

Walmart has raised the standard of living in this country and others immesurably. The have revolutionized the retail distribution business just like Ford revolutionized car production with the assembly line.

Did you feel sorry for all the mom and pop car producers back then? No. How about Dell with computers and putting local shops out of business? Or Publix putting mom and pop grocers out of business? No they do it cheaper and more efficiently than any of their competitors thus saving the consumers money.

Ford brought cars to everyday working class people at an affordable price just as Dell did with computers and Walmart does with whatever they sell.

One thing I know is that Walmart provides great prices for the less fortunate by keeping costs way down.

I bet you don't see the same clientele shopping in your mom and pop boutiques?

[Justin Elza]

Wow, you guys should go work for Walmart!

Good Lord, Rich... for Heaven's sake... "Walmart has raised the standard of living in this country..."

Yeah, for illegal immigrants maybe.

[Justin Elza]

Okay, last time: I do not and will not ever shop at Walmart. You can sing their praises until your blue in the face. You can even have a swimsuit model wearing nothing but a Walmart tshirt show up at my house and rub one out for me and it would make NO difference.

If you love them so much, great. Shop there until your heart's content! Create a website announcing to the world how great you think they are.

But trying to persuade, convince or argue with me about it will do no good.

Seriously, consumer's choice. That's what's so great about America.

[Howard Troxler]

I thought we were talking about green peppers. I had some in a garden out back for a while. The plants were incredibly productive and we had green peppers whenever we wanted them. For some reason, I haven't been able to grow a single one since.

Back to Wal-Mart...

[Chuck]

Come on Howard...

You know as well as I do that green peppers suck. The worst is when I order a quality Thai dish from one of the many quality Thai restaurants in the area and it's loaded with green peppers.

Skin color matters...in peppers.

People with silicone, spikey hair, and STDs need a place to party too. Push and whatever-the-other-place-is-called cater to this subset of the coked-out-wait staff demographic.

I'm intrigued by these "lounges" blocking off parking spaces on city streets for valet parking. Are they paying the city to use those spaces? If not, who says they can block them off?

Douche-waffles abound. Just watch as the volume of overly intoxicated man-apes beating each other up at closing time increases and strains the already thin margins of our Police force. The TBT photographer getting thrashed by some nombody-singer's entourage is a great example.

[Ken Peterson]

Justin Elza, I wonder if you know what a douche bag really is. Wal Mart isn't the best place, but it does supply a bunch of jobs, but forget those jobs. What about all the stuff it buys from all of those companies. Those companies hire people, that's what make the economy click. I'm sure Wal Mart sells douche bags as well. Maybe you should go there and see what one actually is.

[Justin Elza]

What the? Where did that come from? I didn't even include "Walmart" and "douche bag" in the same post, nor did I even bring the talk of douche bags into the conversation, Chuck did when he was talking about Push. Hmmm...Chuck, Push, Douche...weird.

Anyway, just to make you happy, I went to Walmart and bought a douche bag and you know what, this stuff tastes really good!

Consider me converted.

[wait...]

"What about all the stuff it buys from all of those companies. Those companies hire people."

He's right, how dare you try to cost someone in China a dollar a week job!

[Chuck]

Hey man it's not my fault that dude has no reading comprehension.

If you think about it, green peppers, Walmart, Chuck, Douche, Bags, Push and Man Apes all have a lot in common.

[Rene]

Sure Walmart employs a lot of people... in low paying jobs with barely adequate benefits (if any). Dig deeper, my friend. Just because the price is low at the cash register doesn't mean we aren't all paying for it elsewhere.

[Jim Johnson]

I worked for WAL-MART and its about as close to slave labor as I care to get. Bentonville has strict policies against employee abuse, but management gets too many monetary incentives that encourage it.