The Big, Bad Corporation

WalMart has never been one of my favorite stores. Sure, they have just about everything and their prices aren't awful, but I just don't like the idea behind the store. In many areas, WalMart can put small businesses out of business. The local grocery store is going to be hit hard if a WalMart moves into town. To me, WalMart is not very personal and is just another cookie cutter business trying to make the largest profit possible. What ever happened to individuality and hospitality? You just don't see enough of those two anymore.

One of the biggest things that bothers me about WalMart is the food section, particularly the cold and frozen foods. Rows and rows of multiple freezer chests separate the aisles, none with sliding lids on top. Open refrigerator units line the walls around the food section, none with doors to be opened. These freezer and fridge units run constantly. As soon as the system creates cold air, the air passes by the food product it is meant for and drifts away into the huge expanse of the WalMart store. Those cooling systems never get a break and neither do the power sources supplying the energy to keep the systems going. It's like throwing money away. Put some lids and doors on those food displays and save some dollars WalMart!

From one closed fridge door to another,

-Trinka

Break, Break, Break!

Spring break is so close I can taste it. I can't even express how happy I am to be going home in 3 days. I have been home twice since the start of the school year, for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, and it always feels good to be going home. I made the decision to go to college so far from home partly because I wanted to get away from the places I knew and attempt to find myself. Now that I have been away from home by myself I realize how much home means to me. I can still feel that tug toward the town and house I've known for the majority of my life. Part of me still resides there.

Going home for spring break brings a few stresses with it, though. I need to pack up everything I need that's not also at home, plus a few things to take home (to get a head start on packing up at the end of the year), and you can't forget my dirty laundry. At least I will be washing that myself - I can't remember the last time my mother washed my clothes for me. I also need to clean up my room a bit so it's not a mess when I come back. Finally, I need to complete all the tasks on the list the RA's give us before we leave. That includes taking out the trash, unplugging all appliances (except the mini fridge), and locking my windows and door. I'm sure they make us unplug everything as a safety precaution, but it's also a great energy saving task. Energy used by devices left plugged when not in use accounts for about 10% of a household's electricity use. That's enough energy to get a free month of electricity each year. The easiest solution to this is two words: power strips. Plug devices and appliances into one and turn off the power strip when not in use. It's much more convenient than unplugging single devices. Even turning the power strips off at night would make a difference in your electric bill. So today, my props go my college for making us unplug almost everything in our rooms before leaving for a break. Good job DC. :]

From my power strip to yours,

-Trinka