Contact Michael via e-mail.
What is a Whirl-Mart?
The action is comprised of a group of anti-shoppers ranging in size from 1 to 50 members. The ritual consists of activists/actors arriving at a Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us or another chain superstore at 12-noon on the first Saturday or Sunday of the month and proceeding to push empty shopping carts slowly and silently through the aisles. Eventually, all of the participants locate one another and form a single-file chain of anti-shoppers which weaves, wanders, and whirls throughout the store for about an hour. It is a collective reclamation of space that is otherwise only used for buying and selling. It is a symbolic display of the will to resist the capitalist ideology.
'Whirl-Mart' is an experiment that can be approached from several different angles. As a work of art, it examines and blurs the boundaries that have been established between performance art, protest, living sculpture, and direct action. As an action of resistance, it utilizes the power of silence in occupying private consumer-dominated space with a symbolic spectacle. As a ceremony, it is a counter-ritual to shopping that transforms the super-store and its wall-to-wall array of products into a surreal and colorful cathedral. And what the heck-- it's just darned fun!
Search the NEPA Whirl-Mart Site
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Regional (NEPA)
Rally of One Peace can begin with YOU NEPA BLOG Blog by & about Northeastern Pennsylvania: issues, events, discussion, photos WatermelonPunch.com NEPA Whirl-Mart's web host xradiograph what Michael does when he's not "fightin' the man" SurfScranton.com 1,000+ regional links
National & Worldwide
Whirl-Mart Ritual Resistance International Whirl-Mart HQ World Changing Models, Tools, and Ideas for Building a Bright Green Future Critical Mass Critical Mass is not an organization, it's an unorganized
coincidence. It's a movement ... of bicycles, in the streets. Rev Billy's Church of Stop Shopping Lots of great scripts from/for performance interventions
with a heavy focus on Starbucks. Commerce
Jamming Commerce Jamming source page. AdBusters A global network of those who want to advance the new social
activist movement of the information age. Commercial Alert wants to keep commercial culture within
its proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting children and subverting
the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and
democracy. No Media Kings Jim Munroe's guide to doin' it for yourself Booksense.com Internet book search that sends your order to your nearest
independent bookstore. Starbucks Delocator Search that helps you locate locally owned alternatives to Starbucks
Media
The Independent Media Center is a network of collectively run media
outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth Project of the Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent and
alternative journalism. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the first to identify
threats to our basic rights online and to advocate on behalf of free expression
in the digital age. Declan
McCullagh's Politech Politech is the moderated mailing list of politics and technology.
Topics include privacy, free speech, the role of government and corporations,
antitrust, and more. MediaChannel.org The global network for democratic media.
PLUS the News Dissector's Weblog. CorpWatch.org counters corporate-led globalization through education,
network-building and activism.
Join us in a national day of "Shopping for others" where we fill
shopping carts on April 20th, 2004 at your local Wal-Mart and leave
them @ the cash registers.
This site is for those interested in " culture jamming " @
Wal-Mart and want to actively voice their distaste of this mega-store
that puts independent stores out of business.
[....]
Scott and I did some last minute shopping at Boscov's and I couldn't
help chuckling at the thought of frustrated shoppers bordering on rage
near those big boxes up on the hill. Save your freaking pennies if you
must, I still prefer the ease of use that Boscov's provides us with. If
we want businesses to locate in Wilkes-Barre and stay for any length of
time, we need to support them. Please try to remember that when those
empty storefronts start slowly filling up next year. It's a fairly easy
program to follow. If you live in Wilkes-Barre, then shop in
Wilkes-Barre.
[....]
Christmas should be more commercial. Contrary to lore, this holiday was
established by Americans to celebrate worldly goods and happiness. It
was taken over by Christianity.
Mall of Memphis Photos taken prior to the doors being closed in December, 2003. Mall
lived for a relatively short 22 years. Changing demographics and some
crime in area contributed to it's demise.
I thought that ROTK had the potential to be a great film, but that it
was ruined by all the product placement. I mean, whose idea was it to
have Sam and Frodo eating Power Bars instead of lembas? And where the
hell did Gollum get those cans of tuna fish from?
And this scene at Edoras was just plain inexcusable:
Aragorn : Everyday Frodo moves closer to Mordor.
Gandalf : How do we know Frodo is alive?
Aragorn : He called me on his Verizon cellular phone a few minutes ago, and sent me some pictures of Minas Morgul.
Gandalf : Verizon?
Aragorn : Nobody else has coverage in that part of Middle Earth.
It's humor. And it has spoilers. So tread carefully....
Thanks, Eli!
Safeway CEO Steven Burd has said that giving striking
workers what they want will cost the grocery giant $130 million over
the next three years?in other words, $43 million a year.
Ironically, that?s roughly the same amount Burd?s pocketed
over the past four months, thanks to stock options he?s accumulated
since becoming a Safeway executive a decade ago. Safeway owns Vons
grocery stores.
We began American Brandstand in January 2003, to track all the mentions
of brands in the Billboard Top 20 singles chart. It was designed to
demonstrate to our clients that pop culture relevance is a key dynamic
in modern brand strategy.
American Brandstand was also designed because we thought it would be fun.
The worldwide (!) Freecycle Network is made up of many individual
groups across the globe. It's a grassroots movement of people who are
giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local
group is run by a local volunteer moderator (them's good people).
Membership is free. To join simply click on your city under 'Sign up'
below. It will generate a automatic e-mail which, when sent, will sign
you up for your local group and send you an response with instructions
on how it works. Or, go directly to the webpage for your city's group
by clicking on your city's link on the left. Can't find your city? It
takes about ten minutes to start your own (click on 'Start your own'
for instructions). Have fun and keep on Freecyclin'!
RISE started the Freecycle Network in May 2003 to promote
waste reduction in Tucson's downtown and help save desert landscape
from being taken over by landfills. Freecycle provides individuals and
non-profits an electronic forum to 'recycle' unwanted items. One
person's trash can truly be another's treasure!
One rule: everything posted must be free. Whether it's a
chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door to be given away, it can be
posted on the network. Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something
yourself? Respond to the posting directly and you just might get it.
After that it is up to the giver to set up a pickup time for passing on
the treasure.
Hidden cameras in GILLETTE spy shelves take mug shots of people who pick up their products!
Consumers have asked Gillette to stop putting RFID "spy chips" in their products, but Gillette has ignored our concerns.
Don't let Gillette spy on YOU next!
First of all, let me tell you I have NO, NO intention of buying one
damn thing there so these " shopping trips " are PURELY for my
amusement ...
I'll head on in and nod kindly @ the senile handicapped "
greeter " ( ... and PLEASE do not get me wrong, I think it is WONDERFUL
to employee the handi-capped & elderly, ... BUT what I HIGHLY
RESENT is how Wal-fart ONLY puts them in the position of " greeter " so
that Wal-fart looks good ... they don't give a rat's ass about these
people ! )
Then I grab me a cart and choose a theme for the day:
My favorite theme when I am in a bad mood is :
" Today is shitty "
I then head on over to toiletries first ... here I place 3 or 4
packages of ex-lax in the cart ... then its off to plumbing for a
plunger & a drain snake ...
Next comes household goods where I load up on toilet paper ...
if I'm in an especially bad mood I head to home improvements for a
toilet seat and a hideous toilet seat cover ... fuzzy pink ones are my
favorite ...
Wal-marts with groceries are the best because you can then
stroll on over there and load up on " theme " foods to go with whats in
your cart ... sometimes I choose only brown foods like Chocolate
pudding, tootsie rolls & Hershey kisses ...
After amusing myself to no end I head on up to the endless row
of empty registers ... After finding one actually manned by a cashier I
wait until I get my turn ... as soon as I get to the head of the line I
pretend I've left my wallet in the car and tell the cashier I'll be
RIGHT back !
By this time I usually have a nice big grin on my face
imagining the thoughts that will run through the Walmart employee
tasked with putting all that junk back where it belongs ...
... And I never feel guilty because I figure I've freed some
poor employee for an hour or so to stroll around with the cart I filled
and put things back , thereby allowing them an hour or so of easy work
...
Culture Jamming @ Wal-Mart ...
Taking resources from the rich & amusing the poor ...
Most people don't know it, but when you pay for major label music
you're supporting some pretty nasty stuff. We think it boils down to
two main points:
1) The major labels pay radio stations to play their songs.
This is sketchy in itself--shouldn't the music on the radio just be the
best stuff? But the worst part is it means other labels are locked out
of radio. If musicians don't sign an exploitative contract with one of
the majors, they don't get on the radio.
2) This fall the major labels starting suing fans. So far,
they've sued over 300 people, mostly working families with young
children. And they say the suits will continue indefinitely. Whatever
you think about filesharing, it's just not okay for giant corporations
to sue people with kids, living paycheck to paycheck, who can't afford
a defense. The lawsuits are literally pushing families into bankruptcy.
RIAA Radar (riaaradar.com) is a great tool that can tell you
whether a CD is put out by an RIAA label. It helps you avoid supporting
the RIAA when you buy music. Now, Downhill Battle and RIAA Radar have
teamed up to get the word out in stores, but we need you to make it
happen. Changing the music industry isn't a dream anymore, the major
labels are on the ropes and we have a chance to get rid of them.
It was November 20th, 2003. I was driving out of the McDonalds
drive-thru in the morning, McGriddle in hand, and I noticed a sign that
didn't make much sense. It was across the parking lot and directly in
front of anyone waiting for their food at the drive-thru window. It
said, 'OUR TEAM IS EMPOWERED TO GUARANTEE YOUR SATISFACTION. THANK YOU
FOR CHOOSING McDONALDS.' What a strangely-worded sign. Then I notice
the way that the sign is built on the stand - it'd be easy to replace
the entire thing with my own creation.
This is a pirate tribe with pirate morals and hereby is
formed to never allow the Hollywood Merchandising Machine's lowest
point to occur again: The Cat in the Hat.
This movie is total piece of crap at every level, yet my
7-year old kid still wants a Goldfish Flashlight from Radio Shack. I
can't look anywhere without seeing red and white stripes on some sort
of trash for sale.
This movie screws Dr. Seuss over at every turn, from the "hoe"
joke to the Universal Studio plug to the best acting the Baldwins can
muster.
It's time to tip Hollywood into the Pacific and give the right to produce entertainment back to those are entertaining.
Can this tribe grow to 1000 members by the end of 2003?
I'm a member, in a total that is sadly only 14 as of writing....
Welcome to FUH2.com, home of the official Hummer H2 salute. So...why all the fuss? Well, it breaks down like this:
* The H2 is the ultimate poseur vehicle. It has the chassis of
a Chevy Tahoe and a body that looks like the original Hummer; i.e. it's
a Chevy Tahoe in disguise.
* The H2 is a gas guzzler. Because it has a gross vehicle
weight rating over 8500 lbs, the US government does not require it to
meet federal fuel efficiency regulations. Hummer isn't even required to
publish its fuel economy (owners indicate that they get around 10 mpg
for normal use). So while our brothers and sisters are off in the
Middle East risking their lives and killing thousands of innocent
Iraqis while securing America's fossil fuel future, H2 drivers are
pissing away our "spoils of victory" during each trip to the grocery
store.
If there's one thing that makes America stand out above anything else,
its our slavish devotion to fast food. As the expanding waistlines of
our populace attests, a more fitting slogan on our currency would be
"In Burgers We Trust". According to the book "Hamburger Heaven" by
Jeffrey Tennyson, the burger was invented in 1885 by a 15 year old boy
named Charlie Nagreen who was serving them at a county fair in
Wisconsin. Soon, restaurants started serving the tasty beef sandwiches
across the country, but in 1927, the first chain of stores, White
Castle, opened, and changed the way America ate forever.
McDonald's, Burger King, Jack In The Box, Wendy's and others
are some of the most well known burger joints in the world. Here's a
loving look at some of the great ads and spokespersons of retroburger
lore.
Roughly a year of research went into "Back to Prosperity," a
detailed review of economic development and growth in Pennsylvania. The
authors identified several matters holding the state back from its
peers and suggests a range of solutions, including the following:
PROBLEMS
In Pennsylvania
The state is barely growing and it is aging, though slow growth is still bringing fast sprawl.
Economic development spending is ample but poorly coordinated.
The loss of young talent is increasing, worsening work force problems as pay lags the national average.
Our number of governments is expensive and costs opportunities.
In Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton
Development is consuming land at a rate far greater than the national average even as population growth remains stagnant.
A large number of governments complicates coordination, contributes to unbalanced sprawl and undercuts economic development.
Structural shifts continue to batter the region's economy, though important diversification is underway.
The proportion of residents holding college degrees is the lowest of all regions in Pennsylvania.
SOLUTIONS
Upgrade the state's planning capacity, creating a statewide vision for
economic competitiveness and then applying it across various programs.
Reform the work force training system, better aligning to long-term
needs. Focus on strengths of existing medical and higher education
sectors.
Probe the state's fragmented system of local governance, identifying
ways to promote regional collaboration and even the elimination of
governmental units.
Apply more tax-code incentives to redevelopment of existing communities.
Source: Brookings Institution Center on Urban and MetropolitanPolicy
The author of this blog
is PRO-McDonalds. After being unemployed for 8 months and getting 6
interviews total out of an estimated 20,000 applications/resume
submissions, I received some interest ONLY from the extreme ends of the
military-industial complex; military intelligence and McDonalds. I
chose McDonalds for what we'll call 'personal reasons', and I haven't
regretted this decision for a minute. I now have another job, but work
drive-thru on weekends. Please direct all comments through
orangeboxman.com.
This is a box of 'Barbie as Rapunzel Fruit Snacks.' It is a promotional
tie-in with the movie 'Barbie as Rapunzel.' It has also been making me
crazy for days.
Barbie as Rapunzel. What does that mean? I wander around my house
muttering it to myself. "Barbie as Rapunzel... Barbie as Rapunzel..."
I guess what's bothering me is that Barbie is not an actress. Barbie is
a doll. And in this case she's not even a doll, she's just a drawing of
a doll.
MediaChannel.org
