Coronavirus boycott notes: Kroger, Walmart, Tom Thumb etc

My regional boycotts started two and one half months ago, when I stopped going to all Kroger locations in Denton, Texas, over Kroger Andy, the person who uses the name Danielle Muscato, and masking issues at a Kentucky store, and above all, Kroger's Kabuki theater PR.

Things picked up from there.

As a more local Walmart became more lax on enforcing masking, and so did a Dollar Tree in front of it, as described here, I minimized visits to both. Then, despite both being notified on Twitter and both being nonresponsive EVEN THOUGH Walmart corporate HAS BEEN responsive to me on other issues in the past year, the problem got worse, as documented in another local Walmart visit.

Then, Tom Thumb got in on the act. This time, corporate did respond to me. Said it would talk to local management. When the problem happened again, said local management would call me. However, that part did NOT happen. Full story here.

And now? We have a surge in cases and surge in COVIDIOTS in Cooke County.

So, the boycott score is?

Locally, all three stores are off for right now.

Kroger in Denton is selectively back on, but my shopping there stays reduced. It takes a back seat to Winco (thank doorknob it's in Denton) and Aldi.

It was also taking a back seat to Albertson's in Denton, but as Albertson's is Tom Thumb's parent? It's off for right now.

Dollar Tree in Denton may or may not get an occasional visit.

To the corporate parents, to their stanners? Do NOT NOT NOT tell ME to use pickup or delivery.

To you and to antimaskers? Do NOT NOT NOT tell me that the ADA requires stores to admit people without masks. That's a bald-faced lie. If you offer either pickup or delivery, you can REQUIRE people without a mask, whether they have a legit medical exemption, they're lying about one, or they simply refuse to wear a mask, to use those options instead. 

Period and end of story.

A Word to the Disabled

A WORD TO THE DISABLED

I wasn't disabled myself

But I was, briefly,

Semi-disabled.

A blur of gray,

An attempt to turn and spin and brake

And a crash.

A compact car loses

To a full-size truck.

I stare at my arm

And my displaced hand.

With numbness,

Then shock.

"Shattered,"

The doctor said;

"Not your typical break."

Lids don't turn;

Tops don't pop;

Tab don't pull.

Not for months, not easily.

Not with that left arm.

I learn that life is more difficult

When I can't open the diced tomatoes

With my hand can opener.

Having to learn new ways

Of putting on shirts

And not even wearing some,

Because it was too hard,

Is part of a process, too.

I've gotten better.

Fortunately, if not young,

Despite my PT's words,

I'm not old.

I'm healing

And looking at full recovery.

But, I've learned, 

At least briefly,

What it's like to be semi-disabled,

And gained

A bit of empathy

For the fully disabled.

It's not just physical challenges, 

Or so it seems.

Fear. Anxiety. Frustration.

Many other emotions.

And, to the disabled —

I hope I remember

At least a bit of what I have learned.

You don’t want patronization

Any more than pity.

You’d like respect, and understanding,

Along with sympathy.

Even better — empathy, if possible.

Above all, you’d simply

Like to be seen as human.

And not a mascot,

Not an “always on” inspiration,

Or otherwise on a pedestal.

Simply human.

With the full gamut

Of human emotions

And human drives.

I hope I remember.

If I don’t,

Especially if I know you personally —

Please remind me.

Get ready for the NEW new sawbuck and fin

No, it’s not the Treasury’s latest anti-counterfeiting move.

Paper money discriminates against the blind. A federal appeals court, by a 2-1 vote, has upheld the ruling from District Judge David Robertson on the issue:

“A large majority of other currency systems have accommodated the visually impaired, and the Secretary does not explain why U.S. currency should be any different,” Judge Judith W. Rogers wrote for herself and Judge Thomas B . Griffith.

Sounds like a slam-dunk ruling to me, under provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

According to the American Council of the Blind, about 1 million Americans are legally blind, and another 2.4 million have vision of such quality they cannot distinguish denominations of paper money. (Pictured at right is how Canadian currency uses Braille-like features.)

The Department of the Treasury had argued it would cost about $178 million for new presses and $37-$50 million per denomination for new printing plates.

But, Robertson said in his original ruling that he did not see an undue burden in the issue.

“Of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency,” Judge Robertson wrote on Nov. 28, 2006, “only the United States prints bills that are identical in size and color in all their denominations.”

Vending machines may cost as much as $3.5 billion to retool, Judge A. Raymond Randolph said in his dissent.

But, this will be a phase-in over several years. Companies will keep old vending machine equipment patched together while waiting for the details of new bills.