Tag Archives: anti-consumerism

Why we have to support the workers of Walmart on Black Friday… and beyond

By Mark | November 22, 2012

Last night, Walmart warehouse and retail employees in Southern California walked off their jobs and began picketing. They were joined this morning by Walmart employees in Seattle. And, if all goes according to plan, a great many more will join them tomorrow, on Black Friday, when employees from over 1,000 Walmart stores are expected to [...]

Posted in Corporate Crime, Economics, Uncategorized | Also tagged Buy Nothing Day, consumerism, Corporate Action Network, food stamps, labor, labor movement, Making Change at Walmart, Rob Walton, Stand Up Live Better Fund, strikes, UFCW, unions, United Food & Commercial Workers, Wal-Mart, Walmart, welfare, Winning Words Project | 37 Comments

I love New York, but the corporate pornography of Times Square leaves me flaccid

By Mark | June 16, 2012

After attending the Netroots Nation conference in Providence, I spent $23, and took the Megabus to New York. (I’d wanted to take the train, but I couldn’t justify spending the additional $90.) I met up with Linette and the kids there, and we took over the Brooklyn apartment of Linette’s brother, Neal, forcing him to [...]

Posted in Other, Uncategorized | Also tagged 9/11, Barbie, Brad Hodgins, candy, Centrak Park, Church of Stop Shopping, Cindy Sherman, Clementine, consumerism, ear buds, Hannah Montana, John's Pizzeria, M&M, M&M World, Megabus, MoMA, Neal Lao, Netroots Nation, New York, New York City, Princess School, prostitot, rectal prolapse, Reverend Billy, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Toys R Us, WWII | 16 Comments

Talking with Fred Thomas about the Ypsi Flea

By Mark | December 8, 2011

As the Ypsi Flea is coming up in about a week, I though that I’d take the opportunity to speak with Fred Thomas, who organizes the event. What follows is our email exchange. MARK: So, what’s the Ypsi Flea? FRED: Ypsi Flea is a free, all ages event held every so often that’s part flea [...]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Art and Culture, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Amber Fellows, Annie Palmer, Avery Feral, Belleville, Ben Miller's take-home fashion show, book stealing, City Center, communal living, community coming together, consumerism, crafts, drowning in stuff, events, flea markets, food entrepreneurship, Fred Thomas, give to the poor, Grateful Dead, Heidi Pratt, hyper-corporate hex, local economy, materialism, possessions, public gardens, Radiator Hospital, Raphael Brim, records, redistribution of wealth, Sail, Stefanie Stauffer, stuff, take from the rich, Totally Awesome Fest, vintage clothes, Woodruff's, Ypsi Flea | 7 Comments

Totally Quotable Clementine: learning the value of money edition

By Mark | August 21, 2011

Clementine learned a valuable lesson yesterday concerning the value of money. We’ve been working with her for years now on counting change, and trying to instill within her some appreciation for how much stuff costs, but it didn’t really sink in until last night, when it came time to settle up on her vacation purchases. [...]

Posted in Mark's Life, Other, Uncategorized | Also tagged chocolate frogs, Clementine, consumerism, Disney, Every Flavor Beans, Harry Potter, kids, levicorpus, money management, Ollivander's Wand Shop, parenting tips, teachable moments, Universal Studios, wands | 19 Comments

Ann Arbor Free School DIY Fest to be held this afternoon

By Mark | April 9, 2011

While I think I’m a little to old, angry and anti-social to participate personally, I thought that I’d pass along the following information about today’s workshops being offered by the folks at the Ann Arbor Free Skool. For those of you unfamiliar with the whole the free skool movement, here’s how the Ann Arbor group [...]