The other day, I spotted this book on the Winchester 94 (or 1894) being offered for sale at Walmart. Unfortunately, they had none available.
Instead, I did a search and spotted one at Amazon and ordered it. It has been shipped and will be arriving by Friday.
This morning, I had to go into Gallup to pick up my meds. While I was in town, I did some shopping at Walmart and found this Godzilla toy on sale. It is a tie-in to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Since it was marked down, I bought it.
For me, I will be doing some Jeep driving (possibly in Six Mile Canyon) and barbecuing some cheeseburgers.
I picked up a four-movie DVD set of Clint Eastwood movies (a couple he starred in and a couple of others he just directed). Last night, I watched for the first time The Mule (2018). Much of the filming took place in New Mexico, mainly in the Las Cruces area, but some road scene locations looked familiar. It was an enjoyable movie. I will probably watch Sully (2016) tonight.
I already have American Sniper and Grand Torino, but the price was $7.50 at Walmart, so I don't mind.
Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day.
Merchandising for the upcoming annular solar eclipse in Gallup, New Mexico has already started.
Good ol' capitalism!
I saw a merchant offering Gallup-centric annular solar eclipse t-shirts at Amazon. I did get a t-shirt in Idaho in 2017 when the Great American Eclipse took place.
Here's a photo:
The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque is offering free eclipse glasses. Go here for more information.
The other day, I saw the following Walmart ad on Facebook.
I guess this adds some convenience to one's planning for eternity, but I would never have thought one can buy a casket at Walmart.
My only questions are: Do they deliver to your home? Where would you put it?
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| Above, a lunch bucket Wolf Brand Chili with beans. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Personally, I prefer the Wolf Brand Chili with beans.
The other day, while I was doing some grocery shopping at Walmart, I found lunch bucket microwavable Wolf Brand Chili with beans. I wasn't aware these were made. I decided to buy a couple of them and try them out.
Earlier today, I tried one and it was just as good a the ones from cans.
Some Walmarts around the country allow overnight RV stays in their parking lots (boondocking). A fatal incident in 2019 with a resulting lawsuit may end that.
RV Travel reported:
Essie McKenzie, of Coon Rapids, MN, is suing Walmart Stores, Inc. in U.S. Federal Court in Minnesota for negligence and wrongful death.
Ms. McKenzie’s two daughters, Ty’rah and Taraji, were asleep in McKenzie’s car while their mother shopped just after 6:00 a.m. on August 6, 2019, in the Walmart parking lot located at 8450 University Avenue NE in Fridley, MN. The car was quickly engulfed in fire that started in a Dodge camper van parked next to McKenzie’s car. Ty’rah McKenzie was rescued by emergency responders but later died from smoke inhalation and burns; her sister, Taraji, was severely injured in the conflagration. The RV caught fire from a hot propane camp stove.
Complaint allegations include Walmart failing to monitor overnight campers
The complaint alleges negligence on the part of Walmart for creating a nuisance and failing to monitor overnight campers in its parking lot. The case has significant implications for RVers who have long been welcomed to remain overnight in the retailer’s parking lots.
Personally, I have never stayed overnight in a Walmart parking lot, but I have stayed overnight at a Flying J parking lot.
To read the full story, go here.
A little bit ago, I spotted this on Twitter.
I thought it was interesting enough to share.
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| Above, Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock. |
The other day, I had to pick up a few things over at Walmart.
While walking through the kitchenware section, I spotted a coffee mug. It was of the late Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in Star Trek.
On one side, it had an image of Nimoy (a good one) giving the Vulcan hand sign and on the other, Spock's Vulcan salute, "Live Long and Prosper".
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| Above, the Vulcan salute. |
Since the mug was under $5.00, I decided to get it, even though I have a cupboard full of coffee mugs.
It also reminded me of the time I saw Nimoy perform at the Shubert Theater in Century City's ABC Entertainment Center as Sherlock Holmes and Alan Sues as Prof. Moriarty back in the 1970s. The ABC Entertainment Center (along with the Shubert Theater and the Playboy Club) was demolished in 2004.
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| Above, the temperatures got down into the 20s at Deer Creek Valley RV Park in Topeka, Kansas, prompting me to purchase an electric space heater. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Back in 2016, I camped for a few days in Topeka, Kansas while waiting for a money transfer at my bank. While there, the nighttime temperatures dropped down into the 20s. I was using my built-in propane heater in my motorhome, but that wasn't cost effective. I needed an electric heater to help save propane.
Luckily, a Walmart was nearby and I went over there to pick up an electric space heater. I bought a ceramic electric space heater and it fit my needs perfectly. I still use it to this day.
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| Above, the electric space heater I bought in Topeka, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The topic of what is the best electric heater for RV camping has been posted at Do It Yourself RV.
They start it off with:
“What is the best electric heater for RV camping?” This is a question many RVers ask when cold weather rolls around each year. After all, why spend money on propane to operate your propane furnace if you have shore power (120 VAC) available to operate an electric heater?
If you search online for “best electric heater for RV” you will find a nearly endless list of comparisons, reviews, and debates on electric heaters. The problem is, you don’t need to know the absolutely best electric heater for RV use, you need to know the best choice of electric heater for the way you use your RV.
Let’s look at the different types of electric heaters and features to determine which ones fit your needs.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the No Time To Die Blu-ray set. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
A surprise package arrived in yesterday's mail. I was expecting it, but not as soon as it did.
It was the Blu-ray of the 25th James Bond movie, No Time To Die. It is also Daniel Craig's swan song to the series.
I ordered it through Walmart and it came with the movie disc, a bonus features disc, digital code and a DVD. I guess it could be called "the Walmart special" as it also came with a keyring. Now I have two No Time To Die keyrings (they're different from one another).
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| Above, the No Time To Die key ring I got last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
So far, Eon Productions hasn't selected a new Bond to replace Craig. There's some speculation that the series will get a re-boot. I hope not. It can continue as is and would be true to Ian Fleming. In one of the novels (I think it was You Only Live Twice), Bond is thought dead but he returns with a mission: to kill his boss M. This would be a satisfying start for the next round of films.
I do quibble about the death of Felix Leiter, though. His fate in Licence To Kill follows Fleming.
Anyway, No Time To Die is very much now being debated by fans and it will be interesting to see what happens next.
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| Above, a derelict motorhome in Tarzana, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The numbers of people, who would be otherwise homeless, living in RVs has swelled over the years. Crime associated with these people have also swelled.
There are those who have RVs who keep their rigs in tip-top condition for that next adventure on the road.
To many people, the perception of RVers isn't differentiated. To them, we're all a bunch of "Cousin Eddies", or worse.
RV Travel has an article on the perceptions given to RVers.
They begin it with:
Hey, RVer – In some people’s eyes, you’re a bum, a trespasser, arsonist or worse. Stick with me a minute and I’ll bet you agree … sort of.
The number of “houseless” Americans has ballooned. We know that, they know that, bureaucrats who work for us know that, and so does law enforcement. Here’s the rub: A significant number of those folks are living in RVs … and news media often don’t differentiate between your shiny lifestyle-oriented rig poised in the driveway for the next adventure, and the eyesore of a blue-tarp-clad wreck broken down on a city street in a puddle of motor oil. Yep, you are them, and vice-versa.
As the article states, there are bad apples out there and they can spoil the whole bunch. Because of this, places like Walmart an Cabela's are not so welcoming to overnighters on their properties.
To read the full article, go here.
A couple of nights ago, I went down to Denny's at the Flying J to have a salmon dinner.
When I ordered, the waitress had to go back to the kitchen to check if they had any salmon available. She came back and said they didn't have any. I ended up having an omelet from the 55+ menu (what we call the "geezer omelet").
Thus far, that has been the only instance of a supply-chain related problem I've faced. I guess it depends upon where one is located.
But the "supply-chain crisis" will likely get worse before it gets better.
The New York Post reported:
Parts of the US are now battling food shortages as worried Americans have emptied supermarket shelves amid the supply chain crisis threatening the nation’s economy and holiday shopping.
People are stockpiling everything from canned goods to boxed items and even making a run on milk when it’s available in grocery stores, Bloomberg reported.
The surge in demand comes as two of America’s major container ports in California face a massive pandemic-related backlog.
“People are hoarding,” Adnan Durrani, CEO and founder of Saffron Road, a producer of frozen and shelf-stable meals, told Bloomberg.
“What I think you’ll see over the next six months, all prices will go higher.”
To read more, go here.
How high will prices go up?
From Fox Business:
Americans will see food costs rise "tremendously" in the coming weeks, according to billionaire supermarket owner John Catsimatidis.
Catsimatidis, who is the president of Gristedes and D'Agostino Foods, discussed his concerns about inflation and supply chain issues on FOX Business’ "Mornings with Maria," and warned companies like Nabisco, Pepsi and Coke will begin to prioritize products and raise prices in order to get ahead.
"I see food prices going up tremendously," he told Maria Bartiromo. "[CEOs] want to be ahead of the curve and the way they're doing it is they're dropping all promotions. They are dropping low-moving items."
Catsimatidis went on to say this trend won’t reverse "anytime soon."
"I see over 10% [price increase] in the next 60 days," he said.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the Gallup Walmart pharmacy section last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
When I was in the local Flying J travel center today, I noticed that some shelves in the grocery section were empty or nearly empty.
I have also noticed that some restaurants are out of some foods. The local Denny's was out of salmon last night.
What's going on?
According to Supermarket News:
Grocery retailers could be in for another wave of consumer stockpiling as COVID-19 infection rates climb nationwide due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant, new research from Inmar Intelligence shows.
Of 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed, 69.4% said they’re considering replenishing a current stockpile of groceries and other essential products as transmission of the Delta variant increases, Inmar said in the study, released this week. Forty-six percent have created a product stockpile in response to coronavirus, and 12% of those that haven’t done so said they now will stock up because of the Delta variant. Another 32.8% said they’re not sure if they will build up their supplies.
Isn't that just great? We can expect hoarders to hoard grocery goods, not just toilet paper.
This is like what happens in socialist countries where the sharing of scarcity is the way of life.
To read more, go here.
Not that I have anything to hide, but I am glad that I never purchased a firearm at Walmart. All my purchases have been through small gun stores or sporting goods stores who respect the Second Amendment.
According to AmmoLand, Walmart is closing down around 500 gun departments and signs "suggest" that the sales records of firearms will be going to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
AmmoLand posted:
U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- It appears Walmart is transferring their customer sales records for firearms purchases to the ATF. These records will be transferred to the ATF from the 500 stores that have discontinued the sale of firearms. This information comes to AmmoLand News from a recently leaked internal ATF conference call.
A former ATF Assistant Director confirmed to AmmoLand News that Walmart plans to discontinue gun sales at 500 of its stores nationwide. As of January of this year, 2388 Walmart stores sell guns.
When an FFL closes a location the ATF allows the transfer of documents to a “successor” federal firearm licensed dealer. Walmart could transfer the 4473 records from those stores that are ending sales to another regional store location that still sells firearms.
If Walmart chose to, they could shield their customer's information from direct access by ATF.Walmart appears to be handing over, for locations ending gun sales, the customer's records to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
Why is this so important?
The National Association for Gun Rights wrote:
We’ve been told for years that background checks are not gun registration, yet that is exactly what they are in the case of the thousands of lawful gun owners who bought firearms from Walmart.
The ATF is the same agency that has spent the last month raiding businesses, banning gun parts, and visiting homes of gun buyers to confiscate banned items. This is why so-called “background checks'' are gun registration.
From AmmoLand:
Federal law prohibits the creation of a national gun registry. Yet, this appears to be what is happening, not only with Walmart’s records but all other out of business FFL records that are turned over at the close of business.
18 USC. Section 926(a)(3) states that:
No such rule or regulation prescribed after the date of the enactment of the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act may require that records required to be maintained under this chapter or any portion of the contents of such records, be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or any political subdivision thereof, nor that any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions be established.
Gun registration leads to gun confiscation!
With the exception of medication, I have avoided shopping at Walmart because their stance on firearms for the past two years.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the gun department at the Albuquerque Cabela's. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
They wrote:
Comments made by Vista Outdoor CEO and Director Christopher Metz during the company’s quarterly earnings call last month indicate ammunition will continue to be scare well into 2021.
“We currently have over a year’s worth of orders for ammunition in excess of $1 billion,” he said in his opening remarks. “This is unprecedented for our company. With demand far outstripping supply and inventory levels in the channel at all-time lows, we see strong demand continuing…”
He cautioned there are notable differences between today’s low-cartridge inventories and that of 2016, which may indicate the current situation may be longer lasting. Metz explained the volume of new shooters is one driving factor.
“According to data from the NSSF, there are 6.2 million new shooters in 2020. This rate is more than twice the number of new shooters in the former surge. Anecdotally, there is no shortage of reports of sold out shooting ranges and backlogged firearm safety classes around the country.”
In a nutshell, the shortage is, as they also wrote, "Regardless of manufacturer, demand is heavy and inventory low."
To read the full article, go here.
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| Above, the Gallup Walmart last spring. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Wondering why the shelves at Walmart are a bit barren of merchandise?
Well, here's why.
From KRQE:
LOS LUNAS, N.M. (KRQE) – Wondering why the selves at Walmarts are empty? Aside from many people rushing to stock up before the lockdown, there’s a COVID outbreak at the Los Lunas distribution center. The center, which supplies Walmarts across the state has had 13 reported cases of COVID-19 since Nov. 2 and seven rapid responses from the Health Department.
KRQE News 13 crews found long lines of semi-trucks outside the facility waiting to drop off their load. One driver said he’d been waiting since Sunday afternoon. “It is what is it. I can’t change it. I can’t rearrange it. But as soon as I get this truck empty, I’m supposed to go home,” said truck driver Justin Davis.
Businesses with four or more rapid responses in two weeks can be shut down by the state.
The hoarders aren't helping the matter any.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the Gallup Walmart toilet paper aisle last spring. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Last Saturday night, Russell Asbill and I went to the Gallup, New Mexico Safeway market to pick up some groceries as we were aware that the state will be locked down again starting today.
The store was fairly busy and I was able to get everything on my list (yes, I do make shopping lists). Russell mentioned getting toilet paper and I took a walk over to the toilet paper aisle to take a peek and, lo and behold, the shelves were barren, even though there were signs telling shoppers that they are limited to one package per shopper. That didn't seem to do any good.
Lucky for me, I bought a package about a week ago, so I am okay for a while.
What is wrong with people? They should have learned their lesson last spring when the hoarders gobbled up every package. I understand that this is happening again nationwide.
Stupid people never learn!
A source very near to the situation has revealed that the sheriff has asked NMSP to stay out of Grants and the NMSP has agreed.Hopefully this true! We'll see.
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| Above, the new coffee maker. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
