On the benefits issue, which would you prefer, no benefits or poverty
level wages? Wait! Wal-Mart provides both! :-)

On another note, I love waking through stores looking at furniture. It
can be rewarding or condemning. Sometimes I'm checking to see if I can
beat craftsmanship (usually not too hard in discount stores) or whether
I can build better for less. Other times I study their construction
techniques, joinery, finish, etc. Same with catalogues. I think one
of the great rewards with woodworking is that you find, after practice,
you can build the same quality or better (sometimes exponentially
better) than what you can buy and that it came from your own hands. If
there's anything good for America I really think it is the spirit of
woodworking. Wait, I'm getting verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. .
.. . I'll give you a new topic. The Italian Neo Realist Movement in
film was neither Italian nor neo nor particuarly a movement. Discuss!


wrote:
I was at Walmart the other day getting a tire repaired. As I wandered
around the store, I came up the 'furniture' aisle and saw an
unfinished spruce/pine chest. It was crudely made of rough milled
(read construction wood) and warped 1x4, rough cut ends, badly fitted
and nailed together with a pallet nail gun. Only 49$. This thing
makes Ikea knock down furniture look like heirloom craftmanship.

Puts a whole new perspective on things. The next time I beat myself
up for the flaws I see in my finished stuff I'll go wandering through
Walmart.

I got to get out more.

Pete