House of Paine

costco and castro

   FROM 
   COSTCO TO  CASTRO 
   AND FROM THERE TO CHAVEZ 

    you might reasonably ask 
    how do ya get
    from one to the other
   and then to yet another 
   all in under 2000 words ?

   well mates it's easy 

   when the  real
   overmastering  complexity
   of topic A
    starts to show thru
    when I  find myself
    dropping a few of the  balls
   I got  in the air 
   shit
    I just 
    dial up the A.D.D.
   and leap
    clear of the whole juggle 
   leap to topic Z

   start
    fresh with 
    only
    one new ball to catch
    and retoss 
    
    if you’re up for it
    
    join me ...



   ----------------------------------------



   it's all a matter of  playtime



   its the nitely commute

   on my windshield 
   traffic lights
    and the   night drops 
     wabble
   and downskid 
    


   wabble
    till I wipe em 
   away 
   or
     who knows 
    maybe till 
   their
    ruptless glides  
   end  em 
   in the trough 
   at the back edge 
   of my dark dark  hood 

   butfuck 

   soggy and
   ziggy
   and  mist  quaint
    as it all is 

   my radio
   has 
    voices
   that  jar me 

   and
   suddenly
    I’m asking myself 

   “ shit
     are these asses 
      about to 
    pose the big one here ”

   that  is I’m 
    flanging out 
   a brain garble 
   to the effect 

   “ can it really be happening 
   can   my local installment
    of
   national public radio 
   really be 
   about to ask 
   whether we can have 
    socialism in one company ?”


    that was a few  nites
    ago around 7 ish 
    when per normal 
    my home commute 
   has me part of the 4 wheel
   multitude
   headed south ou of beantown

    there’s
    this mellow mouth 
    on around that time 
   ever weeknite 
   and seems
    for a moment
    like 
   he’s about to 
    let these two 
   evenly matched punditaters 
    fucking reach out 
   and  grab
   some real klass
     tigers
   by the tail
   and swing em
    at each other 

   well of course
   I’m dreaming 

     nyet comrades 
   no such
    cudgel 
   commences

   no the 
   klass tigers
   are all still 
    freely
    padding the jungle deeps 
   somewhere
    far far far away 
   from Radioville
    

   no no no 

   just when
   I’m thinking 
    maybe 
   these two champs 
   are headed into 
   a real 
      klass v klass
   buster upper 
    just when 
   they seem about 
   to trade
    clocking shots 
    instead
    I the innocent rube
   listener
    get 
   one of those patented 
    all too  futile 
     thick as 
   Quebec  soup 
    no mans land 
   bridge outs 

    “ oh gosh sorry
     time’s up
   well ah ah ah 
    ah i guess
    final answers 
    allude us yet again  ”

   yep 
   its that simple 
   and obvious 

   its right
    in the wiring diagram for
   these”moderators”

    
   getting  in too deep 
   getting 
    where the rescue boats
    can’t or
   won’t go 

   see dangerous rocks ahead 

   then
    ass hole start 
   treadin  water

   start runnin yer gob 

   get into
    the old blab
   adab a  doooo
     
   talk and talk
    and talk 

   rag time
    if ya have to 

   talk  till you’re 
    saved by the bell
    
   works every time
    
   we ass hole 
   listeners
   buy the gimmick
   every time

   long as you
    act
    like
    that darn
   time constraints 
    jumped ya again 

   long as you pretend 
    the show’s
   end
   opened up 
     under ya 
   like a hidden  trap door 
    

   ------------------------------
   Iknow 
   I know
    I hear ya 

   what else’s new !

    butfuck folks 
     this one turned 
    on so stark a point

    it wasn’t
    made out of
   the usual putty-ish 
    stuff 
    so  easily 
   twisted
   and 
   twaddled 
     over and under 
   into 
   the usual 
   thinking middle muddlers
   pretzel puzzler type 
   configurements
   ================
   come on
    where can ya go
    with a straight show down 
   a flat and simple 
    tug o war 
   wages vs profits 

   and yet 
   some how
    it ended up 
   all  stalemate and dingleberrys
   anyhow

    shit 
   I don’t know 
   what  this post’s 
    about 
    
   maybe 
    I found it extra double  
   “ revealing ”

   jesus christ folks 
    how fucking aweful
   all that 
   betweener idiocy 
   of NPR really is 

    forkable hell 
   does anybody 
    actually 
   enjoy  
    starchy 
   ass ring 
   fed thru 
    shit like that ?

   why do 
   we
    jabber heads 
   we
   “hemi -edicated”
   thimpkniks
   we
    burger queens

   why do 
   we take 
   this up the bunger
   like we do 

   take it up there
   time over time 
    and come back for more ?

   fuck we
    rank and file  
   listenerhoods
   can’t we 
   find  something more nutritious 
   to listen to

   I mean say you announce

   “ steak for dinner ”
   and you serve mouse tails

   well you can bet 
   that ‘ll be
    the last time 
   you serve mouse tails 
   to anyone

   cause the angry stomachs ‘ll
    raise holy hell
   and punch in
    your cookin eye 

   right 

   shit
    but if the false  billin’s 
   on pubic hair radio 
   if it gets  sent
    in thru your ear
   then for some fucking reason 
    you fucking take it 

   why 
   Ithink
    school days explain it
   school days for b up 
   students any way 

   i think its cause 
    you don’t know 
   life
   could run 
   any better

   “ you mean that ain’t steak 
    you mean steak
    ain’t
   a pile a gray 
   stringy shit”
   -------------------------

   ( a second ball
    is about to go into
    the air )

   back to show

   it was about 
    Costco

   costco’s 
   wageling comp policy
   was the  subject
   under evasion
    that nite

   here are some  specifics  
   on 
   the ultimately 
   squibishly posed
    debate

    wages and benes
   at costco 
   too high or just great?

   wall street
   sez too high 

   sez
    top management’s
   long term 
    premium pay package policy 
   is a loser 
   compared to 
   walmart ‘s
    approach 

   walmart
    being
    of course 
   Wall Street -Today’s
   gold standard
    performer 
   with its relentless
   race to the bottom 
   wage mission 

   as usual 
   battle was entered 
   by two semi blundits 
   both more low cost 
    infotainers
   then scholars 

    to say the least 
   not a title bout

   and as the grapple 
    betwixt em progressed 
   it became obvious 
   neither of the two
   were actual members
    of the klass 
   they were repping 
    
   no
   to the contrary 
    they were obviously both 
    proxy champions
    both middle burger types
   admittedly 
    of unequal
    disinterest and spunk  

   the wagery side 
   being as it were 
   hackademically hobbled 
   by a lady prof 
   from the famous amos tick 
   school of biznezz manglement 

   whereas 
   the sharetakers guy
   was some oleaginous
   puddle of sanctimonious  gall 
   from
   a patent pending 
   corporate sputnik
   run out of 
   some third floor 
   belt way skunk tank

   you know 

   with a name like 
    the liberty pole center 
   or something 

    but despite 
   their several degrees of 
    fumbleitis
    even they  couldn’t disguise 
    the  stark as hell  
   straight up
   zero sum  klass clash
    original nature 
   of the  “ policy ” issue
   sitting there on the table 
   before them

   and yet
    the wiggle waggle commenced 
   with mellow mouth
   moderating the moderation
   till it got to 
   stuff like 

    “ call us will you 
   and tell uz what you 
    see
    as the right thing here
   call uz 
   Mr. and ms petty burger 
   mr and ms 
    I-like-to-tink-tings-over 
   patty  burger 

    how about it

    should we have 
    higher  wages
    that make for 
   lower  profits
    or
    lower  wages
   that make for 
   higher  profits ”

    guess thatz 
   a tough one 
   if you got
    a good income 
   from say professional  fees 
    plus
   maybe  tucked away some where 
    a modest portfolio 
   containing
    a few corporate issued securities

   butfuck motherfuckers 
   is that all 
   thats out there 

   got to be alot of 

   “  HECK I’M
    no  greed head
   not for a second 
   in fact
   this shit 
    kold duck
    calling 
    for profitmax
    turns
   me off
     maybe I otta call 
   and give him a pasting”

   maybe theres out there 
   someone thinkin
   “ no way 
    not my druthers
   even if it I had
    a few shares in costco 
   and 
   even if i knew 
   some shitballs 
   application of
    a big fucking axe 
   to the COSTCUTCO  wage bill 
   DANGLED  the porspect 
   of an nice up 
     bounce to 
    my  equity values 
   still the people doin the doin deserve.....”

   instead heres what comes thru
   after some polite bladdy blah

   “ but then
    on the other hand 
    wage skyhighlanders 
   maybe  too highlanders 
   nice as it sounds 
   i guess we fair folks
   gotta 
    face the fax
   mostly 
   lifes about
   prudence 
   and 
     prudence
   is
    what prudence 
    doesn’t do ”
   and

   “possibly 
   it ain’t even 
     fair in some cases 
   say 
   I buy stock
    assuming mister big
    up there on the bridge
   is into increasing value
   as best he can 
   that’s got to be
    my thought process 
   if it weren’t
    I’d
    buy some 
   other  guys stock
   some guy  
   who is into upping values 
   besides 
   maybe I need the dividends
   and the cap gains 
   maybe I’m not so lucky 
   maybe I need the goose up 
   to put me over the line myself 
   after all
    not all stockholders 
   are zillionaires 
   some are
    you know 
   oh fuck 
    whats the cheap cynical phrase 
   the wall street touts always use 
   ya thats it 
    some costco shareholders are 
   “ widows and orphans ”
   not to mention 
   low wage 
   employees
   else where
    then costco proper 
   low wage workers 
    with funds 
   that are into 
   costco shares
   you know 
   in their  401k plans ”

   see gang 
   we’re 
   off to the races

   even if most households 
   own 5k or less of stock
   cause its never
   to far in one of these rambles
   before 
   so shitball
   gives out with 
   what  I’ll bet
    my ass
    is an urban 
   research legend 

   that  
    allegedly 
   some 50 %
   of white american respondents 
   believe 
   they have or will
   reach
    “top one” percent 
   income  status

   and since this 
   is doable  
   around their house
   stock max is uz 
    
   (one must suspect 
   they ain’t thinking 
   “ lottery route”
   at least not 
   exclusively )
   ----------------------------



   ostensively 
   the target waz 
   microcosmic 

   of course it was 

   the best way to pull
   off  a forest missing mirage 
   is one tree at a time 

   so here we get 
   corporate america viewed
   one company at a time
    or
    as in this case 
    two companys at a time 

   thats jolly 
   it  makes it all piecemeal 
   and volitional 

   you know 
   catch as catch can 

    all a product of 
    flukey costco’s
   environment 
   up there in 
   the  north west
   rain forest 
   with its history of 
    whacky streak
   win win 
    companys like
    nike
   and 
    microfucks
   and 
    starsoft
   and 
    etc etc 
    

   ----------------------------
   any how 
   there they were 

   when suddenly
    some one ticked off
   the hindu princess
   from 
   the Amarsh Took school
   and fuck if she didn’t charge
    lance leveled 
     seemingly 
     ready to knock 
   that fat mouthed
   blow holer
   from profit central
   right the fuck off the air 

    “ perhaps mister
   catshit
   you forget who
   produces all this value...”

   wham

   “ no madam red dot I haven’t 
   actually
   no I
   haven’t forgotten
   the brave investors whos money and risk taking built..”
    “ bullock dung sir bullock dung”

   jesus 
   what was happening 
    one or other
    of the cutting edge  klasses
   mouth pieces 
   waz about to take a fall 
   either 
   the champ sittin in for 
   the mass 
   known to all as 
   the Humble wagery
    or 
   the champ
   repping 
   mr and mrs  
   Stockateer Anonymous 

   but 
   now the moderators
   ass hove
    is heard a stommpin

   see
   a face off
    that leaves 
   the upper middle
    smack dab in 
   where else
   but middle 

   in the middle
   lookin this way and that way
   well if americas 
    silent jury is drawn
   from  fucking assholes
   like him with no dog in the hunt
   but truth and justice 
   well 
   mucklew flubber flubber

   and bizzzzzzzzoop
   times up 

   no brutal 
    knock out finish

    muddleklass listeners 
    you lose agin

    what a farce !

   --------------------------------

   of course there were too many 
   facts not in evidence
    that nite

   in addition to
   the management sponsored 
   and
    “ questionable”
     higher per hour
    comp packages 

   costco
   also 
    has higher margins
   then 
    its competitors
   including
   walmarts 
   own 
   Sams clubs 

   and 
   higher sales
    per square foot too 
   and 
   most important 
   higher value added
    per hour worked
   and 
   lower turnover of staff

   and and and 

   bottom line 
   a higher net
    operating margin

    so win win for workers and stakers right?

   wrong 
   and why 
     
   cause
    some day the market
   will grind away
   costcos
   better then the rest preformance
   grind away 
   that higher operating margin

    then what 

   oops now
    let’s
    squeeze
    the frickin 
   wage freaks

   thank 
   our lucky starz 
   thats a fact 
   not yet in evidence
   up in seattle

   some day 
   the markets deep workings
   will clinch the issue 

   even before
   we petty burgers really 
    have to grapple 
   with 
   that moral prickly pear 
   the tower boys at costco
   will settled it all fo uz
   “ what else can we do
     its sqeeze
   or get taken over
   by profiteers from hell “
   --------------------------------------

    it
   always
    comes clean in the wash

    let out enough line
   as time and change will 
    and eventually
   the wall street scrooges
   will always 
   be  right

   some day Costco 
   will perform
    less better
    then the pack
   and
   like ford and kodak
   before her
   Costco 
    will “be forced”
     to try for
   both 
    productivity max
   AND
    wage comp min

   and by then 
    the debate
   between more profit and higher wages
    will have to be about
   the new hot 
   crowd on the block

   all we know
   iz 
   for costco 
   that day 
   in the shade will come 
   eventually 

   even the fastest legs 
   slow down 
   one way or other 

    eventually 
   all super front runners 
   get caught 

   get passed

   face the road fork 

   where either 
   the top types 
   keep at the old ways
   and 
   get croaked 
   or
   get with it 
   like the rest 
   follow the walmart advantage 
   and 
   grind their  wagery 
   as hard and fast
    as possible 
   ---------------------------------------
   so if 
   the Filene
   brothers
   and be4 them
   Scotish  Bob 
   Owen
   couldn’t make a one off 
   firm size socialism
   then 
   how about one country 
   can one  country 
   build socialism 

   to answer 
   in two words

   “ berlin wall ”

   ================


   but then again
   if not for ever yet
    sometimes
    for far longer then
   one could imagine 

   Fidel you odds beater 
   Ido so love you 

   what was the mix
   between
    your special mojo
   and Lenins 
    three musts
   of the D of P


   1 the rev party first 

   2 the rev party last 

   3 the rev party always 
   =======================
   then take 
   brave bold and clear headed
   hugo Chavez

   sorry 
    my man
   but 
   you got  no cadre party 

   sure like Kadaffi
   YOU GOT OIL
    but
   that cuts both ways

   my guess
   for you compadre 
   the  clock ticks
    fast indeed