Website owner: James Miller
A walk through a Safeway supermarket
Today on my daily walk I had a few minutes of time that I wanted to kill so I decided to kill it by wandering through a nearby Safeway supermarket. (Years ago we shopped at Safeway but then an ALDI opened nearby and their prices were far below Safeway and since then we have bought our groceries at ALDI). Anyway as I walked through the Safeway the main sensation I felt was shock and horror at the prices. Everything seemed to me to be two or three times what it should be. I walked through the bakery area, the deli area, and other areas and everywhere the impression was the same. Outrageous prices! I know that the vast majority of people shop at Safeway and the other main supermarket chains around here, far more than shop at ALDI. The prices of most of these other supermarkets are probably quite similar to those of Safeway. As I wandered about the store I couldn’t help but ponder over the really high grocery bills most people must have (must needlessly have since there is an ALDI nearby). But something else was also going through my mind. I was impressed by the tremendous variety of things that were on the shelves. Hundreds of attractively packaged items of great variety and many brands on every isle. For me it was a dazzling display. All kinds of mostly junk food in attractive, brightly colored packaging. I asked myself a question: How many of these things on these shelves would be enticing to me? How many of these things might I be tempted to buy? My answer? Probably not one thing out of a thousand. Hardly anything I saw would interest me. Now what does that simple fact tell me? It tells me how very different my mind, my mentality is from the average mind of my culture. I would reject the idea of buying almost anything I saw for two reasons: One, it is just way too expensive. Two, I don’t need it and it is probably, in most cases, not good for me. (My wife and I no longer eat cakes, pies and pastry. We don’t drink sodas or other beverages that you see on the shelves. We don’t eat red meat. Etc. Etc.) As I looked at that tremendous variety of packages of what appeared to me to be mostly junk food I had this thought: Everything here on these shelves sells. All of these thousands of items sell. All of this foolishness that I am looking at sells. People are buying all of this stuff. If items didn’t move, they wouldn’t be on the shelf. They wouldn’t put on the shelf things that didn’t sell. Everything has expiration dates and when something goes past the expiration date they have to throw it away. What does this tell me about the minds, mentality, and nature of the people who surround me in my society? It tells me a lot. People buy. They buy this and they buy that. They make no effort to save money. Why do they buy? They buy because they are creatures of appetite and impulse. They want this and they want that. They are self-indulgent. Appetite and impulse rule. In addition, they are gullible. They are easily fooled. They are induced to buy by packaging. Attractive packaging sells. All it takes to sell is the right packaging. What more does it tell me? It tells me of their foolishness. They squander their money. They waste their money on foolishness. And while they are wasting all their money foolishly a large portion of them are probably also carrying high credit card balances that they pay a little on each month at exorbitant interest rates. What does that say about them?
The Safeway parking lot is five times as large as the ALDI parking lot. When you go to the Safeway the parking lot will be packed full. When you go to ALDI the parking lot will be a third full.
Mar 2018
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life