Saturday, December 5, 2009

Depression Bread

I went into enemy territory last night after work, but once inside I went right to business. I didn't mess around. I knew what I wanted and I was going to get that bread regardless of whatever and whoever stood in my way.

The crowds at Walmart weren't about to stop me. I just wanted a cheap loaf, and if it that meant only a buck that was just fine with me. I'd even settle for the white stuff to save a few dimes.

Down the bread aisle there on the shelf was a new item, an obvious concession to the hard times in which we're now living, a one pound loaf of bread for just .75. That's right, I said seventy-five cents, or didn't that register? The regular cheapo bread had gone up, from about a dollar to $1.64, but I wasn't having none of it, even if it was a half-pound heavier.

I went searching next for a sandwich filling, and the potted meat at 38 cents a can drew me in like a magnet. That was it, I now had my dinner. With continued depression pricing like that, it just might be possible to avoid the bread lines.

8 comments:

  1. There is a pork place downtown that's been serving Depression Chili for about a year. It's cheap and all but I don't think it'll cure my depression so I haven't tried it! ;)
    Ha ha ha!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Abbie Hoffman's "Steal This Book" got me through college on under a hundred bucks a month for food.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oy, they posted pics from the book which are NSFW, fyi.

    If you want to just skip to the food part, use this link.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A good bowl of chili always puts me in a better mood.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for the link, Ginx. Good stuff there. I hadn't read the book before.

    Since the subject of stealing from supermarkets comes up, you might find this on shoplifting interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  6. BTW I don't condone everything Hoffman suggested. Obviously use his advice at your peril... but plenty of what he suggests is actually pretty much legal (if not a little deceptive).

    Funny, I wouldn't have thought you'd be into shoplifting. I mean, I know corporations aren't actually human entities (especially in the sense that they have no right to donate money to political campaigns), but don't Libertarians believe in property ownership? (I did read the link, but I find it to have a rather shabby argument)

    If anything, I wish people wouldn't steal just because theft-prevention has become a monster of an industry, and is responsible for some irritating intrusions from corporations. Did you know several centuries worth of video is taken every day by private security cameras? RFID tags are on practically everything we buy. I'm glad we don't have an Orwellian government, but we're already there in the private sector.

    Luckily it's not as bad as predicted... they just use the information to sell us more crap.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just put the link up, which doesn't necessarily mean I agree with the argument.

    If anything, I wish people wouldn't steal just because theft-prevention has become a monster of an industry, and is responsible for some irritating intrusions from corporations.

    People are always going to steal (or at least unless or until something better comes along).

    don't Libertarians believe in property ownership?

    That depends on what kind of "libertarian" you're referring to, and on how you define property.

    but plenty of what he suggests is actually pretty much legal (if not a little deceptive).

    Stealing from supermarkets and defrauding restaurants?

    Actually, there are ways to get free food without breaking any laws (at least not any serious ones).

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't think pretending to be a food critic and getting a restaurant to comp your meal is illegal. Nor is putting on a suit and crashing weddings or corporate luncheons. If they ask you to leave and you leave, you're not breaking any laws.

    ReplyDelete

If the post you are commenting on is more than 30 days old, your comment will have to await approval before being published. Rest assured, however, that as long as it is not spam, it will be published in due time.

Related Posts with Thumbnails