4/28/10 - by Sweet -

G-STORE OPEN MIC NIGHT ON FRIDAY APRIL 30, 7PM!

e-mail lic002@ucsd.edu for a guaranteed spot

3/16/10 - by Samcakes -

Guys.

Today I decided it was that time again... time to buy my bi-yearly can of Spam. So picture me weaving through aisles in Ralphs, sheepishly checking signs for the canned meat section.

Hark!

Yonder tin awaits!

But some strange tinge of apprehension washes over me.

A bit of shame..

mixed with excitement.

I feel like a 15 year old boy buying condoms.

What a terrible metaphor.

But that is all I could think at the time. "This must be what it feels like to be a 15 year old boy buying condoms." Too young, boy. Too young.

I glance over my shoulder, as if I'd catch a glimpse of the vegetarian police.

If they catch you, they beat you with leeks.

While I enjoy leeks, hyperboles and over-processed ham, I am not a fan of lashes, vegetable-inflicted or not.

Holding the can close to my side, and slightly behind me I proceed, of course, to the self-checkout. No witnesses.

Indeed fair reader, I escaped with my life. And I bought that can of Spam, And I cooked that can of Spam, And I, indeed,

indeed, I did eat that can of Spam.

With rice and nori.

And it felt sooo good.

At least for a while, and now I regret the whole thing. *burp*

SEE YOU IN 6 MONTHS, SPAM!

2/24/10 - by Claire Dallas -

Last weekend an event took place called the Compton Cookout, which I'm sure by now all of you are aware of. The issue at the center of this controversy is the racist nature of the party. Attendees were encouraged to dress and act in a stereotypical manner associated with African-Americans. Somehow, the party and event thats followed were transformed into a free speech issue. People are asking, why was this allowed to happen? Why was the Koala able to broadcast racial slurs on SRTV? Why am I not protected from this threatening speech? In response, AS immediately froze all funding for student media organizations. This has led to a debate about how AS should fund student media going forward. As far as I can tell, this debate is what has been pushed the to the forefront due to these events. However, THIS SHOULD NOT EVEN BE A DEBATE! AS either needs to provide funds for all student media organizations, or none of them. The second they create a protocol for which orgs get funded and which don't they are effectively censoring the ones that do not receive funding as well as endorsing the ones that do. Free speech means whether you agree with the ideas or not, they deserve to have a voice. Do i agree with the conservative politics of the California Review? Hell no. However, that does not mean I do not think they have just as much of a right to be funded by AS as any other organization. As for the Koala, while I may not agree with their methods, I honestly believe that as Kris Gregorian stated in the Guardian they were "trying to raise the debate, trying to raise awareness." They were trying to force people, particularly those whose race was not directly targeted by the party, to think about why they were so offended by this event. Were they afraid that people would think they shared this racist attitude if they did not react to it in a certain way? If a person knows that they are not racist, why would they be so terrified that others would think that they are? What is this saying about racism at our university and in our country? Is racism something that people fight against because they truly believe all people all equal or because they don't want to be viewed as uneducated? Some students are declaring that they have a right to be protected from this hateful speech. While it is unfortunate that members of our community were subjected to things that made them feel threatened and uncomfortable, how is the university supposed to protect them from this? That is not their job. The only feasible way to protect everyone on our campus from hearing or seeing things that make them feel unsafe would be to eradicate free speech entirely. I personally feel threatened by the anti-choice protesters on campus and I REALLY wish they would fuck off and realize that our countries laws do not need to reflect their religion, but I would never deny them their right to express their views. (That sentence pained me to write.) A student from BSU was quoted who was quoted in the Guardian said, "I'm not saying they don't have the right to freedom of speech, but where's my right to be protected from that? I am a student in your class, and I have to sit next to these racist kids. What kind of college is this?" Now I cannot be entirely sure because I do not have the full context of his statement, but to me it seems he is implying that these racist kids should not even be students here. But how else are these kids going to learn that racism is wrong except through education and the exposure to a diverse group of people that comes with it? What the university needs to do in response to this event is not shut down orgs or expel students. This is an opportunity for EDUCATION in the truest sense of the word. People need to be educated about stereotypes, race, how these ideas develop, and how they should be dealt with in today's world. This is a chance for us to learn about real world issues outside of physics classes or the chem labs that so many of our students are entombed in. The university does not need to focus on investigating the party planners or the Koala. They need to investigate the "campus climate" and what about it enabled these students to be ok with throwing a party like this.

2/23/10 - by Sweet - In General - The G-Store Documentary

2/16/10 - by Cee-Lee -

Hello this is Christa speaking, your overseas coordinator, and I'm excited to say that we have new snacks in store!

We'd like to look into serving all students on campus, whether residents, visitors, or international students. and what better way than to sample foods from different cultures!

So we've begun with Asian snacks! we've got Hello Pandas, ChocoPies, and Ace crackers so far.

We'd also love to hear suggestions :) - Christa Lee

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2/14/10 - by Claire Dallas - I can haz link to my own blogz?

http://ilovetheinterwebz.blogspot.com

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2/14/10 - by Samcomment - Haiku for the General Store:

The General Store

Is now on the interwebs

Go hide the children.

2/11/10 - by Sweet - Here's a random song Devin & I recorded. It's pretty hip, so if you work or shop at the G-store you'll love it.

2/8/10 - by Sweet - General Store Jingle is finally here!!!

2/6/10 - by "Big D" Pistol Shrimp -

I don't really have anything to rant about. I am just siting at my computer super board of being productive. I feel if you use twitter youre really self absorbed. Why do people have clear umbrellas? Am I the only one who thinks that they are kinda filthy for some reason? It seems as if the trend with razor technology is just to add more blades, why doesn't someone just make something that peels your flesh so you never have to shave again. I don't like the color blue, Facebook needs to give me some options. I like ugly celebrities like Steve Buscemi. I had a dream about making a bacon chicken narwal the other day. I remember it being delicious. I like how Bork Bork Bork and Elmer Fudd are among the language options on google. I still don't really know what Bork Bork Bork is though…. but I kind of like it.

2/4/10 - by Ru-Bot - collective thought

Assume one has a "self" and there exists a "cooperative." "collective thought" is not one wanting or desiring to do what is "best" for the cooperative, nor is it one showing a willingness to compromise in the name of the cooperative ( in fact compromise is precisely the opposite of collective thought...but ill get to that later).

If one however desires to merge ones self and the cooperative, then he has achieved cooperative thought. It is important to see that it is not the "merging" of self and cooperative that characterized collective thought, instead it is the "desire" to do so that defines collective thought. It is something that must radiate from within, something natural and all encompassing. Thus collective thought is not the thoughts or ideas one has, but the source of those thoughts and ideas. In this way collective thought is different from thought in general because it is rooted solely in emotion and is not governed by the mind (it is simply realized by the mind).

wait andrew... how is compromise the opposite of collective thought? Compromise implies one yielding in the name of the cooperative. it is not however a desire to be one with cooperative (for if i desired to be one with the cooperative i would have never needed to yield to it...since that would imply i was yielding to what i wished to become.) In simpler (and less elegant!) words, compromise is one saying "i will let you have some of what you want (though i dont want it)." the key is that the compromiser is not making an effort to "want" what he is giving up. the compromiser's views on "what should have happened" are the same before and after the compromise. The collective thinker, however, would not have attempted to shifted the outcome, but instead would have expanded his own view.

I maintain that Cooperatives can only exist if all its members have achieved collective thought or want to do so. what we did on friday (2nd hiring) was as close to a forum of collective thinkers that i have seen in the general store. this made me feel warm inside.

I also want to give my take on some potential "reasons collective thought is negative (or couldnt happen)."

1. it takes away the individual's "self".

I whole heartedly disagreed. Collective thought by its very definition is one seeking to expand ones self. It is the individual not compromising ones self but embracing the "self"s of others (in addition to maintaining ones own).

(however i have not been able to convince myself of how this sort of thought could be practiced on a large scale....but in the context of 10-20 people, it is achievable).

2. Disagreements happen. it sounds like you just want people to agree on everything. Like magic.

Lets play pretend for a moment. Two collective thinkers (as i define collective thought) John and Kate are in a disagreement. John thinks hot dogs are good, Kate however does not. How do they resolve this? They certainly do not come to a compromise (i already talked about how i dont like that!).Well, remember that john is desiring to merge himself with the collective, and thus he is not only trying to show that hot dogs are good, but also to believe they are bad (since this is kate's belief and she is part of the cooperative.) And kate is doing the same thing. Thus any outcome that may look like a compromise to the outside observer is not, it is either john or kate (or both) making the movement to the other persons view. This is key. at the moment of resolve, both john and kate agree. and they did this by not yielding their own views, but altering them.

"This sounds dangerous. i do not want to alter my views. "

This is only dangerous if everyone is no collectively thinking (and those who are, are doing so naively). if i keep my views the same, and everyone alters theirs to mine, then this gets scary very quickly (and kind of awesome...jk jk jk jk lol rofl)

but if everyone is collectively thinking, this sort of danger is impossible (for it is contradictory for one to desire to merge with the cooperative and to desire the cooperative to merge to him).

2/3/10 - By Ray-Ray - So I'm sitting at work (not the G-Store but the job the "man" has provided for me to numb my senses and dull my outcries), and I decide to read up on some Yahoo! News. Always a treat. Not only have I learned webcams can save lives (interpret as you will) but apparently kids who don't have friends grow up to be burn-outs and psychopaths. So grab a hand and a webcam and you're sure to turn out fine.

Which brings me to ridiculous capitalist enterprise of the day (I love me a good rip off): According to Yahoo! News the Six Biggest Rip-Offs are....... *drum roll please*

1. Text messages - they cost 1/3 of a cent to send, but on a pay-per-text plan it's 20 cents to send and 10 cents to receive. For a grand total of a 6,500% mark-up. I can haz txt msg plz?

2. Movie Theater Popcorn - it cost 60 cents for every medium sized popcorn! like, what?? Usually these babies run for about 6 bucks. According to the article though, the theater pretty much gets zero profit from your 10 dollar ticket so they jack up concessions to make money. (Wait, why are movies 10 dollars?)

3. Something about Free Credit reports not being free...

4. Name Brand PainKillers - a 60% markup. Name-brand bottles cost around $8.50 whereas generic brands cost about $5, though by law they both have to be effective and only vary in inactive ingredients like coloring. Yay for $3 colorzzzz! From my fairly assiduous efforts in grocery shopping, I have learned the value of insert-grocery-store-name-here brands in keeping me out of the poor house and safely in my overpriced apartment complex located conveniently down the street from our lovely university. My roommate on the other hand, needed some very delicately imparted words of encouragement to keep from committing said deadly sin. Trader Joe's, I have nothing to say to you, except that my grandmother (a.k.a. the Matriarch) swears by you. 'Nuff said.

5. Wine at Restaurants - 500% markup. You guys, Franzia isn't that bad.

6. DUN DA DUN!! College Textbooks - $900 a year. Here at the General Store Co-op we have a Textbook Rental program, renting select frequently used books for only $25!!

Direct quote from the article (this isn't just a ploy), "Don't worry, kids -- at the end of the semester, you can probably sell that $250 calculus book back to the bookstore for a buck or two." It's like, we're not the only one with brains?!?! Take it from us students, school sucks! So come to the General Store. We're over there.

1/27/10 - The General Store has hired 6 (yes six) wonderful new people, and will no longer be accepting applications. Come by and check out our dope new shipment of sunglasses that have freshly arrived. The rain is over (hopefully) and you'll need UV protection. We also now have Honest Tea for a limited time, come grab a bottle.

In other news, we still have all the awesome things you've come to love and expect from your friendly neighborhood T-Rex, like FREE Super Nintendo & N64, DVD rentals, and a fresh stock of the mini pumpkin hookahs that were so popular in 2009.

We're also actively looking for new artists and craftspeople to offer consignment deals to. For more information on this or anything else, shoot a quick e-mail to trex@generalstorecoop.com. roar.