I’m working on getting rid of the Walmart ad. Please stop it with all the damned emails. It annoys me too. Turn your speakers down.
Christ on a crutch.
by John Cole| 98 Comments
This post is in: Previous Site Maintenance, Assholes
I’m working on getting rid of the Walmart ad. Please stop it with all the damned emails. It annoys me too. Turn your speakers down.
Christ on a crutch.
Comments are closed.
Kryptik
And people wonder why so many use things like AdBlock and NoScript so much…
Zam
I barely even notice the thing.
The Dangerman
I really LIKED the Walmart ad. Buggers!
Gozer
Heh…I was just about to post that I’ve never encountered the Wal-Mart ad.
One second after hitting the comments button…
asiangrrlMN
Thanks, Cole. It’s the only one that bugs me.
Pavlov's Dog
I thought it was just me, have cleared all my cookies several times trying to get rid of it.
stuckinred
Leave da kid alone.
licensed to kill time
I like the fact that you are responsive to your Commentariat’s complaints, though a bit surprised you didn’t tell us all to go to hell. Considering your dark and pessimistic mood and all, you have shown remarkable restraint!
TuiMel
“This blog is Obama’s Katrina”
Thanks for that. A good chuckle.
Corner Stone
Just replace it with another Evony ad…and we’re good.
jeffreyw
Comments here remind me of the chatter around the hummingbird feeders.
jeffreyw
Some shrimp for a snack?
Mino
Is this an open thread?
I remember a question about glucosamine chondroitin in a previous post. If you decide to try it, be sure to get a product that contains the sulfate form, not the chloride. Our experience with dogs showed a superior results with the sulfate.
Another supplement you might be interested in researching is serrapeptase.
Mkay, that’s all the unsolicited advice for today.
Phyllis
I thought it was Christ on a cracker.
stuckinred
@jeffreyw: Coconut? I’ve got chicken on the grill, blackeyed peas and lacinato kale up on the burner!
stuckinred
@Phyllis: No, it’s Jesus H. Christ on a kiddie car!
jeffreyw
@stuckinred: Nope, just rolled in panko. Thinkin steaks and twice baked taters later.
stuckinred
@jeffreyw: Ah carne, it’s been soooo long!
Ella in NM
WHAT Walmart ad?
And besides, who can still get totally morally outraged by Walmart anymore, especially in light of every other fricking thing there is to get totally morally outraged about in America lately? Sounds like a big waste of energy. Life’s short–go sniff a flower or hug a kid or something.
licensed to kill time
@Phyllis: How about Christ in a crosswalk hit by a car?
The Moar You Know
What Walmart ad?
Right now I see a NutriSystem ad, a Coda ad, an amazon link, and that one ad where the woman turns from a blimp into a Barbie doll. That’s it.
stuckinred
Here’s the smoked fish I made for the smoked fish tacos!
Corner Stone
@The Moar You Know: If you don’t see at least one Evony ad then you should complain to management.
demkat620
Don’t. You. Dare.
I’ve already won 10,000 in Walmart gift cards. How can you stop me now?
FYWP!
Delia
Does this mean I’m not going to get the $1,000 Walmart certificate? Jeez, I never win anything.
Bad Horse's Filly
Ah, John’s yelling at us, all is right with my world. Did you kiss your mother with that mouth today? Is is Mother’s Day after all.
robertdsc
I’ve never seen it. Sorry it’s causing so much trouble.
Kryptik
My favorite blasphemy is probably Sweet Crunchy Christ.
I blame Dogma and the ‘Hosties’ cereal picture on the special DVD set.
Mary G
John must be in a pretty good mood today; usually he calls us jackasses.
frankdawg
why the f are they bothering you about the stupid ads? like its your fault? Hey I got a great idea, if you hate ads that much send John a couple of hundred bucks so he can run this without ads.
Failing that, turn your speakers off, get ad blocker, grow tougher skin.
Really, do you bitch to E because the commercials that come on while you watch Douche Bags of Armpit County?
Michael G
Don’t stop now, I’m a Wal*Mart millionaire!!!
eemom
let the record reflect that I never sent you an e-mail. I suffered in silence.
Rosalita
well it doesn’t help when you are trying to keep a low profile while enjoying BJ at work….
frankdawg
@Kryptik:
My current fav is Jesse Crist on a kangaroo.
jl
The ‘Tunch is Watching You’ add scares me. I had a nightmare about it last night. What kind of organization is putting up a scary thing like that? Some kind of conspiracy site?
kindness
Aww take Walmart’s money. The only ad I’ve clicked on off your page is the ‘Tunch is watching you’ swag page. I’m sorry, I admit I haven’t bought a shirt yet. I will. Anyway, Walmart is preferable to the whining lying political ads, even if they both share many of the same attributes.
mr. whipple
Nooooooooooo! I’ve already won $1,200,000 in free gift certificates. It’s the only thing keeping me going in this crappy economy!
General Egali Tarian Stuck
No mo complaints from moi. With my new libtard DOGOODER adblock, I am learning all sorts of cool stuff. Like
Worn out computer disks make pretty good coasters
or
Vinegar and soda make good cleaner. I did not know that.
And no voice ads
Earth Mother is pleased, and so am I.
edit – AND every time you click on a dogooder ad it sends money to a worthy cause
Polish the Guillotines
Dallas Braden just threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays! AWESOME!
HeartlandLiberal
Not blaming or fussing at John, but just for the sake of argument on the topic, here is commentary by a leading privacy and Internet Neutrality on the topic of in your face ads that start blaring the moment you hit a web site from his newsletter this weekend:
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 2:50 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ PRIVACY Forum ] New York Times Joins the Obnoxious "Autoplay Audio" Ad Club
KDP
@Ella in NM: It’s not that it’s Walmart, per se. It’s that it talks to you. Easy to ignore an ad that just sits there to the side with, perhaps, a bit of flash or animated jpg shapeshifting, but the Walmart ad promised you a 1000.00 gift certificate, out loud.
I was virtuous and posted one complaint in one thread right after it appeared. Now, I have not seen the ad in days.
Ah well, back to drafting the results section of my research project. Only one week to honors convocation. Only one month to commencement. At the ripe age of 54, I will finally have my BA.
============
Wrote too soon. I think that typing W**mart in my comment triggered the ad to load. As soon as I saved, what did I get but another promise that I’d been selected to receive 1000.00 Walmart gift card.
Napoleon
To the person who last week posted something about how their kid did a report/video on the Kent State shootings, the Cleveland Plain Dealer today had a story that using current technology experts using a tape that a communications student had made by placing a mic in his dorm window and recording everything going on during the riot on a reel to reel have isolated the order from Guard officer telling his troops to get ready to fire just seconds before the Guard fired volleys of rounds into the students.
Fern
@Polish the Guillotines: Would that not be boring to watch? Because, you know, there was even less happening than there usually is in a baseball game?
Comrade Kevin
@Polish the Guillotines: Watching that game was great.
Napoleon
F-ing Cavs just lost again.
jl
NY Times Sunday Columns:
Rich gives a nice factual rundown of why criticism of useless flatulent press at fatuous dinner is justified. I think Digby may be self-righteous and whiney at times, but she made a valid point about the press being useless in one of her posts last week.
Kristoff gives a useful uplifting column with some useful facts relevant to Mom’s Day, with links to reliable and relevant sources. Kristoff also finds some room to mention that the US has its own little public health matricide problem, and something otta be done about it, in addition to difficulties in officially poor countries.
Friedman produces one of the worst economic columns I remember reading. Is it possible to give a grade lower than F minus? Bad analysis, misleading use of factoids, no links to any (let alone respectable) sources for facts or analysis. Wrong on Greek financial crisis, wrong on UK economy, wrong in problem with US Social Security. Complete with idiotic fairy tale at the top.
Do not pay any attention to Tom Friedman on economics. Reapeat, do not pay any attention to Tom Fredman on economics. If you meet anyone who refers to Tom Friedman’s economic analysis in anything but complete utter contempt, slowly explain to them that Friedman would not be able to pass an Econ 101 class.
Lord, what an awful column.
Read Krugman.
Friedman must have been short on deadline after all the press dinner parties, maybe hungover, what else could be the explanation? What an arrogant ignorant meritricious waste of paper and electrons.
Edit: especially read Krugman on the Greece and Euro crisis. He is the only one writing good economic analysis in plain English on this topic. Read Krugman until you understand then if subject comes up at your swank NY cocktail parties, slowly explain things to people.
This has been a economic intellectual hygeine public service announcement.
jeffreyw
@stuckinred:
Yum!
[This comment brought to you by the fine folks at Pizza Hut.]
chrome agnomen
i keep clicking on the ad and a blank page keeps coming up! that’s what pisses me off!
Polish the Guillotines
@Fern: Boring?! No way!
First of all, the pace of the game increases because the losing side gets retired three-up, three-down every inning. Second, you’re on pins and needles any time the opposing team makes contact: Will the ball be caught? Will the batter be thrown out? Third, the defense makes other-worldly plays to protect the pitcher’s effort.
Finally, in the entire hundred-some-odd year history of Major League baseball, this is only the 19th perfect game anyone’s pitched. It’s historic.
chrome agnomen
@jl:
meretricious is so apt for friedman. the archaic definition is ‘of or relating to a prostitute’.
Comrade Javamanphil
Mac, Safari and ClicktoFlash FTW!
Polish the Guillotines
@Comrade Kevin: I only wish I’d been there, but I’m glad I was able to see it with my son. This was his first year in little league, so I he’s pretty dialed into the A’s. He doesn’t totally get the significance, but eventually he will.
Dallas was just… perfect.
Mike The Dealer
I just want the sexy high heels ads back.
Martin
@Comrade Javamanphil: No shit. Firefox and Chrome have equally good flash blockers, so there’s really no excuse to suffer through these things.
Brachiator
I kinda liked it. I think I’ve racked up 50 grand in gift cards.
demkat620
@Polish the Guillotines: Nice. Did he check with A-Rod first before extending his fifteen minutes of fame?
And while we are on the topic, FTFY.
Polish the Guillotines
@demkat620: I have a feeling the next time Braden starts against the Yankees, A-Rod’s gonna get plunked. I’m just speculating, but I believe Braden thinks this too.
Semper FTFY.
soonergrunt
Do you get click thru income or are you paid just for hosting the ad? IF you get click thru, let us know. I click most ads on here at least once, just in case, but I almost never buy anything.
In any event, Wal Mart is what it is because people want cheap crap at low prices.
People claim they don’t, and sometimes that claim is actually true, but for most people most of the time that claim is a lie.
Wal Mart exists because we support it. All those billions in revenue don’t just happen after all.
demo woman
Thanks John, I did not realize that we could email you to bitch.
SiubhanDuinne
@KDP #41: Congratulations, only slightly in advance!
WereBear
I keep my speakers off anyway. I just loathe Wal-Mart.
AhabTRuler
@Napoleon: That’s been out for a couple years, but I remember being not terribly surprised that the “no order to fire” bullshit was bullshit.
AhabTRuler
@demo woman: Please do. After all, we do have these new ads to cut down on complaints.
OT: It looks like we are back to standing around and scratching our heads in the gulf, don’t it.
gnomedad
Why are people emailing John instead of sharing their invective with the rest of us?
Corner Stone
@Napoleon:
God in Heaven.
jeffreyw
Don’t click this if you don’t like your steaks rare.
jl
@gnomedad:
Excellent point. What is happening to commenter standards at this here blog, anyway?
I’ll start. I don’t like golf. No more golf adds. And no fat chick ads. And no dieting ads, which make me feel bad because my healthful slimming diet and exercise program is working about as well as Tunch’s.
Seriously, Cole should let us know if it helps to click. If so, I will click away. Won’t buy anything except B-J pet gear, though. At least at Walmart. Maybe something else, but not Walmart.
Edit: it will be interesting to see whether Walmart is willing to advertise here anymore.
jeffreyw
Mmm…twice baked.
jeffreyw
Good ‘murkin beefsteak, none of that fancy French stuff.
Citizen_X
No more free gift cards? Now how am I going to finish redoing my roof?
arguingwithsignposts
@jl:
I don’t think it’s actually Wal-Mart that is doing this shit. Their marketing department is probably smarter than to do that kind of thing.
Polish the Guillotines
@jeffreyw:
@jeffreyw:
@jeffreyw:
Can I come over for dinner?
Napoleon
@Corner Stone:
Here is the story:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/05/new_analysis_of_40-year-old_re.html
Glen Tomkins
Hey!
I thought that I was the winner! I’m counting on that $1,000 gift certificate, so the rest of you — back off!
jeffreyw
@Polish the Guillotines:
Sure! Lemme know in plenty of time to disarm the booby traps. Don’t forget the password.
Jennifer
You mean there was a graphic component to that ad? I never saw one because it irked me so much that I would immediately hit the refresh button to make it stop. And yes, I complained about it in comments. IMO, the most offensive thing about it is that it was a lie – NO ONE here got a $1000 Wal-Mart gift card. That alone was reason enough to get rid of it – a reputable site like John’s shouldn’t be associated with disreputable advertising. All of that is quite aside from my visceral dislike of Wal-Mart, and I am one of those who practices what they preach – I’ve not set foot in one of them in closing on 10 years, and for at least 5 years prior to that, probably spent less than $100 in their stores per year on the rare occasions I would go because I needed something I couldn’t find elsewhere. Ever since the internets though, there’s never been anything I couldn’t find elsewhere, so my life has been happily 100% Wal-Mart free for years now.
Comrade Javamanphil
@Martin: I am an Apple fanboy of the worst sort but even I think they go too far to often. With that said, I am 100% Jobs and his efforts against Flash.
fourlegsgood
Can I email you about other things? important matters like kittehs?
Not that I have anything to say, I just wanna keep my options open. :-)
Kristine
@Corner Stone:
Oh goody. More Tits Ahoy.
Don’t those ads ever feature any men? I know women who game. Don’t they deserve eye candy, too?
flukebucket
I never understood why a problem that was so easy to solve was ever considered to be a problem at all.
tenkindsofgrumpy
You have ads?
scav
privacy on the toobz? consensus seemed to be who cares or expects it. but annoying ads? pitchforks! funny
Gus
@flukebucket: ’cause some of us like to read BJ at work, while listening to music. It’s just a really fucking annoying ad.
Martin
@Comrade Javamanphil: There’s no real effort against Flash, actually. Adobe still can’t get it working on mobile devices. Seems to take the wind out of the ideological sails when technologically there’s nothing there.
KCinDC
And yet he’s now embraced the horrible weight-loss ads, despite keeping this blog a blessed haven from the things for so long. I don’t understand how so many blogs are taking the hit to their appearance and reputations of those bloating-woman ads. Does the company pay ten times what normal ads sell for?
Corner Stone
@Kristine: No. Bewbs. From left to right and right to left.
TooManyJens
Here are some options for muting unwanted sounds from your browser:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Muting_browser
Onkel Bob
Couple things need to be said… First, it’s not wal-mart that’s blasting those ads, it’s a disreputable marketing machine that is using the lure of a Wal-mart card to get customers to fill in silly surveys and sign up for other revenue draining products.
Second, just like on commercial tv you bound to run into some ads that are annoying. unless you are willing to pay the premium for Showtime or HBO, you gotta live with them; it’s capitalism, with the little “c.”
Susan S
Ah John, Its been a strange sad Mothers Day..and you’ve got people fussing about an ad. So,lets talk about my Mom for a bit. She was born in 1922. My grandfather, the head of a huge lumber mill, committed suicide two weeks later. Her mother died of cancer when she was sixteen. She married my father in 1943. He went off to war; she was pregnant with twins immediately. In April of 1946 she told the Navy doctors she didn’t feel well; she was pregnant with me and had two year old twin daughters. The Navy doctors told her she was just lonely. After she fell down a flight of stairs, they knew it was polio.
For the next seven months she lay on her back, paralyzed. She blamed me for the polio, and it made for an interesting childhood. But my mother was also delighted when I married a man of color in 1969; she detested racial or ethnic jokes. She overcompensated for the paralysis for over fifty years; she was an angry wife, a selfish mother. But the basics,the critical parts..she aced. In 2008 she voted for a Democrat for President for the first time.. she liked Obama’s mind and his books. For the last six months she lay shriveled in a nursing home, her worst nightmare realized. Today, on Mother’s Day, she died. My daughter called it God’s Mothers Day present to my mom.
The Walmart ad just doesn’t seem so big a deal,no? Happy Mothers Day,John.
Steeplejack
@jl:
So pretty much as usual, then?
Steeplejack
@Susan S:
My condolences on the death of your mother.
Yutsano
@Kristine: FYI women aren’t the only inhabitants of this blog who appreciate male eye candy. I’m just sayin’.
And I swear y’all ain’t happy. If it isn’t jumping alligators it’s cartoon lesbyterian porn (which I only complained about because even the ad was very NSFW) and then the three talking ads (there were three you know but I only heard bitching about the Walmart ones, Amber just got mocked and the third seemed to be completely ignored), if I were John I’d be cranky as all get out too. Y’all ain’t never happy.
(edited to hopefully not break the thread. FYWP.)
General Egali Tarian Stuck
@Susan S: Oh wow. so sorry Susan S. I lost my mother twenty five years ago. Nobody can take the place of your mom, and nobody loves you like she does. Even with conflicts.
different church-lady
This:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433
brantl
Feedback, JC, it’s a wonderful thing.
asiangrrlMN
@Susan S: So sorry for your loss. My deepest condolences.
@Yutsano: Hey, I’ve only complained about the talking ads. The rest, I don’t care, but I do not want ads talking at me every freaking time I load a page. Is it a big deal in the scheme of things? No. Still.
@Kristine: I like boobs, don’t get me wrong, but the Evony ads just skeeve me out.
P.S. stuckinred, you’re giving jeffreyw a run for his money in the cooking department.
memory
Why do you need to get rid of the Wal-Mart ad. They’re giving you money to advertize to people who aren’t going to shop at their store. Seems like everyone but Wal-Mart wins.
Gus
@Susan S: Susan S, my condolences on the loss of your remarkable mother.