The Real People of Wal-Mart

I'm tired, so this will be a short post. For those who don't know, I'm working two jobs right now. My "night job" is as a fill-in on air personality for 99.9 KTDY, which I do when one of the KTDY stars are out and need a "sub."

My "day" job is working as a merchandiser for Advantage Sales and Marketing, who services a number of companies, including SC Johnson ("A Family Company"). I work with SC Johnson products like Glade, Windex, and Ziploc. My merchandiser job takes me to all the Albertson's in Lafayette, the one in Broussard, and the one in Alexandria. The rest of the stores are, of course, Wal Marts, including the ones here in the Hub City and even all the way to distant Oakdale.

I worked as a merchandiser for Archway Cookies back at the turn of the new century, so this gig wasn't a completely unfamiliar experience. But that was roughly a decade ago, and what has changed is the advent of social media.

In that time, it's become a meme and a trend to photograph and mock people who shop at Wal Mart. We all know the site, which I won't plug here. It also seems that the employees of Wal Mart get bashed as well, as I've read dozens of diatribes and rants about Wal Mart employees.

A big part of what I do as a merchandiser involves doing the work these folks do, specifically, stocking. It's not easy, it's thankless, and it's what they're constantly required to do when they aren't helping a customer or making trips to the back room to get more product to put on the shelves. These folks are also victims of Obamacare and thus, their hours have been cut and they've lost benefits. This means less money for the same hard work, even if it's for fewer hours, and in the case of many folks, the necessity of a second job to make ends meet.

My point is this: the next time you're at Wal Mart and you see something on the floor, consider picking it up. That simple act will make someone's hard day a little easier. When you're standing in that check-out line, fit to be tied because there's only a few lanes open, remember that Wal Mart is having trouble keeping employees just like a lot of places are. Remember too that the people behind those counters are tired, overworked, and stressed, just like you and I are. They have families they want to support and would rather be with them than working a thankless job. Try to find the strength to be patient and kind and know that the cashiers aren't the ones who are to blame for the lack of other cashiers.

Also, realize that when a Wal Mart is clean and the shelves look stocked and appealing, that work was very likely done by an overnight crew who, I've learned, sometimes have to come right back a few hours later and work another shift.

Above all, please remember that each person you encounter brings with them the invisible baggage of their last five minutes, five hours, five days, five years, and more. And with only two hands to carry all that baggage, everyone needs a hand now and then.

A Soaring Spirit

After the abrupt end of my 9-year teaching career in April of 2012, I was plagued with a great deal of uncertainty as to what I wanted to do. I'd known for a while that I wanted to give radio a second shot after a dismal first attempt back in high school (the full story is a post for another day).

After trying to get a gig at then Regent Broadcasting for a number of years while also teaching, I'd given up. While doing a long-term sub at my alma mater, Vermilion Catholic, my wife and I decided I needed to attend a job fair. Long story short, I met two great ladies there and was able, finally, to get my foot in the door at Townsquare Media, home to KTDY, KPEL, the Dawg, and others.

I was impressed by all of the people I met, each a local celebrity whose voices were so familiar yet somewhat surprising emanating from faces I'd never seen. CJ, Debbie Ray, Steve Wiley, Bruce Mikels, Jude Walker, Bernadette Lee, Ken Romero, Brandon Comeaux, Nathan Pike, Stephanie Crist, and the guy who made me laugh out loud just about daily in college, Michael Scott, formerly "Tard" of Planet Radio.

And then there was John Falcon, a.k.a. Jaycee, who you definitely know if you listen to KTDY after 3 PM. I knew of Jaycee from the times I occasionally tuned in to KTDY in the afternoons, but I usually had the radio on KPEL for news after school.

Jaycee was the guy who got the probably not-so-enviable task of training this ginger newbie. I was intimidated by meeting the aforementioned people and just by being in the control rooms of the various stations, but Jaycee, a fellow Abbevillian, put me at ease instantly. John is easily one of the funniest, friendliest, kindest, and most generous people I've ever met. He gives without a second thought, is genuinely interested in and concerned about people, and is passionate about his work and helping others. He is also a remarkable educator in his own right, a fact I don't think he realizes but one that is nonetheless true. He allayed my numerous fears of being behind the mic and the board and gave me a foundation in broadcasting knowledge that has given me a confidence I wouldn't have imagined possible in the short amount of time I've been filling in at KTDY.


As I mentioned, John is passionate about helping people, especially those who have special needs. For the last eight years, he has been the heart, mind, and soul of The Jeep Jaunt, an annual event he created that benefits The American Lung Association. The Jaunt is his baby and has personal meaning to him; John lost his mother to asthma and wants to do all he can to lessen and hopefully one day end the suffering he watched his mother experience.



It's fitting John's last name is "falcon." When it comes to giving of his time, talent, and treasure to help others, his is a soaring spirit. John has been named Louisiana's Volunteer of the Year by The American Lung Association. Click here to read what the ALA wrote about John in the "Volunteer Vision" portion of their website, and click here to learn more about The Jeep Jaunt and The Jeep Jaunt Jam, which launches the registration for the 2013 Jeep Jaunt.

"The Wolverine"

I'm not going to write an in-depth movie review as in days past. Just a few thoughts about the "source material" of "The Wolverine" and a Sergio Leone review.

"The Wolverine" is allegedly based on the character's very first solo mini-series from back in 1982. Wolverine had become so popular in the pages of "The Uncanny X-Men" that he was given a six-issue miniseries by writer Chris Claremont and artist Frank Miller. If you're not a comic book fan, those names won't mean anything to you. That's fine, because after you read the story, you'll want to seek out their other work.



The mini-series sees Wolverine head to Japan for a cinematic and powerful adventure that explores his humanity and defines him as an honorable yet conflicted man, unsure of his mysterious past and at war with his bestial self, but possessed of a heroic nobility and honor. Do yourself a favor and get a print or digital copy of Wolverine, but only read it after you see "The Wolverine."

Why, you ask? Read on and you'll see.

The Good:

Hugh Jackman, though really too tall and too good-looking for the role, continues to embody Logan/Wolverine. He is the best thing about this film, which is how it should be. I believe Jackman is a great actor, so I hope that the next Wolverine film will give him a script he can really sink his claws into. He's fantastic in the action scenes and in the quiet moments.

The action, when it's happening, is exciting and fast-paced. There are a few scenes that offer something new in the realm of superhero action, which is refreshing.

The women are HOT. Yep, I know I'm married. My wife's okay with me writing this, as she think Jackman is hot. Whether it's the evil Viper, Wolverine's new love Mariko, his new friend Yukio, or old flame Jean Grey (Famke!!!), the women of "The Wolverine" are beautiful.

The story, while not up to par with the original Wolverine mini-series, is engaging and keeps your interest throughout.

The post-credit sequence is surprising and extremely well-done. It sets up the future of Wolverine's character in the films and the next X-Men film, due in theaters next summer.

The Bad:

The action is good, but it's far too intermittent and at times, it's got a serious case of shaky-cam, especially during some fight scenes.

I wanted more Wolverine action, i.e., slicing up the bad guys. In the same vein, I wanted to see a certain set-piece from the mini-series, in which Wolverine climbs the facade of a fortress-like building to get to save Mariko, taking out thugs and ninjas on the way up. The building is in the film...but no such sequence occurs. It's a shame, because how Wolverine gets inside in the film is pretty dull.

Though she is beautiful, the actress who plays the Viper overdoes almost every time she's onscreen. Her character is also poorly written and her powers are not well-defined or portrayed.

The Ugly:

Something happens to Wolverine (I don't want to spoil it!) that I found completely stupid and unnecessary. I imagine it will be undone in a future film, but it serves zero purpose and is just done for the sake of "being edgy," kind of like having Superman kill Zod in Man of Steel.

One thing that I didn't mind happening to Wolverine in this film gets telegraphed a little too clearly. I was glad it was undone, because it kept Wolverine from being able to "cut loose," but the way it happened was far too convenient and not really explained all that well.

This will seem a strange one, but hear me out. Every Wolverine film should be R-rated. If you know anything about the character from the comics, you know his stories are heavy on blood and violence. He's got unbreakable (most of the time!) claws in his hands...blood has to be spilled and is spilled often. That's part of the character's experience. Yet we get another PG-13 Wolverine movie, and while it is more violent than X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it still fails to deliver the goods.

Finally, there's a plot point that carries over from X-Men: The Last Stand that is far too integral to this film's plot. You will roll your eyes after the second time it comes into play in the film. It also sabotages something that's supposed to happen with Wolverine's new love interest, Mariko. It's one of the many reasons I had hoped this film would be set prior to the events of the X-Men films.

Overall: I give The Wolverine a B. It's worth seeing and worth seeing in theaters. If you've never read the source material, you'll enjoy it for what it is. Wolverine is, in my opinion, the most interesting Marvel character aside from Captain America, and this movie does a good job of showing what makes him so fascinating and fun.