Wrath of Grapes

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Focus50 -> Wrath of Grapes (12/10/2006 2:43:41 AM)
It's been a slow weekend and I can't find any threads of interest. But today had its moments.... Summer is here once more (in Oz) and we share a love/hate relationship.... Not looking forward to the coming 40deg + days but I do love those seedless white grapes in the supermarket fruit stands at this time of year. And not just for the good eating.... I confess I get a cheap n evil thrill from loitering a few extra minutes around the grapes and watching the oldies and women especially, help themselves to a "free sample" or two. Maybe one in two will actually bag some for purchase but the rest treat them as just that - a treat.... And today was extra funny; in the space of about 3 minutes, an old bloke actually did three laps, taking a few grapes each time. He looked guilty as hell, too, keeping a suspicious eye on everyone around except (apparently) the 6' 2", 17 stone Dom only 10 metres away and desperately trying not to crack up hysterically! And when he did finally bust me (damn!), I held up an apple for him but he obviously had limits.... Dunno about other places but in Oz, there is definitley a culture that says it's ok to steal the odd grape.... And I once punished a sub for doing so, like I'd be ok about it. "Everyone does it", she said, and I reminded her that "everyone" doesn't represent me in public. She got all pouty with it and I was fortunate enough to find a shopping trolley with a flat spot on one wheel that I had her wheel about the store while we shopped. Note: she was generally shy and always reluctant to draw attention to herself so the trolley was perfect as it clunked along on the hard floors. She was under specific instructions to keep her head held high and her face expressionless at anyone drawn to the racket it made.... I later explained that getting busted for stealing, even a miserable grape eveyone steals, is exactly the kind of attention I don't like drawn to me, most esp including those who represent me! Loitering around the effin grapes.... <shakes head> No real point or questions here; just hoping this week will be more interesting.... Damn I need someone to torture again! Focus.

mgdartist -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/10/2006 3:32:17 AM)
granted, slow weekend.

Chaingang -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/10/2006 5:04:27 AM)
I love fruit: white nectarines, asian pears, fuji apples, roasted red bell peppers, etc. If there is an option to try before I buy, believe me I take it. And grapes top the list of try before buying. I feel ripped off when I spend upward of $2 USD a pound for fruit and then it's not any good or flavorful in the way I would have wished. I hate it when it spoils overnight too (strawberries and raspberries top that list). How about aromatic but flavorless melon or cantaloupe? What gives with that? Anyway, I don't think it's uncool to try one or two grapes with the intention of buying. But if the grapes suck, I just move on with the purchase unmade.

MmakeMme -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/10/2006 5:28:17 AM)
~smiling at Focus~ It sounds like a punishment my Sir would come up with. Mind you, I love attention so that particular punishment would only reinforce my desire to show poorly; however, your reasoning "Everyone doesn't represent me in public" after she had a pout at you ... ~smiling smiling~ ... and choosing such an effective punishment for her personality ... very endearing. And holding an apple out to that man. ~chuckle~ Classic. I can see that as a movie scene. That was an entirely lovely story. By the way, it's winter here and I am ~jealous~ of your summer.

sub4hire -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/10/2006 7:09:35 AM)
It it the same way here in the US. A theif is a theif plain and simple. People steal grapes the same way. Most all of those people will also give you many reasons why it is ok to steal. Yet theft is theft. No other way around it. It would'nt really hit a person until they got arrested for doing so. People have in the past and they will in the future. These sort of cases get a lot of attention usually.

gypsygrl -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/10/2006 12:51:38 PM)
Oh my gosh. I can't imagine eating grapes like that. And, I don't think I've really seen other people do it either. It seems so wrong. And I'd be afraid someone would see me. Besides, shouldn't fruit be washed before you eat it?

Emperor1956 -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/10/2006 1:24:42 PM)
Why is it ok to pilfer a grape or two, but when I sample the raw chicken, everyone makes a big fuss? E.

Chaingang -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/10/2006 1:54:34 PM)
Geez, the store I go to is set out with free samples all the time: cheese and crackers, deli meats, fruit, bread, etc. This is not a big deal. Many stores also no longer handle produce or meats properly any longer. Seriously, how often have you seen strawberries covered in that grotesque green furry mold while still piled neatly for sale? Don't they know no one wants to buy already spoiled fruit? If it takes that long to get it to market, then their farm to market process is up the spout. I have also seen produce bins in front of stores sweltering in direct sunlight - that's not too bright either. Right now Asian Pears are at $3-4 USD a pound. What are my options when the fruit sucks? Should I take it back? That's a lot of hassle and simply unlikely after I've sliced it up and settled down to watch a movie. Last week we got some pears from my favorite produce department at my favorite store and afterward they tasted completely watery, bland and just not delicious in any of the ways I want the big yellow asian pears to be - not crunchy, sweet or succulent. Honestly, I should have taken them back - it's like buying spoiled meat in that it simply wasn't what I expected I was buying. Last night we bought one single Asian pear from the store I have deemed to normally have the worst possible produce department and the pear was excellent! So sure, today we go back for a sack of these tasty pears. I'm not going to buy $10-15 USD of these pears until I have a taste one way or another. It's give and take, people. I sometimes don't return fruit I would have felt perfectly justified in taking back AND sometimes I try a grape before buying the whole bag. Seems perfectly fair to me. I am not a thief, I am a regular consumer. They make their profit on me, fear not. What's really missing from the equation is people knowing each other's faces. In actuality, the people at the store I prefer do know my face. I know the cheese counter guy, the meat and deli counter people, and I regularly converse with the store manager who is a really sweet guy. If I asked them if I could try a grape or strawberry before buying they would without a doubt oblige me. I find this kind of thread interesting because I am a very active buyer of food at grocery stores as I rarely eat out at restaurants. My sub is still training in how to select food according to my tastes so we go together all the time - like most younger americans, she doesn't know shit about food. Stunningly, she didn't know what jicama, radishes, roasted bell peppers or swordfish tasted like before she came to be with me. How is this possible? I can tell you right now, that the way it is possible is precisely part of what is wrong with modern america as a culture. The culture is dead except for pre-packaged shit. I recently watched all six seasons of "Sex and the City" on DVD. Does anyone remember the last relationship Carrie has with a man named Aleksandr Petrovsky? I'd say that relationship epitomizes my own relationship to most americans. He cooks, she practically pats herself on the back for being unable to do so. He can make a serious cup of coffee, she considers such a kind of magic working. Basically, she's a cultural infant in all matters except fucking, vogue fashions and those fugly Manolo Blahnik shoes she adores. In actual fact, the woman's tastes are a regular source of ridicule by the audience of the show - even those that enjoy haute couture and prêt-à-porter. It's funny that the men she attracts are highly capable men that can cook and build and create, but she only has her endless self-obsessed and bullshit commentary. That's her "mad skillz" set. Bah! Food selection and preparation is an excellent excuse to bring family together. I enjoy discussing recipes and preparation techniques with my close family and friends. And people need to know these things. I can't think of a person of a serious and living culture that doesn't know these things. Food is culture.

NakedOnMyChain -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 12:33:11 AM)
Hehehe. There was an episode of "Scrubs" on about that the other day. Oh, how I love that show. Anyway, I've never eaten anything in the supermarket. Never will, either (unless I come upon some unforseen circumstance of poverty that would have me stealing to feed my children. If it was that, or they starve, I'd steal.) I could see how someone would, though, provided they had intent to buy. But if they're simply grazing that's just plain wrong. Hmmm... now that I think about it, I don't know anyone who does it either. Maybe it's the produce version of Bigfoot! Everyone has heard about it, there may be some blurry and possibly doctored footage somewhere, but no one has actually seen it poke its head out in the civilized world. Conspiracy. <shrug>

NakedOnMyChain -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 12:49:36 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Chaingang I recently watched all six seasons of "Sex and the City" on DVD. Does anyone remember the last relationship Carrie has with a man named Aleksandr Petrovsky? I'd say that relationship epitomizes my own relationship to most americans. He cooks, she practically pats herself on the back for being unable to do so. He can make a serious cup of coffee, she considers such a kind of magic working. Basically, she's a cultural infant in all matters except fucking, vogue fashions and those fugly Manolo Blahnik shoes she adores. In actual fact, the woman's tastes are a regular source of ridicule by the audience of the show - even those that enjoy haute couture and prêt-à-porter. It's funny that the men she attracts are highly capable men that can cook and build and create, but she only has her endless self-obsessed and bullshit commentary. That's her "mad skillz" set. Bah! HAHAHAHAHA! Manolo Blahniks! Ugly! <cough> Ok, you're right, they really are. They really, truly are. I would rather pay someone several hundred dollars not to have to wear them. In fact, I'd rather go barefoot. (Wait... I'd rather go barefoot anyway.) Honestly, I've found cuter shoes in the dollar bin at Walmart. I'm not joking. It really bothers me that someone can have enough money to blow six hundred dollars on shoes, and have their taste all in their mouth... and apparently not even there. Most of the crap they wear on that show is just that: crap. Not many people I know would be caught dead in public with it on. If you can't tell, I hate that show. "Oh, I'm gorgeous, I'm wearing a three-thousand dollar band-aid and two pom-poms, and I'm horny! Love me!" That's the exact attitude I despise whole-heartedly. My apologies for that little rant. Back to topic, like you said, food is culture. The old adage, "You are what you eat," pops into mind. Yes, when I'm feeling lazy or I really don't have time I've been known to visit McDonald's or throw a Hot Pocket in the microwave. It satisfies my hunger, but it certainly doesn't tempt the palate. I would prefer to be able to eat something more... appetizing, more... natural, every time. I don't have that luxury, but I cook as often as I am able (nearly every night), and I love using the freshest ingredients I can find. I'm in love with my local farmer's market. Honestly, you can tell a lot about a person by what they choose to put in their bodies (we're talking food here, perverts.) [:D] You can tell much about their culture, ethnicity, upbringing, income, or knowledge just from the cut of meat they select and the seasonings they use. Good food is so many things. Good food is interesting. Good food is meant to be enjoyed. Good food lends itself to conversation and friendship, to sharing. Good food gives life depth and seasoning. Beat that, McDonald's.

Emperor1956 -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 1:05:20 AM)
quote: NakedOnMyChain: Anyway, I've never eaten anything in the supermarket. Never will, either (unless I come upon some unforseen circumstance of poverty that would have me stealing to feed my children. If it was that, or they starve, I'd steal.) Someday, in the not too distant future, you will be pushing a shopping cart down the frozen food aisle of the local Meijers or Krogers with toddler en carte. Said adorable, perfect child will erupt a tooth, and suddenly, you will be the focal point of attention as a sound akin to all of the Demons from Hell screaming of the coming of the Apocalypse (but louder) will be eminating from said beloved child's mouth. You will try to quiet your child, which will have the sole result of quintupling the volume of the shreiking. You will be the center of everyone's attention in the store. If you ever wondered if you were aroused by public humiliation, you will now know the answer. You will not be aroused. And you will see a bag of Lenders' Frozen Bagels in the freezer case. You will grab said bag, tear it open and shove a frozen bagel into the screaming maw of your offspring...and for a short time, you (and the rest of Lafayette) will find peace. And then tell us all how you never will open up a bag of food in the supermarket. E.

NeedToUseYou -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 1:17:35 AM)
Personally I've never munched on something in a store without paying for it. I've drunk whole bottles of soda before, or munched a candy bar and then had them ring it up at the checkout. They really don't seem to care about that, I have no idea about eating stuff and not paying.

Chaingang -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 1:21:17 AM)
Just for the record, the store in question is not handing out samples of crap - these samples are from their bakery, excellent gourmet deli meats, excellent gourmet cheeses from around the world, fresh fruit sliced from what's available in the produce section, etc. All good stuff. Trader Joe's often has good stuff to sample also. And you try because you are a legitimate consumer, not because you are cheap. I shop at different stores because that's how I get the best stuff all around, not because it's easier in terms of time or in any way cheaper (think gasoline costs if nothing else). If I find myself at Costco on those afternoons with samples being handed out I mainly just pass on all of that junk. I like Costco, but they also sell a lot of stuff that would never pass my lips.

Bluebird -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 1:33:30 AM)
When I worked in a grocery during college, I was always annoyed and appalled at the moms pushing a cart with 4 rugrats, each with a bagel or an apple stuffed in their grubby little faces. Since items needed to be weighed to be rung up, I figured they were doing it on purpose because there was no way to I could weigh a half-gnawed item covered in baby spit. Now, well - I wouldn't presume to judge so quickly. Items picked off the shelves are far from clean, but I guess kids kiss their doggies on the lips too!

Focus50 -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 2:07:10 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: MmakeMme ~smiling at Focus~ It sounds like a punishment my Sir would come up with. Mind you, I love attention so that particular punishment would only reinforce my desire to show poorly; however, your reasoning "Everyone doesn't represent me in public" after she had a pout at you ... ~smiling smiling~ ... and choosing such an effective punishment for her personality ... very endearing. And holding an apple out to that man. ~chuckle~ Classic. I can see that as a movie scene. That was an entirely lovely story. By the way, it's winter here and I am ~jealous~ of your summer. Lol, the trolley with a flat-spotted wheel was pure luck! There's usually fifty or so trolleys in the bays at any one time and people tend to push any damaged ones off to one side and grab a good one. I specifically sought a damaged one for her to struggle with, preferably one of those that just wanna go left or right etc; anywhere except where you try to direct them. But as luck had it, the first one I tried was easy to steer (I'd never want her to actually strain something anyway), it just had that horrible clunk. So with a suitably huge grin of approval on my face, she got her trolley and instructions about keeping a straight face and head proudly held high, and we shopped.... [:D] It was 35 but felt even hotter here today. I've never experienced snow but I think I'd like to swap for your Winter right now.... lol Focus.

Focus50 -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 2:20:22 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: gypsygrl Oh my gosh. I can't imagine eating grapes like that. And, I don't think I've really seen other people do it either. It seems so wrong. And I'd be afraid someone would see me. Besides, shouldn't fruit be washed before you eat it? Lol, you seem genuuinely shocked. Mum always taught us to wash fruit before eating it, mostly because of insecticides etc.... But with grapes, I wash them because of potential paw prints.... lol Btw, she was a shameless sampler in her own right, too! When you take anyone to task over trying a grape first, most will say in all innocence that you've gotta check the taste first! Yet it never occurs to any of them to take a bite out of a peach or apple etc first. Like my old bloke in the OP, they do draw the line somewhere.... Focus.

Chaingang -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 4:25:10 AM)
I don't draw that line and it does occur to me to want samples of other fruit. Quality fruit often costs more per pound than meat, so I like to be enticed to purchase. I much prefer samples be made available. I don't know where you folks shop, but the stores I shop at are relatively clean. I enjoy the routine samples of many of the items for sale. As far as open air/farmer markets go - no shortage of those either nor of samples. You may want to call a sample grape theft, but that's really quite lunatic. If it can be sampled I will sample it. If the sample spoils the fruit (as it would for apples etc) then I leave it to the store to serve me some samples now and again to remind me of their quality standards. But I feel zero guilt sampling that which I intend to buy. Has anyone worked at a market? How many pounds of those $4 a pound grapes get tossed because of consumer ignorance? I expect a lot gets tossed. Same with raspberries and strawberries too. Why should people wish to pay high prices for fruit the quality of which they are unable to ascertain? And all of those fruit are highly perishable - if you miss your chance to consume them in the first two days you may have to toss them. All of this factors into price of course - if they sold more they could charge less and waste less. In my opinion, worrying about the odd pilfered grape is penny wise and pound foolish. If nothing else, I will try to talk to my buddy at the local store and find out the answers to those questions. I will report back with the answers if I can.

Celeste43 -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 7:29:47 AM)
I complained at length to the produce manager about why the bags of grapes weren't weighed and priced before being put on the shelf. If you have small children and they get hungry, you can't let them eat the grapes and then pay for the bag at the checkout. Instead you have to open a box of cookies and pay for that at the end. What it means is that a mother of young children can't buy grapes and pay for them without having the small children whine during the shopping trip. Instead they force you to buy unhealthy food.

NakedOnMyChain -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/11/2006 9:08:58 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Emperor1956 Someday, in the not too distant future, you will be pushing a shopping cart down the frozen food aisle of the local Meijers or Krogers with toddler en carte. Said adorable, perfect child will erupt a tooth, and suddenly, you will be the focal point of attention as a sound akin to all of the Demons from Hell screaming of the coming of the Apocalypse (but louder) will be eminating from said beloved child's mouth. You will try to quiet your child, which will have the sole result of quintupling the volume of the shreiking. You will be the center of everyone's attention in the store. If you ever wondered if you were aroused by public humiliation, you will now know the answer. You will not be aroused. And you will see a bag of Lenders' Frozen Bagels in the freezer case. You will grab said bag, tear it open and shove a frozen bagel into the screaming maw of your offspring...and for a short time, you (and the rest of Lafayette) will find peace. And then tell us all how you never will open up a bag of food in the supermarket. E. LOL. That's a little different, because I would intend to buy the product. If you buy it afterward, it's not so wrong. And also, what's all this future stuff? The wee man is sprouting teeth at the ripe old age of three months. No joke. The poor guy started the drooling feverish fussiness last week.

Focus50 -> RE: Wrath of Grapes (12/12/2006 12:29:28 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Chaingang I don't draw that line and it does occur to me to want samples of other fruit. Quality fruit often costs more per pound than meat, so I like to be enticed to purchase. I much prefer samples be made available. I don't know where you folks shop, but the stores I shop at are relatively clean. I enjoy the routine samples of many of the items for sale. As far as open air/farmer markets go - no shortage of those either nor of samples. You may want to call a sample grape theft, but that's really quite lunatic. If it can be sampled I will sample it. If the sample spoils the fruit (as it would for apples etc) then I leave it to the store to serve me some samples now and again to remind me of their quality standards. But I feel zero guilt sampling that which I intend to buy. Has anyone worked at a market? How many pounds of those $4 a pound grapes get tossed because of consumer ignorance? I expect a lot gets tossed. Same with raspberries and strawberries too. Why should people wish to pay high prices for fruit the quality of which they are unable to ascertain? And all of those fruit are highly perishable - if you miss your chance to consume them in the first two days you may have to toss them. All of this factors into price of course - if they sold more they could charge less and waste less. In my opinion, worrying about the odd pilfered grape is penny wise and pound foolish. If nothing else, I will try to talk to my buddy at the local store and find out the answers to those questions. I will report back with the answers if I can. I intended to answer a few more posts than I did last night but a fierce electrical storm changed my mind about being online.... There's a world of difference to me about a store offering taste samples of assorted food and people simply taking it upon themselves to chow down uninvited. If a friend has fallen on hard times and borrows $5 daily from me for whatever reason and I'm ok about giving it, that's still not nearly the same as him presuming I'm ok about it and just taking $5 I might have left laying around. My right of ownership (and choice) has been taken from me.... While it's normal and accepted practice to try clothes on before you buy or take a potential new car for a test drive etc, consumables, esp perishables, is a whole other matter, IMO. To me, no-one is entitled to just take a bite out of anything that is not theirs, even when "everyone does it"! The place in question (from my OP) is a branch of Australia's largest grocery chain and there's no questions of cleanliness etc, though we're still not talking about a sterile and filtered environment. And they wouldn't be idiots running it either; they'd undoubtedly factor in systemic pilfering when setting a grape price - I'd certainly add 5 or even 10% to the sale price if I was managing to cover expected losses.... So we all pay anyway. sub4hire is correct; of course it's theft! But ok, not something the Police are likely to be called for.... And I probably wouldn't have punished my girl at the time if she'd just taken my rebuke without getting all pouty and using the "everyone does it" defence. Frankly, I find the young mothers quite boring to watch when they help themselves. They have an air of it being their right to treat themselves and the kids to a grape each. The oldies are definitely more fun, most will do a quick scan to see who's watching, so they know it's wrong - hence my surprise that the old codger didn't notice me practically staring holes through him.... But to make repeated passes - that was pathetically petty of him and thoroughly deserved my smart-arsed admonishment when I held up an apple for him.... lol Focus.

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