Yeah, Amos, I know what you mean. Seems like folks can't walk out of a Wal-Mart or Target or Costco or other monolithic store with less than $100 spent. Of which, they really only needed the toilet paper that they originally came in for.

Wal-Mart *IS* merchandising king. They make you walk past aisles and aisles of "hey, it's only $4.88!" to get to the batteries you need to make your gizmo you just bought in electronics to work. 5 or 6 "hey, it's only $4.88!" items later, you've busted your budget on more stuff you don't need.

Fact is, we live in a society where buying things and eating things are the Prozac of the masses. It's starts when you are a baby -- baby cries so you give it something sweet -- continues when you are a toddler -- toddler is tired and fussy in the store, let's buy him a TOY -- is rampant by the time you get to high school and your social position is based on your wardrobe and car -- and by the time you have your own disposable income, you're hooked. Is it any wonder we live in a land full of overflowing garages, credit card debt and obese people frantically trying to lose weight while burdened by the habit of compulsory and habitual eating?

I may hate Wal-Mart, but it's just a symptom. You can't really blame Sam Walton for being a success by pandering to the desires of the masses to aquire more STUFF, even if it isn't worth having. I think Woolworth's started the trend, although it might actually be Sears, the original mass-market merchandiser.

I watched Wal-Mart devastate my grandparent's very small, mountain town. At first they were excited about having a big store locally, instead of having to drive 40 miles into the city. But this town, never wealthy, is even poorer than ever. The main drag is shut down, all the shops have closed, and now everyone HAS to shop and work at Wal-Mart. Even the grocery store is gone. Meanwhile, the $ spent at Wal-Mart leave their small town and fill corporate coffers, and the schools and churches are dependant on the charity of the big store because the local citizens can't afford to support their fund-raising efforts anymore.

It's an old coal-mining town. You'd have think they'd learned their lesson about the company store the first time around.