More anecdotal evidence on the state of the economy...

[kentuck]

Today, I took my wife's Explorer to the 7-11 to put in her weekly gas allotment and bought a couple of lottery tickets when I gave the Iranian family the money for the gasoline.

While putting the gas into the Explorer, I could not help but notice the ads above the pumps for the breakfast burrittos. They looked good and nourishing in the ads and they were only $1 each. I could not help but think of the homeless people that wander in and out of that place all day long and if that is what many of them eat every day?

My wife usually goes to shop at Walmart during a weekday but decided to put it off until today. She was concerned that it would be too crowded and would be a hassle because it was a Saturday. It was sad. The Walmart was almost empty. They had closed at least one department in the store that sold fabric and patterns and the two older women that worked there were gone. It was totally cleaned out.

When she returned home, she decided to go up to the small Chinese fast food place and get some fried rice to go with our dinner. When she came out, she was approached by a person asking if she had any change. She gave him what change she had and some extra that she had. All he could say was "God bless you...God bless you. People don't know how hard it is out here..."

The lottery tickets were losers.

[emilyg]

1. I see it daily in Georgia. My

Walmart was pretty empty, too. We have a Super Target closing due to loss of business.

[uponit7771]

2. DFW Arlington Fry's Electronics on Sat, you can find a parking spot near the front door thats not...

...good

[madrchsod]

3. walmart are the only stores that sells fabric with in 50 miles from where i live

i live in the middle of northern illinois!

[lunatica]

4. The sad thing is it won't take long before Walmart starts forcing them to leave

Beggars scare away the customers.

Then if thing don't improve people will actually not see the beggars as their numbers swell and they sit defeated on the sidewalk with their hand out. There will be so many of them that people who have jobs will despair in trying to help them.

You see this in third world countries all the time. The amazing thing is that people will give them change knowing it won't make much difference, but it will keep them alive.