I remember the last time we talked about the mid-west a bit and you talked about ghost towns. It's stuck with me since and I'm thinking that's the direction people are gonna have to go, one way or another, and just accept it. I actually didn't post this article because of "woe the Mid-West" or "woe the economy." I posted it because this is the first article I think I've ever read where people discussed their emotional attachment to the store, which is something I never even thought possible. I mean, if I lived there, I'd think of Wal-Mart with a bit of resentment, maybe making a joke about how they're the community anchor, dragging the whole ship down with them. I'm also curious as to whether or not anything will rush in to fill the gap Wal-Mart leaves behind. At the very least, a decent small grocery store would do very well. Edit: Though I will admit, I think an hour drive for a near minimum wage job is more than a bit too much. Now if it paid $15 an hour, then I'd probably start to think different.