Tea leaves in the grocery aisle

Going up!

I'm no economist but am aware that most of the staple items I buy have been going up in price. My best guess is that it is a delayed form of inflation due to higher fuel costs for transportation, which will remain in place for the foreseeable future. These staples are the everyday food and household items that I buy all the time at Wal-Mart, which has the lowest prices for these items anywhere in my town. As all loyal customers know prices at Wal-Mart also go down on a wide range of inventory, but lately everything has been going in one direction-----up.

• yellow popping corn went from .77 to .88
• vanilla soy milk 2.12 to 2.26
• 10 lb. bag of leg quarters 3.90 to 4.48
• plastic trash bags (30 count) 1.50 to 2.43
• cashew halves & pieces 3.98 to 4.48
• paper towel three pack 1.50 to 1.64

What my grocery cart Ouija board reveals is not really all that clear but if I were to guess I'd say that the days of wine and roses is at an end here in 'Murica for a good long while to come. The federal gov-mint is now engaged in the longest running foreign war in its history, look it up, and for the first time has managed to do it exclusively on borrowed money. That can't be good for the economy, not to mention the national morality, by indebting the unborn of the future to satisfy Dick Cheney's whims and ambitions today. I know oil is more expensive and in demand globally and a super power war in the heart of the Middle East sure can't help that situation.

Sadly the mostly ignorant mono-lingual, publicly educated, deeply indebted population that is tolerating this war machine has essentially hitched itself to an Acme anvil that is hurtling straight over the cliff towards the Coyote's head below. That they'll all be caught unawares when that last hard tug of the rope pulls at their necks towards the deep abyss of cultural and economic oblivion makes it all the sadder. It will be a really cool part of Mexico though.

Most war making empires have expired in this same way. Like a bad parasite they eventually kill their host by sucking out all of the living tissue, while committing wanton slaughter and destruction. There are many examples in history: Imperial Rome, Nazi Germany, the Ottoman Empire, hell we can go back to David and Saul. Coming to a theatre near you: the Collapse of the American Empire.

I'll take my chances with the unknowns of anarchy any day of the week over the known crimes and destruction wrought by a monarchy. By the way-------Down with King George!

Amen Brutha!