I'm an addict.

Yes, I'm an addict. I have to get my fix at least once a week... and it's been known even to occur several times a day. Late at night, with friends. After work by myself. Even a quickie before work.

And I'm thoroughly ashamed of myself. I am addicted to..... Wal-Mart.

Yes, I know. You're either thinking to yourself, "Oh relax, everyone shops at Wal-Mart, who cares!" or "Good God woman, stop now while you still have a chance!" I have friends on both sides.

Once I had a friend make me promise I wouldn't tell his girlfriend we made a trip to Wal-Mart to buy a bath mat. He made me stash the evidence. So, he walked in with a bath mat, no plastic bag and no tag. I wonder if she thought that was strange?

It's especially hard to stay away this time of year. And Wal-Mart knows it! As most other retailers are bracing themselves for what's sure to be the most disappointing Holiday Season in recent memory, Wal-Mart is basking in the glory of being one of the few retail corporations who have actually come out ahead in this current financial crisis. With stores from Linens 'N Things to Home Depot (who happens to be the #2 retailer behind Wal-Mart) closing some or all of their stores, Wal-Mart has posted a 10% increase in 3rd quarter profits.

As a side note, watch your gift-cards this holiday season with all the store closings... they may be worthless shortly...

I have to admit... a lot of my money goes to Wal-Mart. I mean... stuff is really cheap! Let's be honest, even if Wal-Mart hadn't run all the Mom and Pop stores out of town, none of us would still be able to afford to shop there! At least I couldn't. Thanks to all the credit card debt I have... from shopping at Wal-Mart (Dang it!!).

Besides, it's convenient. Especially the Super Wal-Marts. Where else can you go to buy Hamburger Helper and get an oil change at the same time?

If I had a dollar for every one spent at Super Wal-Mart when I was in college... I could buy my own Wal-Mart. I have fond memories of late-night trips with my best friend in college... getting donuts and just being fools at 2am. Where better to waste time than Wal-Mart? It's certainly consumed massive amounts of my free time.... Oooh, what's that? A kitchen towel with little snowmen on it...with matching washcloths?? I *need* that! And that... oh! And that...

Kind of reminds me of Kristen Wiig's "Target Lady" on SNL...

It's true, Wal-Mart is killing our economy while we continue to shop there. They are forcing suppliers to manufacture goods at cheaper and cheaper prices, forcing companies to ship jobs overseas to meet the demand for cheap labor.

Suppliers who are forced to fall in line for that demand for cheap product, dare not speak out against Wal-Mart, or run the risk of being blacklisted.

As a corporation, Wal-Mart fights against unionization of their employees, who were told that "there could be job cuts if a Barack Obama administration pushed through a law making it easier to unionize," according to the Boston Globe.

They have a spot on the dubious "do not buy" list with the Human Rights Campaign for their refusal to offer domestic partnership benefits to employees.

Yet I can't pass up that $2.97 "Rollback" on athletic socks. Go figure. As a country, have we found yet another way to confirm our gluttony by slowly eating ourselves to death on Wal-Mart merchandise?

I'm feeling a little fat.