… You’re a Jet all the way from your first cigarette to your last dyin’ day…

Womb to tomb.

Cradle to grave.

Welcome to the United States of Corporate America.

There are whole chunks of a day that go by when I can forget that. Unless I get on the Internet, turn on the tube, pick up a magazine, or, you know, step outside.

Corporations don’t just want you to buy their products. They are after something far bigger: Consumers who are loyal for life. There are actually marketing firms working on creating brand loyalty in toddlers. That all-important 0-4 years consumer segment. As the late, great, Bill Hicks used to say, “If you’re in marketing, kill yourself.” He was on to something.

I bring this up as part of my occasional postings about the incipient Wal-Mart invasion of our neighborhood.

A New Wal-Mart at Northcross: A unique store for a unique community. At Wal-Mart, we work to provide convenience for your everyday needs and integrate into the communities in which we locate. We look forward to getting to know you and becoming part of North Central Austin.

I say “our neighborhood” because where they want to put this monstrosity is smack dab in the middle of town. Not on the feeder to the highway, not at the edge of town – nope, right in the middle of seven neighborhoods that will be directly impacted by said behemoth.

This is not your grandpop’s Wal-Mart. It’s 225,000 square feet of pure unadulterated cheap-ass stuff sold at cheap-ass prices. (Though not actually as cheap as their loss leaders would have you believe. Wal-Mart’s overall prices are less than 2% below Target’s prices.) And these goods are also made cheaply for slave wages in such lovely democratic societies as China and Singapore.

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This was just such a great shot I had to share it.

It’s a shot of Europa rising over Jupiter, recently taken by the New Horizons space probe on its way to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. (To get the full effect, follow the link. It’s magnificent.)

Update: In answer to Rory’s question in comments, here is a great true-color image showing Jupiter in all its prismatic glory. Again, click on the image to see the full detailed shot.

What always gets me is that those cloud formations are, like, the size of Mars or Earth or something.

Gore – Obama in 2008.

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Think about it.

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“I used to be monophemus but now I’m polyphemus!”