Well, actually it’s Wal-Mart, but it’s Saturday, and I’m sure no one

minds my total inattention to accuracy. Anyway, the good news is that

retail business was strong yesterday, the first official day of the

holiday shopping season. The bad news is that people have completely lost their minds.

“The bargains were so good at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that things got out of hand.

In Cascade Township, east of Grand Rapids, Mich., a woman fell as

dozens of people rushed into a store for the 5 a.m. opening. Several

stepped on her, and a few became entangled as a man pushed them to the

ground to keep them away.

When the rush ended, the woman and a 13-year-old girl suffered minor injuries.

Tempers flared at a Wal-Mart in Orlando, Fla., where a man allegedly

cut in line to buy a bargain notebook computer and was wrestled to the

ground, according to a video shown by an ABC affiliate, WFTV-TV.”

I mean, I understand how a natural disaster like Katrina can lead to a

breakdown of the social fabric. But inexpensive notebook computers?

Is demand for The Corner that strong? Apparently so.