scary in the usa

you arrived in the USA for a graduate degree. as you crammed and studied and cursed core dumps, you also took in the industrial homogeneous landscape of America -- a product of interstate highways, exits, chain stores, gas stations, vegetative desolation, no chirping birds, faux greenery. and just when you got used to seeing the stores, the downslide in the economy suddenly manifested itself -- chains you visited regularly started closing down (Wherehouse Music, Mars Music, Denny's). chain stores merged (Macy's, Rich's). and then there's KMart, which promised to die but is doing it very very slowly (like Shah Rukh the Ham in Devdas). you've lost your moorings. mom and pop stores don't register as much as a Waffle House at every corner. The corporate uniformity that defines this country's cityscape is being threatened. And there's nothing you can do about it. Enjoy your waffle.