Hello, fellow middle class Americans.

Let me fill you in on a relatively newly widespread phenomenon, known as the "bridge line". You are probably a bridge line consumer, but don't know it.

Bridge lines refer to higher end luxury items marketing to lower end consumers. We used to see "bridge departments" in high end department stores, where one could buy more trendy clothing by designers from higher end labels.

An example might be a cotton knit dress with a Dior Sport label.

At one time, this was referred to as "better sportswear", etc.

Nowadays, every high end retailer has a lower end line. The line between the average and the rich is blurred by such product lines as "Armani Exchange", "BCBG", etc. Look at the local outlet malls and their offerings, such as Hilfiger, Coach, etc.

If you have ever bought from these bridge lines, versus the "real deal", you know that the labels have been diluted. Many of the bridge line products differ from the original quality by being outsourced to China.

How many middle class American woman are sold on Coach and other purses that sell for $600 + dollars that are made in China?

These are not the same Coach purses from 15 years ago. Nor are they the same Louis Vuitton, etc. They are cheap versions, even if "genuine".

Even Tiffany has a bridge line these days. You can buy Tiffany stainless steel cutlery instead of their silver, priced within reach of most households. And, some of their hottest selling items are their sterling silver with the logo charm. One of their best selling stainless flatware lines tackily enough has their logo on the topside of the utensils. So, people are buying the cheapest stuff with the biggest logo and claiming to be Tiffany customers.

Way to go, Tiffany, Coach, and all the other labels. Way to cheapen yourselves and your brand beyond repair. You are no longer exclusive in any way. Bravo!

Dear Farmer, how we love thee and your new found ability to roam about the country.
How we love that you no longer must stay home to tend to cattle, fowl and hog.
With joy we marvel of numerous connecting flights, you can make your way to San Diego, California via Frontier.
And also that you have a cell phone. That works on an airplane.
We lament your hearing loss, through years of exposure to loud machinery. Or perhaps a loud wife.
We applaud your ability to talk loudly about the wonder of lobster, California weather, and your first plane ride, on Frontier Airlines.
And confessing to the person on the other end of the line that you called, "Just to holler at them", all the while hollering loudly.
And for making the rest of the passengers laugh, and talk to one another a little in a friendly way.
Because you innocently disobey the flight attendant.
Farmer, you are a breath of fresh air compared to the willfully self-absorbed so-called sophisticate,
Who thinks he is more important than most, and above the rules.
You make us laugh with glee and wish we also might fly to Nebraska
Instead of hating our fellow man.

Christmas time is here again. Why is this always a surprise to me? Here I am thinking I have plenty of time to send out my cards when in reality we are down to just 12 days before the big day.

Anyway, it is the time of year when people are thinking about what to give the loved ones in their lives.

And the acquaintances, and complete strangers.

Gift giving has gone over the top, and unfortunately it is now the norm to purchase gifts for people we simply don't know, just because they perform some function in our lives.

Nothing screams (to me, anyway), "I don't know you from Adam" more than a Starbucks gift card.

If you don't know me well enough to pick out something I might enjoy, please don't buy me anything at all. Please save your money to spend on people you do know, or better, give to someone who really needs it. I don't like overpriced crappy coffee, I don't often eat at fast food or chain restaurants and I won't start now because I have a gift card. I don't shop at many big box retailers.

I have some Nordstrom gift cards that were given to me perhaps five years ago by someone who probably thought Nordstrom was a really impressive place to shop. I used to think so too when I was in my 20s but I lost interest in Nordstrom many years ago. So, Nordstrom has had $50 in free money for a few years now, and may have it forever. What a great gift for Nordstrom, but a waste for the giver, and of no benefit to the receiver. $50 just isn't going to make me go out of my way to enter Nordstrom, or a mall.

Gift cards have flourished in recent years and they don't really benefit the public. They are great for the retailers though. How many gift cards go unredeemed because the recipient has no use for the product? Or as in the case of Starbucks, the recipient may actually dislike the product.

Many retailers start deducting value from unused gift cards. So the recipient who doesn't use the card fast enough faces a reduction in value. How is that a good value for the giver or the receiver? It is only good for the store.

Let's not forget that with gift cards, if the retailer goes belly up, the bankruptcy court will likely not allow them to honor the gift cards, so those gifts can become free money to the failing retailer and a complete waste to the giver and receiver.

What would happen if we all stepped back from the catch-all "solution" of gift cards and paid more attention to the recipients habits and feelings? If we don't know the recipient well enough to know some of their habits, perhaps we should stop giving meaningless gifts to strangers.

Another fine Wal-Mart experience.

Jdimytai Damour, 34, was crushed as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors of a Long Island, New York, store at 5 a.m. Friday, police said.

“This incident was avoidable,” said Bruce Both, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, the state of New York’s largest grocery worker’s union.

“Where were the safety barriers? Where was security? How did store management not see dangerous numbers of customers barreling down on the store in such an unsafe manner?

Please do not insult animals by comparing them to these "shoppers". Better words for these "shoppers" might be lowlifes, dirtbags, bullies, or I guess now, killers. But as long as y'all got your discounted crap, congratulations.

And as long as Wal-Mart makes a few bucks each year, I'm sure we will see the sales events continue.

Was anyone surprised that this death occurred at a Wal-Mart? I wasn't.

I even read about grown men pushing down little girls at the local Wal-Mart near where we live. Also, there was a lot of cussing going on among North Texas shoppers fighting over low prices. Nice.

I doubt I will ever step foot in their stores again. I feel sick that I ever did.