I went in at 10 today and they put me straight into the toy department to work returned items. I was totally useless as I had no idea where anything went, but I did it the best I could. I am going to have to practice my scowl. I think I'm entirely too approachable. I swear people pass up other workers and walk up to me to ask questions. And actually, I enjoy that the most with my job. I love being able to find things for people, because they are so grateful.

So apparently a worker in a New York Wal-Mart was killed ... stampeded to death, no less; and then two people were shot at a Toys-R-Us. You know, I hope that the children of the people responsible find out what their parents did. That may seem heartless, but I really do hope that those people have to look their children in the eye and attempt to rationalize what they did. I hope that they have to look at the faces of their children and see disappointment and hurt and know that they put it there. If those people went on to buy items ... which I have no doubt they did ... I hope they remember what they did each and every time they use them. I hope it was toys for their children and they watch them open them on Christmas morning and I hope they think of the families that are suffering with their loss ... because of them ... and have their joy sucked from them. I hope their guilt eats at them until there is nothing left but a rotting corpse. It's only a small measure of what they deserve.

I don't know what happened at Toys-R-Us, but I hope the family of the man from Wal-Mart sues the company. I also hope they sue the police that had seen the crowd building and admitted to having concerns ... and yet did nothing. And I know that money won't bring back their loved one, but it's the only way to punish businesses and governments. Those are the things I hope, but what I really, truly wish is that every person responsible for that man's death ... the store manager, any policeman who didn't report their concerns to their boss, whoever was in charge of the police that night ... and didn't contact the store manager and suggest that the doors not be opened until measures were in place to somehow manage the crowd, and every single customer that trampled on that man without thought to try and help him (yes, I know in a crowd, many were pushed from behind and couldn't have stopped)... could know loss like that man's family knows loss. Lock them away for the rest of their lives and never allow them visitation with any of their loved ones and never allow them human contact with anyone. Just leave them in a tiny cell alone, forever. Because that's what that man and his family lost.

This world has gone mad and it's not been overnight.