It’s been a busy week in Wally World: the Universe’s source of cheap plastic crap. On The Writing On The Wal — the blog USA Today says should be on its readers’ radar — Jonathan Rees, Robert Feinman, Peter Sayles and I continue our work dedicated to drawing back the curtain on the Bentonvile Behemoth’s corporate disinformation and other flackery.

PUT DOWN THE SUSHI AND WALK AWAY… Sometimes you just can”t make this stuff up. Driving to the coffee house this morning I hear yet another consumer horror story from China. This time it”s farm-raised shrimp, eels and fish laced with dangerous chemicals. Keep reading…

ATTACKING TUCSON”S BIG-BOX ORDINANCE… Stymied by Tucson, Arizona”s, big-box ordinance, Wal-Mart is circulating petitions to repeal a portion of the law restricting food and beverage sales to no more than 10 percent of a store”s total space.. The company only needs 11,615 signatures to get on the ballot. Keep reading…

AT THE WALLY PLEX… There are sound stages on Hollywood”s back lots smaller than Bentonvile”s behemoths, so it”s no surprise that budding video talent has been sneaking cameras in at odd hours. And now for the midnight show at the Wally Plex featuring jayjacobson14. Keep reading…

WHEN IT”S ALL GREEN… NOTHING IS GREEN… I have in the past and continue to applaud Wal-Mart”s ecological/environmental efforts, regardless of the fact that the changes are motivated by financial gain and not any altruistic revelation. But I am troubled by this story from Fast Company: Keep reading…

CHICAGO UNIONS CRACK OPEN DOOR… Don”t look for any great session of back slapping and exchange of rude party jokes anytime soon, but there does appear to be some light showing through a barely cracked door in Chicago over the living-wage issue. From WMAQ: Keep reading…

HOW MANY TIMES DO WE REPEAT THIS STORY…? Bad company is nailed for bad product. Government agency issues recall of bad product. Wal-Mart promises quick action. Consumers find product still on the shelf. Wal-Mart says it”s flagged at the register. Stop me if you”ve heard this one. Keep reading…

NOTICING HOW THE POWERLESS ARE TREATED… Women know that if you want to get a fast read on a first date, pay attention to the way the man treats the serving staff. Mike Neiss on Tom Peters! carries it further, saying his friends and associates are paying more attention to more than availability and price. Keep reading…

EMPLOYEES WORTH MORE DEAD THAN ALIVE… Class-action lawsuits are nothing new for Wal-Mart. But this one is, to steal a phrase from the attorney bringing the suit, plain creepy. Michael Myers alleges that Wal-Mart has been collecting on life insurance policies it secretly took out on its employees. Keep reading…