“Failure is the opportunity to begin again; the next time, more intelligently.”

- Henry Ford

Well, the economic battle our nation is struggling to overcome will be taking another casualty as our local Circuit City plays out its death scene and Auburn gets to have another empty building to add to its collection.

What do we have now? A theater, a nursing home, a firehouse; hey, if this keeps up and we throw in a factory or two, we might be able to sell the whole of Auburn as one complete package.

So, with a heavy heart, I went this week to pay my final respects at the going out of business sale, or wake, as it were, and I've got to tell you that it reminded me sort of digging into the turkey carcass after Thanksgiving dinner.

The empty shelves even had the illusion of the ribs of a once succulent bounty. Yet, while there may not be much meat left on the bone, the gravy is still flowing, because although the retail world has more in common with the Titanic circa April 1912, the signage business however is moving along quite swimmingly.

From every turn there were bigger and bolder signs announcing the demise of the store. It was like a mathematicians Disneyland with percentages and figures. “30, 40, 50 percent off” in such bright colors and being heralded so loudly that it almost made you forget that this was a “bad” thing.

If nothing else in America we can certainly say that we know how to celebrate failure with pizzazz.

To be kind to those who now must venture forth in search of employment, I know that the loss of a job is nothing to take lightly, but as I walked around the store, I realized what is probably causing our economic meltdown in the first place. Let me ask you; is there really anyone among us that needs to own a 25-foot plasma television?

What's wrong with owning a “regular” 5-footer? How “high def” do you need to get?

I mean, really, do you need to see every blade of grass to truly appreciate the fact that the Cardinals totally blew it last Sunday?

The commercials on my boob tube made me laugh even though it's only a 19 inch screen. Although with a 16:9 ratio (whatever the heck that means) I bet you can actually notice the moment someone's dreams are crushed as Simon, Randy, and Paula boot them off “American Idol.”

But I just can't see myself spending large sums of money for a moment like that.

Not when I could just ask my family what they think of my writing and get the same experience for free.

Seriously, though, if you have the bank to drop $30,000 on the largest television available on the planet and not think twice, then all I can say to you is, “Would you be interested in purchasing a city?”

Auburn native Bradley Molloy's column appears here, each

Sunday, in The Citizen.

He can be reached at lovonian@hotmail.com