So I went in to my local Wal-Mart store this weekend to pick up a couple of CDs. After reading an article in Rolling Stone a few months back about how Wal-Mart is working to keep CD prices low, I was actually feeling pretty good making a couple of CD purchases at the retail giant. I walked in the store and found the album Get Behind Me Satan by The White Stripes, but I quickly noticed that the price had been re-stickered at $14.88. Peeling off the sticker revealed that the CD used to cost $13.88 but was recently marked up.

Looking around the shelves I found that hundreds of CDs had been re-priced, usually adding a buck premium to the previously familiar prices. I felt a little betrayed by the store that had sold me Coldplay's X & Y for $9.88 the week of its release and now had it tagged at $14.88. I usually try to pick up CDs at Wal-Mart within a week of their release because the price is usually discounted to the sub-$10 range. However, the Switchfoot CD offered no such bargain, and to protest the $1 price hike, I didn't buy the other CDs on my list. Yeah, it's only a dollar, but it's the principle! Then again, I guess Wal-Mart should be able to actually make money on the CDs if they want to (or at least not lose as much). Anyway, Half.com offers some of the best deals out there on CDs with a flat shipping rate of $2.49 on each item.

The house party gig this weekend went well. Pictures have been posted! I signed my first autograph for one of the neighbor kids which was also pretty cool.