I went to Walmart today, (I know some of you are muttering infidel) and tried to buy a tea kettle for the house I am living in. (Walmart was within walking distance and I only have a vehicle some of the time, presently.) Seeing none I asked and was politely informed by the house wares clerk  that the Walmart Super center had none and that for reasons she did not fully understand she could not order them. I told her this was beyond amazing that Walmarts did not sell tea kettles here and that this truly must be a sign of the apocalypse. She did not smile.