The thirst for materialistic satisfaction, prestige,
and the acculation of wealth, has reached increasingly higher crescendoes
in western societies.
America has become the world leader in overconsumption and excess,
with an unsatiable appetite for expensive cars, fancy clothes, huge
houses,
and super-sized meals that lead to super-sized wastelines. Along with
the excess comes the detritus. The remnants of a civilization - whether
it's
a thousand-year-old ciff dwelling, or a worn out pair of blue jeans
- offer clues to what a society values, its needs, fears, and aspirations.