Back in 1980, Walmart started hiring old people to stand in the front of their stores and greet customers.  It was part of the vision . . . to make a gigantic, nationwide chain feel more like a neighborhood store.

But now, much like the greeters themselves, that tradition has one foot in the grave.

Walmarts nationwide have started cutting greeters from the third shift . . . that's the overnight shift from 10:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M.  About 3,000 Walmarts stay open 24 hours, and virtually all of them have cut the overnight greeter.

A spokesman says it's just a pure cost-cutting move.  To keep prices down . . . but also get profits up . . . every laid-off old person helps, apparently.  (Bloomberg)

Perez Hilton -- We'd still LOVE to see Chezza on the show…but we could be down with this too!

Back in August, Simon Cowell had the following to say about why Mariah Carey wasn't a judge on season one of X Factor:

"She's been very enthusiastic about the show, but then she selfishly got pregnant, which is why she didn't end up as a judge."

Now that she's NO LONGER preggo, we're hearing that Mariah might replace Nicole Scherzinger on the show's upcoming season!

Sources are saying that once Mariah heard about Scherzy's plans to leave the show, she spoke to Simon about joining up!

We'll keep an eye out for updates, but we definitely wouldn't be surprised if we see MiMi on X Factor: season two!

What do U think? Would Mariah make a good judge???

TMZ -- Seal isn't the only one clinging to symbols of his crumbling marriage -- Heidi Klum was also still wearing her wedding ring yesterday in L.A ... but with a twist.

The pic was snapped as Heidi was leaving the set of "Germany's Next Top Model" (yes, it's shot in LA) -- and she was still sporting either her wedding band ... or her engagement ring. If it was the engagement ring though, Heidi was hiding the giant diamond.

It's the first time we've seen Heidi's face since news broke about her split from her husband -- her full face at least.

TMZ -- You weren't the only one who Googled that smoking hot NBA cheerleader from "American Idol" this week -- THOUSANDS of other people did too ... and TMZ has learned, the massive surge in traffic crashed her manager's website.

In case you missed Wednesday's episode, the smokeshow's name is Brittany Kerr -- a cheerleader for the Charlotte Bobcats. J.Lo wasn't that impressed with her audition, but Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson eagerly handed the girl a ticket to Hollywood.

But the fanfare didn't end there ... a rep for Kerr's management company -- which hosts multiple photos of her on its website -- tells TMZ, its site was forced to shut down for hours after a massive surge in traffic crippled its servers.

But Kerr's management company wasn't the only thing affected ... photographer Jim Merrill -- who recently snapped Kerr in a bikini shoot -- tells TMZ, he had to scramble to buy additional bandwidth for his website to accommodate all the voyeurs.

Merrill tells us, he typically gets about 5,000 hits a month on his website -- but just moments after Kerr's audition, his traffic ballooned to 20,000 hits.

Perez Hilton -- Things just keep getting better for Nicki Minaj.

The talented rapper is reportedly working on releasing her own clothing line!

Nicki has previously teamed up with MAC, with OPI, she even has her own Barbie doll, and Anna Wintour is a known fan of hers!

So Minaj’s manager, Cortez Bryant, is working hard at securing this deal, stating he’s going "to negotiate a deal with a fashion house so Ms. Minaj can sell her own line of clothes".

Are U excited to see what Nicki has in store for her clothing line?

TMZ - Heidi Klum will file for divorce from Seal ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Heidi will file divorce papers in L.A. County Superior Court as early as next week. We're told Heidi will cite "irreconcilable differences" as the cause for the divorce.

The couple married May 10, 2005. They have 3 biological kids. Seal adopted Heidi's eldest girl from a prior relationship.

The couple is famous for renewing their vows every year on their anniversary ... in a lavish ceremony.

As for splitting up the goodies, there's a lot on the line. According to Forbes, in the last year alone, Klum raked in $20 million. It's unclear how much Seal made.

Heidi attended last Sunday's Golden Globes without Seal. The last photo she tweeted with him was back on December 26.

The last time TMZ filmed Seal and Heidi together, we asked her what the key to a successful marriage is. She didn't answer the question.

Brittany Kerr who is from Charlotte is heading to Hollywood to compete in American Idol.  (Pictured..Monica, Brittany and TJ)

Just Kidding!  This is really bad...so enjoy and know that your life is better than his.