Winston Psmith Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I'll be lying around, worthless and useless, as "BOB" intended . . . Actually, it was Whitefang, not Steely Dan, that got me started on this. I was thinking about a traditional Thanksgiving, whatever that might mean in your household, and I had to wonder, when did Thanksgiving night turn into a mad dash for the mall, to go shopping at midnight? I can't begin to remember all the stores that are opening at midnight, or 3 A.M., so rabid shoppers can fight to the death over this year's must-have crap, much of which will be available at deep discount, in yard sales, next Spring. It's so bad that one young guy who works at a Target store has started a petition online, trying to convince store owners (or management companies, more likely) that people would rather be with their families that night, especially the poor folks who are going to be called in to open those stores. I've done plenty of stupid and crazy things in life, but standing out in the cold at midnight, so I can be among the first ten thousand shoppers to pillage my local mall, that's beyond me. I guess I just don't have the holiday spirit. "Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King http://www.novparolo.com https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I agree... standing out in the cold to be the first in line to buy the latest gadget is not my cup of tea, either. I don't think it means you lack the "holiday spirit", which in this case means spending time with close friends and family being thankful, isn't it? I happen to be a Christian, so I can hang up with celebrating Jesus' birth; but I'm a big Scrooge when it comes to Santa and Rudolph and going crazy in debt, maxing out my credit cards.... yes, I do buy my wife and sisters a gift, take my wife out to dinner. I just don't think all that commercial stuff has anything to do with "holiday spirit", for me, anyway. Oh, and I hate being bombarded with dumb Christmas songs everywhere I go, starting about Thanksgiving ... yes, some Christian songs are beautiful, and I've enjoyed playing them in churches over the years. But not "Rudolph" and "Frosty", LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I've done plenty of stupid and crazy things in life, but standing out in the cold at midnight, so I can be among the first ten thousand shoppers to pillage my local mall, that's beyond me. I guess I just don't have the holiday spirit. That's for people who haven't yet figured out how to shop online. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkjimiphoton Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 some people are so damn dumb, they give stumps a bad name. http://www.sweetrelief.org/ https://www.wepay.com/donations/memorial-stone-for-juliane-pocius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 when did Thanksgiving night turn into a mad dash for the mall, to go shopping at midnight? Yeah, it kinda goes grindingly, deeply against the grain of what Thanksgiving is SUPPOSED to be about (let alone Christmas and all other Holidays of this season). I've been ardently boycotting that "Black Friday" crap and its mindset for, oh, nearly forty years... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyBlues Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 My son works at Kohl's and has to work midnight to noon. We live in a consumer society and this is what it's boiled down to and I hate it. As long as people show up they'll keep doing it and for the shoppers it's an adventure - but they can go home and go back to sleep whereas the employees get screwed out of a great holiday. So it goes. OH BTW, he works part time (who doesn't anymore?) so I don't think he'll even get OT for the 12 hours. I was born at night but I wasn't born last night... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winston Psmith Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 @Lefty - sorry for your son. That part-time scam has been widespread - you'd be amazed how many 'part-time' employees work 36 or 38 hours a week. It's just enough so they don't qualify for benefits, in many cases. @Eric - just being sarcastic about my lack of holiday spirit - it's the spirit of avarice I can't really get with. Since my wife is a caterer, we wind up working on a lot of holidays, but we do it by choice, and we do it as a service to those who've hired us. I enjoy helping people to celebrate with their friends and families, and I appreciate being paid for my work. I wouldn't enjoy nor appreciate being dragged from my bed to gather shopping carts in a freezing cold parking lot, or to stock shelves while my family slept, for the greater good of what, exactly? Does anyone really think the stores will lose money by opening at 10 o'clock on Friday morning? It's not just greedy, it's degrading. I fully intend to sleep in on Black Friday - I would encourage everyone else to do the same. Who knows, maybe John Lennon was right - sometimes, just staying in bed can be a revolutionary act, or at least, a contrarian one. "Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King http://www.novparolo.com https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 What grinds me too about "Black Friday" is that local news stations around here keep featuring tips like, "Where to find YOUR best Black Friday deals" or "How to make the most of your Black Friday experience", assuming we're all crazy enough to join in on this foolishness. Hell, they almost make you feel OBLIGATED to be an idiot. Frankly, after ingesting that much triptophan, there's no way I'm getting up early enough to deal with the hoard of professional shoppers out to eat the leg off anyone getting in their way. But I'm in the minority in my family. At my neice's birthday a few days ago, they were all talking about their "strategy" for Black Friday! They treat it as a religious experience!! Sheesh... Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Ehhh, the REAL pros shop year 'round for the best deals and don't bother with the hordes. Unless you're looking for something in paricular that you need right now, Black Friday is for amateurs. While they're out fighting for a chance at a deal, my family and I will be having seconds on a really nice meal. Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winston Psmith Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 My only strategy for Friday involves dealing with leftovers. I think a nice hot open-face turkey sandwich for breakfast sounds like a good start. "Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King http://www.novparolo.com https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertbluesman Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 When Black Friday comes . . . I will ignore it just like I try and ignore the holidays, I will put up my favorite Christmas decoration when the wifey asks me to put all of hers up. Mine says Bah Humbug. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/artists/just_cuz/JC-hysterical.gif dbm If it sounds good, it is good !! http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=143231&content=music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Heh-heh. Not to get off topic, but mine is a wooden cut-out standing Santa. Made in China. His feet are pidgeon toed and he's cross-eyed. My daughter already claimed it upon my demise. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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