Early Morning Thoughts
A couple of days ago ‘George Washington’ posted this tweet: “If only they enforced bank regulations like they do park rules, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
I remembered it as I stepped over people and walked around tents while picking up some last minute things for Thanksgiving. These people were camping out to be the first in the store for the ‘Black Friday’ sales.
There were similar scenes around the country for a recent movie premier that was featured on the news.
You wonder why there are no riot police or pepper spray used on these totally illegal, blocking-the-sidewalk displays, but if you try to complain about the current conditions you risk physical injury and/or arrest. Actually, you only wonder if you don’t understand who benefits from the ‘commercial’ camp-outs, and who owns the police.
11 comments
Omg! You’re right, Bryan! This means we can bring pepper spray to the long lines so we can get in first, right? Would sure make shopping an … energetic … activity.
Actually, you couldn’t pay me to go to the mall on Friday. Went once. Never again. I’ll eat my turkey, slouch happily in my chair in front of my computer, and contemplate the meaning of life. Or at least seconds on the pumpkin pie.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Bryan!
At least we would test ‘survival of the fittest’ when it came to getting the ‘most popular toy ever’ for a four-year-old.
When you look at the number of people who have been seriously injured or died as a result of ‘Black Friday’, there is certainly more justification for a police response, than for Occupy Wall Street.
I avoid all stores until the Monday after Thanksgiving if possible.
Happy Thanksgiving, Ellroon.
Being Pagan this time of year certainly has its upside: No Christmas shopping. We stopped celebrating Christmas altogether once my MIL crossed over.
Of course, having an empty bank account in the latter half of every month because someone at the SSI decided that the cost of living hasn’t gone up for two years running certainly provides a disincentive to waste time and energy battling the mall crowds. 🙁
Isn’t it amazing out the things that the 99% spend their money on, like food and utilities, aren’t part of the Consumer Price Index, but homes are.
I donate money to specific charities as Christmas gifts for everyone except my grandniece and grandnephews.
Have a nice Solstice, Аня, but avoid the Baltic traditions as they are a bit gory.
Anya, good to see you; long time no tap!
Bryan and Anya, I suppose if Stella and I can celebrate Thanksgiving at a Mediterranean restaurant, we can celebrate Pagan holidays instead of “Christmas,” as neither of us is anything hardcore when it comes to religion. We usually do gifts, but with limits… to immediate family and to about $10. Works for us!
As for the CPI, it can’t include the value of our home, because we don’t own it; we rent. Oh well…
i just got back from driving around town – no campers that i can see at the malls and shopping centers yet. not sure if it’s because it’s still too early in the evening, or if it’s because the economy is still so bad. i made an emergency run to one of the big box stores for cat litter last night because i didn’t want to have to do so during the shopping madness, should it occur, and they were definitely clearing the aisles for bringing in christmas stuff. we’ll see how it goes.
meanwhile, happy [non?]turkey day to you and all the cats.
I can assure you, Hipparchia, the cats all got ‘turkey’ [that’s what the can said, anyway], and my Mother likes dark meat turkey, so I did thighs, and the scraps went to the cats.
Legs and thighs have more flavor, and are moister than white meat, although they don’t bother to pull the tendons, so the legs are a problem. They are also cheaper, because most people like white meat.
most people like white meat.
most people eat white meat because they’ve been led to believe that’s the virtuous choice. i cooked up some turkey legs for me and the cats and the fluffy black dog to have here, and then later i went off to have ham and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie with friends and family.
Good pumpkin pie is the only reason to put up with turkey, or family for that matter. 😉
On Black Friday, I was hiking up Johnson Canyon in Death Valley
towards the site of Hungry Bill’s Ranch. A far, far better way to spend my time, IMHO.
– Badtux the Vacationed-out Penguin
Sounds good to me. I was messing around with Christmas lights and DSL wiring.