Black Friday: A few thoughts...

First off... if you're one of the people who insist on shopping ON Thanksgiving Day and/or are easily offended....  STOP READING NOW.

I love Thanksgiving, always have.  I think it's even nicer in some ways than Christmas.  Christmas is nice too but somewhat hyped and way too commercialized.  In fact, it is at least as hyped as a Skeletor McSkinnyass snow forecast.

Now, the stores and big corporate stuffed shirts have seen fit to hype the madness of Black Friday by morphing it into Thanksgiving, or what is quickly becoming "Thankless" Thursday.  It is disgusting to think that these stores can't stay closed for a measly 24 hours to allow employees to be with their families, or just have a nice day off.  Don't give me shit about people being offered overtime either.  I don't want to hear it.  I am the wife of a man who HAD TO work every holiday, because the food business operates every day.  And as you well know, nurses, firefighters, police are always on duty out of necessity rather than greed.  The people who patronize these greedy non-essential corporate bastard stuffed shirts are as much to blame, for without the demand it wouldn't happen.

There was not one holiday from 1980 till 2002 that my husband and I didn't have to leave a family gathering very early so he could grab a few hours sleep before having to go to work in the wee hours of the morning.  We would have given anything to have a whole holiday off.  It didn't happen till he retired.

And now I can't even fathom WHY someone would want to go shopping on Thanksgiving.  I can't fathom why someone would wait outside in the cold for 10 hours to get a "bargain" of any kind.  I can't fathom what couldn't wait till Black Friday, or be bought online.  What, you don't think you can get the same sale and free shipping if you don't look hard enough?  No, sorry, won't believe it.

This morning, first story I see was how people trampled, yes TRAMPLED each other like damn ANIMALS to get through the door first.  People were hurt.  In the past, people have DIED.  Really, is ANYTHING worth that much?  Is your kid gonna die without the latest electronic beeping pain in the ass of the toy du jour?  Are you gonna die without the latest Iphone, Ipad, Ipod, IWhatever?  I don't think so.

Now, Black Friday might be another story.  Still the same amount of materialistic insanity but at least it's a little more 'traditional' if you will.  I know people who make a day of it, and have fun with it.  Fine if that's what you think of as fun, go with it.  But for cripe's sakes, don't KILL each other doing it.

There was a time I would go to downtown Philadelphia and loved seeing the stores, Strawbridge's, Gimbels, Lits, Wanamakers all decorated.  I'd see the light show at Wanamakers, have lunch at Strawbridge's restaurant, and just walk around to get into the "spirit".  Now, downtown Philly is a shell of its former self.  Macy's is a POOR rendition of a department store, at least the one in Philly is.  The other stores are all gone.  There is nothing left for me in downtown Philly, sad to say.  The Gallery?  Yeah right, that' place is nothing but a criminals and pickpocket's heaven.  After it turned that way I started taking Black Friday OFF so I didn't even have to go anywhere near downtown.  I'm glad my memories of the past are good.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong about Thanksgiving morphing into Thankless Thursday, and just another day of trampling each other for shit you don't need.

OK rant over, at least till Skeletor's next "snow event" and the rest of the weather bunnies, bow tie weenie boys or weathergeeks go all apeshit over a few snow flurries.  PFFFFFTT.