I can't believe the pervasiveness of commercialization of holidays

[Dueller]

It astounds me.

I'm in the middle of plea negotiations for one of my clients. She was facing 10-20 years in prison. I negotiated it down to a 3 year house arrest and 5 years probation.

When I was presenting the deal her main concern?

Will I be on house arrest for Black Friday? I really don't wanna miss it.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by Dueller

I'm in the middle of plea negotiations for one of my clients. She was facing 10-20 years in prison. I negotiated it down to a 3 year house arrest and 5 years probation.

That's pretty good work; you could probably get sodomy reduced to "following too closely"

[GH85Carrera]

Sounds like a real genius client.

When the downtown Christmas decorations go up BEFORE Halloween is what gets me.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Good shoplifting opportunities she doesn't want to pass up?

[Hard-Deck]

Funny. Sodomy under UCMJ is more complicated.

Quote de Dueller

I'm in the middle of plea negotiations for one of my clients. She was facing 10-20 years in prison. I negotiated it down to a 3 year house arrest and 5 years probation.

That's pretty good work; you could probably get sodomy reduced to "following too closely"

[ckelly78z]

Being on my computer and these forums in the next room from where my wife watches her evening TV shows, I hear all the adds and how much louder the volumn gets during them.

I cannot believe how selfish they sound and how much they push for you to buy something of equal value for yourself when purchasing for your "loved ones". I hardly ever buy anything for me and really don't appreciate when others buy what they think I want. Some people say i'm hard to buy for, so I tell them "DON'T" !

[URY914]

Who are these fools that sleep on the sidewalk at Best Buys to buy crap they don't need and can't afford?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Dueller

It astounds me.

I'm in the middle of plea negotiations for one of my clients. She was facing 10-20 years in prison. I negotiated it down to a 3 year house arrest and 5 years probation.

When I was presenting the deal her main concern?

Will I be on house arrest for Black Friday? I really don't wanna miss it.

That doesn't surprise me one bit....I'll stop there.

[tweezers74]

Yikes! Actually it makes me sad. Really sad.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by URY914

Who are these fools that sleep on the sidewalk at Best Buys to buy crap they don't need and can't afford?

This. Yes. What low-life hyenas. My wife was trying to convince me last night that some of these guys are resellers who mark stuff up and make money selling on eBay or CL. I asked how much they could possibly save, especially if they can only buy what they can carry out of the store on their own. $500? They showed some losers camping out in front of Best Buy YESTERDAY already. For the apprx. 100 hours of living like that you'd have to make/save $750 just to cover min. wage for that amount of time. You could literally be better off by working at In-N-Out Burger in Phoenix for the same amount of time and at least get a few free meals.

Once in a great while - i.e. very seldom - I think maybe humans aren't that bad after all. Then I see all the news around Black Friday and lose all hope. My Black Friday will be spent checking out a music store and BMW bike dealer in Vegas, then a Rush concert. I won't spend a dime except on the concert.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

My Black Friday will be Black Rifleday ... at the range. Anything that reduces the crowds at the range is OK by me.

[Rick Lee]

I would think the ranges would be especially crowded on Black Friday. I try only to go when most others are at work and never on weekends or holidays.

[sailchef]

Black Friday is out of control. A major stock holder for Target is trying to convince the Board to close Thanksgiving Day. Wal- mart employees are on strike because they don't want to work on Thanksgiving. Black Friday has turned into a two day event for a lot of the bigger retailers. The shareholder wanting to close Target on Thursday cites circumstances of fighting, injury, stressed out employees, and drawn out lawsuits because of this traditional shopping day. You can watch the news all day of reports comming in with people being trampled as they try to get into the store.

The Romans had their gladiators in the coliseum, the modern day shopper has Black Friday.

It's Mayhem.

[scottmandue]

I don't do black Friday... but I don't blame the business world for capitalizing (are we not capitalists?) on the phenomenon....

Much like the people who camp out to see a movie... when if you wait a couple weeks you can walk right into a theater and see the same movie.... or wait in line for hours to buy a phone... that you can order on the Internet...

People are funny...

[oldE]

It makes me glad I had to Google "Black Friday".

We disconnected the TV feed years ago. We refuse the flyers that came to the mailbox and usually only listen to CBC radio.

Our life is relatively commercial free. Now, about that newspaper...

Best
Les

[wdfifteen]

This fall has seemed particularly bad to me. First there was all the hype over the election and as soon as that was over it's the holiday hype. It feels like the world has been yelling for two months and it's not stopping.

[ZAMIRZ]

Originally Posted by oldE

It makes me glad I had to Google "Black Friday".

We disconnected the TV feed years ago. We refuse the flyers that came to the mailbox and usually only listen to CBC radio.

Our life is relatively commercial free. Now, about that newspaper...

Best
Les

I'm just curious, how do you refuse flyers that come to your mailbox? Do you sit and wait for the mailman to come and stop him from putting them in the mailbox?

I hardly ever turn the TV on and start watching, I record everything I want to see and then start watching after 40% of the program is done at the earliest, that way I can fast forward through all the commercials.

[sailchef]

Originally Posted by ZAMIRZ

I'm just curious, how do you refuse flyers that come to your mailbox?

I just ask my mailman not to leave any flyers or junk. i think if you ask, they need to comply.

[Rick Lee]

I have a big box just inside my garage door where I deposit all junk mail before heading back into the house. We do clip coupons, but everything else goes in the trash. Haven't brought a Yellow Pages inside the house from the front walkway in many years. Such an incredible waste of paper.

[mossguy]

Originally Posted by URY914

Who are these fools that sleep on the sidewalk at Best Buys to buy crap they don't need and can't afford?

Perhaps it has nothing to do with money, savings, or the product (for many) and is simply a social thing, like a campout or whatever.