The great Thanksgiving gobble

Thanksgiving is as close to a National holiday as we get, unless you count the retailers, who seem to have no shame. After dinner and a game of Mexican Train Dominos with mom, we sat down for some TV. I had no idea that so many stores were either open today (K-Mart) or opening at midnight tonight (Value City). Of course, there are the usual early morning openings (Circuit City and Boscov's), but it seems that it's getting worse (more greedy) instead of better.

Year after year, the retail industry whines and moans about how it's going to be a tough season. Either because Thanksgiving is "late" and Xmas is "early" (fewer shopping days) or because people have less money to spend because of high energy prices or the increasing costs of living.

Blogger's Note: I choose to take the Christ out of Xmas by replacing it with the heathen "X".

Friday, the local news will be jam packed with stories about the rush of shoppers at Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart ... (blah blah blah) ... and the incredible bargains that they are scoffing up at 5 in the morning while the lucky among us are sleeping or the unlucky are working.

Blogger's Note: Those news stories fall under the category of "free advertising" every time the retailer's name is mentioned, hence the early-opening scam.

If you are sleeping or working, consider yourself fortunate. I've worked plenty of Black Friday's and I have never wished I was standing in line at 4am waiting for a beleaguered minimum wage store clerk to open the doors so I can be trampled by goofy weirdos who figure that five hours of sleep is worth a 50 dollar discount on a square TV or a close-out computer. While you're out spending money, I'll be rolling over listening to the cat purr. Knock yourselves out. Please.

Here's a clue: There isn't anything that you can buy on Friday that you can't buy on Saturday or three weeks from now. Or even better, not buy.

There are 32 shopping days left, and we've been convinced by advertising and our own stupidity to think that the only day worth being out shopping is Friday. It's amazing to me that the stores will be jammed and people will be out. Either we forget over the year or we are spawning new and goofier people. Or both. The strange thing is that most of the people that are interviewed by newspapers or TV will admit to being "stupid" for being out on Friday. Stupid is as stupid does.

Face it, the retail industry has figured us out and they have determined that it is financially worthwhile to open at midnight (technically Friday, so they don't have to pay holiday wages) or so early that even the chickens are laughing at us. The short answer is that they don't do anything that isn't helping their cause, and they will make it appear as though they are doing us a favor. How does it feel to be a tool of merchandising? I thought so.

So, get out there and spend! I'm tired of hearing them complain. You'll have 31 days left and years more to pay for it all.

You'll likely be out shopping on Christmas Eve, too.

Dumbass.