This is why I hate what Christmas has become

[Smoking Duck]

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20081128/NEWS-US-USA-HOLIDAYSALES-DEATH/


Isn't it enough that we've bastardized the meaning of Christmas in this country?  Now, because someone just has to get the special item of the year at a rock-bottom price or their Christmas will be ruined, one man is dead!  When will this country ever learn?  I say to hell with Black Friday.  I'd like to see a law against this type of crap in the future.......all for the almighty dollar :'(


Sorry for my rant, but I had to get it off my chest.  I hope this man's family sues the pants off of Wal-Mart and the rest of the retailers learn a valuable lesson!

SD

[Mr Walleye]

I here ya SD!  ???

I don't understand it.... I hate shopping at the best of times!

It's funny!... I don't do line ups! Never have.

I haven't even been in a movie theatre since I was eighteen (and I'm 48) for that very reason. If I have to stand in a lineup I don't need to be there.

Mike

[Consiglieri]

Well, I had to make my typical smart donkey comments, so I hope you'lll forgive me.  I wouldn't wish any tragedy on any family, but a few thoughts come to mind, and Duck I hope you'll forgive me:

First:  Why do you have to be the first in line to shop for a holiday that's a month away?  A MONTH AWAY! 

Second:  Why weren't you spending time with the family you're shopping for?  Heck, there had to be at least one more piece of pie. 

Third:  What in the world could Walmart have been offering that justified getting there at o'dark thirty?   They have 200 of everything! 

Anyway, like senor pato, I apologize for the rant.  I just don't get this feeding frenzy.   On the other hand, I do understand the tug of war for the wishbone. 

[Smoking Duck]

No, I agree with you Consigs.  They (big retailers) have sucked these people in to believe they have to get up at 0 dark thirty and be the first in line.  I blame the people as much as I blame the retailers.  It seems we've lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas.  God knows, I'm not the first to make that statement but at what point do we stand up and say "Enough is enough?".  This poor guy that lost his life was just trying to earn a buck to support his family, and he lost his life for this?  We need people who are willing to stand up like Al Pacino in And Justice for All and call the whole darn system corrupt.  The gentleman who was killed was just doing his job opening the store and he got trampled on so little Susie can get her stinking Dancing Elmo at a bargain basement price?????  What in the world have we become?  It's just gotten me so pizzed of................


EDIT:  You know what I think the worst part is?  I don't think I'd be that ticked off if it was a shopper who got trampled to death.  To me, that's like the running of the bulls at Pamplona.  If you run with the bulls and get gored, don't come crying to me.......don't run with the bulls, you don't get gored.  I'm not sure if that makes me a bad person or not  ???

[Stargazer]

I find Christmas as a very personal event for me. Dont have much family left except my father and uncle. And they usually have to work during then.

I am religous 'Christian' but keep it to myself out of respect for others, and not wanting others to push their belifes down my throat any more then I know they wish from me.

On that note, just to explain myself, usually Christams eve I'm alone for the past few years, 'decade?', and I would be fine just being thankful for what I have instead of complain what I don't have.

However, tv is a big beginning I see as the problem. The media portrays this soliptical, unrealistic view of the world, and if your not part of it, well... then something must be wrong with you, kind of brain washing if you will. Sanitizing materialism and emblazoning in everyones minds they can that the perfect Christmas feast is with all your 'large' family in a $350k home wearing armoni suits and gold rolexes.

Media already has alot of the public thinking a good balanced meal is McDonald's. I cant even touch that stuff with out looking like a cat choking on a furball. Yet they advertise a mother acting as the responsible parent, because she ordered milk with those chicken nuggets and fries for her kids. Sad part is, I see alot in my area who have actually embraced this way of thinking. And its pretty scarey. Like drones.

Alot of hype is pumped into soliptical, illogical ads trying to portray their product or services will bring you happiness is disgusting, but funny. I remember last Christmas seeing an ad for some mobile phone with all these people dancing to that rap music. Then it dawned on me... They look more like those people from the Pepto-Bismul ad jumping around then dancing. Yet people look at it in awe and think they must have what those actors do or they wont be human.

Lets not forget valentines day. Thats when the big time jewlers advertise. You don't love your girlfriend or wife unless you buy her this $35,000 necklace that she will only wear once. My father and I seen an American Express ad were the guy wanted to buy his girl some piece of jewlery, and the clerk told him his card was maxed out. His girl immediatly jumped in and advised him to just use his American Express and life will carry on like a leave it to beaver episode with no repercussions of heavy dept later on.

Only thing advertised for guys are neck ties the girl can buy, probally to be symbolic so he can work more hours to pay off those gifts he been chocking up for her and the kids.

Back to Christmas though. My idea is to just surprise my father and uncle with alot of really good homemade snacks and meals, then kick back and watch a ball game, talk and such. I really try to avoid the commercialism as much as I can, and since then, I been pretty happy.

Ironically, I minored in philosophy and one study was socail mind set, which makes seeing this pretty intresting, but not in a good way. Seeing how a beautiful ancient tradition has become corrupt for the almighty buck, because of corporate steering the populus to create a controlled market and nothing more.


Hopefully this will bring a smile to a few of your faces though... I just gotten through Thanksgiving and was wonderful. Now with Christmas, I am going to surprise the Holy heck out of my father and uncle by making loads of recipes, smoked and non-smoked for all of us to enjoy... using the family forum members recipes I have been gathering. So basically, our nice peaceful Christmas is going to have a lot to do with you all with what you allowed to share for people like me to help spread good old holiday cheer, with good food.

Good food, brings about a very comforting enviroment. Which brings about better moods and family bonding. On that note, I am very thankful that good people have taken the time to share with people like me just starting out, so I can create another nice holiday for my loved ones.

So I do appeal to my family here on the forums. You may not think so, but belive me, you are extremely valued and appreciated by newbies like me. Trust me. With out you, then people like me who want dearly to bring good traditional holiday spirit back the way it was meant to be would be lost in a dismal abyss with no where to turn.

On that note, please, step back and look at your skills, and what you offer here for new apprenteses 'however its spelled', who look highly on what you have to offer.

To heck with corporate advertising and their brain dead cult followers, we have something much better.

As Aristotle said... 'I would rather have a few friends who I can trust my life with then a lot of friends I must watch my back around'.

I do hope this didn't come off as offensive in anyway, if so I appologise, its just that the members here who have alot of vast superior knowledge... I don't know if you realise how much some newbies like me idolise this and wish to obtain that knowledge and look up to yall.

[Smokin Soon]

Very well spoken Stargazer, I do not look foreward to X-mas  All of my friends have bailed out of California, due to crashing real estate and job losses. You have your Pop and your Uncle! I'm a bit jealous. My family is scattered all over the world. Christmas Eve set a glass of Beam for me and we will do a toast!

[Stargazer]

I learned along time ago family is not by blood, but who you make it.

I do have my father, but as for my uncle; alittle story...

My uncle I talk of is not blood related. He is my fathers best friend during my parents divorce when I was a wee tyke. My uncle has punt me like a football when I gotten out of line as a kid, but was also like a true uncle and show me fishing techniques as well as my father did. I knew him since I was knee high actually.

What I'm getting at is, you are just as much family as anyone. During Christmas my father and uncle will have alot to talk about while I cook or wash dishes.

I'll also check back here from time to time. If your here brother, I will be honored to spend some quality Christmas time chatting with you on line as well. I refuse to see family down and alone on holidays if I can help it.

[LilSmoker]

Well i agree with all of your posts guys, and Stargazer i found your post very poignant and reflects the way many feel i'm sure  ;)
This side of the pond is just the same, with Christmas now just a commercial money spinner, and the retail system thinking of new ways to fleece people that are already struggling in the current economic climate.

Don't get me wrong, i know spending needs a good kickstart to get our economies moving, but it's the way they go about it that stinks imo ::)

The wife and i were out looking around garden centres at the end of august, we were looking for a couple of plum trees, well we were amazed to see Christmas decorations already on sale at a couple of the centres in august?? ???

These are crazy times for sure  ::)

LilSmoker......

[Stargazer]

One other thing that might help. I have learned along time ago that, just because the majority embraces something 'idea, philosophy etc...' dosn't mean its right, such as the materialism of Christmas and other holidays now. Nor does it mean I have to embrace it either. Ad Populum fallacy if you will.

Example, in my area in Northern Kentucky, fast food is literally the norm here. If you don't get fast food 6 days out of the week, your deemed as some weird sci-fi monster I guess. Thing is, I don't give a hoot what others think of me. I hate fast food. Never cared for it. I grew up more in the back woods part of Kentucky and love good home country cooking, just never got to making it until now.

So I got into making sausages of many varieties, bacons, ham now... heres the thing. I just caught word from my landlord that many neighbors in my townhome complex have been talking about my food. Seeing the sausages carried out to my fathers car to take back to his place, smelling bacon smoking up. Not trying to say anything, and I am literally NO WHERE the experiance as the masters here, but found out through the grape vine my skills I have been learning have been the envy of the rest of the complex I live.

What this tells me on a small scale model for the bigger picture is that, while the majority hammers fast food, and offers to sell their soul 'so to speak' for the newest gadget under any circumstance and darn the consequinces, may be someone who lives close by you, may very well drool and envy what your doing. Seeing that neat cold smoking set up. Firing up the smoker for home made sausages or a bacon.

Thing is, I was lucky to hear this through the grape vine. I think part of it is because I usually offer some to my landlord 'husband and wife team' and word gotten out.

Just because you see the majority fluttering around like lost sheep, don't think they don't envy and wish they could be like you. Human nature is to be lazy. And what they are doing is being lazy by thinking they can buy happiness for a price, however, what they forget is someone 'corporation' is out there to tell them what constitutes as happiness for them. A type of dictatorship if you will.

Basically all in all, what I'm trying to say is this... I'm more then willing to bet you, many of those drones out there, secretly wish they could be more like you, their just to lazy or afraid to attempt it.

Another way to see it is... make your own circle and be content with that with no care about what the victims of marketing rave about loudly. Because, those type of people get upset if they can't get what they want. When they see you happy, but then realize their not really welcomed anyhow because of how they act and present themselves, they will start to envy and desire more.

Classic example is the Great Mark Twian. When Tom Sawyer was punsihed and had to white wash the fence. Instead, he found what ever he could to enjoy it as his friends were walking by to go swim or play ball. This got the best of them and wanted to start painting the fence too. But Tom wouldn't allow this because it was just to much fun. They intern gave him apples and candy and such, and while they were now allowed to paint the fence and get it done fast, Tom Sawyer was able to sit back, enjoy eating the apple, then go play and swim or fish in the Mississippi.

Those same drones who help corporations get their control of cheapening, can be turned around with the massive skills the members have here that are so enticing. Be like Tom Sawyer, and let them wash your dishes :D

After all, it boils all down to, just retooling the preception on how you see things. At least that has worked for me in the past.

[NePaSmoKer]

Stargazer

Very well put. I enjoyed reading your post.

Big business like (Big Box Mart  :D) has a grip on alot of people. Will they one day wake up? I dont think so.

I am also making goodies for family members, except my 2 army sons, just going to give em a few bucks as well as jerky and whoopie pies  ;D

nepas

[Oldman]

I read about it this morning and I felt ill.

This is not the first event that caused someone to die. It will not be the last.

The thousands who go to this type of event at all hours I do not believe represent this country. They are the few among the many.

Shame on Walmart and all retailers who hold these types of events with no thought to life. For a few hundred dollars in security personnel they could have prevented the lost of a life.

Someone somewhere said that with the passing of a life a whole liberary is lost.

My thoughts are for that man's family.
Olds

[Buck36]

Another article

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081129/D94OJ4NG0.html

"Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages."

"When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping."

Items on sale at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.

....a death because of a $9 movie

[Stargazer]

Another sad thing about all this...

I remember The Who concert in cincy ohio where all those kids gotten trampled to death. This happened many years before I moved to Northern Kentucky across the river, but I have met a few who were at that concert.

They were horrified when they heard what happened and sickened to know they were at the concert and didn't hear anything about it until after the fact. One I use to work with at my old welding shop witnessed the tragedy and he and his friends who attended that concert pulled some girl out of the way from being trampled to death. He said it was a mad house. But, there were some who actually cared enough to put a human life over self-indulgence.

However, those demonic soccer moms who embrace the materialist doctrines corporations try to pawn off heard about the killing and were outraged because they couldn't shop any more that day. Makes one wonder if they could be charged for manslaughter.

Hate to say it, but if not for those gluttonous, arrogant, narcissistic, soliptical type of people all of capitalism would probably fall.

It just bothers me that young kids at a rock concert shown instant remorse over what happened then a bunch of adult walruses belly flopping and upset as if the poor man who died was an inconvenience and in their way. The same type of walruses that are always portrayed on media advertising as the ideal standard a woman is supposed to behave and conduct herself.

Corporation and media has really turned morbid ways into some idealistic ethic. It's truly sad.

[beefmann]

All I  have to say is that  people like thoes at wal-mart are greedy and think of only there pocket books and disreguards for  others... we all like a  good  price.. is it worth someones  life? what  if that man was you or a  family member being trampled ! ! ..

Like most I  like to save money and receive gifts at  christmas... though I  would gladly give up christmas to prevent a  tregedy like this or any like them.. I  will admit that im pushing 50 and times  have  changed over the years,,, even as a  youngster i have  enjoyed gifts.

the gifts were a great  part of the family and friends get toghter .. what I  miss most is the family and friends at  christmas... how can a  life ever  be restored?? as far as i am concerned it  cannot!!... is a  life worth the saving an all  mighty buck?


now that  i have  ranted on this  issue about  walmaaart i will get off my high  horse

[seemore]

Mr. Seemore had me read this.  Both of us are so in agreement with you.  I know that me, the Mrs., is FULL OF ESTROGEN, but everything that you gentlemen said is so true, and yes, it brought tears to my eyes.  What is sad is that it is not surprising how the throngs of shoppers reacted as they passed the EMTs trying in vain to revive that gentleman.  And, Stargazer, your family is INDEED what you make it and WHO you make it.  Scott and I live modestly, but we are financially secure.  Our home is almost paid for, and we have no intention of buying another.  It is almost 60 years old, so it is not one of those cookie-cutter homes that are going up in our community like crazy.  Our vehicles are not new, but they are paid for.  We can't understand how - especially with our nation in a financial crisis - that people can afford those outrageous mortgages, car payments, and to be sure credit card debt as well...........It does not say much for what our society has become, and what has become important to our society.  So, having said that, I will retire from this conversation.  I need to give the Mr. a BIG HUG and say a prayer of thanks for my family, my friends, and this FORUM of wonderful gents!