posted
Ah, yes, working for people who do not understand Thanksgiving is a good way to not get the day after off.
I do agree that probably 75% do not get PAID for the entire day after Thanksgiving. But I think that's close to the percentage that get it off.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
And I forgot to mention that the soulless monster is his stepfather. This forum really needs a "humorless grin" emoticon.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Anti-Maven, that's cool that your're in Basque-land. We always talked about Basque in linguistics. I'd never heard of Mayflower Day, either.
My husband wants me to go with him to Black Friday at Wal-Mart this year, and I really hate the whole idea. I hate Wal-Mart to begin with, and I hate the concept of Black Friday. It is all the aspects of Christmas that I don't like.
I also can't believe they are playing Christmas music - it started last week, actually. I thought that kind of inanity was unique to Utah.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:My husband wants me to go with him to Black Friday at Wal-Mart this year, and I really hate the whole idea. I hate Wal-Mart to begin with, and I hate the concept of Black Friday.
1. I'm broke this year, and any chance to save large sums of money for what small gift giving I'll be doing is what I'll do. I won't be consuming any more than I would have anyway, I'll just be paying less to do it.
2. The effect is almost useless anyway. It's PR stunt, which isn't necessarily bad, don't get me wrong. Spreading the message that we as a society need to consume less is valuable in itself, but economically these types of things just don't have meaningful results. If you don't buy on one day, you'll just buy everything you would have bought that day a different day instead. It's why those No Gas days don't work, because everyone just fills up the next day. You'd need a Buy Nothing Except Groceries Month I think to have any serious effect.
2b. Having it on Black Friday might seem clever, like attacking the monster head on, but I don't think it is. Picking the day of the year with the absolute best deals, that you know money conscious Americans are going to go after tenaciously is pitting two parts of the American psyche against each other: Our desire to save money with our desire to help the environment. Now generally those two things aren't even at odds with each other, as one generally helps the other, but this is one case where one MUST win, in the given situation, and I think the money side will, and given the lack of effect the day will have, I think it probably should. If everyone, EVERYONE shopped on Black Friday, and then spent the money they would have spent on more expensive gifts on energy savings for their house, I think you'd end up with much, much bigger longer lasting effects than a PR day.
Pooka -
Why do you hate the concept of Black Friday?
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
The day for me starts with church. We do a coprelude of special music for the Thanksgiving mass which ends with the priests reading aloud cards on which people have written down their thanks.
Then off to one of my sisters' houses for snacks while the cooking happens. Playing with my nieces and nephews. Lots of traditional food: turkey, mashed potatoes, the good kind of stuffing (with apples and raisins) and so forth.
Friday is spent grazing on leftovers.
And even when I wasn't working retail, I didn't get that Friday off until I started working for a school.
Posts: 11187 | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Actually, we make gifts for all our family and friends, don't buy gifts for each other, and our kids get thrift store gifts for the most part, maybe one new gift each, under $20 and small. And celbrating it on Black Friday is meaningful TO US because 1) it gives us an excuse to not go out on Black Friday and 2) reminds us that Mindless Consumerism is Bad and gives us a chance to discuss how we can lessen our consumption/find greener solutions for necessities in the coming year. We use this day to reinforce with our children that it is bad for the environment to leave the lights on all the time, that recycling is good, etc., as well as making new commitments and resolutions to do better ourselves.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it seems you're taking it much further than the day was intended for, or at least as it's being advertised as, which is good.
Just not buying stuff one day is goofy, making it into something bigger and better like you're doing is what should be done, if not more than that. You're not doing "Buy Nothing" Day, you're doing "Teach my kids environmental responsibility day, and find ways to make permanent changes to my lifestyle," which I fully support.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by maui babe: We'll eat until we can't eat no more, play some card or board games and talk story. I always try to focus on gratitude with my children - at least for a short time during the day.
Maui babe - when you say "talk story" - what do you mean?
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by pooka: Anti-Maven, that's cool that your're in Basque-land. We always talked about Basque in linguistics. I'd never heard of Mayflower Day, either.
My husband wants me to go with him to Black Friday at Wal-Mart this year, and I really hate the whole idea. I hate Wal-Mart to begin with, and I hate the concept of Black Friday. It is all the aspects of Christmas that I don't like.
I also can't believe they are playing Christmas music - it started last week, actually. I thought that kind of inanity was unique to Utah.
Hey Pooka - maybe I was a tad liberal with the truth about Mayflower Day, but it did have the ring of authenticity to it didn't it...
DO you know anything about Basque linguistics? I am impressed - I'm learing by osmosis and it's fun, but I really miss a good book in English - a primer or grammer or somesuch. Any hints?
The concept of Black Friday fills me with a unreckonable dread. It must be like the madness of the January sales here, with folks camping on the pavement to wrestle tooth and claw for *that special bargain*. Brrrr, 'ow 'orrible.
Three Rousing Cheers for Internet Shopping!
Posts: 892 | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: Actually, we make gifts for all our family and friends, don't buy gifts for each other, and our kids get thrift store gifts for the most part, maybe one new gift each, under $20 and small. And celbrating it on Black Friday is meaningful TO US because 1) it gives us an excuse to not go out on Black Friday and 2) reminds us that Mindless Consumerism is Bad and gives us a chance to discuss how we can lessen our consumption/find greener solutions for necessities in the coming year. We use this day to reinforce with our children that it is bad for the environment to leave the lights on all the time, that recycling is good, etc., as well as making new commitments and resolutions to do better ourselves.
KQ, you are Good People, and an example to us all.
Posts: 892 | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Aw, man, I'm such a sucker. And I don't remember anything specific about Basque, just that it was this weird isolated language that no one knew how it got there.
Maybe I'll do all my shopping by internet tonight.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
