i will not be shopping at 4am

canon digital rebel xsi

Or at 5, 6, or even noon. I won't. I just think it is wrong. Each year it seems like these sales start earlier. Some stores, like Walmart, are reportedly staying open Thanksgiving night. This is being done to help keep the crowds under control, so that hopefully no one is trampled this year. Yes, people have died for this cause.

Now, while I understand needing an excuse to get away from the family - this is not the answer. It really isn't. Go for a walk. Take a nap. Phone a friend.

The sad thing is that the big deals that everyone is waiting in line, and skipping out on the family for is - wait for it - a television! If you have read any of this blog, you know how I feel about TV.

Black Friday is a sucker's game. The big retailers are pulling out all the stops to get you to buy stuff you don't need. They are preying on your sleep deprived, caffeine fueled, desire not to go home empty-handed. They know no one wants to stand outside for hours (in most places in the cold) and come home with nothing. You could have had a second slice of your favorite pie!

If you don't believe me, read Undomestic Diva's tale from last year. It's funny, but not in that way.

Remember, no one was born to shop. Here's a link to Buy Nothing Day. It's this Friday. It's simple - sleep in and enjoy. For more ideas, here is my annual rant.


on the night stand :: Lucky Breaks by Susan Patron.

taking it all in

This is far from a great photo. But I think the messages on this poster (that was in a window on a store in Berkeley) are important.

They are especially important when we live in a world where people feel it is a good idea to go shopping at the crack of dawn. Some apparently even felt it necessary to skip out on Thanksgiving dinner and instead sit in a pup tent in line in the parking lot of a big box store! Even worse, some people felt that they shouldn't have to wait, and calls went out to 911 about people cutting shortly before the doors to the stores opened!!

I stayed in today. The goal was to clean up the kitchen. Not sure I did that 100%, but the turkey stock is just about ready. Most of the laundry is done. And I am hoping to finish a book that is due at the library tomorrow.

on the night stand :: The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters