BLACK Thursday?

I have to admit that I remember when the kids would go with their Dad to find some bargains at electronic    stores the day after Thanksgiving. They'd even come home with 'free' stuff for arriving early/ at designated hours. Wow free stuff. 

    I saw this pic of shoppers camped out in front of a major retailer ... Have we gone crazy?

As we all know, nothing is free as you buy other 'unneeded' stuff/ such a deal that you couldn't refuse. Look at this year's  Wal-Mart's offer:

"Walmart is also offering a Black Friday guarantee. If you are inside the store between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving, you are guaranteed the iPad, the Emerson 30-inch 720p LCD TV or a LG Blu-ray player for $38. If they sell out during that hour, you can get a guarantee card, but you must pay by midnight and you can only get one of the big three selling items."

The newspapers were stuffed with all these deals telling you what you had to have. I am so glad to be in a totally different place now and I doubt that I can attribute it to being older/ wiser . Perhaps I have found a different contentment  to realize that there really isn't anything I am lacking/ need. Wow that feels good. I don't have to wait for a parking place at a mall/ even leave the Valley. I guess getting old can have its advantages.

As all holidays/unofficial holidays I was curious as to how and when Black Friday began and Wikipedia helped me as usual. SO if you're curious read on a bit of paraphrasing and a little ranting ...

In the United States there is a relatively new tradition that actually began in Philadelphia in the 60's called Black Friday so named due to the heavy traffic and pedestrian traffic after Thanksgiving. The term Black Friday then spread elsewhere in 1975 to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Special early sales kick started shopping. 

What is great about this unofficial holiday is that other non-retail employers gave their employees the day off which is the best gift ever. This also added on to the number of potential shoppers. In 2005 it became the heaviest shopping day of the year where a business could turn a profit /' be in the black.'

Retailers moved door openings from 6:00 am to 5:00 or even 4:00 in 2005. Then last year major retailers like Target, Kohl's, Macy's, Best Buy,etc... opened at midnight. This year it was Walmart that led the way to open its doors at 8:00pm on Turkey Day. WHAT???? 

I am 100% supportive of disgruntled workers' walkout for being requested to lose their holiday time to be at work for an 8 pm opening for now what must be called a Black Thursday. Like HELLO we are not changing the name of this unofficial holiday. Give people a day off... I swear nothing is sacred anymore.

Well it certainly does not change my mind about the amount of business I am willing to give Wal-Mart due to their terrible labor practices all in the name of a profit. Have you thought about boycotting them and writing a letter? Perhaps that should be in my things to do.  The only thing leaving the End of the Rainbow Valley  on a Thanksgiving night  will be family and friends that are sated dinner guests...