Consumerism is the new god

I didn't even leave the house yesterday. I knew that, even if I wasn't shopping, the traffic would be insane.

I did my shopping online. I have a couple more things to get ... and I probably paid a little more than I would have at the store ... but there was absolutely no danger of being trampled.

I really love New York, but I think shopping there can be dangerous sometimes.

I have been to sales at Macy's or other stores, for example, and customers will just pull things out of your hands! I have shopped in other places, but I will say in New York there is sort aggressive-ness when it come to sales for sure.

Have any of you had similar experiences?

lascantas said:

Good lord no...I've never shopped on Black Friday and never will because If somebody pulled something out of my hands I'd be the one on the news.

Seriously though, all the hype just galls me too much to participate in it. I've been trying for years to get my family, co-workers and friends to pool our money and donate it instead of buying each other more trinkets that we don't need.

I'm not totally against shopping and I do buy a few gifts, mostly for the kids I know and a few that I don't know. I just think that extreme materialism is obscene.

I've worked at a mall a time or two in my life and I've seen Black Friday Sales and all the madness that goes with them, up close and personal. So let me tell you the truest and saddest part about the whole damn thing.

Those same people you saw out there, acting like asses trying to get whatever it was they were trying to get...will be the very same people, right back in the stores on the day after Christmas acting like asses, trying to take some of it back!
[Edited 11/29/08 8:14am]

babynoz said:

Oh no, I never shop the day after Thanksgiving Sales! LOL To me, it is not worth the agrravation to save a little bit of money. I was just talking about regular sales--particularly in New York. It could have been a matter of circumstance, but shopping during sales in New York is particularly crazy. It may have been just my experience, so this might not be true in general. However, I friends living in New York telling me this is just the way it is.. so.

We have done charitable donations for presents, too! In the past, we have sponsered some of our relatives as donors through FarmFriends. This sounds horrible, but I am not sure if those we "sponsor"would have really appreciated it. They get pics of the family, a little plastic animal representing the animal we bought in our relatives' name.... and other stuff, but still it is not like getting a gift, you know? We sent little gift, too, just in case, so that way we are covered!

I use to think that Black Friday was the "it" shopping day for Christmas shopping, but now that I'm a bit older, I just see it as just another day. I don't think its worth getting up at the crack of dawn just to catch some sales and save some money. A sale is a sale. And pretty much the specials they have on Black Friday will NOT be the only day they have the sales either. I'd rather go the next week to avoid all those annoying people, I hate shopping with crowds.

As someone that worked in retail, this is the typical American. Materialistic, thinking about no one but themselves, im tired of hearing that "american isnt like that" BULLSHIT this is the real america. Im glad to hear that they are going through the surviellance video and indentifyin every last customer that is there and breaking them up on charges, murder charges, i hope ever last one of them does a nice LONG jail sentence for their selfishness and total disregard for human life, they are no better than the terrorists that shot up the indian hotel, in fact they are equal to them. Customers had the NERVE to complain that the store had to close to clear up after this MURDER, and they couldnt shop, that my friends is THE REAL AMERICA.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Exactly and these FOOLS are charging up their credit cards, probably also own homes and have jobs that they are going to lose in a few months when the economy gets even worse, I really hope this economy crashes into the fucking ground, so people cant even go to stores, they have to learn to live life as opposed to owning materialistic bullshit.

lascantas said:

its got nothing to do with NYC, this is the typical American and their selfishness to own some piece of crap

lastdecember said:

I am about to lose my job in March, but i've been working like a horse trying to find another one...but its seems like at my job, I'M THE ONLY ONE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR A JOB!!! It's so fucking amazing! These people come to work everyday just like the job is going no where...yet i'm always on the internet every chance I get looking for another job.....and it has paid off, I went on an interview two weeks ago and it went really well (please pray that I have it). But you are right, people do act nonchalantly when they should be going nuts out of their mind making sure they have some income coming in within the next 6 months.

missfee said:

Yeah i mean people just think "oh we have a new president, case closed" are you freaking kidding me! Hes one man, but even he knows this is going to get so much worse before it levels off, by the end of 09, they are saying 1 million jobs will be lost and that the unemployment rate will go into double digits, which i have never even heard of in my lifetime, i think everyone that is sleeping or drinking the kool aid thinking the world is sunny and bright is really fooling themselves and going to get a real shock in the coming year. Its not a cynnical view its just realism, dont spend what you DONT HAVE, those days are over, if you cant afford a new iPhone or whatever, dont charge it, case closed, deal with your normal crappy phone, SACRIFICE for a bit, i know people dont like to hear that word, but folks if you want things to get better, we all as people in this country ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SUCK IT UP.

lascantas said:

missfee said:

I know, it's like folks are plugged into the matrix or something.

Best of luck to ya!

lastdecember said:

You are right, I myself need to stop using my credit card. I did a superb job of putting myself on credit lockdown when I bought my house earlier this year, I need to get back into that mental mode again. As far as Christmas goes, people aren't going to be getting much from me. My motto is: "you can't give what you don't have".

babynoz said:

This year, we are going to sponsor relatives who have passed on. This way, it will keep their memory alive by helping others.

Oh.. And I wanted to tell you.. there is a cute site I found. It is called Terry's Village. They have very cute, but inexpensive gifts--particularly if you have a lot of relatives living out of town, and would have to ship gifts anyway. Then, there is another one called Eagle Emporium. I looked there because we are doing some "updating" to our house. I found these interesting wrought iron towel bars--very..simple but different. Comparatively, they are inexpensive.. plus they are supposed to be made by the Amish? I do not know if this is true, but I really like their product. And the shipping was reasonable.

So if you have relatives or friends living out of town, and must pay to have merchandise shipped, then.. maybe these sites can be affordable to give a little token gift. Of course, if they live out of the country, then maybe this would be a problem. I do not think either one ships out of the country.

Now to sponsor, I really like that Farmfriends. This is all we have ever used, and I have had good experience with it.

missfee said:

i will be praying that you get the job!

kimrachell said:

thank you so much!!!

babynoz said:

thanks!!! Its funny because everytime I get pissed off at work (which is every 5 minutes, lol) I go to monster.com to look for a job and apply for it. I apply for jobs like i'm about to lose my job the next day. Thats how bad i've been looking.

missfee said:

I don't know if you prefer to say, but what kind of job are you looking for?

Maybe someone here would have some suggestions?

Would you be willing to relocate?

lascantas said:

Well I can't really relocate now, since I bought a my first townhouse this summer..i'm in the capital of VA, so i'm willing to travel anywhere in VA, northern, western, eastern, and i'm already in southern VA. My field currently is in finance....i've been looking for accountant, financial analysis or marketing positions (though my work experience so far is primarily with the finance/accounting field). I have a B.S. in Business Administration and i'm about to earn my MBA with a concentration in Marketing in spring '09.

missfee said:

Mmmm.

Maybe this story will give you some hope. We, too, had a friend--in fact one of the ones from New York, and he was laid-off. But he found something soon after. I am not sure where, though. I think he was working in finance. I might be mistaken.

With accounting and finance.. and then your MBA.. I am sure you will find a good job. Plus.. you are doing such a good job of looking right now, too.

I am sorry to ask this.. but just to put another idea in your head, you know maybe you could also look at being a teacher? I have looked into being a teacher, and there is a program where they offer people who are have experience in business, but take courses from a particular district to get certified.

I do not have any background so for me, it would be a long course of study. But maybe for somebody like you, with your credentials, there is such a program in your state. I know many states are so desperate for math teachers that they hire people to work for a year.. and then during this time, they also work on getting their certificates.

It is just another idea in many I am sure you already have.. and have obviously pursued. But teaching might be another avenue. You could also teach for a private school without certification, I think, but I do not think private schools pay as well as public schools.

EDITED TO ADD:

Guess what? I looked up Teaching in Virginia, and your state does have this program!

III. Alternative Licensure - an alternative route to licensure is available through the
recommendation of the individual's employing Virginia school division or nonpublic
school. A three-year nonrenewable license can be issued through satisfying endorsement
course work, experiential learning, or by meeting the provisional-special education
requirements.*
10/7/08
*Please refer to the web site,
http://www.doe.virginia.g...sment.pdf,
describing the assessment requirements in Virginia.
A. Satisfying endorsement course work - an individual who is employed by a
Virginia school division or nonpublic school seeking this alternative route must:
• hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution,
• satisfy one or more specific endorsement areas (teaching areas), and
• submit the application packet through the Virginia employing educational
agency.
B. Experiential Learning – an individual who is applying for an initial license
must meet the following criteria to be eligible to request experiential learning
credits in lieu of the coursework for the endorsement (teaching) content area:
• hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or
university;
• have at least five years of documented full-time work experience that may
include specialized training related to the endorsement sought; and
• have met the qualifying score on the content knowledge assessment
prescribed by the Board of Education.

http://www.doe.virginia.g...ached.html

So this is just another option!
[Edited 11/29/08 11:03am]

Maybe a few lawsuits will come out of that.

babynoz said:

as was proven by the many who stepped on or over the dying man, and prevented the other employees who were trying to get to him,so they could help him... and i'm betting some of those 'people' were aware they stepped on someone
and think they may get away with what they've done...as i said, i hope they find something on video they can use..

lascantas said:

Thanks for the tips...

luv4u said:

More than lawsuits better come of this, the police in NYC are eyeing the video footage from store cameras and will rounding up those shoppers/murderers and bringing them up on criminal charges. I really hope the damn book is thrown at them, an example needs to be made of them.

lastdecember said:

I agree. I hope that Barbie was worth it.

I think it's dangerous to use the video to criminally charge anyone in this case.

The dynamics of a stampede are complex and don't show up completely on tape.

I hate crowds, but unfortunately, I've been in some -- say at a game when a team wins a championship and everyone rushes the floor. I"ve been propelled forward onto people, sometimes over small children. Did I run over them? No. I was pushed and had to apologize profusely. I mean I dug in my heels and tried to brace but there is no bracing when there's an avalanche of weight, muscle, and out of control will swelling behind you.


You know the movement of masses of people is not the fault of a few people, and rarely those at the front. People at the front are often the injured people, I've seen them pushed into metal grates, doors, etc.

You have to figure in mob mentality, mob action, psychological triggers that start the sudden movement --like a quick reflex. How do you find where that originates? Impossible.

To use the video to charge or file a lawsuit will result in perhaps nonculpable peole being charged, and many assholes going free. There's no way to blame any specific person. I'd be more likely to blame the store and how it organized the entry process.
.
[Edited 11/29/08 13:54pm]

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Spent 5 years total after my first stint in the military working at Lord & Taylor's and Macy's....the thing that never escaped my notice was that during this time of peace on earth, goodwill to men people were much more rude than any other time during the year....which, when dealing with the buying public, is an oxymoron in and of itself...

Here's the thing though - did ANY of those shoppers from that particular store or anywhere else reflect on their behavior? Do they feel differently about their actions & overall anxiousness? Or will they do the same stupid shit next year??


.
[Edited 11/29/08 14:35pm]