Black Friday is starting to get ridiculous. At the rate we are going we'll be having Christmas Super Sales on Halloween! This year some companies are opening Thursday evening around 8 p.m. What has happened to us as a society that we can't even enjoy an entire day off to spend with our families before we start the craziness we call Christmas shopping. Will we start opening the stores at 8 p.m. on Christmas day to get a jump on all of those returns???
A story was run on the Today Show talking about an employee of Target who started a petition to the company to NOT open on Thanksgiving day. She has gained a lot of support from her fellow employees and employees of other stores that are also opening on Thursday. We, as consumers, can also have a voice in this madness - we can stay home until Friday. Sure, if you want to hit the midnight sales after Thanksgiving go for it. Technically it's Friday and not Thursday. But if enough of us stay home before midnight we'll send the message to these companies that we want everyone to enjoy time with friends and family and not busy handling crazy mobs on what should have been their day off.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Guilty As Charged
I'll be the first to admit what I'm about to write about, I'm guilty of.
Politics lately have become really intense. I think it has to do with Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc...) given how easy it is to say something, anything really, or share something that you saw that you thought was clever or fit what you were thinking. It feels so easy because there seems to be little to no consequence when it happens. There is no one looking right at you giving you a funny look or whispering in your ear "hey Jim, maybe you shouldn't say that so loudly".
I've been one of those who have posted his/her feelings on their preferred candidate or rather why they oppose the other candidate. I think I've been pretty clear on where I stand. Painfully so for some readers I'm sure. This is odd, because before I got sick I would never have dreamed of talking politics so openly. That's not to say I wouldn't ever talk politics, but the number of conversations in a year could easily be counted on two hands with a few fingers left over.
I believe that our ability to easily, and with little consequence, share our political beliefs has helped drive division in our country. I see it more today than at any other point (I admit, I watch politics more now than I ever have so maybe I'm just now becoming aware of it), a division in our country. Politics seem to have gone to the extreme. Gone are the days of meeting in the middle. Today feels like an 'us vs. them' situation in America.
People outside of America look at us and see we are in trouble. They point to the fact that we are paralyzed to make decisions. All because of our 'us vs. them' mentality. We want to think that we are the greatest country in the world, but how can we be so if we can't make policy to move us forward when we are constantly fighting about who is right and who is wrong?
I admitted earlier that I'm guilty. Guilty of feeding the 'us vs. them' mentality. Of blasting my opinions on the various social media sites. Of feeling stronger about what I don't like about certain candidates vs. what I like about the other. They say admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Will I be disappointed if 'my guy' loses tomorrow? I sure will. But regardless of who wins or who loses I am going to encourage the people that are there to start reaching across that aisle, finding middle ground and becoming a country of US and not a country of 'us vs. them'.
Politics lately have become really intense. I think it has to do with Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc...) given how easy it is to say something, anything really, or share something that you saw that you thought was clever or fit what you were thinking. It feels so easy because there seems to be little to no consequence when it happens. There is no one looking right at you giving you a funny look or whispering in your ear "hey Jim, maybe you shouldn't say that so loudly".
I've been one of those who have posted his/her feelings on their preferred candidate or rather why they oppose the other candidate. I think I've been pretty clear on where I stand. Painfully so for some readers I'm sure. This is odd, because before I got sick I would never have dreamed of talking politics so openly. That's not to say I wouldn't ever talk politics, but the number of conversations in a year could easily be counted on two hands with a few fingers left over.
I believe that our ability to easily, and with little consequence, share our political beliefs has helped drive division in our country. I see it more today than at any other point (I admit, I watch politics more now than I ever have so maybe I'm just now becoming aware of it), a division in our country. Politics seem to have gone to the extreme. Gone are the days of meeting in the middle. Today feels like an 'us vs. them' situation in America.
People outside of America look at us and see we are in trouble. They point to the fact that we are paralyzed to make decisions. All because of our 'us vs. them' mentality. We want to think that we are the greatest country in the world, but how can we be so if we can't make policy to move us forward when we are constantly fighting about who is right and who is wrong?
I admitted earlier that I'm guilty. Guilty of feeding the 'us vs. them' mentality. Of blasting my opinions on the various social media sites. Of feeling stronger about what I don't like about certain candidates vs. what I like about the other. They say admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Will I be disappointed if 'my guy' loses tomorrow? I sure will. But regardless of who wins or who loses I am going to encourage the people that are there to start reaching across that aisle, finding middle ground and becoming a country of US and not a country of 'us vs. them'.
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