Plan B Forum

Was watching Hallmark Channel just now ("Last Man Standing", which is a Tim Allen show that is almost indistinguishable from his earlier effort, "Home Improvement") and I saw my first themed commercial — this Hershey's Kiss ad — for the Great American Greed Festival and Celebration of Conspicuous Consumption ... formerly known as 'Christmas' until the the forces of capitalism, assisted by the armies of the politically correct and perpetually offended, made the name just one more example of archaic terms relegated to the history books.

It's not so much that we're now going to be bombed with Santa Claus, Rudolph, Charlie Brown, the herald angels, Frosty, and every other bit of froo-froo that has come to represent "the holidays" from now until December 25th; it's just that it takes so long to get here, and then it's gone like it never was — by the 27th there ain't a "Ho-ho-ho" to be heard or a jingle bell to be found.

Because it's time to drag the tree to the curb, put the reindeer out to pasture, toss the wrappings and ribbons into the trash, and haul out the crapola for the next National Holiday —

-"BB"-

The Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier every year.

The Two Spending Seasons:
1) Christmas
2) Not Christmas

Greed is good.

I think I've posted this video here before...but it's the best commentary I've seen on this topic. Louden Wainwright III captures my sentiments perfectly:

Well it was bound to happen in an advanced society where everyone is getting ahead. Faster faster we all go and faster gives you cred. My niece skipped ahead one grade and my nephew, he skipped too. I'm taking early retirement so its Christmas in November and we're way ahead of you.

Here come the two months of hell...

I used to avoid all but the grocery store from Thanksgiving until New Years - now my boycott starts November 1st.

Reminds me I've gotta stock up this week on TP and paper towels to get me thru until 2017.

I like my wife's method: if she needs to shop, she does it at 5am. The obvious downside: that means I have to be awake and coherent at 5am.

That works to avoid the crowds, but you still get subject to all the gaudy merchandise, decorations and stupid Christmas music on an endless loop.

No thanks!!

Maybe it's just me, but I've always like the decorations (the good ones anyway); I used to take my girls when they were young (and my niece and nephew before that) to the malls just to look at some of the decorations (those were pretty much the only time I went to any of the malls); we also used to go to NYC each year to see the tree in Rockefeller Center and look at the 5th avenue store displays. Some of the decorations are quite elaborate and creative.

The muzak--sure, I'd be glad if they lost it; and I usually don't give much of the merchandise a second thought. But I can appreciate the decorations and the effort that often goes into them.