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Black Friday madness


F3SS

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They'll have a tv that's usually $900 for $500 or maybe appliances 70% off for the first 25 of Darwin's fittest to snatch up. Usually huge markdowns in limited quantities. Part of the madness is because of peoples hopes to snag that awesome deal. The other part is, I believe, because going to these literally raging sales is just the thing to do now. People actually camp out in tents on the store fronts for sometimes weeks without even knowing what the sales are going to be. They just want to be that guy. Snagging the best deal just for the sake of it has become a symbol of pride for some, IMO, sort of like those who do strange and pointless things in absurd amounts just to be a World Record holder.

I think some people really are like brainwashed zombies when it comes to sales. One could see that on any day in the retail business. And some are people who really do want to get something they normally couldn't afford. One commercial I seen last week for JC Penny's was a bunch of people cheerfully singing in chorus the word 'shop' over and over to the tune of Jingle Bells, and that's it. Shop ShopShop Shop ShopShop ShopShopShop ShopShop... Lol, I guess that really works on some folks.

Last Thanksgiving...our 16 year old daughter talked us into going to the mall at midnight.

She wanted some sweatpants at Hollisters. She said she knew exactly where they were....and she did. And we went right to them...and got them...in about less than 3 minutes....

....and yet...I still waited in line at checkout FOR TWO FREAKING HOURS.

...neva again...neva...

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One commercial I seen last week for JC Penny's was a bunch of people cheerfully singing in chorus the word 'shop' over and over to the tune of Jingle Bells, and that's it. Shop ShopShop Shop ShopShop ShopShopShop ShopShop... Lol, I guess that really works on some folks.

Heh, round here it's Deck the Halls. The falalalala's have been replaced by go go go go go, shop shop shop shop.

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Lol what a punch line. I don't know if I feel worse for you or the cashiers. The only Black Friday I ever did was probably about two years ago on a whim and in the afternoon. I decided to go see how crazy Best Buy was. It was real busy but not much different than a day or two before Xmas would be. They happened to have a bunch of the TV I wanted so I got it. I couldn't care less if they didn't and certainly I would never get the midnight madness fever. If I ever do it again it'll be the same way. I'll go whenever I get up and get around to it and if I get what I want cool, if not whatever. I doubt I will though. I couldn't be associated with this craziness.

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Heh, round here it's Deck the Halls. The falalalala's have been replaced by go go go go go, shop shop shop shop.

Oh maybe that is what it was. I could be wrong but the point is the same. I bet the CEOs just laugh it up about how simple their advertising needs to be for simple minds.

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Oh maybe that is what it was. I could be wrong but the point is the same. I bet the CEOs just laugh it up about how simple their advertising needs to be for simple minds.

Willing to bet they did both. Probably have other ads with other songs too.

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I'm 40, and I don't remember black friday being like this except for maybe the past decade or so.

I still live the "consumer" lifestyle, but I've been trying, for the past few years, to buy FEWER things, but to make the things that I do buy of a higher quality and longer lasting. I have decided it's better to buy a 400 dollar pair of boots that is made in the US and can be resoled five times or so over the course of 15 years, rather than buy a new pair of 100 dollar boots from china every year.

It seems that the rest of our american society prefers the experience of buying things over and over, and so would rather buy cheap junk multiple times rather than quality once. I think we've turned spending money on THINGS into a sport. I am also trying to spend less on things and more on experiences... for instance, instead of a new television costing a few thousand, we went on a family vacation last year and made some memories. My children probably wouldn't remember if we bought that big TV in 2013, but I have hopes that they will remember the time we all rented a cabin at the beach and they got to swim in the ocean with their dad in the big waves for the first time at age 2 and 4.

Edited by Neognosis
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I'm 40, and I don't remember black friday being like this except for maybe the past decade or so.

I still live the "consumer" lifestyle, but I've been trying, for the past few years, to buy FEWER things, but to make the things that I do buy of a higher quality and longer lasting. I have decided it's better to buy a 400 dollar pair of boots that is made in the US and can be resoled five times or so over the course of 15 years, rather than buy a new pair of 100 dollar boots from china every year.

It seems that the rest of our american society prefers the experience of buying things over and over, and so would rather buy cheap junk multiple times rather than quality once. I think we've turned spending money on THINGS into a sport. I am also trying to spend less on things and more on experiences... for instance, instead of a new television costing a few thousand, we went on a family vacation last year and made some memories. My children probably wouldn't remember if we bought that big TV in 2013, but I have hopes that they will remember the time we all rented a cabin at the beach and they got to swim in the ocean with their dad in the big waves for the first time at age 2 and 4.

Trust me ....they won't remember that either...

I am still working on my Christmas Gift Giving Plan...I just seem to be having problems for some reason...

...my plan...

I give my wife a hundred dollar bill. Merry Christmas. My wife gives my kid a hundred dollar bill. Merry Christmas. My kid gives me a hundred dollar bill. Merry Christmas. I give my friend a hundred dollar bill. Merry Christmas. My friend gives me a hundred dollar bill. Merry Christmas.

I give a hundred dollar bill to a homeless person and go home.

Everyone got a hundred dollar bill for Christmas. Everyone spent a hundred dollars on Christmas. No one will remember what they got this Christmas next year anyway...except...the homeless person will always remember that Christmas.

Edited by joc
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Trust me ....they won't remember that either...

You don't think my kids will remember the big trip to the beach?

I remember trips with my parents when I was 4. Maybe not every one, but I remember doing things.

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You don't think my kids will remember the big trip to the beach?

I remember trips with my parents when I was 4. Maybe not every one, but I remember doing things.

Sorry...but...no...they won't. They will remember stories of you taking them to the beach...and they will know that you took them to the beach...but they will not remeber a damn thing. Well, the 4 year old might have a memory or two of something that happened ....but no...they will not be going...ah Dad, that beach thing we did when I was 4...that was so awesome...let's do it again.

I wish I had a dollar for every memory I thought our kid would have.

But....and here is where you are more correct in your thinking than you may even realize. The fact that you care enough to make memories for your kids like that...will result in a lifetime of memories that you give them in the long run. I get all of our vacations all mixed up from when I was a kid...but the memories of being there are what's important...bits and pieces you know? Personal stuff...like...looking at a river from 10000 feet on a gravel road on the side of a mountain...thinking...trying to figure out a parachute system using bedsheets and rope in case we went off the edge of the mountain.

You are a great Dad...

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As an Australian this is particularly interesting to watch. I have no idea what's going on, like, things are on sale? All the prices over here are super high cause we have minimum wage and what not but I mean.. how low can prices go to make people act like animals?

It's the same here in the states. Things go for less on Black Friday, but not by much. Some of the big sale items, such as laptops, tablets, desktops, and TV's are generally the lower end models.

Being an American, I am ashamed of how people act during these events. Morals go completely out the window for items that generally aren't worth the time to be bothered for lunacy such as this.

However, I remember 3 years ago camping out in front of a Best Buy to save $100 off a DSLR camera which in the end, wasn't worth my 16 hours waiting for.

Heck, even the Filipinos who are being given relief aid aren't this crazy, and they are being given food and water for survival.

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ok, i do understand why they cited him. he meant well, but that's the sort of thing that could have become pretty dangerous, depending on how people react.

that said, it's also pretty neat. and probably the nicest thing someone has done in the mall of america for a while

i totally hate the mall of america, though

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ok, i do understand why they cited him. he meant well, but that's the sort of thing that could have become pretty dangerous, depending on how people react.

that said, it's also pretty neat. and probably the nicest thing someone has done in the mall of america for a while

i totally hate the mall of america, though

Inciting a riot. But did it incite a riot?

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Inciting a riot. But did it incite a riot?

The article does say he could have caused. It doesn't seem as if a riot or a close resemblance to one occurred.

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The article does say he could have caused. It doesn't seem as if a riot or a close resemblance to one occurred.

I think a much better way of giving away a grand would be to put $100 in ten envelopes and then just meander around and hand them to ten different people here and there that could use a hundred bucks at Christmas time...hand them an envelope, say Merry Christmas...and fade into the crowd.

btw...happy birthday Susieice!

Edited by joc
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Thank you Joc !

I think people probably did scramble for the bills but it doesn't seem to have caused any problems other than disrupting the choir's performance. More people got a little that way, but it could have caused a free for all. Walking around and just handing people a couple of bills would have been a better way to do this unless he got jumped. Then he wouldn't be the one in trouble at least.

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barackjesus.jpg

And He looked down upon the masses, consumers stampeding through the market to spend their surplus dough, and it was good.

lmfao awesome

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I think a much better way of giving away a grand would be to put $100 in ten envelopes and then just meander around and hand them to ten different people here and there that could use a hundred bucks at Christmas time...hand them an envelope, say Merry Christmas...and fade into the crowd.

This is one of the reasons I would love to be rich.

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I don't really have an issue with the Black Friday shopping. I don't participate much. Some years, just for fun I hit one store. Usually late morning, and I usually don't purchase anything. I stay the night at my brothers house on Thanksgiving and we drive back home (1.5 hours south) Friday mid morning. We drive straight through a mid sized city. Stop at a department store just to observe the people. Nothing special this year. Last year, there were 2 women fighting over the last TV. Entertaining.

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There are many "greedy animals" out here, regardless of race.

I agree with you. I was not referring to a particular race just that they ALL acted like greedy animals!! Race has nothing to do with greed. Stores should not be allowed to have such stupid and dangerous sales.What is the matter with people?

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I agree with you. I was not referring to a particular race just that they ALL acted like greedy animals!! Race has nothing to do with greed. Stores should not be allowed to have such stupid and dangerous sales.What is the matter with people?

While I see your point, I don't think I would be in favor of not allowing stores to have whatever sales they want.

Now requiring them to abide by the fire codes (max # of people) is another thing.

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While I see your point, I don't think I would be in favor of not allowing stores to have whatever sales they want.

Now requiring them to abide by the fire codes (max # of people) is another thing.

I meant to mention the same thing, don't think I did. The only way I can figure to soothe the situation is to enforce occupancy codes. While I'm sure these large stores have equally large occupancy limits it could at least possibly help. In my op video the shot of Macys with what looked like thousands of people cramming in didn't look safe to me at all. Forget fires, one gun shot or someone yelling bomb or fire and it's going to be a bloody scene. You think people are acting like animals? What till they're in a panic. But we agree. Government is not the answer.

Edited by F3SS
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